Somerset West resident Francois Visser had a narrow escape yesterday morning after two men allegedly attempted to rob him of his bike.
While riding on the R44 towards Stellenbosch, just past the Lord Charles Hotel in the Heldervue area, he noticed two men walking in his direction.
Visser said he noticed the suspects had created a space between them.
“As I came between them, they grabbed my bike. I was at a steady pace and almost broke through, but they got hold of me.
“I was off my bike and we started pulling the bike back and forth. That’s when I noticed a small, sharp-edged weapon in the one’s hand and I let go,” he said.
Visser said he ran into the road to stop a vehicle and asked a motorist for help. He said the man watched but decided to move on.
When Visser saw the suspect with his bike coming his way, he tackled him and wrestled his bike away. Another motorist came to his aid and drove Visser home.
Visser said he called the Somerset West police, giving a description of the two men.
Somerset West Wannabees Cycling Club Road subcommittee chairperson Christhonie Geldenhuys said the incident had created a stir among cyclists in their groups.
“Two months ago there were similar incidents on Helshoogte in Stellenbosch where cyclists were attacked and more recently near the Faure water filtration plant, along our MTB routes.”
A joint action with police and the club resulted in the arrest of individuals, he said. He urged cyclists to be vigilant and for them to join cycle clubs or ride in groups.