Okay, this is a slight diversion from Edinburgh, but it is 'citycycling'. On an earlier thread we discussed the case of cyclist who was charged with dangerous riding (??!! something like that) for riding on the road, instead of an off-road cycle-path. Something in the thread on gears then reminded me of my cycling days in Harare - nice fairly flat city, very temperate climate, wide roads perfect for cycling - when I rode a 1 speed old-style 'messenger' bike and a 5 speed girls bike (wish I had pictures). Anyway, that reminded me of the day I was cycling leisurely downhill into town on a quiet Sunday morning, eschewing the wide, paved off-road cycle path because it was broken up by side roads and driveways, only to have a crowd of riot police in a bus start waving batons and shouting at me to get off the road. My reaction was to laugh at them, but perhaps that was not most sensible reaction (but this was 1996, and the riot police weren't particularly respected then). Luckily their bus kept going with the flow of traffic and left me leisurely riding along. I took the heavily armed guys outside the president's residence a bit more seriously when my bike pedal fell off as I accelerated into the intersection . I was pretty banged up, and the traffic is heavy, and I pulled the bike out of the way and pleaded and pleaded with one of them to go get the pedal...eventually I think I got it myself, and limped off. The word was that if you stopped near there, you'd be shot, so I was a wee bit concerned. Anyway, in the googlemap images, the jacarandas are fading, but have a look here for one of the best routes into town -- wide road, with paths on either side (under canopy). Of course, most cyclists in Harare live much further out than this in the former townships, and don't cycle by choice, but I'd still recommend it.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
Cycling in Zimbabwe
(3 posts)-
Posted 14 years ago #
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So you were slumming it in Borrowdale then? ;-)
Posted 14 years ago # -
Normally I stay in Avondale, but have stayed in Greendale, Milton Park, Meyrick park, Highlands (that's when I met the riot police), Emerald Hill, Hatfield, Kambuzuma and several bits of Avenues (Baines/chinamano and nr Fife ave shops)...I think that's all of them.... NOT Borrowdale. the old bits of Highlands are nice; Borrowdale has no soul.
Posted 14 years ago #
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