Freedom Ride: Bikes to bridge Jozi divide

Cycling along the streets of Johannesburg should be classified as an extreme sport: there are no cycle lanes and motorists, rudely, don't keep a safe distance from bikes.

For cyclists, roads are a war zone dodging cars not bullets.

This Sunday the Freedom Ride will take place, aiming to raise awareness about safer inner-city cycling while celebrating the city's history and the memory of Nelson Mandela. The 35km ride will run from the inner city to Soweto and back. Organiser Crispian Olver said the ride was conceptualised in the week following Mandela's death in December.

The route begins and ends at the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein. It passes city heritage sites such as the Braamfontein Cemetery, where Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika composer Enoch Sontonga is buried, along historic Vilakazi Street and back through Fordsburg and Mayfair.

Olver said: "The route is quite symbolic. We're linking the city with Soweto as a township. We're building a bridge between rich and poor, black and white [and] between history and today. It's the history of Jo'burg all wrapped up into a 35km route."

Riders will each be given a ribbon to tie on the railings around the Hector Peterson Memorial in Orlando, Soweto.

The ride is a collaboration between Joburg Urban Cyclists Association (lobbyists for urban commuter cyclists), Critical Mass (which has a monthly bicycle ride in the city), the Bicycling Empowerment Network (an initiative distributing bicycles to the poor) and the City of Johannesburg.

Riding in Johannesburg is terribly hazardous, Olver says, and almost every week a cyclist is knocked over in the city. There is no cycling infrastructure such as cycling lanes or signage, motorists don't look out for cyclists, and there are no awareness campaigns about cyclists' safety. This is partly because of the perception of cycling as a white middle-class activity.

"But bicycles are the core mode of transport for many black people," said Olver. "We're hoping to prove a point that cycling is a non-racial activity, a way of building bridges between communities, and a cleaner alternative to motor cars."

Mayor Parks Tau, who will take part in the Freedom Ride to launch a new cycle lane in Orlando, recently joined a cycling club, and Olver thinks perceptions will shift.

The city will ensure full road closures for maximum safety.

Olver said: "It's a social ride. It's not a race with race numbers. It's going to be relaxed and commemorative."

And don't forget the street party. After the ride, hang out around Juta and De Beer streets. Roads will be closed, restaurants open and Neighbourgoods Market food stalls lined up along the streets.

• The Freedom Ride will take place on February 9 from the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein at 8am. Entry is free but participants must register and are requested to raise sponsorship for their ride or make a contribution towards a bicycle empowerment centre in Soweto. Visit www.freedomride.org.za for more information