Limited edition photographic print of Stephanus Abelse

Stephanus Abelse

Corner Lower Main Road and Norfolk Road, Observatory, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa 2010/04/16 16:35

‘I am on my way from the UCT Private Academic Hospital. I work with the maintenance team there. I’m headed home to Mannenberg. It takes me almost an hour to get home every day, unless it’s raining or too windy, then I take a taxi. But I’m used to my bike. It keeps me fresh and on the go. I’ve been cycling since I was 25 and I’m 60 now. But this is my daughter’s bike. She got it from someone who said it came from Germany. It’s still got the old white-wall tyres. But I don’t want my daughter to ride – it’s too dangerous. I can trust myself because I know how to brake and get out of the way of cars. The taxis are the dangerous ones. One day a taxi came up behind me. The driver wanted to stop here in front of me, but he couldn’t wait and he nicked the handlebar. I looked at him and said, “Can’t you see? I was in front of you and you swerved into me.” He just swore at me. I put this mirror on. It was an old motorbike mirror and I cut a new mirror myself: just sandpapered the edges, put some silicone on and put it in. I don’t ride like this, looking over my shoulder. I rather keep my eye on the mirror.’