(Deon)

Let's weigh up some of the responses you'll get. Could this.. http://milwaukeewhiskers.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/blackadder1_m.jpg do this.. ? http://www.fact.co.uk/media/1160984/flash_gordon_2.jpg As a hero for the masses, you will inspire many kids, in any language.. http://longgonebutnotforgotten.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/flash_gordon6.jpg Even those who have gone before you realised the need of just a dash of.. http://cdn1-www.craveonline.com/assets/uploads/2013/06/knight-rider.jpg The choice is ultimately yours, I just thought that as a friend you should at least know the other side of.. http://www.portlandrerun.com/3/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/flash-gordon-logo.jpg

Actually you lost it here.. missing this vital piece in bold This is your response.. But all is forgiven my son...

Stealth is essential but the wheels still needs some.. http://desktop.freewallpaper4.me/view/original/1873/the-flash.jpg

Why are most of the facts missing from this thread? "Lien became a target of the gang while he was driving along the West Side Highway in Manhattan with his wife and 2-year-old daughter. The couple were celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary. It's alleged that the erratic driving of Christopher Cruz (which included performing wheelies and sudden braking) drew the the frustration of Lien." Read more at: http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/10/alexian-lien-road-rage-viral-video/

Cool! We meet up on the mountain again, finally..

I dunno.. I came back this morning to look at this.. sorry. RAD!

What you wanna do, ride and chat? What's that Cap? Me hammering the keys stiil aint nothing on the punishment you were dishing out on your poor bike. I'm sure I heard it screaming "one at a time!" - Come join this weekend and have some input!

In OM's defence, he has been involved in Tokai for the last year or two if memory serves. He joined the volunteers when the need to get the downhill track back in shape was priority, later moving onto assisting in motivating regular build days, something the new management in Tokai would finally consider.. His recent slating of Tokai and its tracks is something that still confuses me but I don't plan on taking any of it personally, I think most of it is aimed at the process of working towards a sustainable future where the mountain bikers and park management finally work together on matters. One needs a LOT of patience to see this challenge through and when other opportunities present themselves, which saw OM leave Tokai's volunteers for a place where scope and approval are carte blanche (Helderberg DH track where they are doing great work), I think it only natural to harbour feelings towards the rigid structure that previously stifled freedom. For me, as long as we have a track that rides well now and provides a basis for future improvement, I am happy. The process for new trails is well under way and for the most part, Parks are happy with TokaiMTB's progress and its respect for their constraints.. it's a two way street. - Just so everyone is up-to-speed, part of the process of making Tokai sustainable is establishing a group (TokaiMTB assisted by cptmahem and supported by countless others) as a NPO that provides employment to keen, motivated and incredibly neat labourers from impoverished backgrounds. This group employs 3 staff at the moment but the aim is to have 8 full-time staff. I have been raising funds and had some generous donations which has kept the group going for some time. Future fundraising will be mainly at corporate level but the public's assistance will always be welcomed. This pays for the maintenance you are seeing carried out during the weeks including; repairs, preventative maintenance, course features and lifting some of the severely eroded trails threatened with closure. (Ideally if the public was contributing towards the labour annually, it would be a CSR project with Cape Town's backing! Can you imagine..) Understandably without money and paid staff, the volunteers would unfortunately not cope under the pressure of 1200 riders each weekend on trails with several years worth of damage. Add to this pressure, the trees being removed places unbelievable stress on the tracks with sun and rain taking its toll daily.. For the position of managing the labour I earn a meagre salary and work nights to make the shortfall of up to 70% of my regular monthly salary. Luckily I do it for the love of mountain biking so it will take more than words to sway me from the goal of riding in pristine fynbos forests with the blessing of the landowner. Ok pack the violins away, as you were..

Ooh careful CaneRat, not sure you want the genuine answer...

I gather you like the part where it rips? Supertube! Can't wait till all the trails run into each other!! With the help of a friend, we spotted an option yesterday where the pedally section can be shortened slightly to offer a faster run into the first jump, a bit like it used to be except different. Would anyone have any objections to bringing the first corner forward? Don't want to spoil the mojo but best if these things are considered before the fynbos pops up in force.

You are full of complaints lately, careful..

..and so well written too. Awesome!

Oh you are so sharp.. ! Anyone seen my speckled Jim?

ha ha, if you are thinking this thread is about TM, then that's why you are coming up blank. It's Tygerberg management issues it would seem. The threat of a few individuals asking a few questions and making a few suggestions about trail maintenance has now made it's way to a legal response. Reads like a good soapie!! Geez, if you want complaints Tygerberg, try looking at what I deal with daily by heading over to any of the Tokai threads. This, as I recall included some ditch dug to the right depth and width to stop a mountain bike wheel in it's tracks.. if I saw riders flying across a trail from something I built, then that would be a problem in my books and I would look at it again.

CatpainCaptainMayhem posted the upcoming (Mamba) build-day details here.. http://www.thehubsa....ay-5th-october/ Walked the track with someone today and he had some positive input. Think we will work on ironing out some of the corners... EDIT:

Thanks Mayhem.. Walked the trail today and saw a few spots we could work on.

The local cops. Hound them! The couple who were mugged in Tokai have just come back from a 5 week holiday to find out that the water bottle found discarded in the bushes has still not been dusted for prints. Not good especially as the two muggers were caught (by the public) and promptly released due to lack of evidence. If the cops had done their job and taken bike crime seriously, we may have had two convictions. Hound the cops!

I am working on getting Boomslang's presentation finished now, this needs to be circulated around a few departments but ultimately the decision lies with the Section ranger for Tokai, similar to the construction of Mamba (I am still actually waiting for the email that says "yes" even though I have verbal approval. I got a slap on the knuckles for that a short while ago... ) We should do a few build days in October. The ground is settling on Mamba now so planning the features will be easier knowing where the trail has good speed. Nico and others, will let you know on twitter and facebook, warthogs and hub and .. and.. The trails need to be rideable before May as a final deadline - for some event that will be using the snake trails.. sounds like a goodie!

I have seen the numbers backing off too. I owe a large percentage of this to a large percentage of trails lost.

Ha ha, don't worry, I have taken my first real break for the year (removed from most social medai, email etc), so no "go" taken ; ) Bit of a long reply but not something that can be answered in a few lines.. TMNP are battling funding issues. They need to secure a few years' budget before tackling the alien growth. I have been chatting to the head of the alien detection unit at SANBI regarding Tokai's plans to remove the sudden awakening of all those dormant wattle. He has agreed that TMNP's plan to burn next year is the best bet followed by a few seasons worth of extraction. The fire will promote the Fynbos growth while killing the early sprouting of alien. Most of the alien seeds will take hold in the first year and the fynbos will grow back really thick, these two factors will make future alien infestation difficult. Fire is also part of the reason why no laterite and heavy wooden bridges are on the trail now.. TMNP actually *sort of* needs our help. I have been reading about the marine poaching issue and can vouch for the funding plight! The poaching is at it's worst levels ever and growing despite the measures taken between CoCT, SAPS, SARS and others.. The income from mountain biking will *in a way* be tackling these kinds of problems along with carrying some of the parks with very little foot traffic. I spent some time in a private reserve and Kruger over the last 2 weeks, South Africa ito wildlife and recreation has so much going for it. It really made me look at the efforts of the various different reserve managers who often take a beating in what seems to be a generally misunderstood issue. Turns out the people running the reserves really do know what they are doing but at the price of a massively slow moving entity. Before I left on my trip, I got two emails from the Tokai manager thanking me for sticking out the long-winded signage approval process, and the second thanking the mtb community for their contribution to seeing this become a well-run sustainable activity! This is quite something by my standards, especially if you knew the previous management. SO TMNP are aware of the problem(s) that seems will be tended to in the near future. SANBI are happy with us and them, so in all I'd say we are on the right track. It will still be a very hot summer though!

Hi all, Boomslang will be the next project that will provide a bit of a breather from Mamba, and yes, Mamba does require some pedalling but in comparison to how the old Mamba rode there is not much difference, in fact I would even suggest that there is less, or soon-to-be less than before. If you recall, the old trail used gravity for the first half and then towards the middle/bottom needed pedal input. The pedal section has now changed to the top of the trail after the first switch (the truth is we built the first switch around a very big Puff adder who was not taking any crab from any of us!) and then after the second corner, gravity is the main driver.. One or two corners are still a bit sharp but this is mainly just to get the track opened and ridden. The final flow will still follow. The way I saw it working before the trees were cut was to link all the trails and let each section offer a different experience. Hope you guys are in agreement but with Cobra being pretty much set in terms of design, this could be the rocky tech trail linking into Mamba, which is intended to be the switching flow trail. Sure, it is not complete and a few adjustments are still needed but with the rider input we can really perfect the trail to suit the majority. Boomslang as I said will allow you to catch your breath, it is hoped to be the fast contour surfing trail. Intended to be one long traverse across the slope, it will dive down and climb several times using only momentum with one or two tables built in for budding pilots and pump jockeys alike! I intend to hire a machine to clear the entry and construct the few features needed. The rest of the trails will also be reworked, especially Rinkhals which was requested to be the last trail for attention. Understandably, TMNP cannot just approve the new design as the Fynbos areas needs an approval from SANBI who control the rehabed areas after the pines are removed. Fortunately TMNP can see the need for Rinkhals needing realignment (for sustainability) and will assist in motivating for a new design. All quite exciting! There is more news too but that is more on the TokaiMTB side which is now being constituted and finally being formed into an official entity. (Maymem, we'll need to meet and discuss soon:) Look out for a website and few documents that will literally transform the way Tokai is run.. The help that is being offered by some really influential people is being realised and they all want the same thing - a world class trail that can cope with massive numbers! Momentum is building! (Pun unintended!)

I am so excited for you! I took a good look at one a few days ago and can see the love that went into it. The matt finish and slick graphics really is the best I've seen in a long time. Is it just me but the canondale, as well known a brand it is, just seems a bit generic when compared...

I cannot find much info about the lady and this guy, can someone bring me up to speed? I last read somewhere 'round page 8.. What actually happened here?

This thread is only getting started! Yeehaa!

Mark's orange 29er is the one that appeared on may mag covers too. Pyga's seem to do that. At least we know Neil does not trade in Pyga, nor will anyone trade it in for what he carries in stock. Plus, when one is for sale secondhand (been 1 or 2 cases), they are lapped up so quickly that "selling on behalf" is as rare as a Pyga being sold secondhand! Best of luck dude.. pressure the cops!