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tubed

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Everything posted by tubed

  1. tubed
    Fabulous piece, well captured
  2. tubed
    Expect he had to be back for the start of new school term yesterday...... Sorry couldn't resist - what a talent!
  3. tubed
    Just looking at Martin's kit, it looks like the same bike, jersey and helmet he wore when he won the FC in 2012/ 2013, (still hasn't adjusted the lopsided helmet strap). If ever there was someone who 'deserved' a new bike now and then it would be Martin. Ok before I get ahead of myself and compare him to the other famous Le Zouluo Blanc, I recon his about on his way to similar status, after all his best friend who he credits with refining his attitude was none other than the Pope.
  4. tubed
    See the story here: https://twitter.com/martindreyer3 I can't put into words my admiration for this couple - their humility is only matched by their ability - awestruck.
  5. tubed
    wow that's a leap in assumption - as far as I know he doesn't have a personal club and I hardly think he has been rewarded for the hours he has put in, never met the fellow myself, but he seems to have a real passion for the sport and our mountain
  6. tubed
    Deon, I always smile when I ride over the section of trail near Rhodes Mem where we were diverted away from their offices and at plumpudding. The speed with which they moved there was astounding, in fact they constructed the trail over the stream which would have triggered NEMA ( which even they are required to do an EIA), none of which they conveniently did. In those cases they were tired of bikers riding past their offices and in the second case I guess the Epic asked what the price was and Sanparks couldn't resist. Now if Rob with his persuasive and organisational skills gets the budget of the PPA behind him - who knows what Sanparks might be prepared to do. I for one have some renewed optimism.
  7. tubed
    intrigued - let's see
  8. tubed
    I put it to you that...: " the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt is on the State" not on the accused. As I say - a monumental waste of time.
  9. tubed
    My point exactly - Sanparks management should not be wasting the court time with this. They are seeking a criminal prosecution - I wouldn't pay the fine, but go and speak to the control prosecutor and tell them you will be appearing and that you will call THEIR/ Sanparks rangers as witnesses who have allowed/ turned a blind eye to the riding there and are now suddenly prosecuting people. Your only real problem here is waiting at Wynberg court for the best part of the morning. Sanparks management should be made to wait at court too - as punishment for them. Sorry if I am irritated - but if this is where Sanparks management are focusing their efforts its a joke.
  10. tubed
    I wonder what Sanparks management intended and felt they have achieved by this stunt. (let me say I was pleasantly surprised by the rangers I met at Oudeschip yesterday, its a mugging hotspot and they were a welcome presence, I chatted to them about the activities in the northern section and they were quite engaging - kudos to them). On the other hand we have Northern Section Management enforcing what had become a generally accepted route, which had the effect of keeping riders off a dangerous section of road and quite frankly has very little impact on any other users of Cecelia. So by now taking out the big stick they have once again polarised themselves and mtb riders. Why not just have a bakkie and a guy there and tell riders they cant ride there - but to issue fines in terms of NEMA, that's just extremely silly in my view. The reason I say that is it is criminal offence they have created and it now needs to go via Wynberg court. So in the scheme of the things that go on in Wynberg Court (I have spent some time there recently) they now are forcing the prosecutor to decide if they have the time to deal with this nonsense. (versus perhaps the crowbar gang, domestic violence and all the other issues we have in the courts.) Bravo Sanparks management - another example of your inept management in getting your rangers to do the work of a management team which seems at best confused and at worst totally out of touch with the direction this is inevitably going.
  11. tubed
    Thanks for the review, well written and informative. Yikes! your skills go well beyond the general use for this bike - impressed. My dad is off to order one of these this morning, he has been eyeing one for months and this review clinched it for him. He's well into his 70's and still rides and tours overseas each year, this bike will take his ability back to where he was about 10 years ago I imagine. Haven't seen him so excited about a bike in many many years - he's like a kid with excitement about the possibilities it is going to offer him. It really could be a game changer for him in terms of a sport and a place he loves riding which was in obvious decline - now offering him a whole lot of opportunities again. From my side I think it will be a lot safer for him, sadly a wobbly cyclist is not given any room for movement on our narrow congested roads and the cyclist will be the major casualty. This bike offers a 'weaker' rider the ability to hold a line with confidence on a hill. My problem is now my dad wants to ride with me again and I am afraid I might be a bit like that guy trying to hang on the back of the bunch.....the wheel turns.
  12. tubed
    reminds me of some of the guys I used to surf with, all trying to grow up now, but the real world is a hard place, cant just burn people cause you want to, it catches up with you
  13. tubed
    Just trying to constructively add to the debate, I really appreciate the behind the scenes work you guys do. I clearly remember when wearing helmets was uncool, driving on beaches was cool and nobody said anything if you cruised through a red light on a bike. Kind of a bit different now. People change slowly over time, as does behaviour with education. Make no mistake many many cyclists embarrass me no end with their behaviour, as do dog walkers, as do drivers. If we want more places to ride we are going to have to self enforce to some extent. As an example only an idiot would now ride at Bloemendal without a board, those cameras and your pic on facebook is a pretty strong deterrent. But idiots are among us. (PS: I heard the expression the other day: "ek poep nie vir punte nie", which I think applies here. Just trying to add to the debate and not just moan, sorry if you see it another way)
  14. tubed
    I would agree that Sanparks "consider" it as such and hence they treat it like that. But I would argue that mtb has a right, certainly not an unfettered one. I am open to correction. But maybe the argument should be more about being an entrenched stakeholder.
  15. tubed
    Just so I dont come across as only moaning about this, I would suggest the following (and I am delighted to hear that currently concerted efforts are being made with all stakeholders to open up other areas.) The areas which could be opened immediately for use I would see as follows: Lower sections of Cecilia from Constantia through to Hohenort - put up signage advising users to share the jeep track - lets educate rather than be heavy handed. By all means if you are caught riding outside of this designated area, then prosecute in terms of NEMA etc. The area above Camps Bay/ Rontree, again signage to educate riders re dog walkers etcSignal Hill, the areas which were ridden for years - put up decent signage to ensure people have no excuse to know where they may and may not be.Open Wapad/ Silvermine both sides asap, again proper signage, you stray off the jeep tracks and you pay - likewise if you are an inconsiderate user, then you are ostracised in some way or other to demonstrate that mtb is serious about working with all other people who have rights.Constantia greenbelts: open up limited areas, again good signage, try and create the transition everyone is looking for which links up to Cecilia and then on to Newlands. Its happening already more and more each night as I drive home I see loads of people trying to get to Newlands, lets just make it certain and safer. Note: none of the above suggests singletrack - at this stage is about getting people off the roads and into legitimate riding areas where they can ride/ train and we can use this time to build relationships with other stakeholders such as dog walkers. (A campaign to ride with a bell could be a good idea).
  16. tubed
    With respect, I disagree. Everybody has a right to be on the trails - that was part of the deal in granting Sanparks the privilege to manage the park. the rights are not an unfettered rights and it has to be exercised with regard to the rights and obligations of all other users. In particular given the natural disaster of late and the urgent need to harvest the trees - no issue there. At the same time Sanparks has primarily an OBLIGATION to manage the park, for which they receive remuneration/ revenue. I would argue that in not providing an alternative plan to an already overutilised Tokai/ Silvermine area (which was brought to their attention for years), they have now placed themselves in a very tricky position re Table Mountain which is now experiencing an overuse - which just speaks to poor, reactive management and exercise of their obligations. As far as I am aware Sanparks only action re Table Mountain has been an attempt to now enforce the use of Activity cards in this area. Whether this is an attempt to recover revenue ( I doubt, as nobody would now buy an activity card - other than an Epic entrant) or rather the fact that they have woken up to the major environmental impact Peninsula mtb is having a on a very limited portion of the mountain. To my mind it speaks of dereliction of responsibility and obligation by Sanaparks who should have had plan B in place.
  17. tubed
    aha, now I remember, you could get them, but a new crankset was the cheaper option than the replacement rings alone, everything seems 104bcd now, so no chance of putting a single chainring on there any time soon, its still a beautiful looking crankset
  18. tubed
    crankset looks similar to the 960 of years back, those were great cranks, but a non-standard bcd messed up the availability of chainrings silver stainless steel spokes?!, don't these guys know that the local bike shops will look down on you if they aren't black spokes great looking bikes
  19. tubed
    you are right that this certainly is the trend, and I guess if you are spending 60k on an entry you are probably not stressing too much about the costs of the other bits and pieces But it is definitely possible to do it on a LOT less than is suggested, (you might not fit in being the main problem!). I will qualify this by saying that if you live in Cape Town its a lot cheaper too. I was looking at the Exxaro lads on the same bikes it seems they got back in 2013, hardtails, XT/ SLX equipped, certainly the stuff within most peoples budget if you are entering. So yes a new drivetrain, new helmet, new bling shoes, new kit, powermeter, dual suss, etc etc are all great, but nothing replaces the engine and the passion and those okes in green seem to have it. My point is if you can withstand the trend and be prepared to be disciplined you dont have to hide stuff from your wife....
  20. tubed
    Without sounding overly dramatic, this is the proposed management plan to be set in place for the next 10 years to 2025. Thereafter it is set. http://www.sanparks.org.za/conservation/park_man/ It closes for comment on 28 March 2015, this really is the opportunity to register and voice your concerns, failing which (and if current management style and strategy are anything to go by) riders will have largely to accept that mtb is not a focus of Sanparks for the peninsula. I am trying to be positive about this, but in many ways it seems fait accompli that Sanparks are looking to rubber stamp their nationwide strategy for management of conservation areas, with the TMNP as a source of revenue, and in doing so they will restrict mtb to a small area which they will milk as much as possible. They are obviously aware that mtb on the peninsula is already restricted, so they have a captive audience with almost no alternative. I think the fee increase was symptomatic of their approach and our response, some moaned and threatened, Sanparks ignored and people eventually just accepted and paid.
  21. tubed
    Precisely, the whole management plan though is an attempt to gate areas to produce revenue, which is totally at odds with what I believe was the original intent when the heads of agreement were entered into. Sanparks have imposed their vision on something which should never be managed the way it is. The practical outworking is in conflict with every person be it with trail shoes, an mtb, a picnic basket or a dog leash looking up at the mountain and wondering why they cant just access that part of the peninsula. Ok, too early to get heated. Bring on the Epic again. Bikefun!
  22. tubed
    Probably not, not such a big Fransman fan, neither Tony E - I wont be betting on them organising themselves soon, unless you have inside info. They are irrelevant imo. But then I am not such a fan of Sanparks either as you can see. What I will say is that it is a matter of time before the majority of the facilities previously enjoyed by all Capetonians and others become priced out of range as the golden guineafowl is expected to keep producing for Pretoria. Already it is impossible for the majority of citizens to think of visiting Cape Point, Tokai picnic area, Hottentots Huisie, Boulders etc. That position wont go unnoticed and I agree with it. I think if you read all 118 pages of the proposed management plan for TMNP, which is currently out for comment, then you wont find a single reference to mountain bikes, so I wouldn't be placing too much hope on Sanparks plans for mtb in the near future. If it happens, it will happen in spite of them. http://www.houtbayheritage.org.za/tmnp-draft-mgmt-plan%202015.pdf
  23. tubed
    Sure, CoCT are not perfect and there are many areas that they may not be in control of, my neighbourhood for one. The big difference is that we can can hold them accountable and they recognise the fact that they serve their stakeholders. Sanparks never have and as far as I can see never will be accountable to the community they serve. It is an organisation run from Pretoria with a very very broad mandate. At a local and practical level they are in my opinion primarily gatekeepers and failing security guards. Have you ever, ever seen a Sanparks ranger fulfilling a conservation role? I cannot think of one of late. My experience of conservation on the peninsula goes back some 40 years to the days when they cared about nature and the people using the park. There are still some dedicated conservationists It was borne out this weekend by a story related to me in Cape Point about a rangers in a 4x4 dodging a tortoise in the road, not slowing down. It was left to the member of the public to move it off the road before it was squashed. Isolated example? I think not - rather a symptom of the general management of the park. So as a simplistic solution I would look to the City to provide the management and stakeholder support with the finances being funded by the parks and then put Dalton Gibbs in charge - I can assure you there is no one more qualified, more experienced and more passionate - bar none. As for the fires, we have had fires for decades on the peninsula, lets have some common sense now and get on with life, the fynbos will restore itself regardless of what we do if we stick to the designated roads. I dont think Sanparks have done anything in Tokai after the area has been logged recently to suggest that they allow the fynbos to restore, the allowed regrowth black wattle was a case in point. Ok enough from me, hope I made some points. I seriously admire your resolve in trying to work with Sanparks, but I have lost patience a long time ago with an organisation which appears to show concern, but has no real intention of taking the stakeholders seriously
  24. tubed
    SANPARKS are incompetent, clueless and should have their mandate to manage the TMNP handed back to the City of Cape Town or the Province. The total no go areas include: Tokai Silvermine East Silvermine West Vlakkenberg Olifantsbos/ Gifkommetjie The areas they have lost control of include: Sandy Bay Karbonkelberg Lewis Gay Dams/ RedHill Oceanview Enough already - its been more than a decade of mismanagement and old school enforcement. Time to stop patting themselves on the back and be replaced by management and staff competent to run a world class resource in a world class city.
  25. tubed
    My 2 cents worth, but really it is up to the engineers/ experts. I ran over toward the Noordhoek side last night. As much as we moan about Entilini they must be given much credit for the state in which they keep the road and this has had a large impact on it even being considered to be fit for use. In the past there would have been much more damage. Their alien plan clearing efforts above the cliffs, were in progress at the time of the fire, despite that there is a lot of bush to burn on those slopes and it is still burning right now. As far as I am aware they have not dropped any water on it, probably with the main aim of not doing anything to disturb the cliff. It has been subject to intense heat, both the rocks and their retaining structures, which they seem to coat in some sort of grease to keep it from seizing, this would have all been fried. The road surface is in pristine condition other than the odd rockfall, nothing they could not sweep quickly. So my 2 cents worth, and that’s all it is: the road is fine, but I would not like to be the engineer declaring it safe, especially as the fire is not even out yet. I would imagine that in any event they probably have a whole list of documented checks it needs to pass before they can express an opinion. Hope that gives some unscientific perspective.
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