tubed

I think he can choose exactly who he wants to sit next to him. Enjoy it. The term 'legend' is thrown around carelessly these days - one of the true hard men of that era, an inspiring fighter.

Nice to see your name on the official team sheet next to Alan Peiper - onwards and upwards.

The person who did this, did it intentionally and with enough time to contemplate their actions. Edit: on reflection - my calling for prosecution of somebody so clearly out of touch with their place in the environment could do better with some education and a commitment to stewardship of the trails. I am pretty sure someone here knows who did it, I'd suggest the person be encouraged to come clean ASAP (before it gets out of hand, as I doubt this is going to go away quietly) and make a considerable contribution to TokaiMTB and TMBikers - that would make the best of a sad event. Hopefully SANPARKS step up too and send a clear message to anyone else stupid enough to do something similar. ????

Karbonkelberg from Harbour/ Hangberg suburb I reckon would have rivalled the Mast for a climb and bomb down, used to do it back in the day, then Sanparks decided to abandon the track and turned it into a hiking/ running route by constructing rock gutters across the path to stop erosion - they made the downhill run interesting. I think some of the running events then contributed to keeping the path maintained for a while - a month before the HB Trail Challenge it would get a haircut. Then a minority of the locals decided that robbing tourists, hikers and trail runners was a good idea. So that put an end to watching a Dungeons session from the saddle (probably one of the most spectacular natural amphitheaters to watch some crazy surfing) and an end to rides up to the old radar station. So sad. Nowadays it is used by big running groups or by UTCT with security and buy-in from the community on that day. I wouldn't recommend you go in a small group. You could contact Brent from the Harbour community who qualifies as a local guide - he will ensure your safety. PS: as an interesting aside, the old radar station at the top of Karbonkelberg used to be used a 2-way radio communication station in early Argus Tours as it offers coverage of most of the peninsula, so on race days a 4x4 was sent up to act as a radio relay across the route, that was probably one of the last vehicles to go up there before cellphones became a thing.

I can understand a servitude for traversing a property in respect of services, ie you can use a property for other purposes if it has bulk water, sewage etc running underneath it. So in that instance you could put a park or walkway over the top of it. But for a road it seems like it's a much higher level of exclusive use required, ie a main road such as the one which was envisaged would not be compatible with private use as well, hence the expropriation option. It may well be that the entire length of the proposed bypass road was not expropriated hence the owners exerting a right to fence it off. I still think a property attorney should take a look at it. I am not unsympathetic to the challenges facing owners of vacant land, but something here doesn't add up to me and it would be nice to know what the title deeds say.

Yes, just buzz the security on the intercom located on side of the gate, they will open for you, the track is easy to follow and the guards at the exit gate will lift the boom for you as you exit at Suikerbossie. So far everyone is lekker to the residents and security so keep up the 'smile and wave' and the historic Bains route and public right of access will remain. Welcome to not having to do Suikerbossie again.

Spoke to my dad. As far as he recalls they (Council) expropriated (with compensation) the entire length of the proposed Hout Bay bypass road starting at about 400m passed the graveyard and up to opposite the Houtkapperspoort entrance where the new fence is being erected, This encompasses the bulk water supply underground to the reservoir above IY as well, the road and water supply sharing the route in part where the erf in question is located. The road never got off the ground due to other development needs in the community and a lot of opposition from the property owners who own properties abutting the road reserve. That is as memory serves BUT its decades ago and my dad is elderly. Like Is said in the above post, it should be a matter of fact and law - somebody will need the City to confirm the actual status quo. The landowners erecting the fence do indeed have rights, (unless the expropriation split their erf), so if they are doing the erection of the fence legally, then the City has authorisation regarding their development should seek to balance the needs of the community (access) and their development (security), a deal can be struck as it was at Ruyterplaats. Experience shows that the community will have to be vigilant and make sure that the City regards the needs of the community when dealing with the developers, otherwise the City currently sees an increase in coffers via rates and can be pro development. In my view the best way would be to work via the councilor and TMB who have proven very effective at negotiating access. (Sanparks are an abutting owner - but the less said of any reliance on them the better).

I'll have a chat to my dad, he was responsible for a number of the access points in Hout Bay when it was being developed years ago - Ruyterplaats, Myburghs Ravine, Tierboskloof, Valley Road Weir. As a mountaineer, cyclist and lawyer he tried to make it a condition of the City's development approval was the retained public access to the mountain and historical footpaths - developers disliked him as it infringed on their security estate selling point - the MCSA strongly supported it. Nowadays its trail runners and gravel bikes that thrive on the access. The Constantia Nek pipetrack and road servitude was included in the above. Lets see what the facts and law says - and hopefully the memory.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5DkyIPDhL5/ this is the hub after all and its nearly Friday, sound on :

Its a real pity about the OPR, you can read up more on 4x4community what specifically lead to its closure. I tried to ride a 2 day circular route including OPW in Sept 2019, the Doring was flooded both on the OPR crossing at Tankwa and back at Uitspankraal, despite my windgat insistence that I "had crossed rivers before", Mr van de Merwe from Welbedacht who owns the first tea plantations from the Biedouw side said there was no way I would get across, he was right. He directed me across his farms to Wuppertal for another equally beautiful circular ride which his son had done on an mtb. The area on the plateau was very wet and it was clear where the motorbikes had again gone through his rooibos to avoid the flooded road. The through route has been closed at the farm Agterfontein where the district road becomes a farm road. These are decent accommodating folk who were left no choice. There's a relatively new crowd at Uitspankraal crossing of the Doring, they rent dirtbikes, sell cold beer in an outside bar, have a big screen TV with motogp showing 24/7 - they have a different outlook to the farmers who have been in the area for generations who grow and sell rooibos tea. Sadly for people touring on bicycles the route has also been closed. Re the Tra Tra River route from Wuppertal to Tankwa as an alternative, a friend did that a few weeks ago. There is quiet a bit of portage to get through the last part where the track ends. That's where the Uitspankraal dirtbikes gave up. So with it being impassable to dirtbikes hopefully it stays open as an alternative to bicycles. Hope this helps with your planning, the Doring level should be easy now.

My guess would be Table Mountain Bikers, seems like some initial work has also been done on the Ruyterplaats Estate link and a TMB request for trail support small notice has been placed. Love the way they/ Rob just get stuff done on the Table Mountain trails north of Constantia Nek. If you aren't a member or haven't contributed they are really worth giving some cash to.

that's a lekker part of the world Breezer

A few weeks ago I did the stretch from Upington/ Kenhardt to Saldahna. Bicycles are welcomed the entire route. Enjoy it. * edit: sounded like a grumpy sergeant, just do it and enjoy it.

Very interesting. I wonder if the Bikehub gear team would do a head-to-head comparison with this and say the equivalent from Signal bikes. Specialized are the brand, Signal are the pretender - would be keen to see which one offers which.

Nils at Woodstock is the right guy to go to. A couple of months ago I was cleaning out my garage and I decided to part with my two 30 year old Zini frames made by Gotti in Boputhatswana (they had some govmt incentive as an independent homeland, so he set up factory there), they were a Reynolds 501 and a 531, with a deep blue paint scheme. Such good memories of building them up and racing them. It felt wrong to sell them or even try, as its unlikely that one gets any decent price and it would have broken my heart to have some oke haggle over them, so I gave them to Nils to do as he thinks best, no trade, no conditions, simply to give them a new life. I have no idea what happened to them, but just in the way he took them made me feel like it was the right thing to do. Nils is your guy.

J Wakefield - glad someone informed had the balls on this website to say it like it is. I read Mark Blewitt's account of travelling home yesterday to be with his family in northern Italy - a chilling account of what can happen in a lockdown scenario. Cape Epic Organisation - interesting ethical stance they adopted. People's health vs money - seems like they made a clear choice. Gutted for those who put so much effort into getting on to the start line

Jewbacca, I think you should ride that bike that you had on the stoep at Elandsberg, you know the one.

At about 4:15pm I came across a stopped car with 3 young Italians in a hire car and small group of young cyclists with an older guy from Masi, they were standing in disbelief at a commuter on an inexpensive mtb who had been stabbed several times and who was bleeding profusely. Christopher is a Malawian who commutes from Masi to Redhill, where he works as a security guard on one of the farms. Two youths probably from Ocean View (he assumes), stopped him and tried to rob him of his cellphone, he resisted, fought back and was stabbed several times, the worst being a slashed forearm. He will be ok, seems like a genuinely tough oke. Just note, its not the Rastas who are usually just up the road who were involved. He had an inexpensive bike and an inexpensive phone - but still they picked on him as he was alone. Please take care if you are riding/ training alone on that stretch at this time of year.

You win

my point exactly

About a week ago above Llandudno early windy morn I see a cyclist ahead of me about 0.5m in the road on a blind corner with nobody near him and a big empty yellow line, I give a brief 'toot' as I go past (far enough past not to alarm him and def not a sit on the hooter) and get flipped off and sworn at, so I wait about 300m up the road for him byside my car. I say thats really not necessary as I was just trying to warn him of the blind corner and him being in the road, I specifically state that I am not going to swear at him or hit him. He continues to swear at me and tell me he's doing intervals at 500watts and its 45km/h gusting wind, so he needs to be in the road. He tells me I have a miserable life and I should get effed. I get back in my car and drive off past him and on with my life. But I was pissed for a bit. He's around a lot training on this road and is good, but not nearly as good a he thinks he is. His atittude will get him sorted out sooner or later. Strangely I seem to getting mellower - I must admit there is a part of me that would have seen it escalate - but I dont think violence and incitement actually solves anything.

I expect that the Silvermine thugs will get whats been coming to them for a long time, its just this time they picked on a high profile guy and were caught on camera. Already there are call for other mountain user groups to come forward to relate their experiences with this section. I expect there will be more incidents to answer to - but the evidence wont be there. For me the issue is also with the management of the Table Mountain National Park, they recruited these thugs and have encouraged/ stood by this behaviour for years. Its likely that they will hang the thugs out to dry for their actions against Nic, but its the management who will hopefully be turfed out when the finding of the investigation reveals the other incidents. Just to add some balance, I had wonderful interactions with the rangers and staff in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park recently - I noted to my friends how pleasant it is to be in the presence of SANPARKS rangers and staff who understand their interaction with the public.

Just wondering at what time this hits cyclingnews.com , can only think it will reinforce the truth that we are a nation of trigger happy, macho types who love nothing more than violence to solve issues. Can't wait to see SANPARKS try and spin their way out of this - problem is that all the brass from Pta and Cpt are on holiday and some poor junior has been left to field the sh*tstorm from Winde et al. I'm really sorry this happened to Nic - but it was going to happen at some stage that SANPARKS got caught out. Hope Nic heals soon. Hope SANPARKS gets rashed for a very long time and that finally they catch a wake up.

My point exactly - SANPARKS been doing this for years now - it starts with management - anyone who has encountered them can testify to their heavy handed approach - be it via their office or their rangers. Hopefully time's up and we can get some management who understand what their role is. Then maybe the rangers will try and act as public servants and not security guards.

These are public servants, their main role is to facilitate the taxpayers use of the park. Sadly this video demonstrates exactly what they have become - enforcers preying on defenceless people. Their attitude is almost always immediately one of confrontation and threat - never that of information and enquiry. It is plain to see that they were present in numbers, repeatedly used excessive force and then threatened another member of public recording the incident. I cannot see anything giving them the benefit of the doubt here.