kandui

I have decided to keep out of this process completely. If you want info on the rationalisation process, best to let Meurant or Deon elaborate.

i would still suggest a mellow pedal to Chappies and back as a regular AM ride

My thoughts exactly. The pines/ trees give the trails some measure of protection.

"The next to go is APPARENTLY Fairy Garden, in June sometime. " The sandpit grows. A real shame

I have sent an email to Parks to check my facts and also to ask for a Rationalisation timeline. I would be happy to talk about this , if the majority agrees. If not, I will pass on any info I receive to the person who will present.

I don't know whether it is wise to invite someone from San Parks to the AGM. There are 2 issues here: 1. The representivity of Tokai MTB. 2. Why is it taking so long to get more trail built in Tokai. The AGM is dealing with point 1 and the outcome has no bearing on point 2. San Parks have made it clear that they would like mountain bikers to deal with their issues internally and then , come to them and tell them who they will be dealing with on a day-to-day basis in Tokai. I don't know whether it is wise to have someone from San Parks present and witness what could potentially be a free for all. They might well pitch up unannounced, but then it was their choice. The situation in Tokai has been explained many times, by Deon and others in this Forum and elsewhere. And quite clearly at that. The reality is that there will be no new trails until this Rationalisation Plan has been completed. What it means is that vegetation, suppressed by the pines, will begin growing and San Parks want to see what comes up. Water, mini wetlands, springs , streams, whatever will also re-establish themselves at the same time. San Parks want to see where they pop up and whether current trails are going through wetland areas, areas with sensitive vegetation, etc. This process takes time and that's the time, plus more , the riders of Tokai will have to wait for San Parks to say Yes to new trails, No to current trails, ask for trails to be diverted plus a couple of other scenarios. We asked San Parks on Monday to give us an idea of how long this this process will take. An exact number was not forthcoming, but we will be asking again and hopefully have an estimation before the AGM.

If anyone wants to book a mechanic, I have someone I can recommend. If you're budgeting around 4K. He will take 6 bikes only. Email me: ride@tablemountainbikers.co.za I am not checking this thread , so direct contact is better. Or DM me

If things remain as they are, I will remove that hotspot from the next edition of the trail map.

Please understand, I'm not dissing the Deon's and Rob's who work their asses off to get through to government. I just personally think they're suckers for punishment. I hear you Nico and understand completely what you're saying. It become a matter of principle , speaking for myself. When I made the (naive) decision to involve myself in this process with San Parks, I honestly had no idea that ANY process within San Parks moves so frikkin slowly. 9 months, just to get signage up on the front face of the mountain ,even though all the trails were already legal! I can't stop now. I'm too far down the road and my wife will bloody well kill me if I bail out now. My family has put up with my moaning and whinging , meetings all over the place,helping to organise awareness rides and cutting out lucky draw numbers just because I want to give away stuff, and more! I made a promise to myself and I haven't kept it yet.

What I am trying to communicate is that it looks like nobody has formalised and publicised the voting procedure for the AGM. This is relevant since there is no formal club in place ,where only paid up members would be eligible to vote. Candidates in a club scenario ,up for election ,would need to be paid up members of the club. For example, if a guy decides to get on a plane from Joburg to attend the AGM on the 18th to cast his vote, you can't deny him his right to do so. You have no criteria in place to prevent him from voting. Geographical proximity to Tokai is not a valid criteria for exclusion. Everybody coming to the AGM has some sort of vested interest in Tokai and will expect to be able to vote. This thread is not being read by the bulk of the riders who have an interest in Tokai. They pitch up at the AGM knowing what? Do they know about the voting process? How to nominate candidates? Who are the candidates? is that list made public or will it only be available at the door? Do they even know who the current incumbents of Tokai Mtb are? What would they base their vote on? Has this been explained? I'm just asking.

Sorry about this, but can I throw another small spanner in the works for the sake of proper procedure? The info I am passing on was gleaned from the PPA AGM I attended towards the end of last year. I was a co-opted member of the Executive up to that point and was up for election, along with a couple of incumbents who's 2 year term was up, as well as a couple of new nominations. Nobody was nominated for a specific portfolio, but rather for the Executive Committee. Nominations of candidates, new and those up for re-election, had to be received by the PPA office by a specified date. Candidates had to be nominated and had to accept their nomination. I think this is an important point, because if you're going to nominate at the AGM itself, the chosen person might not accept ( have a change of heart, be intimidated by possible heckling , peer pressure,...) How are you going to get your nomination heard when there might be a big crowd and everyone's trying to get their guy's name on to the list? Nominations of candidates need to be sent to Meurant and received by a specified date. if the AGM is on the 18th, make the cut-off the 17th at Noon. In my unqualified opinion, trying to nominate, hand over proxies, compile the list of candidates and then do the actual vote has the potential to deteriorate into chaos. At the PPA AGM, the names of available candidates were read out and the number of vacant positions on the Executive as well. I think we had 10 or 12 nominations for 8 positions. Everyone wrote down their list of 8 names and the staff from the PPA office tallied the votes and the incumbent Chair read out the results. Determine the size of your committee (easiest is to count the portfolios to be filled. The Chair can be without portfolio, but for a small committee, I suggest you stick with no more than 5 people. The Chair has a double vote (deciding vote in case of a stalemate). I would be happy to make myself available to count the votes. I would abstain from voting and take a "neutral" position.

Set up a proxy document on Word and put it up on this thread. Proxies need to be in writing and signed off by the party not able to attend.Make sure you list all portfolios and don't go and change them. ONE vote per portfolio. Chair and Vice Chair can't be voted for at the AGM, they would be elected by the chosen committee at their first meeting. Remember, the committee may also have the right to co-opt members. This becomes relevant if someone who's contribution is valued, wasn't voted on to the committee at the AGM. This person has no voting rights within the committee, but it may be of benefit if the person adds value. This part may depend on the Constitution wording, but it might still be a good idea to consider co-option.

AGM date remains the 18th. Nothing changes.

The EMP process ,until the final document is signed off by San Parks and the TMMTB Forum ,is a process we are very close to getting a time line on. Please remember, the EMP for MTB is a broad document, governing the whole of TMNP. The "Rationalsation Process" currently being spoken about in Tokai, has nothing to do with the EMP process. The RP is a Tokai-specific programme or project and will be governed by processes (brief ,budget allocation, tender process, approval, appointment of consultants, findings...my basic description of the process) within San Parks. We ,as concerned mountain bikers, or the TMMTB Forum, can only "urge" San Parks to speed up this process and get their consultants appointed and begin with the work on the ground. We honestly can do no more than ask, and prod and cajole and beg & plead. We have no control over the internal San Parks process. Please, understand that. Judging by what we heard at our meeting yesterday, the EMP can be in place this year. The Rationalisation Process: No Idea. Whoever gets voted in at the AGM will inherit the status quo and should be under no false illusions that they will be able to change the San Parks time line for the RP. Deon has developed the relationships and the thick skin required to deal with an animal like San Parks. I know I am going to get some flack for saying this , but the conditions of the trails are almost secondary in this scenario. We need to fight the fight in the San Parks offices to be able to slap on the sunscreen and grab the spade to build a world class trail. I have been busying myself on the other side of the mountain for 2 years and would have hoped to have achieved more at this point. But, having gotten to know the Beast from the inside, I think I have done pretty well considering. In the 3 years that Deon has been active in Tokai, I think he has achieved more than meets the eye. He has built a sound foundation for you guys to be move forward from. In the world that San Parks live in, 3 years is like a year to us. it's not bad going. If anything has been lacking in previous years, it has been the regular and detailed communication about the work being done on the ground and around the table with San Parks. If the broader MTB community had been better informed, I believe that the current impasse could have been avoided and possibly more progress been made. I know that guys more closely involved in Tokai were kept up to speed, but I think the information should have been spread further, via the PPA website, for instance.The Hub is another communication channel, but still a bit insular. As a member of the PPA Excecutive, I would like to ensure that there is a monthly Tokai update on the PPA website and I am sure Meurant will do the same on the Amarider site. Then nobody can say. "I didn't know".

Even if you put a bridge over a watercourse (and let's stick with what we all understand as being one: stream & river), the EIA and public process kicks in. If,however, the path you are using/wanting to work on goes through the watercourse and it is marked on maps as a jeep track and you move less than 5qm of soil in the process, then the work does not require EIA's and public participation. The OK can be given at Area Manager level.

Meurant Botha is chairing the AGM and I strongly suggest not drawing San Parks attention to this thread.

Dr Rob Lamberts- 0838980429 for a training programme. Kate Slegrova for skills.

Point taken, but TIME is the word to remember. The device can be active while you're riding, which means it keeps on tracking when the bike has been jacked. The thief needs to put distance between himself and the crime scene as quickly as possible. Time spent trying to find and remove a tracking device is time wasted getting away. They need: the correct hex key size, they need to know where the tracker is hidden (then have the correct tool to remove it). If it's a seat post tracker, the thief needs a replacement post handy . Again, which size post does he carry with him? There will be enough time to get a lock on the thief and retrieve the bike, unless they arrive in a bakkie with a full workshop on the back and dismantle the bike while speeding away. Not likely.

Probably stating the obvious here, but the feeling I get is that whoever is robbing cyclists in the same spot is resident nearby. They're not coming from somewhere else, they probably reside within a 5km radius of the hotspot. Can't you put some feelers out in the local community and offer a cash reward? I am sure someone will know who they are.

Down to the last 30 bicycle caps. Still R100/cap , or if you add the TMB Pocpac, get both for R170. You can choose between a Pocpac with Table Mountain trails or the Tokai trails.

Check out www.sweatsafe.co.za as a top-up option.

HD

The "Hero" with no number next to it. I am what you call an "early adopter". Works perfectly.

Thanks for letting me know. I guess he missed prize giving , because he was told there were no prizes for them. Will let him know.

I am tempted to sell mine. Don't have the chest strap, but a cnc machined handlebar mount. Make me an offer for my Hero.