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vaulter1

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  1. @snakesean: I think for a first attempt it's good and I do enjoy taking my DJ bike around it (much better geometry for the track than an XC bike). I was merely saying that for the intended market, a more open track might have suited better - but who knows maybe you're building that one as we speak. The track on page 19 is based on The Fix - and a great plan too. Now all we have to do is pray for sun so that the rain stops eating away the rollers;) @Zidane: The rant 'n rave board would be quite dead if no-one voiced their opinions. I for one will take the bike park, but not without a comment or two.
  2. Well 13 pages and I thought I'd drop in on my thread again and pick up a couple of conversation stubs... and the design for the one at the MTN bike park is taken from The Fix Bike Shop in Boulder CO, though it still feels a bit more shrunken than the dimensions quoted by Lee for The Fix. It is a very tight design and maybe for the market (non-pro) they should have gone with a slightly more open one - figure of 8 with an easy outside loop or something - but I'm no pro so I won't split hairs but I find it a bit tough to maintain focus for more than a few rounds. I'm assuming when you say that Lee McCormack "invented" pump tracks it's in a more figurative sense, given that it's actually a phenomenon progressing from BMX to Australian Downhillers training in the off-season (look up the anecdote in his book). Don't get me wrong, I love Lee's site, have bought both his books, and think his skill is extraordinary but I'm a stickler for technicalities. Well actually, I have built trails before, back home in the States and Canada. Though I am by no means a master builder, I take orders well and swing a pick straight so point me to some buildable land and I'll lend the muscle. I am in the process of trying to contact the parks service regarding the building of a bike area in my local park so we will see what becomes of that - can I write you down on the list of volunteers if all goes well? I tried... The first night that they had an "open house" for hubbers I stopped by on my way out and kindly gave a constructive comment to Geoff about the lack of signage and warning for drops and gaps (not just the drop-zone ones). I was told that they would be putting up sufficient signage on the easier routes and that if you were on a Black route you "should expect anything" or ride the easier ones. I have no doubt that in other interactions Geoff might be a great guy and a good trail builder but I'll pass on lending my advice again when the reply is so curt. WTF! This is a public forum. I did not title the thread "Why the MTN Bike park sucks!" I was trying to comment on what aspects of the park I felt should be improved before calling it "world class". I cannot speak for the other posters on this forum but I've now been there 6 times, bought another 10 pass ticket and intend to go back there once they finally sort out the drainage on the BMX track. So it is good enough for my money - it just could be better.
  3. **Sorry for the double thread but I thought Rant 'n Rave might get a bit more exposure than Chit Chat** So here's the deal... I've been looking over the comments lately about the bike park (especially the responses to my thread), the Spruit, and other "riding" related posts and it got me thinking. I'm normally quite a pessimist and quite frankly jaded about most levels of SA government but here goes. There's a park down the road from me "James and Ethel Gray Park", those in the Melrose Arch area will know it. Within the park there are not only vast open areas of grass but a tree covered section near some bluegum trees that would be perfect for a pump track/tiny BMX track. The sort of thing everyone's talking about for their young kids instead of the monster at MTN park. My question is - what do I do or who do I contact? I see on the JCP website there are a few sections that allued to corporate sponsorship of "Park recreation and other elements, Landscape horticultural beautification, and Xtreme Parks" but what about a local cycling club or group of hubbers donating time/money to build up a nice little track. I'm thinking it would be quite a long shot but I'm willing to try and do my part to turn around the negative opinion of recreation support in JHB. Anyone have any contacts in the JCP or any local "advocacy" groups that could point me in the right direction? Just to clarify my idea I'll attach a few pics - I'm not looking for stunts ladders or drops - just a little dirt track out of the way, under the trees: http://www.leelikesbikes.com/wp-content/082707dialed1.jpg http://www.leelikesbikes.com/wp-content/082707dialed2.jpg http://www.leelikesbikes.com/wp-content/111405pumptrack.jpg
  4. @Hog: I'll bring a saw, hammer, and drill but I'll club in for a chainsaw if required - got any ski caps we can wear while working at night on the course? @Mintsauce: Very true for the most part though I disagree somewhat with the Whistler details. The actual MTB park is self-sustaining, it is the sprawling village and lodging infrastructure that needs the wintertime to make most of its profit. The season passes for the bike park are actually 1/3 the cost of the ski season which is $1,529 for this winter (I could never afford a season pass even at student rates) but the bike park is MUCH smaller than the skiing availabile on Whistler and Blackcomb. The two points you made that I think are spot on and damn scary, not trying to get too political, are (I do have to note that the government you refer to is using taxpayer's dollars to help out the citizens that elected them' date=' instead of buying Mercs and Mansions for their cousins.) and (my own pet-peeve about most South Africans is the seeming lack of passion or willingness to fight for what they believe- but that's just my foreigner point of view) What I was trying to focus on in my second post, with pics of other parks, is to show that by refering to "world class" parks I am not saying I expect a Whistler in SA. In fact, the Plainfield Bike Park in the schematic is in the mid-west, a part of the States that makes the Freestate look more rugged than the Alps If there were one thing I could actually change or influence about ANY new bikepark in SA is the inclusion of "non-trail" areas. Add a decent size pump-track, put up some varying size dirtjumps (a-la Plainfield), low height ladder features, and skills courses: http://evergreenmtb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Trail:I-5_Colonnade (that one's sandwiched under a freeway overpass). I get the fact that there's not enough space but if I look at the MTN park (and I'll give them the benifit of the doubt that they're not finished) there's actually alot of wasted space. I've ridden all of the trails that are open so far, a number of times, and ridden the parts of the BMX course and Mini-pumptrack that weren't flooded, but there are no features to keep me there for hours working on my skills (or lack thereof) and come away having ridden for the day and enjoyed every moment. Just to end with a few more images of the stuff I'm looking for in a park (and no that's not me in the pics they were "lifted" from NSMB)... http://nsmb.com/assets/images/gear/2009%20DB%20Mission%203/Mission%20Ed%20wallride2%20gimped.JPG http://www.nsmb.com/assets/images/gear/2009%20DB%20Mission%203/Mission%20Ed%20BB%20gimped.JPG http://www.nsmb.com/assets/images/gear/2009%20DB%20Mission%203/Mission%20Ed%20Drop%20gimped.JPG vaulter12008-12-08 09:55:39
  5. Having started this thread yesterday, I thought I'd quickly weigh in again on a few points... While the range of North Shore stunts does head towards the insane with 5m jumps and ladder bridges made from a single 2x4, the type I was expecting to find at the MTN park would include is slightly more docile - geared towards building up the skills of kids/beginners thru seasoned veterans. Maybe this in front of the coffee shop? http://www.hcor.net/gallery/NemesisProject/AUT_4635.sized.jpg Try taking a look at this link to see some innovative ideas of lots of stuff in a small space... http://evergreenmtb.org/wiki/index.php?title=Trail:I-5_Colonnade or carve out a bit of space around the massive BMX track for this: http://www.plainfieldbikepark.com/images/bikepark12-7_letter.jpg Notice the Green route has tiny obstacles for beginners or kids but the expert line gives Whistler a run for its money. And this park is on 2 acres outside Chicago that's setup by the local City Parks FOR FREE. I understand the reason we have paid bike parks here - Safety. I also understand that XC riders in JHB far outnumber the Freeride/DirtJump crowd both in total numbers and in willingness to spend money on their hobby (maybe that's just me though) but I think that most XC riders would love to give the burly stuff a try in a controlled environment where they can start small and build up (on their XC bike no less) I guess the best I can hope for is that there's still a lot of development to be done at the park and instead of building more XC trails they'll earmark some space for a PROPER skills area. Heck - copy the plans straight from a park in the US or Canada then I'll have nothing to complain about. No need to reinvent the wheel!
  6. @Mud Dee: unfortunately that's the response I thought I would get. If you actually READ my post you'll see that I "will definitely be going back again in the future" and all I'm trying to say is that it's not World Class - It's a step in the right direction but I'm not the kind of guy who says thank you for letting me PAY you for a facility- it's business and right now in SA business is good for mountain biking. See it as bitching and moaning if you want but I prefer constructive criticism. Make a bigger pump track, add some Shore and my opinion might just change.
  7. First of all let me say that I have been there 4 times so far, including the "pre-opening" hubber invite, and will definitely be going back again in the future. I have also been to Logwood, Giba Gorge, Whistler, Seymour and Cyprus, and many smaller local parks so while I am by no means a worldly travelled pro, I think I can objectively comment. Listed below, in no particular order or sentence structure are my "points". It rains in Summer on the highveld. Did nobody remember this when building the trails or BMX track? If the rain has done so much damage this early in the season what's it going to look like by March? I'm not sure you could build a smaller pump-track if you tried. While fun for a few moments, the L shape definetly doesn't lend itself to picking up much speed (unless your a midget on a circus bike). Did anybody think to get advice on what type of wood to use for bridges? I did mention using scrap wood in another forum but that was for FREE areas indoors, not ones I'm paying R50 to get into that sit in the rain. Whoever made that choice would be laughed off the Shore and should pay personally for the next lawsuit when a plank splits in half. Why the uphill? I know there's not too much vertical to work with but why can't there be just one trail that has a trailhead at the top and ends at the bottom WITHOUT doubling back uphill? Granted it's not as bad as Logwood but there's something about railing a berm only to turn the corner and look up another hill that's just no fun. I don't trust the signs. The pre-ride night there were no trail signs - now they're everywhere - I'm not sure you could put many more ONE-WAY signs out there. Many of them are just pointless - like the ones at drop-zone. Warn me that there's a drop, what's the size, and move on. The Black trails DON'T beserve the rating. Space Junk, Black 4 - you must be joking! other than having switchbacks that are absurdly steep that most people seem to walk up, I don't really see why it gets the rating. I would go thru each trail and mention the little things that annoy me but that's more personal preference - oh and I don't have a MAP so I can't remember which trail is which. How the hell can you open a park and not at least put up a map of the trails? What exactly is the point of the big ladder bridge? It's wide enough to drive a Mini up it and there's no trail on the other side? More for show from the highway maybe? When I passed the park prior to opening, there seemed to be tons of progress being made but now that it's open and clients are "paying the bills" nothing seems to be happening except repairing the BMX course again and again, the additional trails on the other side of the highway... NO Shore stuff? put some bridges, tetter totters, and ramp jumps near the coffee shop and you'll have a great spectator section. I know this is SA and security is important but what IDIOT decided to line the perimiter trails with razor-wire fencing and not put a buffer of chainlink or something? That's an accident waiting to happen. The kind of park that MTN is does not exist many places overseas and that's the problem for me. It is not World Class because we are paying someone for a location that, in many parts of the US and Canada, is provided by the local parks service and local associations (think IMBA, NSMBA, etc) for free with a little labor. I was hoping the park would actually be a "Free-ride" park but with less vertical. So I guess what I'm saying is that while I am sorely dissapointed in the build-quality and what the park has provided for a rider like me, it has perfectly catered to the XC weekend warrior and possibly the family crowd (though I won't be bringing my daughter till the razor fences are covered). If you've read this far thank you, if you skipped to the bottom you're just lazy. So let the flaming begin
  8. @bustthesickness: The only other thing I would add is that it's not just R20,000 imported but only 3 "imports" per year. I have not been caught out by either yet - imported well over R20,000 is about 7 shipments but just something to keep in mind. As far as I know, and someone please correct me in I'm wrong, you just have to register as an importer with customs if you do more - there are no additional fees or charges (other than the standard Vat, etc.)
  9. @Hog: the only reason Ray's is built in a warehouse is... Have you been to Cleveland in the winter? Scrap wood is cheaper than you think and a little extra manual labor never hurt anyone. Not sure when "everything" is set to be completed at the park but in contrast to the flurry of work before the Official opening, it seems they're going at a snails pace now that there are enough green routes up to keep the clients happy.
  10. @Daemon: The R1,995 is for an Annual Plate (unlimited entry) though comparing that to their "per visit" options you'd have to go 80 times in a year to make it worth your while. While I know it becomes difficult to make a complex pricing schedule, I don't mind paying R50 (or R27.50 with a bulk entry buy), for a few hours on the weekend but to get a quick ride in after work during the week it seems too much. It depends on who they want to attract and unfortunately I don't think I'm their target market. Ray's is a great example of making something out of nothing. It's in a warehouse in Cleveland for godsake - it doesn't get much flatter than that. @ridr: I second that about the razorwire fence - nearly had a fall into it myself on the other side of the freeway.
  11. Anyone know when the BMX track will actually be completed? It was fun to mess around on Sat. but quite rough around the edges. I was a bit shocked when I asked on Saturday to hear that the price of the Annual Plate has gone up to R1,995. All I can say to the first 100 that got at R995 - You lucky b@st@rds. I second the votes above for a bit more tech/burly stuff as it is a bit lacking in Black Diamond features (Double Black for the biggest drop very funny indeed)
  12. One of my favorites: and a link all of you will love: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=81
  13. Why I cycle ON the Road: Why I cycle OFF the Road:
  14. Obstacle boards like these (only much smaller): http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr67/pole_vaulter1/Jaws6.jpg
  15. I should be finished building mine up by next week so count me in
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