trailmansam

The closure has nothing to do with Specialized. It is us withholding funds because we are not happy with branding going up at our expense. I have nothing against Scott (other than their ambush marketing). The funds were used for maintenance on all trails, regardless who built them in the first place. All trails will be inspected and a decision taken in conjunction with the powers in charge on dangerous or potential dangerous trails or sections. If a trail is considered not dangerous it will remain open. Only sections / trails that is considered dangerous or potentially dangerous to the riders will be closed.

Not a single cent!

This is not about one brand being a better brand than the other. It is not about who is allowed to brand and who not. Fact is that unless you have picked up a spade to do trail maintenance or if you have paid someone to do it then you have not made any contribution towards the maintenance of the trails. The gate fees are permit fees and is totally divorced from the trails itself and their maintenance. Cape Pine is very clear about the trails and mountain biking. They are not interested in the administration and /or its maintenance. They will close them permanently at the drop of a hat. The loss in permit fees as result thereof is of no consequence to them. What is at issue is the following. After the fires the trails where in bad shape. Many where closed due to this and purely for the safety of the riders. Individuals are spending their own (key word) money and time to fund the building and maintenance of the trails that you ride in Jonkers. This same group is saying that we don't want others to benefit with unfair branding at our expense. So, we stopped the maintenance. Because of the lack of current maintenance the trails are in bad shape - not all, but some. For rider safety some trails will be closed Cape Pine will close the trails FOR EVER if riders get injured and they try to recover medical expenses from Cape Pine because of no maintenance on the trails. The closure is a pre-emptive move prevent injury and permanent closure All we ask for is no branding at our expense. Come forward with constructive ideas. Get everyone to work together for a better system that will be to the benefit of all - riders, contractors, coffee shops, importers and Cape Pine.

No, the issue is not about Specialized branding. Specialized wants to remove their branding and has agreed that it should be a brand free zone. Nor is it about recognition. The issue is that branding is being put up by companies without them making any contribution towards the trails. They can go ahead with their branding if they match the contribution by others on a Rand to Rand basis. What will the guys at Tokai do if an importer puts his brand all over the place without any contribution to the building or maintenance of the trails. same applies to Mankele, Kloof, Contermans, Meerendal or any other park/trail system?

Thank you. That is all we ask for.

Legal rights are not at issue. At issue is the work done by volunteers to fund the maintenance and building of new trails which then gets ambushed by companies for own gain. Scott has not paid a single cent towards the maintenance and yet you are greeted by huge Scott branding at the gate.

This is a funding initiative. The work is done by contractors with proper knowledge on trail building.

Bennet does all the Maintenance on the group's behalf. Amarider and Meurant not involved at jonkers any more

The trails in Jonkershoek are about to be closed down!!!!!!! This is a statement of fact!!!!! NO JOKE!!!!!! Background: When riding at Jonkershoek you pay at the gate for a day permit or you buy an annual permit. This permit gives you access to Jonkershoek and has NOTHING to do with the MTB trails. Not a single cent of this goes towards trail building and / or maintenance. NOT A SINGLE CENT!!!!! Cape Pine is not interested in the MTB trails and has no problem with shutting it down. The income derived from gate fees is accidental and does NOT form part of their business plan. After the sorry state of the trails following the fires a few years ago a Trail Maintenance Movement (TMM) was created by a few concerning cyclist. They pumped huge amounts of their own money into the project. Specialized also contributed thousands and put signboards up to mark the various trails. On these boards they printed a very low key Specialized logo. The movement is still strong and has a substantial slush fund available for trail maintenance. Issues: We as a group felt that there are people and businesses riding on the back of our effort without contributing a single cent towards the initiative. The coffee shop owner was given a few bicycles by a local cycle shop at the beginning of 2014. They proceeded to brand the coffee shop and entrance to Jonkershoek with huge Scott branding, in effect ambushing the effort put in by the TMM. Jonkerhoek now looks like Scott Park and you might be forgiven for thinking that Scott diversified from bicycles into the growth of coffee beans and supply of roasted coffee. Our request was simple: Please take down all branding or at the very least match the contribution of already branded contributors. The effort to set up meetings with the coffee shop owners was unsuccessful and Scott’s attitude is simply that they have a right to this, which they legally have but morally it stinks. Their branding and attitude towards TMM resulted in a shutdown of all maintenance. This is clear from the sorry state of some of the trails. WE ARE NOW PROCEEDING WITH THE PHYSICAL CLOSURE OF SOME OF THE TRAILS AS WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO FACE POSSIBLE LEGAL ACTION FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON THE TRAILS. Our solution, We feel that if you don’t contribute towards the effort you have no moral right to put your branding all over the entrance – if you match branded contributors’ efforts then you can. We are not prepared to pay towards corporate SA’s marketing efforts. Specialized has agreed to make Jonkers a brand free zone – this is , and despite their huge contribution, our suggestion is to make this a brand free zone. This will ensure that the much needed maintenance will go ahead and that the trails will remain open for a long time to come. What you can do: Put pressure on the people involved to remove all branding and request the owner of the coffee shop to attend the TMM meetings.

The trails in Jonkershoek are about to be closed down!!!!!!! Please read and help!! This is a statement of fact!!!!! NO JOKE!!!!!! Background: When riding at Jonkershoek you pay at the gate for a day permit or you buy an annual permit. This permit gives you access to Jonkershoek and has NOTHING to do with the MTB trails. Not a single cent of this goes towards trail building and / or maintenance. NOT A SINGLE CENT!!!!! Cape Pine is not interested in the MTB trails and has no problem with shutting it down. The income derived from gate fees is accidental and does NOT form part of their business plan. After the sorry state of the trails following the fires a few years ago a Trail Maintenance Movement (TMM) was created by a few concerning cyclist. They pumped huge amounts of their own money into the project. Specialized also contributed thousands and put signboards up to mark the various trails. On these boards they printed a very low key Specialized logo. The movement is still strong and has a substantial slush fund available for trail maintenance. Issues: We as a group felt that there are people and businesses riding on the back of our effort without contributing a single cent towards the initiative. The coffee shop owner was given a few bicycles by a local cycle shop at the beginning of 2014. They proceeded to brand the coffee shop and entrance to Jonkershoek with huge Scott branding, in effect ambushing the effort put in by the TMM. Jonkerhoek now looks like Scott Park and you might be forgiven for thinking that Scott diversified from bicycles into the growth of coffee beans and supply of roasted coffee. Our request was simple: Please take down all branding or at the very least match the contribution of already branded contributors. The effort to set up meetings with the coffee shop owners was unsuccessful and Scott’s attitude is simply that they have a right to this, which they legally have but morally it stinks. Their branding and attitude towards TMM resulted in a shutdown of all maintenance. This is clear from the sorry state of some of the trails. WE ARE NOW PROCEEDING WITH THE PHYSICAL CLOSURE OF SOME OF THE TRAILS AS WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO FACE POSSIBLE LEGAL ACTION FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE ON THE TRAILS. Our solution, We feel that if you don’t contribute towards the effort you have no moral right to put your branding all over the entrance – if you match branded contributors’ efforts then you can. We are not prepared to pay towards corporate SA’s marketing efforts. Specialized has agreed to make Jonkers a brand free zone – this is , and despite their huge contribution, our suggestion is to make this a brand free zone. This will ensure that the much needed maintenance will go ahead and that the trails will remain open for a long time to come. What you can do: Put pressure on the people involved to remove all branding and request the owner of the coffee shop to attend the TMM meetings.