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Devil’s Peak Beer Company has taken two of the things that best bring people together, beer and sport. They have put them together in an exciting collaboration with the Absa Cape Epic. The Devil’s Peak Lite Lager needs no introduction. It is enjoyed by many who love the taste of a great quality lager, but […] View full article

UPDATE: Tokai will open on Saturday the 10th of December, jump to the post. Sorry for the copy/paste from Facebook but this pretty much captures the progress from the last few weeks and why #Volunteering is so important. The tweet that seems to have grabbed a lot of people's attention.. can't say we blame them, some of the trails in Tokai are really starting to take shape again! https://twitter.com/CraigRH_10/status/760491199996264449 Reto Mani (from Blackhill fame) has been working pretty hard on the Tokai Downhill track for the last week. With financial assistance from the Pedal Power Association, TokaiMTB has contracted two trail builders to help prepare the trails for December's official reopening. Not to say they will be doing all the work, there is still a lot happening behind the scenes with volunteers pitching in to prepare the base track for the contractors. Debris, branches and erosion all need to be cleared, cut away and filled. Tons of soil and rock need to be moved from our stockpile sites to where it can be carted onto the trail and moved into place. Skill graded trail signage and safety measures to keep people from straying into dangerous areas still have to be installed.. There is a lot of work still ahead but the promise of good trails back on our doorstep is the drive and motivation to get it all done. Join us for our regular Volunteer Trail Build days supported by the Devil's Peak Brewing Company. Dates as follows: - Saturday, 13 August, 2016 (next build) - Saturday, 27 August, 2016 - Saturday, 03 September, 2016 - Saturday, 17 September, 2016 Registration for each build day opens at the start of each week leading up to that event. The notice and registration link is shared on TokaiMTB twitter, TokaiMTB Facebook and here on Bike Hub under the TokaiMTB hosted forum. Thanks for the tweet Craig Rhodes-Harrison, VIVA STOKE! (twitter photo credit: Reto Mani)

A bit of news in this post for the last "fortnight" TokaiMTB build day. Have a read.. If you recall before the fire, build days were set at one build per month. We would get a turnout of any number of people but usually not exceeding ten. That said, the turnout was never a problem, if I recall there was only ever one day that I can remember cancelling a build day due to poor turnout - which for people working hard in the heat or rain on a day they could rather be riding, or spending time with their families after a week in the office, always impressed me. There's always been a reason to continue the volunteer builds even with small numbers, because of a dedicated group who saw the value for everyone's benefit to keep this network of trails open for the last 20+ years. So now after the fire and the first ever closure of Tokai, the thought of reopening the damaged and overgrown trails was quite daunting when we considered that most of the work would need to be done for free and in a tight timeframe too. Sure, as a committee and even before that, we identified the need to find a source of income to pay people to manage the trails if the sport in Tokai was ever to progress and remain sustainable, especially with the new conservation requirements coming into effect as the pines are removed but that self-sustaining income source continues to be an elusive one to say the least.. ; ) So what turnout could we expect with an introduction of a build day every two weeks if one per month was drawing the core group of only ten? We only had a few months available to us during ideal building weather and the list of work was way longer than ever set out before! Well, I can quite honestly tell you that we didn't expect almost 20 per day and on average almost 60 per month! Not only did we meet our targets for open trails but we were able through the effort of these volunteers to allow the TokaiMTB appointed contractors enough time to craft a few sections of trail to give everyone a taste of what is still to come.. The PPA, seeing the value of trails in our city, didn't hesitate to approve the money we needed after the first trail was cleared. Rain and heat certainly didn't matter to the volunteers, we even threw out a few warnings of high temperatures or freezing cold, windy and wet days only to have greater response and turnouts than the weeks before?! This defies all logic but then it is said that riding is a "spiritual thing" and yes, we were also offering Devil's Peak beer. Sadly, we have come to the start of the summer months and without tempting heat exhaustion, we made a choice from the start to revert back to one build day per month. We do still have a lot more work ahead of us and while the frequent volunteer builds are possibly the best way forward, we know that riding time is also going to be high on people's to-do lists certainly after Tokai is open (hint). Build days will continue to be advertised on the TokaiMTB website, Twitter, Facebook & Bikehub but will revert back to one build day per month from the end of September. Thanks again for everyone's commitment and patience, the reward is on the way .. The registration link, 24 September, 2016

So while we continue to plan a date around reopening, one thing is certain; the trails need you! If you are keen to join helping restore our playground, please register to book your spot for a day in the sun (tbc) and fresh air (possibly very fresh). As usual, the tools for the job are spades, rakes, forks and gloves - and should the weather turn, we will make a decision before 8 and send a text confirming whether it's on or postponed. If you know anyone enthused about contributing, please forward the following indemnity link to them.. every contribution is greatly welcomed. http://eepurl.com/b9k5rP To register: Please complete all the fields on the following form accurately. The info you provide will be used on your indemnity allowing you access to the Tokai section of the reserve during the closure. You will be required to sign the printed form on the morning of the build before entering the park. We will meet at the Tokai picnic entrance 15 minutes before the specified time where you will be allowed to park your car inside the picnic site at the new mountain bike allocated parking. You will be shuttled to and from the work site and if you need to leave early, a shuttle will be provided at the above stated time. For those who can only manage a portion of the build, please complete the form and select your time allocation from the list provided. The first 20 registered volunteers, plus those arriving for the afternoon session, will be allocated a spot for the day. If you are not successful registering for this event, please try again for the next advertised build day. Weather permitting, volunteer builds are set for the following dates: Saturday, 16 July, 2016 Saturday, 30 July, 2016 Saturday, 13 August, 2016 Saturday, 27 August, 2016 Saturday, 03 September, 2016 Saturday, 17 September, 2016 All build days will be advertised on the TokaiMTB website, Twitter, Facebook and on Bikehub.