We have a lot of crashes on our Tygerberg trail network. With 6000+ members, a trail network close to 100km and the nature of the sport, accidents happen. Reaching crash victims is difficult and time consuming and there are some points which you may want to ponder when assessing the risk of your next ride. Bridges: they are probably the biggest cause of serious injuries. While most are wide and covered in mesh, going over the side happens too often (especially with less experienced riders) and normally results in serious neck injuries.Strava chasing: difficult to gauge how many crashes are a result of this but riders definitely take more risks when racing the clock.Overestimating your skill set: know your limits and if you want to stretch them, ask for advice from more experienced riders or go on some skills training.Who will pick up the pieces: do you ride on your own? Do you have the wilderness search and rescue number (021 937 0300)? do you wear id such as IceID?Landowner relations: most land owners cannot understand us - they sit on their stoep with their klippies and coke and wonder when we're going to grow up. They don't like emergency teams flattening fences and cutting their way through gates to rescue mountain bikers.Your safety is your responsibility, be aware of the risks and manage them suitably and don't think you're invincible.
