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Riding up the DOWNhills at Tokai


grb285

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hope people acknowledge this type of general rule wherever they go.

jumped onto this thread now just to make people aware that when an oke is in mid flight, having just launched at lank speed.... he cant move out the way.

 

I feel lank bad but this past weekend i was out practicing jumping and i connected a 12 year old... Feel lank bad bout it, but i was already mid air coming in for landing when i saw the kid cycle across the down ramp...there was nothing i could do and hit him square on. Kid got such a shock and fell quite hard. I went over the bars and bla bla bla. (im used to falling off so wasnt big deal.)

but kid wouldnt stop crying for bout ten minutes. and the fact that he was messing round there on his own was a little worrying but yeah anyway he was ok and his bike was fine. BUT it could have been much worse. Ive ridden dh many times (intermediate level) but i do know that when you get one of the serious okes flying down there, when and if they hit someone its going to inflict major pain.

 

so yea sorry if that was anyones 12 yo this weekend... only managed to get his age and name was Tim but hes fine....my front wheel is wasted though and i broke front tooth...oh and my bars arnt so pretty anymore :(

 

Oh yeah these jumps are in Somerset West! the big ones next to Bel Air. if anyone takes their kids there please tell them to look before they just just cruise around...

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I'll make a deal with you, first clarify where these so called DH trails are, as I DOUBT very much that it's THAT much fun PUSHING my bike up you singletrack, and to be fair....I have yet to confont a DH boy coming down, BUT if you guy's stay away from the singletrack entries, so I don't have to fight my way in and don't have to slow down while you have Sunday tea....then I promise I'll only pass you on the way down......DEAL!

 

You guy's should really wear panties that aren't so TIGHT!

 

what a chop :thumbdown: .......hope you one day get to meet Mr. Fox 40

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The most dangerous part of DH/XC interaction is at the berm on DH3. The xc dudes insist on riding up the berm and the dh okes can't see what's coming up the trail when they drop in there.

 

I have to recount an episode I witnessed. My mate Karl dropped in to the berm on DH3 at warp speed. He clipped a xc dude as he was coming out of the berm. Their bars clipped. Lucky for the xc oke cos Karl weighs about 90kg and his bike weighs well over 20kg.

 

Needless to say the xc guy had to change his shorts and will not be riding up that bit of downhill again.

 

I weigh 110KG, and I promise you I aint gonna give way for someone comming up the wrong just so that they cant get hurt for doing the wrong thing. I will make a point of being igonorant to the fart who is ignorant to the rules

 

This issue seems pretty clear-cut to me. If the trail is marked as a one-way trail that just so happens to go downhill then all riders should adhere to this rule. Anyone going the wrong way is not only breaking the rules, they're also asking for sh!t cos the guys who are coming down have no obligation to watch for traffic coming up the hill.

 

Exactly, these guys know what they are doing, dont be fooled, I have never cycled up a trail in tokai, but it does look easier than taking the very steep hill up, I also push up there. However we pay to use the trails and I think the officials should come to the party and put up the required signs, hopefully it helps, as I have noticed alot more people are coming up the downhills

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Lol @ that...

 

I've also noticed it on occasion. I view myself as an all rounder. I love going downhill, but I've got an XC bike. Until I have the cash to trump up for a DH rig, I shall remain so. BUT - I respect the guys coming down, do not go up the DH sections (it's part of the reason for trail degradation anyway) and move out the way on the bi-directional routes when someone comes barrelling down them. After all, I can clip in within half a revolution, and being unclipped does not mean I cannot pedal. I find it easier to get going again on the ups, as long as they aren't too technical - in which case I would go back a few metres and reattempt it.

 

DH okes are hectically chilled. XC okes (the majority, at least) are not. mUni's are just on another level of coolness. I witnessed that this weekend, when some "race snakes" insisted on coming up the top of Vasbyt whilst repeatedly insisting that the DHers restart their runs.

 

I, in the meantime, was acting like a DHer and constantly going down Vasbyt, and then pushing back up (off the trail) and then reassessing the line and bombing it again...

 

Jeesh boet, I hope you can save up the cash for a DH/FR/AM rig pretty soon. You gonna luv it coming off a hardtail!

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hope people acknowledge this type of general rule wherever they go.

jumped onto this thread now just to make people aware that when an oke is in mid flight, having just launched at lank speed.... he cant move out the way.

 

I feel lank bad but this past weekend i was out practicing jumping and i connected a 12 year old... Feel lank bad bout it, but i was already mid air coming in for landing when i saw the kid cycle across the down ramp...there was nothing i could do and hit him square on. Kid got such a shock and fell quite hard. I went over the bars and bla bla bla. (im used to falling off so wasnt big deal.)

but kid wouldnt stop crying for bout ten minutes. and the fact that he was messing round there on his own was a little worrying but yeah anyway he was ok and his bike was fine. BUT it could have been much worse. Ive ridden dh many times (intermediate level) but i do know that when you get one of the serious okes flying down there, when and if they hit someone its going to inflict major pain.

 

so yea sorry if that was anyones 12 yo this weekend... only managed to get his age and name was Tim but hes fine....my front wheel is wasted though and i broke front tooth...oh and my bars arnt so pretty anymore :(

 

Oh yeah these jumps are in Somerset West! the big ones next to Bel Air. if anyone takes their kids there please tell them to look before they just just cruise around...

 

Eish, this could have ended up so much worse, pity you didn't get details. Surley the kid should have been supervised? :unsure:

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Lol @ that...

 

I've also noticed it on occasion. I view myself as an all rounder. I love going downhill, but I've got an XC bike. Until I have the cash to trump up for a DH rig, I shall remain so. BUT - I respect the guys coming down, do not go up the DH sections (it's part of the reason for trail degradation anyway) and move out the way on the bi-directional routes when someone comes barrelling down them. After all, I can clip in within half a revolution, and being unclipped does not mean I cannot pedal. I find it easier to get going again on the ups, as long as they aren't too technical - in which case I would go back a few metres and reattempt it.

 

DH okes are hectically chilled. XC okes (the majority, at least) are not. mUni's are just on another level of coolness. I witnessed that this weekend, when some "race snakes" insisted on coming up the top of Vasbyt whilst repeatedly insisting that the DHers restart their runs.

 

I, in the meantime, was acting like a DHer and constantly going down Vasbyt, and then pushing back up (off the trail) and then reassessing the line and bombing it again...

 

I am in the same boat bra. I cant wait to upgrade my bike. But I am looking at getting a nice long travel All MTB. Reason being is that I have to be able to ride it too. Dont you just love vasbyt and all the trails below that? We absolutely fly down there and stop for no one

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Guest Omega Man

For every rule there must be an exception.

 

Last week Wednesday I had the good fortune of bumping into Ryan Sandes (the runner) and his girlfriend. She is allowed to ride ANYWHERE she wants. Uphills, Downhills, Jeep Track, Me. :drool:

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For every rule there must be an exception.

 

Last week Wednesday I had the good fortune of bumping into Ryan Sandes (the runner) and his girlfriend. She is allowed to ride ANYWHERE she wants. Uphills, Downhills, Jeep Track, Me. :drool:

 

Excellent point. If you're a hot young lady we'll definitely slow down for you!

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Jeesh boet, I hope you can save up the cash for a DH/FR/AM rig pretty soon. You gonna luv it coming off a hardtail!

 

Absolutely! I WANT ME ONE!!! Can't wait till I can trump the cash for a rig...

 

I am in the same boat bra. I cant wait to upgrade my bike. But I am looking at getting a nice long travel All MTB. Reason being is that I have to be able to ride it too. Dont you just love vasbyt and all the trails below that? We absolutely fly down there and stop for no one

 

Same - stop for no one, except on Saturday when I was showing my mate around. His first time on a bike in 10 years. He was a bit slower, but carried on getting better & better. We were gunning around on XC bikes with their saddles down low like a DJ bike... Was fantastic. I always drop my seat when I hit the top, ready fo rhte rush back down.

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the only way to get around this problem is by putting up TONS of signage. You will almost need a no entry sign at every road crossing point as well as the end of the trail. Also just looking at the map put up on here there does not seem to me to be any indication of direction in the singletrack stuff. Not sure if its the same map as at Tokai, but being an outsider this just shows where the trails are not direction. We have the same problem at Giba in KZN where some guys dont even bother about park rules and just ride up stuff the wrong way (thankfully the DH is too steep to ride up so we dont have a problem there). Although its only on normal singletrack trails that cater for XC riders too they are still fast and there have been a couple of MOMENTS as mentioned here! Signage is the only way to get around it as if you look overseas all the trails are marked at each intersection. I know its costly but this is the only way to get around the problem as you cant enfore a riding ban in these forests as it is not a true bike park with park authority and check in areas etc.

 

Then when all the signage is up and you cant miss it unless you are blind you can bliksem any tonsil who isnt reading the signs and riding the trail the wrong way! :thumbup:

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Eish, this could have ended up so much worse, pity you didn't get details. Surley the kid should have been supervised? :unsure:

 

nah man, he was there on his own. when he left he left going up to the houses so guess he lives somewhere up on the hill. I live around the corner and havnt seen the kid before... will see if he comes back. :/

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Also just looking at the map put up on here there does not seem to me to be any indication of direction in the singletrack stuff. Not sure if its the same map as at Tokai, but being an outsider this just shows where the trails are not direction.

 

hey dude, that map there is just the one that has been published by one of the MTB groups. The one at Tokai itself details direction of travel, if any...

 

But I do agree that there needs to be FAR more signage, so that the tjops are stopped from going the wrong way on a uni-directional route!

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Agreed, down has right of way no question, but the trails can be ridden both ways, just guys coming up should get off the trail if someone is coming down. Also, what happened to common sense and using our brains, it's easier for guys coming up, as they are going slower, to see if someone is coming down as opposed to visa versa, so surely that speaks for itself. I also agree, the roadie mentality should stay with the roadies...

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Agreed, down has right of way no question, but the trails can be ridden both ways, just guys coming up should get off the trail if someone is coming down. Also, what happened to common sense and using our brains, it's easier for guys coming up, as they are going slower, to see if someone is coming down as opposed to visa versa, so surely that speaks for itself. I also agree, the roadie mentality should stay with the roadies...

 

Sorry mate, I don't agree. There are ST sections that are bidirectional (faerie, Your Rocks, Mamba, Boomslang, Lizard, Boulders) but the rest are DH only, and should be treated as such. Therefore, if I come barrelling down the top of Vasbyt, and you're going up it, I'm just going to carry on. You'd better get outta my way, otherwise 120kg of bike and beast are gonna break you in two at the collission. And I'll get up, dust myself off and carry on riding.

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Sorry mate, I don't agree. There are ST sections that are bidirectional (faerie, Your Rocks, Mamba, Boomslang, Lizard, Boulders) but the rest are DH only, and should be treated as such. Therefore, if I come barrelling down the top of Vasbyt, and you're going up it, I'm just going to carry on. You'd better get outta my way, otherwise 120kg of bike and beast are gonna break you in two at the collission. And I'll get up, dust myself off and carry on riding.

 

 

lol i couldnt have said it better myself but I would have to add, that we are always at least 4 guys and at most 8 guys riding in single file obviously and just flying down these sections, i feel sorry for someone who gets in our way cause it would be at least 1/2 ton of impact.

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