Trail runners on the , err , trails.

[HappyMartin]

We get yelled at and have to give way on the road. If horses are around they get right of way because they are stupid skittish things. In public parks we have to give way to walkers, dogs children and prams.

 

It frilkken pisses me off when I come belting through trees on a twisty bit of MTB trail and come across walkers and runners that could simply step aside but don't.

 

It happens at Modderfontein and rietvlei. Surely MTB specific trails can be the 1 place we have right of way.

[tunariaan]

lol, too many riders , dog walkers , horse riders and runners and too little space, thankfully i moved away to George, here we all get along and you have miles and miles of mountain to enjoy

[Smiles]

I think trail runners should stick to the running/hiking trails, and mtb'ers to the mtb trails, because if not sooner or later someone's gonna gets hurt.

Mtb'ers know which trails they can and can't ride (most of them anyway) so I think trail runners should do the same.

Sounds a bit like motorists saying cyclists should stay off the road - not totally practical. You've got to realise that maybe the trail runners are using these trails to link up with parts of the mountain away from the "no-biking" side. I think there is also a lack of understanding of how quickly a bike is going to come around a corner onto these runners. I really don't know what the answer is, but i'm pretty sure there is no easy answer - someone or everyone is going to have to compromise.

[(Deon)]

For now running is still regarded as walking so no control (access card, sign in etc) is being implemented. What will not balance is the cost of the added impact. At the moment, the mountain bike specific trails are funded by mountain bikers. The current funding is just covering the daily numbers and a visit on a Sunday morning is all you need to know the Tokai trails are hinging on the limit of what it can carry. Some trails have even been marked one-way to avoid conflict with more soon following suit. This is a clear indicator that with only one usergroup, there is a problem.

 

Add to this singletrack 'length-to-number' issue, the jeeptracks that riders are using are under scrutiny by Parks as many of them are actually off limit to MTB. Expect the rules regarding jeeptrack access to be enforced soon, pressure from other usergroups have given TMNP no choice but step in.. We only have use two jeeptracks; level 1-4 (main line) and level 5 (Vlakkenberg to Sivermine). So essentially, with the enforcement we will be squeezing a shoe too small onto a foot too big.

 

This is not to say that if the runners want access to the bike trails they should pay, it is more of a sustainability issue and no amount of money can change that, unless of course laterite was lined from top to bottom but where's the fun in riding a paved trail?

 

Remember, impact is measured in numbers, disturbance to environment and physical impact on the trail. All these factors will be considered in the EMP and debates will continue until that time. I don't think we will find any answers in this thread but we can certainly raise awareness around the issues.

[ricochet_rabbit]

AT Giba in Durban, which is a MTB park, they allow runners but at all times runners give way to cyclists.

[jimmy hardtail]

It just irritates me a little that runners have the ENTIRE mountain range of 300 square kms or so to use legaly, but must run on our 2km of DH trail.

[Kranky]

except the one with the ipod.

 

This trend blows my mind. I run in the forests to escape unnecessary noise and clutter. When sticking headphones in I feel that you might as well be running on a tread mill or in traffic. And then there is the safety issue... Ride them over, I say But I might be missing the appeal.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Goobacks

[Akon]

Yeah, let's take this "us and them" mentality to its fullest conclusion - dirt lovers are henceforth banned from riding on tar rodes as well. That is after all the domain of roadies...

 

Edited November 1, 2012 by Akon

[DJR]

.................. except the one with the ipod...............

 

I find this a problem too, not only on the mountain, but also commuting along some of the cycle lanes and the Liesbeek River. Lots of pedestrians and walkers have their ears plugged and cannot hear you coming or politely warning them. They then act al startled when you finally manage to get around them. I don't see a solution to this one though.

Edited November 1, 2012 by DJR

[jimmy hardtail]

I guess I won't ride on wednesday anymore. That seems to be the biggest trail running day in tokai.

 

 

Oh wait hang on, I pay to ride there, I help build the trails...

[lloydkayak]

I was one of the runners out in tokai yesterday

TBH it is the second time I have joined in on trail and tars wednesdya trail run and there were .... loads of runners that joined in. I was very interested to see how this would pan out with mtbikers...

 

In general I was impressed (I was with the slow group) the leader dude was very aware of cyclists making everyone scramble like dassies if bikes became visible.

 

We didnt run up any single tracks really (no DH tracks for sure), we did do a few single track sections going in the right direction but definitely didnt hold up any cyclists.

 

I will have a chat with the organisers and point them to the hub maybe to organise some sort of understanding between what they are doing and the bikers??

 

I am not familiar yet with tokai trails so hard to say whether or not we encroached on which trails...

 

I agree that awareness needs to be created and runners, even on the jeep track, must learn to keep space available for cyclists bombing passed!

 

They definitely have no idea with regards to how fast cyclists come at them though, like deer in headlights! Made my night hehe

[lloydkayak]

I guess I won't ride on wednesday anymore. That seems to be the biggest trail running day in tokai.

 

 

Oh wait hang on, I pay to ride there, I help build the trails...

 

Trail and Tar have a weekly wednesday run set up that seems helluva well supported

 

Jimmy, at least runners dont damage the lips of the DH trails like XC guys hehe

[BogusOne]

This should get them to move

 

http://www.instablogsimages.com/1/2012/05/07/shockingly_loud_cycle_the_honster_cfyhh.jpg

[Stoffel76]

Most of the runners I've met while coming down on the single track have been courteous and cleared out of the way as soon as they saw me...

 

Except one tjop a couple weeks back who was stopped, standing in the middle of the track looking at his heart rate monitor watch. He looked up, saw me and looked back at his watch and just stood there eventually moving out the way at the last second and then gave me a look as though he was doing me favour by getting out the way...

[MTBer]

sounds like you Capetonians have issues

[jimmy hardtail]

I guess we can all get along somehow. I actually ran down the dh track at contermans this year after the track walk before the race. My legs were stuffed afterwards! I would rather trail run than ride road...