Walkers on Single Track in Tokai

[(Deon)]

Just imagine how great the signage and facilities could be at Tokai and on Table mountain if the fees generated from these areas actually all went back into the trails where the income was generated in the first place.

 

For a few reasons, this is not ideal. The feeling is to rather support conservation by donating the activity fee to Sanparks.... Some reserves with very few entries actually depend on this income. The est R1.2mil last year will hopefully be doubled, imagine the standing MTB has with Parks in terms of income generation?? More value than trail repair I can assure you.

[Hairy]

For a few reasons, this is not ideal. The feeling is to rather support conservation by donating the activity fee to Sanparks.... Some reserves with very few entries actually depend on this income. The est R1.2mil last year will hopefully be doubled, imagine the standing MTB has with Parks in terms of income generation?? More value than trail repair I can assure you.

 

Fair comment thanks

[Shebeen]

For a few reasons, this is not ideal. The feeling is to rather support conservation by donating the activity fee to Sanparks.... Some reserves with very few entries actually depend on this income. The est R1.2mil last year will hopefully be doubled, imagine the standing MTB has with Parks in terms of income generation?? More value than trail repair I can assure you.

Totally, this has always been the justification from Sanparks and it makes a lot of sense to me. Cape Point is a huge money spinner, but cross subsidises places like Tankwa Karoo(go there, it's a wonderful bargain) which could never survive on it's own income generation.

 

As long as you can confirm that mtb is getting taken seriously by the Sanparks suits, then I'm happy to pay the annual wild card fee, or price of a tjoop(R40) for single tokai access.

[(Deon)]

Fair comment thanks

Totally, this has always been the justification from Sanparks and it makes a lot of sense to me. Cape Point is a huge money spinner, but cross subsidises places like Tankwa Karoo(go there, it's a wonderful bargain) which could never survive on it's own income generation.

 

As long as you can confirm that mtb is getting taken seriously by the Sanparks suits, then I'm happy to pay the annual wild card fee, or price of a tjoop(R40) for single tokai access.

 

Watch this space, MTB is the next conservation steward.

 

You guys get applause for thinking out the box.

[Eddy Gordo]

This is not ideal and I feel the same as the rest of the guys. The singletrack is made for mtb'ing, yet there are other trails in tokai where we are not allowed to ride. The hiking trail down elephants eye, hmmmmmmm some trails on silvermines side of the mountain. I have never ridden here cause they are hiking trails. Tokai has become super busy and I am amazed to see how full it can get at anytime in a week. How long before singletrack/DH riding is gonna become a stop go business?

The signage is a great idea, but it cant be small. It has to be big, in your face especially at the gate, highlighted areas on the map etc.

[cajohnston]

You guys know that mountain bikes have the ability to ride off trails as well. Have you tried riding around people?

 

You clearly haven't seen the single tracks we work with here in CPT...

[Shebeen]

This is not ideal and I feel the same as the rest of the guys. The singletrack is made for mtb'ing, yet there are other trails in tokai where we are not allowed to ride. The hiking trail down elephants eye, hmmmmmmm some trails on silvermines side of the mountain. I have never ridden here cause they are hiking trails.

Of course we only have a leg to stand on if we stay off tokai hiking trails, and jeeptracks which have a clear 'no cycling' sign on them. This is not the case and we actually can't complain as plenty of mtbers think they own the whole place. I tune anyone who goes off trail, and urge you to do the same.

[SomeBloke]

You clearly haven't seen the single tracks we work with here in CPT...

 

Nah, fair enough, I haven't. And having read through all the responses here it makes complete sense to have some MTB only dedicated trails. I definitely agree with that. Especially where you've got high speed and technical sections.

 

My response was a generalised one as I thought the thread was a broad one, not limited to Tokai. I cycle and run through and along Delta Park and the Spruit here and I've encountered plenty of delicates who are too terrified to leave the trail on their bikes for fear of tearing their lycra. Either that or they're just douchebags. Hard to tell.

 

My general rule of thumb on shared trails is give way to the person coming uphill as they've got a much tougher time of it. I've been pushing hard up a hill on a running time trial before and you come across some tubby princess on his carbon frame coming the other direction yelling at you to get out the way. Uh, no dude, try putting your suspension to use for the first time in its life.

[cajohnston]

Nah, fair enough, I haven't. And having read through all the responses here it makes complete sense to have some MTB only dedicated trails. I definitely agree with that. Especially where you've got high speed and technical sections.

 

My response was a generalised one as I thought the thread was a broad one, not limited to Tokai. I cycle and run through and along Delta Park and the Spruit here and I've encountered plenty of delicates who are too terrified to leave the trail on their bikes for fear of tearing their lycra. Either that or they're just douchebags. Hard to tell.

 

My general rule of thumb on shared trails is give way to the person coming uphill as they've got a much tougher time of it. I've been pushing hard up a hill on a running time trial before and you come across some tubby princess on his carbon frame coming the other direction yelling at you to get out the way. Uh, no dude, try putting your suspension to use for the first time in its life.

 

If it is a general statement and there is enough space then I guess it does make sense to go around.

 

Just a word of advice...if you ever ride Tokai right of way is given to peeps going down as it is a lot easier to stop and move over with going a lot slower. If you do a search you will also find quite a bit of venting towards MTB'ers going up single track and not moving over

[SomeBloke]

If it is a general statement and there is enough space then I guess it does make sense to go around.

 

Just a word of advice...if you ever ride Tokai right of way is given to peeps going down as it is a lot easier to stop and move over with going a lot slower. If you do a search you will also find quite a bit of venting towards MTB'ers going up single track and not moving over

 

Yeah, we've got acres of space on the side of the trails here and no real high-speed sections. I'm keen to go to CT just to ride those Tokai downhill trails.

[Hairy]

Yeah, we've got acres of space on the side of the trails here and no real high-speed sections. I'm keen to go to CT just to ride those Tokai downhill trails.

Come on down and also join us on a Wednesday morning ride before work .... bring coffee money.

 

There is really lots of riding to be done in CT, so pack you big boy pants and a great sense of humour and you will find lots of riders who will show you around.

[cajohnston]

Yeah, we've got acres of space on the side of the trails here and no real high-speed sections. I'm keen to go to CT just to ride those Tokai downhill trails.

 

You will have a blast! You should also include some of the trails in Grabouw and out stellies way!

[GLuvsMtb]

Coming down Fairy Glen on Saturday afternoon, and I run (almost literally) into two separate groups of walkers on the single track. Luckily I wasn't going too fast or somebody could have gotten quite seriously injured.

 

Then they have the audacity to ask me why I don't have a bell on my bike. I don't mind the odd walker on the jeep track, but on the single track it's quite dangerous.

 

Is there any way we can keep walkers off the single track? My understanding is that the singletrack in that section is meant for biking, or is it a shared path?

Its almost as bad as mountain bikers riding where there are very clear "No Mountain Biking" signs throughout the lower plantations. 3 weeks ago I took a few friends for a ride at Tokai and saw 2 tjops on their brand new carbon 29ers ignoring the signs and going into the plantations. I can forgive a hiker on the single track, especially because its not properly marked, but to blatantly ignore current signage is totally unacceptable.

[cajohnston]

Come on down and also join us on a Wednesday morning ride before work .... bring coffee money.

 

There is really lots of riding to be done in CT, so pack you big boy pants and a great sense of humour and you will find lots of riders who will show you around.

 

Just waiting to get my bike back from repairs and then I may just join you for one of these rides. Will have to cut the ride short at Rhodes mem and head back to do that work thing.

Edited December 11, 2012 by cajohnston

[Joe Low]

Posted twice and the remove button seems to have got removed.....

Edited December 11, 2012 by Joe Low

[Joe Low]

Just a word of advice...if you ever ride Tokai right of way is given to peeps going down as it is a lot easier to stop and move over with going a lot slower. If you do a search you will also find quite a bit of venting towards MTB'ers going up single track and not moving over

 

From other threads I dont think that this is the consensus nor is it the norm, and thats how wars (or trips to casualty) start. Also not having signs at the bottom of trails saying that they are one-way and not to go up.

 

You know that from 1st Jan 2014 SA is falling in with our chinese masters and cars are going to be driven on the right-hand side of the road? If that works out, then on 1st February 2014 buses and lorries are going to do the same.