Rogue riders: how to find a workable solution?

[Witkop]

After paging through all this banter the following is evident:

 

Right of transit is a legal right to use public roads that cross a farmers land. If the road is a public transit route and is mapped as such he cannot deny you access to the road.

 

However, foot trails, bike trails ext may not be deemed as public transit routes. The use of this is at the owners discression. (Imagine building a super swimming pool in your yard and every kid in the neighbourhood suddenly climbs your wall and goes for a swim?). If the farm owner has given access to a club, then the responsibility is on the club to document and monitor the usage of the said trail. THe owner may deny access if he feels that the club is not doing a good enough job.

 

I do feel that one should not confuse public transit roads with dedicated trails. If clubs/ organisations take the responsibility to monitor access then they better consider employing gaurds to enforce access control, and then access will come at a cost.

 

These clubs however cannot sit and complain when they have got the trails and rouges try their luck successfully. Anyway good luck

[Cassie]

I am an Amarider member (for the past 6 years), for no other reason but because I believe that what Meurant is doing for mountain biking in the Western Cape and the rest of the country is good for our sport. Since the Wannabees are affiliated to Amarider, does that mean I am affiliated to the Wannabees?

 

Essentially, my membership fees to Amarider helped the Wannabees set up their trails. How about paying back the favour and letting Amarider members ride your trails?

 

 

 

To be fair, a lot of the trails that the Wannabees took over have deteriorated quite rapidly in the last couple of years. Trails we were riding 10 years ago that didn't need maintenance because people were taught not to drag their brakes, to ride proper lines etc

 

I'm not anti-Wannabee, I'm anti-exclusivity. Come up with a way to make it easy for people to comply, and I'm sure you'll have a better response from the local cycling community. Honesty boxes, day permits, club affiliations, etc.

 

Velo, it's more complex than that...your "membership" to Amarider is not the same as the Wannabees being affiliated "through" Amarider to the International MTB Association (IMBA)...

The current situation does not allow us wannabee members to ride Amarider traisl / events for free...so at this stage it's not an option (yet?)

As far as I'm aware, Amarider did not contribute finacially to any wannabee trails etc. They merely supplied start-up knowledge and the like through Meurant who is friend with some club officials..

 

You, and another poster touched a very relevant topic that will need to be addressed in the very near future...that of joint membership to WC trails and some sort of reciprocity between clubs / organizations (like PPA) / Amarider etc. etc. We cannot each do thair own thing right next door to each other without some sort of consolidation (or not for much longer, anyways). BUT THAT is another can of worms altogether with all the different parties & organizations...

 

"To be fair, a lot of the trails that the Wannabees took over have deteriorated quite rapidly in the last couple of years. Trails we were riding 10 years ago that didn't need maintenance because people were taught not to drag their brakes, to ride proper lines etc"

 

Whoaa...you'll have to provide some more detail here!! EVERY Sat there are s few dedicated, hardworking selfless dudes out - maintaing trails; putting up sinage; etc. etc. exactly where has this happen?- are you sure it is our trails? or farmer's roads...keeping in mind that one weeknd we could have everything hunkey dory & in tip top shape...just to hit a rain storm like last weekend and ALL is for nothing!! looking like trails have never been maintained...it's a thankless job!, to say the least!

 

"I'm not anti-Wannabee, I'm anti-exclusivity. Come up with a way to make it easy for people to comply, and I'm sure you'll have a better response from the local cycling community. Honesty boxes, day permits, club affiliations, etc."

 

Unfortunately, you cannot do this for free - the least you'll have to do from your side is to carry a visible membership board...if you want to make use of the routes...We are not exclusive at all...anyone is most welcome to join...you do not have to do anything related to the club!! (more that 60% of the members don't in any case - they just jouined to get access to routes)...that is your descision...just join for the sake of carrying a membership board - see this as paying your day fees / season fees all at one in advance for ree, unlimmited access to routes...@ R1 per day...what is so difficult about that?

 

PS: the carrying of a numbered board was a collective request from landowners - they want to be able to identify who is riding on their property - at all times!! That is not too much too ask?

[Ofaniy]

Hi guys

 

So, I am a roadie, but use my mountain bike for commuting purposes mainly. For some extra training (I hear you lot may not have fast legs, but definitely stronger legs than roadies) I want to do some mountain biking in the durbanville area (tiekiedraai, contermans etc)

 

In order for me to be on the trails legally etc. Where should I start ?

 

I know this is a little off topic, but please assist a newbie

 

Regards

[Mr X]

Ok, I am a land owner with great single track potential on my land that you, the MTB club/community, want to access.

 

You are welcome but here is my non-negotiable starting point.

 

Riding on my land is a privilege. Not a right. It is your responsibility as a club/community to do whatever is required to protect that privilege by enforcing the agreed rules, not mine.

 

If this is acceptable, and you are able to ensure full compliance, we have a deal. If not, no deal.

 

The problem is that it is only the landowner that can lay a tresspassing charge. There needs to be some sort of agreement between landowner and club to nail tresspassers, but the club is fearful that this process will cause the landowner to deny all access because of the hassle.

[Hardtailrider]

Try affiliate to IMBA...or their local equivalent - Amarider (like we did). Meurant will gladly give you the necessary information and advice. Best to start off on a sound footing...

It will be great to have more trails opening up in different areas. SA is just a treasure trove when it comes to MTB trail potential!!

 

Great - thanks for that Cassie - confirms pretty much what I was thinking of doing!

[MTBeer]

Hi guys

 

So, I am a roadie, but use my mountain bike for commuting purposes mainly. For some extra training (I hear you lot may not have fast legs, but definitely stronger legs than roadies) I want to do some mountain biking in the durbanville area (tiekiedraai, contermans etc)

 

In order for me to be on the trails legally etc. Where should I start ?

 

I know this is a little off topic, but please assist a newbie

 

Regards

you can ride at Contermans, Meerendal and Hoogekraal as a non-member by paying R30 (I think) into the honesty box at the start of each trail. Note it is R30 per trail. You cannot ride the green corridors linking these trails - those are for members only. Alternatively you can ride at Majik Forest for free. Not sure what the latest is regarding the fencing off of/access to Majik Forest. Hillcrest is members only.

[Ofaniy]

you can ride at Contermans, Meerendal and Hoogekraal as a non-member by paying R30 (I think) into the honesty box at the start of each trail. Note it is R30 per trail. You cannot ride the green corridors linking these trails - those are for members only. Alternatively you can ride at Majik Forest for free. Not sure what the latest is regarding the fencing off of/access to Majik Forest. Hillcrest is members only.

Sounds good. Membership is to what affiliation? Where can I get more info (keep the word newbie in mind)

[MTBeer]

Sounds good. Membership is to what affiliation? Where can I get more info (keep the word newbie in mind)

membership to TBMBC. see link below.

 

http://www.tygerbergmtb.co.za/

[Ofaniy]

membership to TBMBC. see link below.

 

http://www.tygerbergmtb.co.za/

Thank you, seems membership will be the way to go

[MTBeer]

Thank you, seems membership will be the way to go

cool. soon you'll be converted to MTB and sell that girly road bike

[Ofaniy]

cool. soon you'll be converted to MTB and sell that girly road bike

your choice is a Rover, mine a Ferrari, we both get to our destination, but I just do it in style

[MTBeer]

your choice is a Rover, mine a Ferrari, we both get to our destination, but I just do it in style

[Fly2High]

I have been reading this post with a large amount of interest as I have been heavily involved in creating the Helderberg MTB Trail. This was/is created by the Wannabees Cycling Club as 1) The land owners were getting peeved about riders crossing their property with "some supposed permission" given to them by some oke in a bar. 2) MTBing has become a massive growth sport and the club realised this and is a cycling club , I stress the Cycling , not road, not BMX, not Track, not MTB, but a cycling club for all. 3) The MTBers were rogue riding and this needed to be controlled.

I do believe the club has succeded in 2 of the 3 points. Unfortunately a Rogue rider is somebody whom does not obey the trail rules and we have about six out of ten riders not obeying the rules, yes, six out of ten. This figure is no worse or better than any of the other trails in Cape Town. Our cycling fraternity is spoiling our fantastic experiences for all of us. I do not have ready answers, I do know that our club will endevour to keep the trails open, we will do our utmost for our club members but .... each and everyone of us has a responsibility to comply to the rules.

[Cassie]

Wow! 6 out of 10 being rogue riders...this problem is escalating fast!!

 

Action needs to be taken just as fast...

[SoftTail]

 

 

In exchange for acceptable commercial terms, would you be willing to re-consider converting that privilege to a right, obviously with onerous performance clauses for the MTB club attached to it? I'm trying to gauge whether most mountain bike trails in SA on private land aren't acting negligently by taking annual membership fees to do trail work and maintenance on land to which they have no rights but only landowner's goodwill. I do believe contractually a win-win outcome can be achieved with the correct approach and attitude of all parties concerned. Clearly we need and appreciate landowners like yourself in the first place.

 

Absolutely!

 

[flymango]

Absolutely!

 

That's encouraging to hear. To be sure, it's not an offer - merely trying to gauge a landowner's mindset. But maybe the time has come to make MTB trails a commercial venture, much along the lines of "for profit" golf estates. But as with golf estates, the challenge will be to ensure affordability (for cyclists), commerciality (for landowners and to cover running costs) and sustainability (safety, security, user-pays, etc) at the same time.