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illegal riders on our Trails-Avainto


Richard Beswick

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We have had some reports of riders using our trails without paying the R30 entrance fee and then riding the trails in the wrong direction to boot. We have informed our security managers to be very harsh with riders caught on the trails with a valid daily trail band (taken to Muldersdrift police station trespassing charges laid against them) The manager lives on the trail network and patrols regularly on motorbikes and bicycle.

 

Understand, the R30 goes to paying our 2 trail builders salaries if i can't cover their salaries eventually the trails will be shut down and overgrown in a month, trails are not your right to ride just because they are there they take a lot of effort to maintain, you are stealing by riding trails illegally, there is no such thing as just passing through, touch a wheel to our landowners land and pay the fee simple as that!

 

 

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We have had some reports of riders using our trails without paying the R30 entrance fee and then riding the trails in the wrong direction to boot. We have informed our security managers to be very harsh with riders caught on the trails with a valid daily trail band (taken to Muldersdrift police station trespassing charges laid against them) The manager lives on the trail network and patrols regularly on motorbikes and bicycle.

 

Understand, the R30 goes to paying our 2 trail builders salaries if i can't cover their salaries eventually the trails will be shut down and overgrown in a month, trails are not your right to ride just because they are there they take a lot of effort to maintain, you are stealing by riding trails illegally, there is no such thing as just passing through, touch a wheel to our landowners land and pay the fee simple as that!

 

Am I reading correct? Your security manager took cyclists with a VALID daily trail band to the police station for trespassing!

 

Dammm!

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We have had some reports of riders using our trails without paying the R30 entrance fee and then riding the trails in the wrong direction to boot. We have informed our security managers to be very harsh with riders caught on the trails with a valid daily trail band (taken to Muldersdrift police station trespassing charges laid against them) The manager lives on the trail network and patrols regularly on motorbikes and bicycle.

 

Understand, the R30 goes to paying our 2 trail builders salaries if i can't cover their salaries eventually the trails will be shut down and overgrown in a month, trails are not your right to ride just because they are there they take a lot of effort to maintain, you are stealing by riding trails illegally, there is no such thing as just passing through, touch a wheel to our landowners land and pay the fee simple as that!

 

Good for you !! Some people got no respect for other peoples property .

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The guys maintaining and building the trails at Avianto does great work. Saw then in december cutting back some grass on the traintracks that has grwn with vigour because of the rains.

 

We normally pay at the wedding venue reception if the clubhouse is not manned.

 

I see it as stealing when someone rides without paying. Still cant believe someone will drop double figures on a bike, and then some, and try and skip out on paying R30 for riding awesome trails...

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I'm happy for a zero tolerance approach to this sort of thing. It should be socially unacceptable, so name and shame those caught.

 

Am I reading correct? Your security manager took cyclists with a VALID daily trail band to the police station for trespassing!

 

Dammm!

sure he meant withOUT.
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My inlaws have the same issue. We spent many years wooing 2 difficult landowners and driving/cutting some trail out in the cradle.

 

Last week while riding one section we come across 8 riders, who insist they are on public land. They also then had a F off attitude towards us when we kindly asked them to go back in the direction they came from. Now after 8 years, the fence is up and the gate is locked.

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I took a group of 7 riders to Avianto Trails on Saturday morning (25 Jan) at 6:30AM after reading about it on the Hub

 

We paid the gentleman at the clubhouse our entry fees but apparently the trail bands where locked in the office? We met a couple of other riders on the route who also couldn’t get bands. Any reports of rogue riders may have to be taken with a pinch of salt, but we also can’t expect the poor guy to be at his post with a box full of cash and bands from sunup every day

 

The start of the track is boring, but the black sections really got the adrenaline flowing and 2nd section of the trail from the tunnel onward is beautiful. The warm showers and ICE cold beers at the clubhouse really wrapped up the day nicely

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I took a group of 7 riders to Avianto Trails on Saturday morning (25 Jan) at 6:30AM after reading about it on the Hub

 

We paid the gentleman at the clubhouse our entry fees but apparently the trail bands where locked in the office? We met a couple of other riders on the route who also couldn’t get bands. Any reports of rogue riders may have to be taken with a pinch of salt, but we also can’t expect the poor guy to be at his post with a box full of cash and bands from sunup every day

 

The start of the track is boring, but the black sections really got the adrenaline flowing and 2nd section of the trail from the tunnel onward is beautiful. The warm showers and ICE cold beers at the clubhouse really wrapped up the day nicely

 

There was great initiative by the Euodia Cycles guys at Hemel And Aarde (Hermanus). They have this 'trust box' in front of the shop for people without permits who goes riding very early. You put your cash in the box, write your name down and take a number plate.

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(Norm Hudlim in PE runs a similar system)

 

Sorry to be the finger in the pie, but won't work in Jhb, Even with a 10foot fence saying no trespassing people will get round it, onto prove land and ride as if is it their right, not thinking it is NOT, ask the owner, get his permission and IF given then only are you allowed to ride where he has designated/allowed you to.

 

This is not Scotland, Europe with a open/Fee no fence policy

 

G

 

There was great initiative by the Euodia Cycles guys at Hemel And Aarde (Hermanus). They have this 'trust box' in front of the shop for people without permits who goes riding very early. You put your cash in the box, write your name down and take a number plate.

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I took a group of 7 riders to Avianto Trails on Saturday morning (25 Jan) at 6:30AM after reading about it on the Hub

 

We paid the gentleman at the clubhouse our entry fees but apparently the trail bands where locked in the office? We met a couple of other riders on the route who also couldn’t get bands. Any reports of rogue riders may have to be taken with a pinch of salt, but we also can’t expect the poor guy to be at his post with a box full of cash and bands from sunup every day

 

The start of the track is boring, but the black sections really got the adrenaline flowing and 2nd section of the trail from the tunnel onward is beautiful. The warm showers and ICE cold beers at the clubhouse really wrapped up the day nicely

 

I beg to differ. If the trail centre is going to enforce the no pay no ride policy and police that with trail bands then they need to ensure that the trail bands are available from when the trails open right up until when the last rider is allowed in.

 

You can't threaten to arrest someone for riding illegally if you are not in a position to even get the basics right.

 

Apologies to Richard if I have this wrong but I am commenting on the post above. The bands and payment facility needs to be available from opening to closing. If you are caught on the trail without a band then your ass should be thrown in jail for trespassing on private land. There are plenty parks and facilities that battle with this. Giba is one. Too many entry and exit points to properly police. Transgressors need to be made an example of though. If you are caught riding anywhere that requires you to pay to ride and you choose not to (even if you are just "passing through" ) There should be consequences.

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Richard have you guys looked at maybe introducing a season/Monthly pass for people that ride regularly? Or even a discounted rate like Northern farms does with the multi entry cards. Or is the plan to leave it as is?

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My comments:

 

Avianto is probably the best maintained trail in Gauteng right now.

 

I've also heard of riders buying trail tags, just to find out they have run out of tags. A way around this must be found.

 

Also sometime we pitch there real early to start a long ride, so we are there before the office is open, we would then ride and buy the trail tag only after the ride.

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Richard have you guys looked at maybe introducing a season/Monthly pass for people that ride regularly? Or even a discounted rate like Northern farms does with the multi entry cards. Or is the plan to leave it as is?

 

I would definitely support a monthly/annual pass if it would allow me to ride real early etc.

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