Rhebokskloof MTB Trail

[Johny Bravo]

Will general cleaning be done as well? The trail is becoming overgrown quite a bit which pushes you to the right of the trail.

I dont want to sound ungrateful, at all, but I dont see any maintenance being done to the Rheboks trails. Good clean up of bushes and stuff would be a great start.

[NicoBoshoff]

I dont want to sound ungrateful, at all, but I dont see any maintenance being done to the Rheboks trails. Good clean up of bushes and stuff would be a great start.

One thing that is worrying me is when I went into one of the LBS's in Paarl I saw a massive pile of annual permits lying there.  According to the shopkeeper there wasn't much participation this year by locals in the annual permit scheme.

 

Now that means one of three things:

 

1.  People are paying as and when they ride there

 

2.  People are rogue riding Rhebokskloof

 

3.  Paarlites aren't keen on using the trails there.

 

I hope it's number 1.

[LazyTrailRider]

One thing that is worrying me is when I went into one of the LBS's in Paarl I saw a massive pile of annual permits lying there.  According to the shopkeeper there wasn't much participation this year by locals in the annual permit scheme.

 

Now that means one of three things:

 

1.  People are paying as and when they ride there

 

2.  People are rogue riding Rhebokskloof

 

3.  Paarlites aren't keen on using the trails there.

 

I hope it's number 1.

 

I hope so too. Those trails in them hills are super cool and it would be a shame to see them fall to pieces.

[Johny Bravo]

One thing that is worrying me is when I went into one of the LBS's in Paarl I saw a massive pile of annual permits lying there.  According to the shopkeeper there wasn't much participation this year by locals in the annual permit scheme.

 

Now that means one of three things:

 

1.  People are paying as and when they ride there

 

2.  People are rogue riding Rhebokskloof

 

3.  Paarlites aren't keen on using the trails there.

 

I hope it's number 1.

Its 2 and 3, unfortunately. Trails need to be maintained, and people will buy permits and pay. 

[NicoBoshoff]

Its 2 and 3, unfortunately. Trails need to be maintained, and people will buy permits and pay. 

So do you reckon they aren't buying permits because of the state of the trails?

[Johny Bravo]

So do you reckon they aren't buying permits because of the state of the trails?

That, and a lack of communication from who ever runs or builds these trails? I have not bought a new permit yet, I only realised last week that mine was no longer valid. To be honest, I dont think I am going to buy one at this stage. And NO, I wont be rogue riding. I am rather going to get the Taal Monument one, and Welvanpas. I dont see 3 permits in my budget this year. Rheboks has some nice potential, but they are not utilising it at this stage. Really is no WOW factor anywhere on that trail, that something like G-spot or Welvanpas or coming down from the Paarl monument gives me.

 

I have taken a few friends there in the past, and they all mentioned how sandy the trails are, and they have a unfinished feel to them. Dunno? 

[LouisF17]

That, and a lack of communication from who ever runs or builds these trails? I have not bought a new permit yet, I only realised last week that mine was no longer valid. To be honest, I dont think I am going to buy one at this stage. And NO, I wont be rogue riding. I am rather going to get the Taal Monument one, and Welvanpas. I dont see 3 permits in my budget this year. Rheboks has some nice potential, but they are not utilising it at this stage. Really is no WOW factor anywhere on that trail, that something like G-spot or Welvanpas or coming down from the Paarl monument gives me.

 

I have taken a few friends there in the past, and they all mentioned how sandy the trails are, and they have a unfinished feel to them. Dunno? 

We made double the amount of permits available for local PaarlMTB.com riders to fetch from LBS's in Paarl early March (given, it is a bit late for an annual permit). Most riders are paying the day permit fee and getting year permits from RBK directly. Also the permit is double the price of the route launch permit fee of 2014.

 

There is only one section which can be classed as 'sandy' of about 3 meters on an uphill. As for the upgrades, Hans and his team are repairing trails right now. A few events trashed the downhill sections, especially those with S bends. Route maintenance is proving to be quite a task even though we ride the trail and cut overgrowing bushes at least once every 3 weeks.

[NicoBoshoff]

We made double the amount of permits available for local PaarlMTB.com riders to fetch from LBS's in Paarl early March (given, it is a bit late for an annual permit). Most riders are paying the day permit fee and getting year permits from RBK directly. Also the permit is double the price of the route launch permit fee of 2014.

 

There is only one section which can be classed as 'sandy' of about 3 meters on an uphill. As for the upgrades, Hans and his team are repairing trails right now. A few events trashed the downhill sections, especially those with S bends. Route maintenance is proving to be quite a task even though we ride the trail and cut overgrowing bushes at least once every 3 weeks.

Hi Louis

 

That's good news iro the permit subscriptions.  I'm glad the trail is being supported becaused I actually enjoy it quite a lot and it makes riding on Paarl Mountain worth the outing.  With RBK there you can do a decent 60km ride from the one side of the mountain to the other without going near tar.  Having taken many a visitor there, I can vouch it does have a WOW factor unique to that terrain.

 

My main concern was overgrowth.  With the drought there is almost nothing you can do about the soil condition and the ruts forming on the S-bends.  Personally, I love the trail that way.  Makes it a challenge and you can get a bit loose on it.  The overgrowth is a problem though because it can cause accidents when you get forced off the trail at speed.  Being involved with the maintenance on Taalmonument side I know how aggresive the stuff grows on Paarl MOuntain (I wish my grass at home would show the same vigour) so it is a never-ending task - so its good to hear it is being managed.

 

PS, would you also please get the word out regarding the Taalmonument permits?

[LouisF17]

Hi Louis

 

That's good news iro the permit subscriptions.  I'm glad the trail is being supported becaused I actually enjoy it quite a lot and it makes riding on Paarl Mountain worth the outing.  With RBK there you can do a decent 60km ride from the one side of the mountain to the other without going near tar.  Having taken many a visitor there, I can vouch it does have a WOW factor unique to that terrain.

 

My main concern was overgrowth.  With the drought there is almost nothing you can do about the soil condition and the ruts forming on the S-bends.  Personally, I love the trail that way.  Makes it a challenge and you can get a bit loose on it.  The overgrowth is a problem though because it can cause accidents when you get forced off the trail at speed.  Being involved with the maintenance on Taalmonument side I know how aggresive the stuff grows on Paarl MOuntain (I wish my grass at home would show the same vigour) so it is a never-ending task - so its good to hear it is being managed.

 

PS, would you also please get the word out regarding the Taalmonument permits?

Totally agree Nico, it definitely makes for interesting routing options to include RBK in a ride. Most often I ride Agter-Paarl farm roads first, then head into RBK and back up again to Cement road. Proper ride.

 

What are the details for Taalmonument permits, will let our riders know via paarlmtb.com ?

[emme]

I was there this morning..

 

Bypass (chicken-run) has been constructed at cave and the really wornout (after cave) S-bend is being removed and replaced by a straighter downhill section.

 

What was nice was to see where riders clipped the outside of the trail on the corners and identifying why they were clipping it!It was mainly either because of overgrowth not being sufficiently cut away and riders therefore taking more of an outside line,the entrance to the corner being too narrow and with limited sight of what was on the "other" side as well as the trail carrying too much speed for that specific layout.

 

Hopefully the team working there now will take this all into account with the reconstruction of the present uphill part of the course.

 

The team consists of Zimbabweans who are incredibly hard workers and the limited time and finances they have to repair the trail might restrict their clearing of the remainder of the trail...It is however clear that any rain will re-juvenate the overgrowth and a serious hand re maintenance will have to be kept on the trail.

[Wannabe]

Rode the trails a few weeks back, and apart from it being dusty, rutted and overgrown in places, I did not find it to be too challenging. The only sections where I was more cautious was where the trail runs through the rocky downhill section where you have to literaly squeeze between the trees. And no, I do not profess to be overly gifted with technical riding skills. Just ride within your capabilities, and you'll be fine.

[paarlmtb]

These trails have revolutionised the riding opportunities for regular riders of Paarl Mountain.

 

We should be incredibly grateful for the effort, money and most of all for the landowners permission to create them. If you have ridden them the scale of the task is apparent.

 

I think the tracks were purposefully designed for the majority of riders- the same riders that enjoy W2W, Sani2C etc

 

There are many ways to make it more challenging for yourself - leave the Duellie at home, get a rigid fork - go faster, etc

 

I ride my singlespeed and have yet to come away without a good workout and a smile

 

Having helped with pruning it is a balance between making a highway or retaining the riding in nature feel - having to duck every now and again and concentrate on keeping to the left of the trail adds to keeping you interested

 

As a regular rider I have nothing but appreciation

Rogue riders are stealing from you as the

Money generated is invested back in the trails

[NicoBoshoff]

These trails have revolutionised the riding opportunities for regular riders of Paarl Mountain.

 

We should be incredibly grateful for the effort, money and most of all for the landowners permission to create them. If you have ridden them the scale of the task is apparent.

 

I think the tracks were purposefully designed for the majority of riders- the same riders that enjoy W2W, Sani2C etc

 

There are many ways to make it more challenging for yourself - leave the Duellie at home, get a rigid fork - go faster, etc

 

I ride my singlespeed and have yet to come away without a good workout and a smile

 

Having helped with pruning it is a balance between making a highway or retaining the riding in nature feel - having to duck every now and again and concentrate on keeping to the left of the trail adds to keeping you interested

 

As a regular rider I have nothing but appreciation

Rogue riders are stealing from you as the

Money generated is invested back in the trails

Absolutely agree.  However, I can't agree with the overgrowth.  There is no point in forcing riders near the left when the left is sloped and will only result in massive erosion as riders wash out on the edges. 

 

Of course if everyone paid to ride, there would be money to have someone walk the trail once a week and just trim back the growth.  This is what we are aiming for at Taalmonument side.

[NicoBoshoff]

Totally agree Nico, it definitely makes for interesting routing options to include RBK in a ride. Most often I ride Agter-Paarl farm roads first, then head into RBK and back up again to Cement road. Proper ride.

 

What are the details for Taalmonument permits, will let our riders know via paarlmtb.com ?

I posted on PaarlMTB noticeboard.

 

Taalmonument will also be releasing a media statement.

 

The permit will grant you acces to their picnic facilities and visitor centre as well, and the moonlight evenings they host.

[paarlmtb]

Absolutely agree. However, I can't agree with the overgrowth. There is no point in forcing riders near the left when the left is sloped and will only result in massive erosion as riders wash out on the edges.

 

Of course if everyone paid to ride, there would be money to have someone walk the trail once a week and just trim back the growth. This is what we are aiming for at Taalmonument side.

[paarlmtb]

 

Absolutely agree. However, I can't agree with the overgrowth. There is no point in forcing riders near the left when the left is sloped and will only result in massive erosion as riders wash out on the edges.

 

Of course if everyone paid to ride, there would be money to have someone walk the trail once a week and just trim back the growth. This is what we are aiming for at Taalmonument side.

 

Sorry editing fail

 

I reckon a difference of opinion then - I rode on the weekend and never felt I was too close to the "edge" and believe me I have paid the price of straying with front wheel wash outs