Serious crashes on the Spruit today

[Fire Engine]

I for one love al the time and effort that has been put into the spruit but I think what can easily happen is if someone is plodding along as he or she always does and all of a sudden gets surprised by a new lip and it's too late. So yes it us off the main line but said rider might have done it at speed last week no problem but got court out this time can happen quite easily

[RockCoach]

I for one love al the time and effort that has been put into the spruit but I think what can easily happen is if someone is plodding along as he or she always does and all of a sudden gets surprised by a new lip and it's too late. So yes it us off the main line but said rider might have done it at speed last week no problem but got court out this time can happen quite easily

 

I agree. But what you are reffering to is one isolated lip on a particular bomb hole which should be removed. All other challenging lines I can think of are very obvious and well off the main line. Even if you mistakenly take the scary line there is a safe way around every obstacle. The jump lines in Hurlingham being prime examples.

 

[patches]

i rode past the bombhole today (beneath Old Parks Sports Club) and saw a guy cutting back the right hand lip (exit)...it runs pretty smooth now...and i was on a 29'er...looks like he solved your problem!

 

Well there we have it! Seems the Spruit Fairy has heard the pleas.

 

So now people can hurtle themselves down there blindly once more

 

Did you ask him to put a steeper drop at the top to stop monkeys riding up it the wrong way?

 

Some years ago a few of the fairies turned the whole entrance into a small drop (about step height), not to make the run in more "extreme", but to deter riders from using it in the up direction (unsafe if riders are descending). Sadly that step only lasted a week as someone took it upon themselves to kick it down. Probably because they got some thrill out of riding it upwards.

[RockCoach]

 

 

Well there we have it! Seems the Spruit Fairy has heard the pleas.

 

So now people can hurtle themselves down there blindly once more

 

 

 

Some years ago a few of the fairies turned the whole entrance into a small drop (about step height), not to make the run in more "extreme", but to deter riders from using it in the up direction (unsafe if riders are descending). Sadly that step only lasted a week as someone took it upon themselves to kick it down. Probably because they got some thrill out of riding it upwards.

 

Lol. I never saw that.

 

I think we should post some evidence of what this scary bomb hole looks like. Just to provide some comic relief for the Capetonians ans Natalians...

 

[pierre-]

.

Edited January 13, 2015 by pierre-

[RockCoach]

 

The water there is probably the most dangerous thing on the Spruit, is this dude ok?

 

He seemed to be fine. Slight grazes on forearm. I just think gingers are immortal.

[MaXiMuM]

I personally think that the fairies do a great job!

 

Having said that, I think they should remember to make sure all jumps should be rollers. Allowing less talented people like me, to find approach lines and speeds, and build skills, with out having to commit.

 

Love that minners thing near PnP, but take some of the chicken runs on the way down...

Edited April 23, 2014 by MaXiMuM

[decibel]

In about 8 years of riding the spruit on and off, in terms of crashes the bulk of mine have been due to not paying attention in rutted tracks. A couple have been on some of the more rocky sections like those in Alberts Farm or in the far end of Emmerentia slipping on roots. And a couple have been near misses with large group rides heading in the opposite direction and hogging the trail.

 

Is it just my imagination or are the trails more deeply rutted now than they were in the last couple of years?

[RockCoach]

In about 8 years of riding the spruit on and off, in terms of crashes the bulk of mine have been due to not paying attention in rutted tracks. A couple have been on some of the more rocky sections like those in Alberts Farm or in the far end of Emmerentia slipping on roots. And a couple have been near misses with large group rides heading in the opposite direction and hogging the trail.

 

Is it just my imagination or are the trails more deeply rutted now than they were in the last couple of years?

 

The Spruit is ever changing... but the ruts are always worst after a heavy rainy season. During winter the grass on the edge of the rutted path dies and they become flatter and wider from use.

 

[madbradd]

Just trying to get bearings.. Is the bomb hole that drop just above the bridge that crosses the spruit? The "green" line going around to the left?

[Steven D Williams]

Love the spruit, but that kicker in the bomb hole really caught me out on Saturday... rode away with a cold sweat thinking of how bad it could of ened up. The new jump on the left distarcted me...

[Cruz Addict]

Just trying to get bearings.. Is the bomb hole that drop just above the bridge that crosses the spruit? The "green" line going around to the left?

yup thats the one.

[patches]

I personally think that the fairies do a great job!

 

Having said that, I think they should remember to make sure all jumps should be rollers. Allowing less talented people like me, to find approach lines and speeds, and build skills, with out having to commit.

 

Love that minners thing near PnP, but take some of the chicken runs on the way down...

 

with the exception of the scout hall jumps, and jumps that span ditches, pretty much all other jumps on the spruit are built with that in mind and are rollable.

 

In about 8 years of riding the spruit on and off, in terms of crashes the bulk of mine have been due to not paying attention in rutted tracks. A couple have been on some of the more rocky sections like those in Alberts Farm or in the far end of Emmerentia slipping on roots. And a couple have been near misses with large group rides heading in the opposite direction and hogging the trail.

 

Is it just my imagination or are the trails more deeply rutted now than they were in the last couple of years?

 

Yup, as I said earlier. Those deep ruts with grass edges probably catch more people than the jumps do.

 

Just trying to get bearings.. Is the bomb hole that drop just above the bridge that crosses the spruit? The "green" line going around to the left?

 

yarp! that is it!

Edited April 23, 2014 by patches

[madbradd]

 

yup thats the one.

 

Aaaannnnddddd I'll stick to the green line thanks. Look at it every time we ride past tho. Done it once or twice but I think that for me its a break waiting to happen.

[patches]

The trick with the bombhole A line is that it looks steeper than it is, so riders who aren't used to it lean forward for fear of doing a back flip/flop. This then causes the rear to get bucked and they end up doing a front flip/flop.

 

All one has to do it lean back a little and ride the jump. Fight the shape of it, and the jump will ride you.

[beanz]

Updates from the trail:

 

here are some we took as we rode past the boys doing the build. loks a lot worse in real life.

 

I took a good look at this this morning - you guys have got to be kidding!

I'm sure the seasoned jumpers can do it but you got to pedal like a bat out of hell.

 

And a log gap after the tree line which seems to disappear and get rebuilt (badly unfortunately) on a weekly basis.

 

This one has already been demolished and the logs removed.

 

i rode past the bombhole today (beneath Old Parks Sports Club) and saw a guy cutting back the right hand lip (exit)...it runs pretty smooth now...and i was on a 29'er...looks like he solved your problem!

 

The lip is still there and good fun now that you know it's there. I hope it remains.