Guided cycling trails in Magaliesburg

[norm333]

I would be in for sure

[Honkdonk]

Someone should take a leaf out of the All Out Adventures' book..

Dedicated starting point for all sorts of activities (quad bike, paintball, jungle jump adventure course etc) and then yarns of tracks that cut across several privately owned farms in the area - each with its own draw. And you can access the trails from anyone of the "partner" farms. Its a great facility.

No reason why something like that couldn't work on the doorstep of GP. You have the raw beauty of the magaliesburg, Hartbeespoort Dam, Van Gaalens, and all the rest thats in the area..

Capital outlay and dedication required..

[Grant Frewen]

We wouldnt really be going over the Magalies mountains (to begin with any way), we would be more focused on the Magaliesburg village and the surrounding areas, there are some tough routes here as well as some lovely river routes and lots of stunning views, if you know where to go and have permission (After living here for 20 odd years you tend to either know most people or most people know you!).

 

But Its not just about the cycling but also promoting Magaliesburg as a tourism destination, prehaps this weekend you go on a MTB trail but because you enjoyed the area and your time here you might end up booking accommodation at a local venue in the future.

 

We want to try and make use of local businesses for lunches, breakfast, cold drinks etc and you make a day of exploring the area as opposed to just clocking up the KM's as fast as you can and then heading home.

 

Its a great way to promote the town and encourage cycle tourism as opposed to bikey-pikey, cuisine ,"wildlife safari story" stuff.Real Mtn Bike People want to ride not eat (maybe after) MTn biking has exploded in popularity in the last 5 years and tapping the market for spin offs for small towns is good . My 2c.

Have a start/finish area that has

-Change facilities, hot showers etc. NB for guys/girls pushed for time off to meet the wife-hubby and kids somewhere requiring decorum.

-Bike wash ...ditto above

-A decent,clean, food service spot ( doesnt have to be fancy just tasty ,quick and varied ,bacon and egg and pesto rolls for example)include veg options +fruit +fruit juice ..fresh please.

-decent topo and ACCURATE map of area and wider .VERY NB.

-secure parking

some kind of membership card with pricing options .R25 per entrance is fair.Make it expensive and nobody will buy the boerwors rolls.Or they will find somewhere that isnt ripping them off.

-friendly staff.

-sell bike **** too.

-guides and so on will come later but get infrastructure in place first. People are unreliable , buildings are not.

there free advice , all the marketing P's too.

p.s Im finding increasingly the local accomodation venues in the Gauteng NW Magalies area are over priced , not deserving of their grading and often down right rude and ripoff because their is ais such a dearth of good places and lots of people to spend money.. WCAPE,E CAPE KZN venues offer far better value and hospitality . Some socks need to be pulled up.

[Mojoman]

Its a great way to promote the town and encourage cycle tourism as opposed to bikey-pikey, cuisine ,"wildlife safari story" stuff.Real Mtn Bike People want to ride not eat (maybe after) MTn biking has exploded in popularity in the last 5 years and tapping the market for spin offs for small towns is good . My 2c.

Have a start/finish area that has

-Change facilities, hot showers etc. NB for guys/girls pushed for time off to meet the wife-hubby and kids somewhere requiring decorum.

-Bike wash ...ditto above

-A decent,clean, food service spot ( doesnt have to be fancy just tasty ,quick and varied ,bacon and egg and pesto rolls for example)include veg options +fruit +fruit juice ..fresh please.

-decent topo and ACCURATE map of area and wider .VERY NB.

-secure parking

some kind of membership card with pricing options .R25 per entrance is fair.Make it expensive and nobody will buy the boerwors rolls.Or they will find somewhere that isnt ripping them off.

-friendly staff.

-sell bike **** too.

-guides and so on will come later but get infrastructure in place first. People are unreliable , buildings are not.

there free advice , all the marketing P's too.

p.s Im finding increasingly the local accomodation venues in the Gauteng NW Magalies area are over priced , not deserving of their grading and often down right rude and ripoff because their is ais such a dearth of good places and lots of people to spend money.. WCAPE,E CAPE KZN venues offer far better value and hospitality . Some socks need to be pulled up.

This is where the train station in Magalies will hopefully come into play. At the meeting last night it seemed quite positive that the MDI may be able to secure a lease on the station from Transnet, if this happens then the station would be upgraded to included a small restaurant, shops, outside stalls, toilets, and a small area for the MMBC (and prehaps a bike wash manned by locals but everything comes down to rental cost) etc. Secure and ample parking would also be available as well as picnic spots and walks for families etc. It would therefore be a lot more attractive and secure for our visitors to the area and serve as a central start point for cyclists as well as visitors looking to explore the area. Currently its a mess and a eyesore of note but at least the squatters that were there have been removed.

 

However all of this will still take some time but its looking more positive than way back in Dec when the MDI started with all of this. Below is the general idea of the project (dont know why it looks so stretched!).