Meerendal Membership

[Albatross]

Bye Bye Meerendal, Looks like the TBMBC is moving its HQ to Bloemendal anyway.

[Da Vinci]

screw it .... if they do want to make the Tygerberg members rider on the farm then I will only go if I take my youngster ... and then maybe even not .... 

 

hope that it does not got that way as the club actually played a pivotal roll in getting the farm up and running as a cycling venue before the epic caught on.

 

hopefully all this random speculation by us  is completely off the mark

Wait till u see what is being built at Bloemendal for your youngster (and u)

[Raydek]

Was at Meerendal this morning. No sign in or anything, didn't even get a flyer..

[Johan A Marais]

Just saw this "Rogue riding is going to get worse on our trails as Meerendal has just implemented a membership fee of R350/p for 2015 and will have a security guard checking every car for bikes"

 

Seem they are going on their own in 2015.  Very interesting, do they expect to find the gold pot at the end of the rainbow here, thinking all the numbers they have seen at TBMC will automatically take out a Meerendal memberships also...?!  Everyone trying to get onto the MTBike band wagon and the perceived dollars...

 

One should not, but I hope they crash and burn...

[KarlvN]

Just saw this "Rogue riding is going to get worse on our trails as Meerendal has just implemented a membership fee of R350/p for 2015 and will have a security guard checking every car for bikes"

 

Seem they are going on their own in 2015.  Very interesting, do they expect to find the gold pot at the end of the rainbow here, thinking all the numbers they have seen at TBMC will automatically take out a Meerendal memberships also...?!  Everyone trying to get onto the MTBike band wagon and the perceived dollars...

 

One should not, but I hope they crash and burn...

 

If that be the case then I for one will have a bit of fun during the holidays and end it with a farewell ride on old-years eve, (or arvie before sunset for that matter), and henceforth I shall be riding the rest of the trails in the fairest cape that do not want to rip out the dam from under the duck's arse!!!

 

It will be sad to part with such a nice and convenient trail, but I will not be made a fool of...

 

Could it perhaps have something to do with ABSA Cape Epic being so in love with them lately?

[Ratty]

For +- R500 a year we get access to Hoogekraal, Contermans, Hillcrest, Bloemendaaler, new Bloemendal route and Welvanpas which has multiple amazing routes that you can spend a whole day riding.

 

For R350 you get just Meerendal...

 

Its a no brainer.

 

Meerendal is popular as its a nice beginners green rated route. The new tail as Bloemendal is also going to be a green rated route so beginners will have another option.

[Skubarra]

Just saw this "Rogue riding is going to get worse on our trails as Meerendal has just implemented a membership fee of R350/p for 2015 and will have a security guard checking every car for bikes"

 

 

Don't think the average rogue rider out here spend all their time at Meerendal, they are all over the place anyway. 

 

As others suggested earlier, I might take out the odd day pass on a day I really miss Dorstberg, but no way I'm taking out 2 annual membership fees in the same area, a no-brainer which one presents the better value for money...

 

Sad 

[BarryH]

Ag nee swak man!!!!!!

 

first we get pushed out of Majik (there goes my quick morning ride - 19km) so I had to revert to going further down the road to Meerendal for my morning trip - 40km. Now that seems to be in the balance.

 

Dang, those were the two trails I could easily get to without getting on some serious tarred roads.

 

I suppose Hillcrest and Bloemendal will be visited more frequently, and also my spending on restaurants. I like to eat on the farms where I am allowed to cycle.

[Quantum Theory]

I might take out the odd day pass on a day I really miss Dorstberg

 

Or just go up to the mast at Conters, or up Hillcrest to the Bloemslang. Good climbs those, with excellent single track down...

[GLuvsMtb]

I am reviewing my membership as a whole in any event. It seems like fees just keeps going up, Every year the new committee go into a new direction (no continuity from one year to the next) and there are just too many issues with negotiating land access to give us any assurances in future. Trails that was invested in and since withdrew are: 

- Kliprug

- Majick Forest

- Green Corridor from Contermans to Hoogekraal

- Meerendal 

- Meerendal corridor (was closed for a period) 

 

I wonder how much was spent on trails that is no longer part of the trail network. Simply opening up a new trail every time is not going to be sustainable in the long run as the main cost is to establish a new trail. With a good maintenance program trail maintenance should not exceed more than 10% of the build cost. 

 

I've been a member since 2008, but think that 2014 was my last year as a member.

 

I will miss the quick hop onto the trails during my morning commute from Table View to work, but think that a move to Botlary Hills and renewal of my Jonkershoek annual permit would be the way forward. 

 

I guess I will do a lekker long loop at the end of Jan when my 2014 membership expires from Hillcrest, over to contermans, over to Hoogekraal and back home one last time. 

[Skubarra]

I am reviewing my membership as a whole in any event. It seems like fees just keeps going up, Every year the new committee go into a new direction (no continuity from one year to the next) and there are just too many issues with negotiating land access to give us any assurances in future. Trails that was invested in and since withdrew are: 

- Kliprug

- Majick Forest

- Green Corridor from Contermans to Hoogekraal

- Meerendal 

- Meerendal corridor (was closed for a period) 

 

I wonder how much was spent on trails that is no longer part of the trail network. Simply opening up a new trail every time is not going to be sustainable in the long run as the main cost is to establish a new trail. With a good maintenance program trail maintenance should not exceed more than 10% of the build cost. 

 

We may have lost a few but you should also remember that we have gained a number as well. I think overall the trails available to us have increased over the past few years despite the losses (I don't count Majik because that is/was free anyway), the quality has definitely improved as well.

 

For me living in the area the big attraction is that I can go do a quick ride there before/after work during the week, and on weekends I can do long rides there without wasting time getting there.

 

Nothing wrong with Bottelary & Jonkershoek but even on weekends I don't want to loose an hour or 2 driving to & from places when I can rather spend it on the trail. With a young family demanding my time I have to make every minute count!

[BLACKvoodoo]

I wonder if Meerendal will also have a newsletter with a long winded speech in the beginning about how there's too much water in winter and not enough water in summer to do maintenance.

Then some random blabber about the guys who **** the trails up...

[Guest Smimby]

I was blasted last year for......don't worry leave it.

[Quantum Theory]

I was blasted last year for......don't worry leave it.

 

Coenie? How's it going?

[GLuvsMtb]

We may have lost a few but you should also remember that we have gained a number as well. I think overall the trails available to us have increased over the past few years despite the losses (I don't count Majik because that is/was free anyway), the quality has definitely improved as well.

 

For me living in the area the big attraction is that I can go do a quick ride there before/after work during the week, and on weekends I can do long rides there without wasting time getting there.

 

Nothing wrong with Bottelary & Jonkershoek but even on weekends I don't want to loose an hour or 2 driving to & from places when I can rather spend it on the trail. With a young family demanding my time I have to make every minute count!

Context is also imporatant:

I don't have the exact numbers, but fees went from something like R100 or R120 in 2008 to R590 in 2015. That is an increase of almost 30% year on year (not exact, but hopefully someone can remember what the annual increases were). Furthermore the club went from about 500 odd members to over 2000 members.Yes, in 2008 it was Majick Forest and Hillcrest, but the break-even point was 5 or 6 x day fees. At R30 a trail it now is almost 20 x that you have to visit a combination of trails and they have a large pot of cash to do these new trails. 

 

Some say land owners are getting greedy, some say that the perceived benefit of having us on their land is often more of a liability, fact remain that if they lose a trail a year and build a new one every year, they are spending more, and at some stage you run out of options. 

 

There is also no guarantee that all the investments made in the new trails are going to be long term. In the meantime I can still pay my R30 at Hoogekraal, Contermanskloof or Meerendal if I wish to ride there.

 

At least at Botlary and Jonkershoek my friends from elsewhere can join me for a 40+ km ride without having to either ride a corridor illegally and / or rob a bank for the days' trail fees. 

[Guest Smimby]

Coenie? How's it going?

 

Lekker, and you?