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Cycling Cecilia cork tree trail


Toby Adams

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Who will be joining me at Wynberg court on 7 August 2015 (court 10) because i dared to cycle the 'cork tree trail' in Cecilia Forest on Saturday 20 June 2015. There was a long queue of MTB's behind me all receiving green "Written notice to appear in court"

I was mugged in the TMNP +- 8 weeks ago and relieved of my goods while trail running

Would it not be more productive for the TMNP field rangers to patrol the mountain to keep muggers out instead of having all the field rangers keeping the MTB's out?

What a lost opportunity!

Don't think i will renew my activity card when it expires

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Quick question - was it because you were cycling there (even tho you had your permit on you) or because you were cycling there without having your permit on you? 

 

Either way I think it is ridiculous! I have a permit for riding and walking my dogs in the park. I was stopped recently while walking my dogs and was asked for my permit which I had left with my mtb stuff after my ride that morning. The ranger who stopped me was dressed half in SANParks clothes and half in casual clothes and refused to show identification. Anyhow, he proceeded to issue me with a fine saying that it was not possible for them to check their system to verify that I do have a permit and had simply made a mistake in not bringing it with. 

 

There has been a lot of talk about sections of Cecilia being opened for riding on a trial basis. If this is the case it should be clearly communicated to all parties. 

 

On another note, where abouts were you mugged? was it while riding? Just asking because I ride a lot on my own and want to avoid any areas which are hot spots. 

 

Good luck with your case! 

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Welcome to The Hub Toby.

 

You will find both support for and opposition to riding there. It is a very emotive issue. Good luck if the fight gets a bit hot!

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Who will be joining me at Wynberg court on 7 August 2015 (court 10) because i dared to cycle the 'cork tree trail' in Cecilia Forest on Saturday 20 June 2015. There was a long queue of MTB's behind me all receiving green "Written notice to appear in court"

I was mugged in the TMNP +- 8 weeks ago and relieved of my goods while trail running

Would it not be more productive for the TMNP field rangers to patrol the mountain to keep muggers out instead of having all the field rangers keeping the MTB's out?

What a lost opportunity!

Don't think i will renew my activity card when it expires

With all due respect ITO your mugging incident, how can you complain about being done for riding illegal trails? 

 

Illegal riding just screws it up for the hard-working guys trying to get official permission to ride that trail. Every time a ranger sees a cyclist there riding illegally, that process is held up.

 

Don't do it, and you won't have to appear in court. Illegal riders are the problem, not the TMNP rangers. If they weren't having to waste time fining entitled mountain bikers, they could get on with making the parks safer.

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With all due respect ITO your mugging incident, how can you complain about being done for riding illegal trails? 

 

Illegal riding just screws it up for the hard-working guys trying to get official permission to ride that trail. Every time a ranger sees a cyclist there riding illegally, that process is held up.

 

Don't do it, and you won't have to appear in court. Illegal riders are the problem, not the TMNP rangers. If they weren't having to waste time fining entitled mountain bikers, they could get on with making the parks safer.

 

 

Yeah man !

 

What tim said like ... :thumbup:

 

Don't do it :eek:

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Who will be joining me at Wynberg court on 7 August 2015 (court 10) because i dared to cycle the 'cork tree trail' in Cecilia Forest on Saturday 20 June 2015. There was a long queue of MTB's behind me all receiving green "Written notice to appear in court"

I was mugged in the TMNP +- 8 weeks ago and relieved of my goods while trail running

Would it not be more productive for the TMNP field rangers to patrol the mountain to keep muggers out instead of having all the field rangers keeping the MTB's out?

What a lost opportunity!

Don't think i will renew my activity card when it expires

That section of trail has not been given the green light yet. Dont cock it up for the rest of us you KNOB !!!

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Quick question - was it because you were cycling there (even tho you had your permit on you) or because you were cycling there without having your permit on you? 

 

Either way I think it is ridiculous! I have a permit for riding and walking my dogs in the park. I was stopped recently while walking my dogs and was asked for my permit which I had left with my mtb stuff after my ride that morning. The ranger who stopped me was dressed half in SANParks clothes and half in casual clothes and refused to show identification. Anyhow, he proceeded to issue me with a fine saying that it was not possible for them to check their system to verify that I do have a permit and had simply made a mistake in not bringing it with. 

 

There has been a lot of talk about sections of Cecilia being opened for riding on a trial basis. If this is the case it should be clearly communicated to all parties. 

 

On another note, where abouts were you mugged? was it while riding? Just asking because I ride a lot on my own and want to avoid any areas which are hot spots. 

 

Good luck with your case! 

Sarah, read it again. He said he was TRAILRUNNING...

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This Cecilia trail, where is it?

 

Is it clearly marked? no mtb allowed etc.

 

I would hate to break any rules but just worried I wouldn't know if I see it.

 

If it clearly says NO MTB and you took a chance OP, definitely not ayoba.

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From:

 

http://www.tablemountainbikers.co.za/cape-town/plum-pudding-single-track-cecilia-forest-single-track-proposals-green-light/

 

"Also, the single track that runs along the fence line (next to Rhodes Drive), from the car park to opposite Southern Cross Drive, will be opened to cyclists on a trial basis. It is the track that runs along, under the cork oaks. We are meeting with Parks management on May 21 to discuss the details.

 

Until there is signage in the ground, please note that current rules apply. We will notify the community as soon as the single track is open. We are excited about this result and it gives us a bit more space to ride in."

 

That was a month ago. I guess the signs are not up yet? But you might be able to spin a good story for the magistrate.

 

Actually I would like to see unambiguous rules and uniform enforcement. This would allow community "buy in" which would be in everybody's interests. The situation with the green belts in Constantia is also unclear. I see more cyclists on more paths, but it is clear as mud as to if/what/where any of these are actually open for cycling. Now that kandui is getting a job as full time cycling administrator, maybe these things will be managed a bit better.

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From:

 

http://www.tablemountainbikers.co.za/cape-town/plum-pudding-single-track-cecilia-forest-single-track-proposals-green-light/

 

"Also, the single track that runs along the fence line (next to Rhodes Drive), from the car park to opposite Southern Cross Drive, will be opened to cyclists on a trial basis. It is the track that runs along, under the cork oaks. We are meeting with Parks management on May 21 to discuss the details.

 

Until there is signage in the ground, please note that current rules apply. We will notify the community as soon as the single track is open. We are excited about this result and it gives us a bit more space to ride in."

 

That was a month ago. I guess the signs are not up yet? But you might be able to spin a good story for the magistrate.

 

Actually I would like to see unambiguous rules and uniform enforcement. This would allow community "buy in" which would be in everybody's interests. The situation with the green belts in Constantia is also unclear. I see more cyclists on more paths, but it is clear as mud as to if/what/where any of these are actually open for cycling. Now that kandui is getting a job as full time cycling administrator, maybe these things will be managed a bit better.

Last information I saw on this was that you will still currently be liable for a fine riding Cecelia, it may change soon but right now we shouldn't be there.
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No offense but if you and others weren't riding the trails illegally then those rangers could be off doing something more constructive than fining you.

 

Ride where you are supposed to. There are a lot if people working very hard to keep the access we have and try to get TMNP to green light more.

 

Go to court, pay your fine.

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15 years that we are waiting, right Tim.

and so you will be waiting some more.

TMNP is a joke.

We now ride the much friendlier trails of the Tygerberg Mtb club. On private farms.

so, wen tmnp opens Tokai again I doubt if anyone will be interested.

tmnp just killed their business

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15 years that we are waiting, right Tim.

and so you will be waiting some more.

TMNP is a joke.

We now ride the much friendlier trails of the Tygerberg Mtb club. On private farms.

so, wen tmnp opens Tokai again I doubt if anyone will be interested.

tmnp just killed their business

So when Tokai reopens nobody will ride there?

Are you for real?

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So when Tokai reopens nobody will ride there?

Are you for real?

I actually wonder if there's going to be enough parking space to accommodate everyone who'll be riding. People will be epicaly keen to ride there again.

 

Giantspez is being rather silly to think such a foolish thought.

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With all due respect ITO your mugging incident, how can you complain about being done for riding illegal trails?

 

Illegal riding just screws it up for the hard-working guys trying to get official permission to ride that trail. Every time a ranger sees a cyclist there riding illegally, that process is held up.

 

Don't do it, and you won't have to appear in court. Illegal riders are the problem, not the TMNP rangers. If they weren't having to waste time fining entitled mountain bikers, they could get on with making the parks safer.

Tim I agree with most of what you've said but I also at times feel that Parks encourages rouge riding to an extent. Currently if you want to ride Rhodes Mem or the front of the mountain you need to purchase a day permit if you don't have an activity card. However there's only one place where you can buy said permit - Tokai! What that means is a trip out there to buy one if riding during the week and over weekends you're screwed as Tokai is closed then. That makes no sense and most people who know they should buy a permit for there don't due to Parks' rules that's currently in place. Nobody wants to be breaking the law but at the same time the authorities shouldn't be making it hard to be able to obey it.
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