Cycling Cecilia cork tree trail

[marko35s]

The announcements were made by Rob Vogel. Many, including me missed the fact that it was open, but not actually open because the signage had not changed yet. ( how bizarre is this really - temp signs could have been put up immediately)This was weeks ago and still nothing.

 

Now word has got out - the only good news to come out of recent interactions with SANP was bound to spread like wild fire. Now we have no Tokai and officials wasting money ticketing people riding a trail that has been ridden for years by a few cyclists without any problems. I have been riding that trail for 20 years on and off. Now because its been legalized although actually not because a sign has not been changed, we have rangers ticketing people.

 

Vintage SANP shooting themselves in the foot. 

Tim I have no argument with what you have posted but there is more than just SANParks screwing the pooch here.

 

A. SANParks crap communications leading to;

B. Table Mountain Bikers releasing the info and not realizing that;

C. Mountainbikers will read the bit that suits them and block out anything that doesn't suit them.

 

Which seems to be pretty much what has happened here.

[DJR]

Better to jump a gap than it is to jump the gun?  

[Pure Savage]

I would not worry, that same court lets you can run over a cyclist, knowingly drive away from the scene and you don't even spend a second in prison.

 

The only punishment will be spending the morning in the courts.(which is punishment enough)

[DJR]

I would not worry, that same court lets you can run over a cyclist, knowingly drive away from the scene and you don't even spend a second in prison.

 

The only punishment will be spending the morning in the courts.(which is punishment enough)

Well, I got that exact punishment once, having to spend a morning at the Wynberg court. My crime was that someone broke into my car and I had to testify. I think he was happier with his jail time than I was with my horrid day.

[Headshot]

Tim I have no argument with what you have posted but there is more than just SANParks screwing the pooch here.

 

A. SANParks crap communications leading to;

B. Table Mountain Bikers releasing the info and not realizing that;

C. Mountainbikers will read the bit that suits them and block out anything that doesn't suit them.

 

Which seems to be pretty much what has happened here.

Its more than crap communications, its an almost paralytic incapacity to do anything practical at anything other than the pace of a geriatric sloth.

 

Who reading the first email would believe that weeks later nothing has actually changed? Edit - actually thats dumb. Who in their right mind would think SANP would have got their act together by now...

Edited June 22, 2015 by Headshot

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

No, imagine again,  not trespassing. Its a statutory offence in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, although exactly which section or regulation I don't know.

Shot Tim. Forgot about that. 

 

Brain not here today. 

[Pure Savage]

Well, I got that exact punishment once, having to spend a morning at the Wynberg court. My crime was that someone broke into my car and I had to testify. I think he was happier with his jail time than I was with my horrid day.

Ha ha ha made my day!

[(Deon)]

Tim I have no argument with what you have posted but there is more than just SANParks screwing the pooch here.

 

A. SANParks crap communications leading to;

B. Table Mountain Bikers releasing the info and not realizing that;

C. Mountainbikers will read the bit that suits them and block out anything that doesn't suit them.

 

Which seems to be pretty much what has happened here.

There is too much truth in this. Almost an uncomfortable amount..

[(Deon)]

Table Mountain Bikers just cleared this all up 

If there is one thing that needs to be clear from the start it is the contents of this tweet, especially as we are lobbying for access.

 

I have just read through the notices on FB and alarming to note that one thing the "announcement" lacked was clarity. I think the call to hold off riding this route is mentioned in the last line.. surely not included in word of mouth..

[Richard Pickett]

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

Toby was given a summons to appear in court or pay a R2500 admission of guilt fine. This is bull****. 4 hikers were mugged on Sat. morning by 2 knife wielding thugs in the Hout Bay mountains. This ranger is sitting waiting for guys riding bicycles instead of tracking thugs that are ruining our tourism. Who is running this SAN Parks scam. Or is it TMNP? What crap.

[DJR]

Toby was given a summons to appear in court or pay a R2500 admission of guilt fine. This is bull****. 4 hikers were mugged on Sat. morning by 2 knife wielding thugs in the Hout Bay mountains. This ranger is sitting waiting for guys riding bicycles instead of tracking thugs that are ruining our tourism. Who is running this SAN Parks scam. Or is it TMNP? What crap.

Hi Richard. Just read the whole thread, not just the 1st post, and you will get a better understanding of what is at stake here. Then post!

[Mntboy]

Day permits can be purchased at the SANPARKS office in Burg Street in Town

 

Really would make life easier for everyone if they sold them at the Kloof Nek/Cableway office and Rhodes Mem!

Where in Burg street exactly and would one be able to purchase an activity card from them as well? And just as important are they open over the weekend?

[marko35s]

Toby was given a summons to appear in court or pay a R2500 admission of guilt fine. This is bull****. 4 hikers were mugged on Sat. morning by 2 knife wielding thugs in the Hout Bay mountains. This ranger is sitting waiting for guys riding bicycles instead of tracking thugs that are ruining our tourism. Who is running this SAN Parks scam. Or is it TMNP? What crap.

Well maybe if we bothered, you know, abiding by the rules the ranger wouldn't have needed to be sat there waiting?

But oh no because we are entitled mountainbikers we get to do what we want and then whine like bitter children when it goes wrong. Time and time again people are found riding in areas they are not supposed to and then the poor sods that are actually working hard for official access end up that bit further away from the goal.

Want to sort it out? Then join a group that engages with Parks, City of Capetown, landowners, other user groups etc and do something positive.

[BruceS]

The point that seems to be getting missed here is why there is so much emotion being generated by some people riding bicycles in an area where it hardly hurting anybody or the environment.

The biggest reason is that Cape Town has about 1/1000 the amount of trails as the metropolises of Grabouw or Stellenbosch or Wellington, or Tulbagh or the pristine Johannesburg.

Every other town, dorp or city can see the benefits of PROACTIVELY embracing the mountain biking community; the vast majority of whom are really nice, honest, law abiding citizens just wanting to partake in some healthy fun without having to drive for 1 or 2 hours out of Cape Town!!!!

The officials of SANParks and Cape Nature are actively trying to smother any mountain biking activity in Cape Town. One can cycle throughout the Namaqualand National Park and the Richtersveld National Park but one may not encroach on the untouchable, personal fiefdom of our arrogant, ignorant Parks officials

This is why there are so many "rouge" riders.

[NicoBoshoff]

I love how people reckon if the rangers weren't out fining "entitled" mountainbikers (who are making use of public property that their taxes sustain - the bloody audacity of it all!) they'd actually be out catching criminals who are scaring away tourists, killing jobs (and people) and denying the paying public the simple enjoyment of a day out. 

Cute.

 

It's hard to keep my wife motivated to stay in this sh*ithole country when I tell her how free one is to enjoy public facilities (built and natural) in the Alps without any fear of crime or harrasment by overzealous officials (because they actually like people enjoying themselves), whilst here we have to arm ourselves just to go ride our bike.  But hey, signage my bru!  Signage!!!!

 

Rationalise away.  The Stockholm Syndrome is strong with you lot.

[Flowta]

The point that seems to be getting missed here is why there is so much emotion being generated by some people riding bicycles in an area where it hardly hurting anybody or the environment.

The biggest reason is that Cape Town has about 1/1000 the amount of trails as the metropolises of Grabouw or Stellenbosch or Wellington, or Tulbagh or the pristine Johannesburg.

Every other town, dorp or city can see the benefits of PROACTIVELY embracing the mountain biking community; the vast majority of whom are really nice, honest, law abiding citizens just wanting to partake in some healthy fun without having to drive for 1 or 2 hours out of Cape Town!!!!

The officials of SANParks and Cape Nature are actively trying to smother any mountain biking activity in Cape Town. One can cycle throughout the Namaqualand National Park and the Richtersveld National Park but one may not encroach on the untouchable, personal fiefdom of our arrogant, ignorant Parks officials

This is why there are so many "rouge" riders.

 

Cape Nature and TMNP are 2 different entities.

 

TMNP (run by SANParks) is Table Mountain etc. Cape Nature who'll find at various places including Jonkershoek