Rietvlei ripp-off

[Pikey]

Buy a ticket,30 bucks a ride. Can't be a better way to spend R30 at either bike park.

 

Safety at thaba seems ok to me,lost my keys to my bakkie on the trail. Left it there over night and only collected following afternoon.

 

Also went back that afternoon and walked the trails until almost dark looking for the keys.

 

Thanks Wendell for your coat hanger skillz????

[Clinton H]

So now that things are settled , who's in for the 24hour at Thaba ?

I can already smell that Illy coffee .......

[Danger Dassie]

Ok, so forgetting how much a bike costs.
How much does a movie cost? A meal out? Or two hours watching rugby? A water bottle?

 

We're damn fortunate to have the spaces we have and the different bike and trail park options. Even at the R20 increase, it's still a bargain to go and ride, with no time, distance or route restrictions other than what we impose on ourselves. 

Incredibly disingenuous topic title!

[Wayne Potgieter]

It costs NZ $10 for 1 pass to ride down four forty bike park in auckland.

 

Thats about 90 rondelas.

 

For one trip down.

 

 

If you find bike park riding too expensive, build your own rrack or take your chances on the streets. No one is forcing you to ride there.

[NGUTF]

Did you forget to take you Xanax this morning? Is that why you're name calling? Or is it something else? Maybe your morbid disposition...

Um, maybe, maybe, maybe and maybe. 

 

It'll be sad to lose the park. As someone said its an awesome family park, already started my getting my kids to ride there. Thanks for the response Mr Bole

[PygaSchmyga]

So now that things are settled , who's in for the 24hour at Thaba ?

I can already smell that Illy coffee .......

ANOTHER good point - jassus, they make a schweeeet cup of Joe at Thaba. 

[Kaalvoet Thysie]

I must say, I really enjoy Rietvlei and it is still a lot safer than riding on my own in the veldt close to my house, even eith some safety issues. I really dont mind paying R50 for the facilities. When O used to fish competitively we got charged R50 to R70 per person to fish on some oke's farms, then they dont even have toilets set up. So to pay R50 to ride on a purpose made track with decent facilities is a freaken bargain according to me... Keep up the good work Wendell, I will come and check out Thaba soon.

[PygaSchmyga]

My 2c - no doubt maintaining trails cost a fortune never mind creating new things to keep people coming back, but I can understand how a jump from R30 - R50 will seem exhorbitant. Even if the R10 is for parking and the money is going to the land owners and nit the trail builders.

If PWC can hike their price to R75 from what I can remember being about R35 since 2013 - and still have the place packed, I foresee lots of increases coming up on all the bike park places.

Venues should introduce annual increases to avoid the sudden big jumps - that might help.

 

The old you ride a 40k bike and you bitch about R20 increase doesn't gel for me. I agree the ride at Rietvlei when I started out was good practice, but the last time I was there, with all the other activities going on, it was just too frenetic for me, I rather drive on to Thaba, but no doubt as a family friendly venue, and for those that do both in one ride, it has its place.

 

For someone like me that rides on my own a lot, security is a big concern. I know nobody can guarantee my safety, but if there's security on the premises, and if their response is to shrug and say oh well... Then that's an issue with the land owners or whoever pays for security to create a perceived "secure" venue.

 

Anyway, that's all. Don't know what my point was, just wanted to say that.

Why is the comparison of the cost of your bike and kit versus the cost of access to commercial trails not relevant?  The OP thread is focused on the cost of the trails, so looking at this cost in the context of your overall riding cost is 100% relevant.  Why not?

[Joe Low]

Firstly,baaisiklist,I'm not a moangat,if ever i have a concern,I wil will raise it. Wendell,I have met you before on a 24hour,And appreciate the work that you are doing. I understand the costs involved in building and maintaining trails,my biggest issue is,that after reporting suspicious persons to the security,I was told off by them. I apologize for misdirecting my concern, in terms of the costs, that is my personal opinion.

 

So how is that a "rip-off" (one 'p')?

 

Wendell has done such an excellent job for cycling with Rietvlei and Thaba - a pioneer! 

[dirtrider]

And this brings us back to CSA !! Do they assist any of these trail builders financially or with advice ? And it does not make sense to me why a fee goes up by 40+% , does not matter if it was R10 to start off with !! Then it becomes a rip-off !!!

[Skubarra]

And this brings us back to CSA !! Do they assist any of these trail builders financially or with advice ? And it does not make sense to me why a fee goes up by 40+% , does not matter if it was R10 to start off with !! Then it becomes a rip-off !!!

 

Without knowing anything about Rietvlei I can confidently state CSA is not contributing financially and they do not give trail building advice.

 

Also, a 40% increase would only be a rip-off if the fee is now out of line with similar bike parks, if not the fee was probably too low to be sustainable.

[PygaSchmyga]

And this brings us back to CSA !! Do they assist any of these trail builders financially or with advice ? And it does not make sense to me why a fee goes up by 40+% , does not matter if it was R10 to start off with !! Then it becomes a rip-off !!!

I disagree with this point.  You cannot  ignore the absolute cost of things, and focus 100% on the percentage increase when an increase, does, in fact occur.  A base cost of R30 is ridiculously low, and you know it. 

 

Read Wendell's post, they have not increased the price for years, in any event.  I think it is damaging and counterproductive to throw out words like "Rip-Off!!!!" at any opportunity, and it discourages people like Wendell from developing more trails.  Surely you want more and more places to ride?  How do you think your comment is received by the people actually doing all the hard work that you feel free to trash talk?  Not cool dude.  If you can't offer positive comments and solutions, then what are you trying to achieve by such negative comments?

[dirtrider]

I disagree with this point.  You cannot  ignore the absolute cost of things, and focus 100% on the percentage increase when an increase, does, in fact occur.  A base cost of R30 is ridiculously low, and you know it. 

 

Read Wendell's post, they have not increased the price for years, in any event.  I think it is damaging and counterproductive to throw out words like "Rip-Off!!!!" at any opportunity, and it discourages people like Wendell from developing more trails.  Surely you want more and more places to ride?  How do you think your comment is received by the people actually doing all the hard work that you feel free to trash talk?  Not cool dude.  If you can't offer positive comments and solutions, then what are you trying to achieve by such negative comments?

 

Rip-off . There I said it again . I know some people find it difficult to understand what they are reading . I said a 40% increase is a rip-off !!! 

[PygaSchmyga]

Rip-off . There I said it again . I know some people find it difficult to understand what they are reading . I said a 40% increase is a rip-off !!! 

well done, you have really added to the conversation.  Please pat yourself on the back, and congratulate yourself for a job well done.  I'm sure everyone thinks your contribution is worthy of praise and celebration.

[Bobbo_SA]

Haven't been on my bike in what feels like forever, but I know exactly where I will start off again in the coming weeks, back at Rietvlei, why, Rietvlei still offers a more chilled ride and riding down past the river especially in summer when it's flowing is amazing.

 

Also, my 8yo still enjoys Rietvlei more than Thaba. 

[Swany05]

I have ridden at Zoo Farm a lot in the past, an i find it to be one of the better trails in JHB. Maybe not as tech orientated as the other parks but none-the-less an awesome trail. 

 

The incident at rietvlei involved a friend of a friend, not a good experience but have there been others? has the security been jacked up? 

 

Certain parts of the spruit are dodgy as all hell but that doesnt stop people from riding there? 

 

I personally ride to get rid of frustration and stress (There is nothing like a good fall to help you forget) but if i have to start worrying about my safety after paying for the use of the facilities it will leave a sour taste in my mouth.