Getting the direction right

[Gate closer]

This is not a moan and groan session but a question on how we can get the direction right on trails. Firstly let me start of by saying I am not the worlds most experienced or best MTB rider. Over the weekend I rode at modders and nearly collided with two gents walking with difficulty up the very first cement brick section of the trail near the river. When I tried to explain that there is an easier way to get back to the start over the bridge it was met with some sarcastic comments. This section my mates fly down and if anyone is in the way it's going to hurt.

 

Modderfontein has recently changed the trails a bit and on a few occasions I found people going against the flow but worst for me was the tar section at the end where people are cycling up and it is not the downhill route but characters are flying down at close quarters.

 

Everyone from the experienced riders to the novices and the trail owners or operators needs to think about the consequences of these potential high speed crashes and do something constructive.

[Paul Ruinaard]

Sorry for the long post. However to your point, I wasn't going to say anything here as it really just is seen as whining if you name and try to shame and the Spanish inquisition will ask you 1001 questions, but this happened to me over the weekend,  and it has happened on the Spruit (i had a head on - i was in a lot better shape as I saw it coming) and at Northern Farms (although directional trails are pretty well marked) 

 

On Saturday at about 7:40 am this guy on a new looking black gravel grinder road bike was heading up the Cradle MTB trail from the Lanseria side. But he was going the wrong way, along the LHS where it runs parallel to the road.

 

He was passed by many MTB riders coming the opposite way, some at speed all of whom shouted at him that he was going the direction, FWIW: You are doing about 40 kmh down there as you are descending from about the highest point on the trail, so a head on is going to be ugly.

 

I was on my road bike riding with my wife and was alongside him for a long time.

 

So plucking up the courage to say something took a bit, as he just persisted.

 

I thought he may not know (although i doubted it).

 

So at one point I rode up next to him and I casually mentioned to him (he was about 3 metres away as the trail runs parallel to the LHS of the road) that "Maybe you didn't know it, but this trail runs the other way and you are going counter the flow".

 

He didn't miss a beat - told me he knew that he was going the wrong way.

 

And he carried on up the trail.

 

After that I must have been passed by about 10 MTBers coming the other way talking about him and one saying it was a near miss.

 

So here is my view after that little incident as I thought a lot about it, along the lines of do I take a photo of him (bound to result in a confrontation etc) and decided:

 

1.) A lot of this is pure bloody minded behaviour driven by a F#ck you attitude - i can ride where I like and dont tell me what to do. Like Taxis. Like a lot of Seffricans. Its not cyclists. Its society in general. We are so busy defending our rights to not be part of the crowd we dont give a toss about anyone else and their safety. We drive like this and ride like this.

 

2.) If he does get taken out its the Darwin principle of the unfit/crazy/stupid folks being removed from the gene pool.

 

I am not sure what to say about when you are on the other end of the accident. I had a head on above Fratellis on the Spruit but saw it coming and threw the bike away in time. 

 

That was lucky

 

My 2 cents worth

[madmarc]

This is not a moan and groan session but a question on how we can get the direction right on trails. Firstly let me start of by saying I am not the worlds most experienced or best MTB rider. Over the weekend I rode at modders and nearly collided with two gents walking with difficulty up the very first cement brick section of the trail near the river. When I tried to explain that there is an easier way to get back to the start over the bridge it was met with some sarcastic comments. This section my mates fly down and if anyone is in the way it's going to hurt.

 

Modderfontein has recently changed the trails a bit and on a few occasions I found people going against the flow but worst for me was the tar section at the end where people are cycling up and it is not the downhill route but characters are flying down at close quarters.

 

Everyone from the experienced riders to the novices and the trail owners or operators needs to think about the consequences of these potential high speed crashes and do something constructive.

I tend to agree, why would anyone punish themselves by trying to walk up the paved drop off.

But I disagree with you on the tared road. It's a two way section. and has always been that way. Yes they did open up a single track down from the gate which was a fantastic addition for a bit of DH at the end of your ride. But for a slower rider it can be a bit hectic, so the safer tarred section is the alternative

Besides I would prefer the slower riders to use the tar road instead of the single track, nothing worse than bombing down that section and then having to sit behind a roadie for for 3/4 of the way down.

[Gate closer]

Understand your point but plenty of new cyclists battle their way up that hill and you have to ask them to let you passed going uphill. If you meet them on the single track at least everyone gong in the same direction and it should be less painful.

[Uni]

As far as I'm aware both sections you're referring to are bi- directional. I can't imagine anyone willingly wanting to walk up the bricked ramp bit - I can only imagine they couldn't make it all the way and so walked it.

Ppl ride up there, so anyone coming down would need to be aware of them too.

 

I'm one of those that come down the tar road when there's a queue waiting to do the strata segment on that last downhill - I follow the rule of keep left and give way to uphill traffic. If there's kids or anyone walking or head down slogging it up that might not see me, I'm on my brakes otherwise it's a straight piece of road with not much danger if no one is a douche. Worth making the guys aware and putting up some signs though.