Mike Bike Posted October 18, 2015 Share Agree with you 100%its not a technical trail! so why did they feel the need to dumb it down further. its now a meter wide, flat, mostly straight section. might as well be tar!Sounds like the perfect place for an unskilled dirt roadie.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarlvN Posted October 18, 2015 Share The first skill to learn regarding mtb, is to ride mtb, and forsake road-riding... As for technical sections, nothing quite beats learning technical skills but simply riding technical bits....I started on the trails of Meerendal, rode them a couple times before progressing to more technical trails like Contermans. 2 years later and I am a speed freak on anything resembling technical single track. The evidence of this is the new full-sus I am about to buy, as well as the 3 rear hubs and two spokes I have destroyed in the last 6 months, mainly due to my inability to take anything remotely resembling a chicken run. Somehow I am forever grateful I live in Cape Town, with all our ridiculously fantastic variety of trails etc we have here. Learning skills come with the terrain, literally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted October 18, 2015 Share Trails getting ridden out is the nature of trails... Just rode Sollys Folly after last riding it in 2013 and its waaaay easier now. Without consistent maintenance trails get ridden out - its got nothing to do with people wanting to dumb them down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furbz Posted October 18, 2015 Share Trails getting ridden out is the nature of trails... Just rode Sollys Folly after last riding it in 2013 and its waaaay easier now. Without consistent maintenance trails get ridden out - its got nothing to do with people wanting to dumb them down. the trail was not ridden out.it was systematically cleared by people with spades/equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcd Posted October 18, 2015 Share the trail was not ridden out.it was systematically cleared by people with spades/equipment.I herd the Hero group have taken over the maintenance of the Cradle ,Hopefully it is just work in progress ? I agree with you the more natural the single track the more exciting it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted October 18, 2015 Share the trail was not ridden out.it was systematically cleared by people with spades/equipment.Ok that's a whole other thing. And a little sad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mntboy Posted October 18, 2015 Share So how do you propose the roadies learn the skills required to ride off road if they are not welcome off road? Must I practice in my garden so that I don't annoy you? Not everybody is born with natural Greg talents and the skills need to be learnt and practiced.... The Cradle MTB trail is not a technical trail and is the perfect place for a roadie to start making the transition to dirt. If it's technical routes you want and dirty roadies you loathe, maybe go ride Red/Black routes, you won't find roadies there.Patch brother when I use ':whistling:' do not take anything I say just ahead overly seriously but rather read it in comic sans. Apparently your sarcasm detector is a little faulty with my post. As for the learning of skills, I got thrown in the deep end at Tokai thanks to an enthusiastic buddy of mine. I just so happen to be an ex-roadie myself. If you do happen to have a large garden against a hill I will rather happily come help you cut some single track for learning on. However this is conditional to you allowing me to ride it. Deal? I've just worked 28 hours out of the 32 hours so please excuse if post doesn't make over much sense. Very tired, going to sleep now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchelicious Posted October 18, 2015 Share Patch brother when I use ':whistling:' do not take anything I say just ahead overly seriously but rather read it in comic sans. Apparently your sarcasm detector is a little faulty with my post. As for the learning of skills, I got thrown in the deep end at Tokai thanks to an enthusiastic buddy of mine. I just so happen to be an ex-roadie myself. If you do happen to have a large garden against a hill I will rather happily come help you cut some single track for learning on. However this is conditional to you allowing me to ride it. Deal? I've just worked 28 hours out of the 32 hours so please excuse if post doesn't make over much sense. Very tired, going to sleep now!My garden is actually pretty small, but we can set up an an IDT on the lawn and not shave our legs if you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Kaze Pete Posted October 18, 2015 Share Very true!Roadies must stay on the road, if they want to get dirty they can roll around in some sand like their maltese poodles after they've bathed them.Not specifically speaking of the cradle but all proper MTB trails.Don't blame the roadies, I'm sure this is to cater for the "MTB is the new golf" crowd, stepping away from manicured fairways and dollied up greens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicNacDH Posted October 18, 2015 Share Don't blame the roadies, I'm sure this is to cater for the "MTB is the new golf" crowd, stepping away from manicured fairways and dollied up greens 100% Agree!Small and "technical" Trails been altered to please the masses, to allow them to ride insure free.At least ... a slower rider can be overtaken now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmonooit Posted October 18, 2015 Share Anyone have any idea what the budget was in setting this up? Here's the website: https://cradlemtb.wordpress.com/ I'm still of the opinion that a track alongside a road does not constiture a mtb trail ... Mr Wyn2Wales thinks otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaper Posted October 18, 2015 Share Sounds like some want elitest status for free to use trails and that they forget that probably not so far in the distant past they were also noobs learning to navigate technical sections. Do you believe because you now have some technical skills that certain trails should be for your exclusive use? Am sure in time if the trail is now getting maintained and altered there will likely be both tecnical and chicken runs at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldron Posted October 18, 2015 Share I'm still of the opinion that a track alongside a road does not constiture a mtb trail ..Amen! To build "real" (and man I hate the word) you need elevation change ala Jonkers, Tokai, Karkloof etc. You can come close with flattish stuff like Bigredbarn but a trail along a road will just not allow you to make a technical obstacles.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcd Posted October 18, 2015 Share 100% Agree!Small and "technical" Trails been altered to please the masses, to allow them to ride insure free.At least ... a slower rider can be overtaken now.Wider tracks will encourage riders to ride in both directions ,this has been a problem since it was open. Let's hope the signage will be improved to stop 2 way riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lusiad Posted October 18, 2015 Share Absurd debate this - the whole idea of MTB is to ride the road less travelled and discover "new" trails. If the Cradle or any of the other established routes now bores you or has become too easy for your awesomeness then move on - plenty of options around the area and if you are serious about "proper" technical challenges then you will know where to find them. Personally I think that it's great to have an "easy" MTB route that is also easily accessible such as Cradle as it serves a particular purpose and allows a wide variety and LARGE group of people to experience, enjoy - and yes - improve their skills. Just see how many people are out on the weekend. Let go of your preciousness - it can only be a good thing the more people we get on bicycles, regardless of what type and where they ride. What's that about horses for courses - maybe it should be courses for horses? Just smile and wave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmonooit Posted October 18, 2015 Share Well not only the elvation / technical aspects, but having done a good few mtb events in the broader Cradle area over the years, this trail hardly 'show cases' the area and what is has to offer off road cyclists be they citizens, vistors, tourists whatever.In fact i think it shows a total lack of imagination and creativity in route planning and creation, especially given all the public money that was used, the amount was quite large if I remember correctly. What alternatives were considered? I feel a PIA application coming on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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