[Event] Ashburton Investments National MTB Series VAN GAALEN

[RocknRolla]

Not related to the race , BUt how is the safety at van galens? I rode there often 3 years ago but have been there since 2013 ......Is it safe to ride alone?

 

Well, I would have to say no, and I am quite a fan of solo rides.

 

In the couple of years i have ridden there, I have encountered people in our group that has fallen, luckily not bad falls, but it could have gone another way, and then you dont want to lie, stuck on some rock bleeding out your temple on your own.

 

I have also come across a Cobra of great proportions, as well as numerous snakes crossing the tracks.

 

Then, I also don't trust cows in large numbers...

[BaGearA]

Well, I would have to say no, and I am quite a fan of solo rides.

 

In the couple of years i have ridden there, I have encountered people in our group that has fallen, luckily not bad falls, but it could have gone another way, and then you dont want to lie, stuck on some rock bleeding out your temple on your own.

 

I have also come across a Cobra of great proportions, as well as numerous snakes crossing the tracks.

 

Then, I also don't trust cows in large numbers...

Not exactly what I was going for but good to know , what i really wanted to know is are there recorded incidents of people being hi-jacked / mugged??

[RocknRolla]

I don't think its on the normal VG routes. If I remember its after the satellite decent before heading back and going under the tar road and heading up to oom piets.

 

 

That's probably why I have never encountered it

[RocknRolla]

Not exactly what I was going for but good to know , what i really wanted to know is are there recorded incidents of people being hi-jacked / mugged??

 

I have not heard of incidents, others may reply differently.

 

Personally never felt unsafe from that perspective on any of the routes. Not even in close proximity of the one settlement one passes by.

[Bike Whisperer]

Whereabouts on the general VG routes is that bridge?

Not far after the brutally loose descent on the Gauteng side of the mountain. The one where your bike takes over control and you're just in for the ride. Brakes, no brakes... makes no difference

[Bike Whisperer]

Not related to the race , BUt how is the safety at van galens? I rode there often 3 years ago but have been there since 2013 ......Is it safe to ride alone?

I live there and ride the trails all the time, early (dark) morning, weekends and the odd night ride. Very safe... BUT is any place in SA truly safe... I never ride alone. At least in a pair.

[typhoon]

Not exactly what I was going for but good to know , what i really wanted to know is are there recorded incidents of people being hi-jacked / mugged??

 

 

I have not heard of incidents, others may reply differently.

 

Personally never felt unsafe from that perspective on any of the routes. Not even in close proximity of the one settlement one passes by.

 

 

I live there and ride the trails all the time, early (dark) morning, weekends and the odd night ride. Very safe... BUT is any place in SA truly safe... I never ride alone. At least in a pair.

 

 

I'm at VG almost every weekend, like my second home... 

A lot of the time i'm on my own and never feel unsafe, but then i do know the trails/area backwards.

There are some sections that if you fall, it's gonna hurt, a lot! 

So you gotta watch that, don't want to fall and hope someone comes by to help.

On the odd occasion i've ridden something slower "just incase", like descending from the top of pofadder. 

 

Like anywhere though, there have been incidents, a friend was mugged and her bike taken, can't remember offhand but i think it was during a weekday ride from the Coves.

[Pikey]

Not far after the brutally loose descent on the Gauteng side of the mountain. The one where your bike takes over control and you're just in for the ride. Brakes, no brakes... makes no difference

oh sweet ,sounds awesome not . How long a downhill is it ?

[Bike Whisperer]

oh sweet ,sounds awesome not . How long a downhill is it ?

Long enough to sing the hymn 'Nearer my God, to Thee" ... twice and recite 3 hail Marys, and make a call to get your will in order (if you're on hands free). It feels like eternity.

[Bike Whisperer]

I'm at VG almost every weekend, like my second home... 

A lot of the time i'm on my own and never feel unsafe, but then i do know the trails/area backwards.

There are some sections that if you fall, it's gonna hurt, a lot! 

So you gotta watch that, don't want to fall and hope someone comes by to help.

On the odd occasion i've ridden something slower "just incase", like descending from the top of pofadder. 

 

Like anywhere though, there have been incidents, a friend was mugged and her bike taken, can't remember offhand but i think it was during a weekday ride from the Coves.

Yes, very safe. There has been the rare incident, normally near the Redstone area, but this is not really part of the VG trails. Still magnitudes safer than the Spruit.

[Pikey]

Long enough to sing the hymn 'Nearer my God, to Thee" ... twice and recite 3 hail Marys, and make a call to get your will in order (if you're on hands free). It feels like eternity.

is it really rideable ? Sounds a tad long .

[Bike Whisperer]

is it really rideable ? Sounds a tad long .

It's rideable, but tricky. You need to be awake and know what you're doing.

[typhoon]

is it really rideable ? Sounds a tad long .

 

 

It's rideable, but tricky. You need to be awake and know what you're doing.

 

Strava says 1.5km at -230m...

https://www.strava.com/segments/5512151

 

Here's the Satellite descent video from the 2014 race.

 

[Bike Whisperer]

Strava says 1.5km at -230m...

https://www.strava.com/segments/5512151

 

Here's the Satellite descent video from the 2014 race.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XoLbnWp3Ck

Yip, that'anout it. Last year seemed more loose and steep though Edited June 9, 2016 by Bike Whisperer

[Hennie VR]

Yip, that'anout it. Last year seemed more loose and steep though

 

The camera flattens out the terrain. 

 

When I did it in 2013 I passed one guy who broke his collarbone on the downhill and another guy that had a huge wipe-out but was thankfully ok to continue. 

 

I only had one working brake when I went down there and it was..............interesting 

[JA-Q001]

It's rideable, but tricky. You need to be awake and know what you're doing.

 

Ja, its a tough one, but doable, just keep your front end light and try keep a bit of speed.

I rode the whole thing on my HT last year, it took me 9 minutes and I ht my knee on one large rock at one left turn, but I just thought Id rather ride it than walk it.