MTB thugs spoil a morning ride at Hoogekraal

[Bernard Horn]

Went to Bloemendal to check out the trail yesterday, before I get shouted at.The guy in the shop says the daily fee allows one to ride Majik forrest,Bloemendal ,Nitida and Kliprug .

That is a bargain!!!

[Wannabe]

Went to Bloemendal to check out the trail yesterday, before I get shouted at.The guy in the shop says the daily fee allows one to ride Majik forrest,Bloemendal ,Nitida and Kliprug . Hillcrest. Kliprug is out of bounds.

That is a bargain!!!

[4u2nv]

i always thought that hillcrest is members only? Must be, otherwise how would you get the code to the gate?

[milky4130]

Went to Bloemendal to check out the trail yesterday, before I get shouted at.The guy in the shop says the daily fee allows one to ride Majik forrest,Bloemendal ,Nitida and Kliprug .

That is a bargain!!!

really? What shop & what guy? Did you get his name? Please see my earlier post of what is allowed.

[milky4130]

i always thought that hillcrest is members only? Must be, otherwise how would you get the code to the gate?

that is correct but if you pay the R50 day permit to ride 5 farms of magnificent trails we'll give you the code.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Went to Bloemendal to check out the trail yesterday, before I get shouted at.The guy in the shop says the daily fee allows one to ride Majik forrest,Bloemendal ,Nitida and Kliprug .

That is a bargain!!!

NOT KLIPRUG. Kliprug is the farm that we lost thanks to rogue riding. 

[Mrgreeky]

After reading the post by "maxanon", I spent the whole morning reading all the posts relating to this issue. Seriously guys I have some real sympathy with his issues, guaranteed if I was a new guy in your area I'd probably be just as confused. With so many regulations and Marshal's enforcing the "rules and regulations". Here are some tips if you ever ride in my valley. I'm from Rustenburg now officially the "Most crime ridden city in Africa" Cape Town comes in at a lowly Seventh place.  

If you ride in our beautiful and challenging Kgatswane reserve always carry pepper spray..a cyclist was recently attacked by 3 baboons. If you have a GoPro keep it going at all times, close encounters with Eland, Kudu and waterbuck can happen at any time, I've witnessed a couple of near misses and been involved with an Eland at close quarters, he just had to cross at that point.  Broken bones and tough trails are the least of your worries. Recently on a road bike cycle 120 km a Warthog fell down a 5 m cliff directly in the path in front of  two cyclist doing 45 km/h, they had no time to react luckily the warthog did. I was just behind and no GoPro, rocks and debris that came after him almost took me out. Last year (Stage MB event) we came upon a Giraffe and an Eland Bull fighting to the death, The Eland impaled the Giraffe's abdomen and he had to be put down. We watched his carcass being fed to Lions the next day, his heart went to the crocodiles. Our night rides are just as interesting. We start from within a Predators Park meters away from the big cats. We ride so close to them that one can clearly smell them in the darkness, my own rule of preservation is that I make sure I am in the middle of a bunch........ just in case. Oh yes and don't forget, check under your vehicle before you climb in, Puff-adders are a common occurrence. If you a visitor come join the club rides arranged for Roadies and dirt trackers, no one will ask if you a member and you won't be left behind. Do carry your pepper spray and stay in a group on the open roads, after all we are the most crime ridden city in Africa, taxis don't respect our rights on the road and "hit and runs" and Bike Jacking are known to have occurred. So there you have it, our full list of do's and Don't's.    

[Halfdoesyn]

After reading the post by "maxanon", I spent the whole morning reading all the posts relating to this issue. Seriously guys I have some real sympathy with his issues, guaranteed if I was a new guy in your area I'd probably be just as confused. With so many regulations and Marshal's enforcing the "rules and regulations". Here are some tips if you ever ride in my valley. I'm from Rustenburg now officially the "Most crime ridden city in Africa" Cape Town comes in at a lowly Seventh place.  

If you ride in our beautiful and challenging Kgatswane reserve always carry pepper spray..a cyclist was recently attacked by 3 baboons. If you have a GoPro keep it going at all times, close encounters with Eland, Kudu and waterbuck can happen at any time, I've witnessed a couple of near misses and been involved with an Eland at close quarters, he just had to cross at that point.  Broken bones and tough trails are the least of your worries. Recently on a road bike cycle 120 km a Warthog fell down a 5 m cliff directly in the path in front of  two cyclist doing 45 km/h, they had no time to react luckily the warthog did. I was just behind and no GoPro, rocks and debris that came after him almost took me out. Last year (Stage MB event) we came upon a Giraffe and an Eland Bull fighting to the death, The Eland impaled the Giraffe's abdomen and he had to be put down. We watched his carcass being fed to Lions the next day, his heart went to the crocodiles. Our night rides are just as interesting. We start from within a Predators Park meters away from the big cats. We ride so close to them that one can clearly smell them in the darkness, my own rule of preservation is that I make sure I am in the middle of a bunch........ just in case. Oh yes and don't forget, check under your vehicle before you climb in, Puff-adders are a common occurrence. If you a visitor come join the club rides arranged for Roadies and dirt trackers, no one will ask if you a member and you won't be left behind. Do carry your pepper spray and stay in a group on the open roads, after all we are the most crime ridden city in Africa, taxis don't respect our rights on the road and "hit and runs" and Bike Jacking are known to have occurred. So there you have it, our full list of do's and Don't's.    

 

Wilder as die wildtuin... Sounds like Wild West, not North West!

 

Thanks for the share.

[HowardSteele]

I read though all these posts with  interest and some amusement. I live out in the Southern subs just below the Once was Tokai trails... I have been a permit holder to ride in the plantations for close on 15 years ...never in all those years despite a steady increase in permit fees did the revenue collectors give you much but limited access.

All the trails(single track) were build by volunteers who saw nothing of gate and permit fees for their efforts. 

Last year March after the devastating fires we lost our access to the Tokai plantations and the Silvermine reserve. Silvermine opened at the end of last year but Tokai now nearly treeless remains closed. Silvermine non permit holders now pay R75 for a12 km gravel mountain loop. TMNP  made no effort to open any other areas for riding during the year,suggesting we use the  alternative , The Devils peak blockhouse table face Ride.

Recently the Cape Town .. city Parks opened up around 12 km of walking trail along the Greenbelt for us And a big thank you to them for this.

 

Any how ...My trail riding buddy and I  are now Tygervally mtb club members .Your annual riding fee can be justified at being payed in full after about 18 rides @ roughly R40 bucks a ride.

As a Card  carrying member of the Tygerberg mntbike club we are in awe at the benefits opportunities we now can enjoy...A clubhouse,member parking,restaurants,showers toilet facilities at trails,member only corridors topped by   a fantastic selection of trails.

 

With all that infrastructure,maintenance ,planning and support  provided at all of these venues I think an honest box is an extremely generous offer to non-member mtbikers.

With day permits available for sale it should be no receipt no ride.

 

To all you Rogue riders riding these trails ...many of you,who will spend a R100 bucks on a breakfast after sneaking through the trails...I say Shame on you ,you don't realize how good you have it out there in the North.

Edited for Crammer ,punctuation and spelling.(rogue was rough there for a while LOL)

Edited April 3, 2016 by howardsteele

[Bonus]

Here are some tips if you ever ride in my valley. I'm from Rustenburg now officially the "Most crime ridden city in Africa" Cape Town comes in at a lowly Seventh place.  

If you ride in our beautiful and challenging Kgatswane reserve always carry pepper spray..a cyclist was recently attacked by 3 baboons. If you have a GoPro keep it going at all times, close encounters with Eland, Kudu and waterbuck can happen at any time, I've witnessed a couple of near misses and been involved with an Eland at close quarters, he just had to cross at that point.  Broken bones and tough trails are the least of your worries. Recently on a road bike cycle 120 km a Warthog fell down a 5 m cliff directly in the path in front of  two cyclist doing 45 km/h, they had no time to react luckily the warthog did. I was just behind and no GoPro, rocks and debris that came after him almost took me out. Last year (Stage MB event) we came upon a Giraffe and an Eland Bull fighting to the death, The Eland impaled the Giraffe's abdomen and he had to be put down. We watched his carcass being fed to Lions the next day, his heart went to the crocodiles. Our night rides are just as interesting. We start from within a Predators Park meters away from the big cats. We ride so close to them that one can clearly smell them in the darkness, my own rule of preservation is that I make sure I am in the middle of a bunch........ just in case. Oh yes and don't forget, check under your vehicle before you climb in, Puff-adders are a common occurrence. If you a visitor come join the club rides arranged for Roadies and dirt trackers, no one will ask if you a member and you won't be left behind. Do carry your pepper spray and stay in a group on the open roads, after all we are the most crime ridden city in Africa, taxis don't respect our rights on the road and "hit and runs" and Bike Jacking are known to have occurred. So there you have it, our full list of do's and Don't's.    

 

Thanks but no thanks . . .  LOL