Hoogekraal Cobra - rant

[Thermophage]

So we rode Hoogies and Conties this morning and were sorely disappointed upon coming down the Cobra only to find the only technical section...That steep rocky slab that dropped down into the tight rocky left and right hand corner has been turned into a tar road. Someone removed all the rocks or covered them up!

I mean what the actual .... (insert 4 letter expletive)... Guys, the Tygerberg trails have sooooo little technical variety and now they've been made even more uniform.

We don't have a single black (truly black) graded trail unless you ride the second part of the DH line at Conties. Even that upper section cannot be black by Jonkers, let alone international standards.

And now one of the nicest, if not the nicest, trails with the most variety has been tamed down further.

 

You surely cannot make all the trails smooth and flat. Even the climb UP to Cobra has been smoothed out completely.

 

We're not asking for 200m long rock gardens (although that would be nice) but really...Something that would allow for some technical progression for ALL members.

 

I really can see why the local kids in Majik have gotten gatvol and started their own stuff. Although that's stuff most of us would have done as kids anyway.

 

Anmyhoo...rant over. Thought it would be best to share here as I'm sure my riding partners and myself are not the only ones somewhat upset.

[DirtyDan]

I hope I can add some sort of perspective.

 

I used to ride a rigid steel bike with a head angle steeper than 70 degrees. On this bike, not once did I feel out of my depths on the majority of Tygerberg trails except for the Conties DH lines.

 

For comparison, I still have not been able to complete the black trail at Jonkershoek on my full suspension PYGA. I did the first few corners (opting to give the gap drop-in a miss) and came a cropper straight over a berm with a log drop before it. My mate (a seasoned #enduro dude) and I decided to hike out and go down the red trail. Tygerberg trails need to grow in this direction. This black trail is what's going to make me (and everybody else) a more skilled rider.

 

I'm not asking for Redbull Hardline jumps or DH World Cup rock quarries. I just think that many mountain bikers feel that Tygerberg MTB Club is making the trail cater for the poorly skilled (and those who have entitled attitudes about it) instead of creating trails that facilitate riders to grow in their capabilities. Smooth, flowery berms are pretty and make for a lovely Sunday arvo spin, but there's too much of it and not enough MOUNTAIN biking.

 

It's not an issue limited to TBMTBC, but the entire South African mountain biking culture - the MAJORITY (read dirt roadies/ex-golfers) will pass up a skills clinic and say "I just need to put in the miles". For example, the Cape Epic (probably the most influential corporate hogwash in our country), requires close to no technical abilities to complete or do well in - you just need a helluva lot of fitness and even more money.

 

Before you start pointing fingers at me, I got Patrick's number from him personally and messaged him (to which he didn't reply), asking to come help out build.

 

Perhaps us ranters are being ineffective here? Should we put something together to send to the club's board? Who makes the decisions on how trails should be built anyway? Discussed among those who attend the AGM's?

 

Before you take offence to this, sit back and critically evaluate your MOUNTAIN BIKING skills and then think about what you want to happen with them.

[Marin Bikes]

I fully agree! It seams that the Northern Suburbs trails are being tamed down to satisfie the increasing number of dirt roadies. It seams if you want anything remotely technical you need to start venturing out to the Southern suburbs, Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Paarl. Bring on Tokai! It's just a pity we have to drive so far to for some real technical riding.

['Dale]

I fully agree! It seams that the Northern Suburbs trails are being tamed down to satisfie the increasing number of dirt roadies. It seams if you want anything remotely technical you need to start venturing out to the Southern suburbs, Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Paarl. Bring on Tokai! It's just a pity we have to drive so far to for some real technical riding.

 

That's a leap of reasoning there

 

It'll be interesting to hear the official line of the TBMBC with regard to the grading of their trails though

[Thermophage]

They seem to think the trails are graded according to the international standards... Or so it has been said in New update emails. The fact is they're not. They're all at least over graded by 1 level. Cobra could never be black... Blue more likely..

But that's not really the point. The point is there is noooooooooooooooooooooo variety in terms or technical difficulty.

Perhaps Stephen's note about dirt roadies is a little strong...but only a little.

Look... Flowwy trails are fun and I certainly appreciate them. But man... 30cm or 50cm "drops" on the "hard" line... Come on!

[Hairy]

Thermo....it's that damned Banshee you just got. ...it irons out the task that everything feels mundane

 

Curious to see how cobra is rolling tomorrow (hopefully if I don't work too late tonight) as it has been month's since I have ridden there.

[Skubarra]

As a dirtroadie I generally don't share in the OP's pain....

 

but going down the top of Dorstberg last week, eish, what a disappointment...

 

It's like riding on a wide pavement, Im sure 2 cyclists can ride side by side for most of the downhill if they feel like it. Even for someone of my limited skills it is now boring..

[Thermophage]

As a dirtroadie I generally don't share in the OP's pain....

 

but going down the top of Dorstberg last week, eish, what a disappointment...

 

It's like riding on a wide pavement, Im sure 2 cyclists can ride side by side for most of the downhill if they feel like it. Even for someone of my limited skills it is now boring..

Dude! Don't even get me started on that descent...Smooth as tar and to add insult to injury it has a shiny new sign saying expert riders only!

But in the clubs' defense...I think Meerendull is in charge of their own trails.

[Thermophage]

Thermo....it's that damned Banshee you just got. ...it irons out the task that everything feels mundane

 

Curious to see how cobra is rolling tomorrow (hopefully if I don't work too late tonight) as it has been month's since I have ridden there.

Hahaha... I haven't ridden it in a while. Been riding my HT in preparation for Wine To Whales hey. Even rode Conties black on it last Sunday.

The trails of lyrics need a cyclo bike at the moment...

 

Sorry for the other TWO replies...obviously I'm useless using my phone to reply

[GLuvsMtb]

TBMTBC is obsessed with the numbers. It is their only yardstick of success is "how many members do we have?" The reality is that they will try to hit the "sweet spot" with the majority of their members, ie. Novices and weekend warriors. Now if any club official read this, its not meant to be scathing criticism, but rather my take on how they make decisions to feed the hungry beast that is the annual subs revenue stream.

[Skubarra]

but rather my take on how they make decisions to feed the hungry beast that is the annual subs revenue stream.

Well it is that annual subs revenue stream that funds the maintenance of trails and the building of new trails. So it makes sense that they build trails that is suited to the majority.

 

But I get that the more technical minded riders are frustrated.

[Thermophage]

Well it is that annual subs revenue stream that funds the maintenance of trails and the building of new trails. So it makes sense that they build trails that is suited to the majority.

 

But I get that the more technical minded riders are frustrated.

 

It makes NO sense to spend a ton of time and money making a 9km extension to a trail...and its graded green...with the "A-line" being maybe blue.

There was a survey last year...apparently the results showed that people wanted stuff to be more technical...

Lombards opened...and guess what...Apparently that "rock garden" next to the wooden jump counts. 

The club should be there to help further mountain bike riding...Not just stifle and stagnate people's ability.

I'm willing to bet 90% of the trails are probably well within at least 70% of the current riders...Even if they're not willing to admit it.

[Thor Buttox]

It makes NO sense to spend a ton of time and money making a 9km extension to a trail...and its graded green...with the "A-line" being maybe blue.

There was a survey last year...apparently the results showed that people wanted stuff to be more technical...

Lombards opened...and guess what...Apparently that "rock garden" next to the wooden jump counts.

The club should be there to help further mountain bike riding...Not just stifle and stagnate people's ability.

I'm willing to bet 90% of the trails are probably well within at least 70% of the current riders...Even if they're not willing to admit it.

I am one of the weekend warriors who will never do the gnarly stuff and who got very jittery when the corner you mentioned got very rocky and eroded.

 

But I see absolutely no reason why there can't be A, B and C lines everywhere, and this is the important bit, where extraction is easy. Crashing on the Cobra is a bad place for it to happen. But having the multiple option stuff should be OK, like at Lombards.

[popcorn_skollie]

Watering down a trail. One which has been graded with exaggeration I might add. Such a shame. Cobra was the trail that got me hooked on the techy stuff. Because its approachable. Anyone with moderate skill could just roll the whole thing and feather brakes in the corners. Its a trail you learn and hone skills on with hardly any risk at all. Every time time you do it you go a little faster.

 

I've had the same conversation with folks at the trail head so many times. I convinced one or two that have never tried it to just do the cobra and they were glad they did. The trail being graded as black is discouraging to some. But they soon realize after riding it that its not that black after all. Hell its hardly red in my book. 

 

Trail grading is a topic that keeps resurfacing. It really doesn't help anyone when a trails grading is exaggerated. Either people will be too scare to give it a try and end up stagnating their own progression or those of us who do ride it will think we have what it takes to drop into any black line elsewhere. It certainly happened to me. Riding the black trails in Jonkers put me firmly in my place. It reminded me very quickly how much more I have to learn and get comfortable with. The plumbers entry haunts me. Every time i stand up there I chicken out. But that doesn't mean I want them to take the feature away. I need it there so I can work towards being able to do it at some point. 

[BikeGenie]

A plethora of expletives escaped my mind(mouth) this morning while riding Hoogekraal and Contermanskloof.

 

My skill level is rated on three levels;

1-what the trails dictate

2-the direction my bike is pointed

4-actually getting my ride dialed in.

This being said I am highly disappointed with how the trails were dumbed down. I've seen my ass on The Gorge last year, and probably on every trail I've been down, but it's the challenge of actually improving on my three point skill level. I'd love to improve but I now know where it won't happen.

 

In my mind I'm on par with Pottie, in reality I'm having to lick my wounds from trying to get on par with him. I don't see anyone getting there soon with no means to improve on the trails we have. I have to agree with Thermophage that there are just not enough options on the trails.

[johnw]

So we rode Hoogies and Conties this morning and were sorely disappointed upon coming down the Cobra only to find the only technical section...That steep rocky slab that dropped down into the tight rocky left and right hand corner has been turned into a tar road. Someone removed all the rocks or covered them up!

I mean what the actual .... (insert 4 letter expletive)... Guys, the Tygerberg trails have sooooo little technical variety and now they've been made even more uniform.

We don't have a single black (truly black) graded trail unless you ride the second part of the DH line at Conties. Even that upper section cannot be black by Jonkers, let alone international standards.

And now one of the nicest, if not the nicest, trails with the most variety has been tamed down further.

 

You surely cannot make all the trails smooth and flat. Even the climb UP to Cobra has been smoothed out completely.

 

We're not asking for 200m long rock gardens (although that would be nice) but really...Something that would allow for some technical progression for ALL members.

 

I really can see why the local kids in Majik have gotten gatvol and started their own stuff. Although that's stuff most of us would have done as kids anyway.

 

Anmyhoo...rant over. Thought it would be best to share here as I'm sure my riding partners and myself are not the only ones somewhat upset.

serious no! can't believe what im reading!