Hoogekraal Cobra - rant

[T-Bob]

Hoogekraal. You take 6 days to reach the top and swear you'll never come back again.

Then you change your mind after you make it down in like 3 minutes.

 

So went a rode the full Hoogies / Z yesterday and to be honest I thought it was great fun and a really good addition to the place. I can totally see what they graded some bits as blue - alot of weekend riders, casual and green guys are going to have a bit of a shock some of the steep berms at the beginning down and with some of the pump / rock n rolls / and appearances of drops. If you're happy with blues and the blacks then it's not going to do much to challenge you but that said on the first run there were little features and things you could hit. The lil' drops-offs on the 'psyho drop' were a fun addition and will help people who usually pass those kinds of things a chance at progression.

 

The berm craziness of the beginning will deffo smooth out your cornering and gives you a chance of doing multiples in a short space of time. What I wasn't a huge fan of the constant rock n rolls / hips and kinda table tops in the section after the 1st stile. Just too many and ended up feeling sea sick after jumping on the first few. Almost missed the little wall ride but that was quite fun to get high on. 

 

My overall impression is that it makes Hoogies more usable and ridable than just slogging up to cobra doing that a couple of times and heading off down to the bottom section before the car park. To be honest before this opened I reckon I had about 5 more rides there before I got bored.

 

The car park was over flowing @ 4:30 when I came in from the ride so people must like it and it's getting the use. 

 

Pet hate was just the sheer amount of mind numbing climbing I seemed to do, just kept on going and going (maybe I actually need to climb more). I don't mind paying for my downs but I felt that after that session I'm well in the black!!  Also those 2 steep banks that everyone has mentioned were hilarious. Misjudged one and totally ground to a halt like a noob - I'm saying it's was because I had all my bouncy bits set to open and forgot to lock them out.

 

Thanks has to go out to TMBC for investing in a serious length of trail, doubling the ride, getting the access and adding to the options for all riders. 

[MTBeer]

So went a rode the full Hoogies / Z yesterday and to be honest I thought it was great fun and a really good addition to the place. I can totally see what they graded some bits as blue - alot of weekend riders, casual and green guys are going to have a bit of a shock some of the steep berms at the beginning down and with some of the pump / rock n rolls / and appearances of drops. If you're happy with blues and the blacks then it's not going to do much to challenge you but that said on the first run there were little features and things you could hit. The lil' drops-offs on the 'psyho drop' were a fun addition and will help people who usually pass those kinds of things a chance at progression.

 

The berm craziness of the beginning will deffo smooth out your cornering and gives you a chance of doing multiples in a short space of time. What I wasn't a huge fan of the constant rock n rolls / hips and kinda table tops in the section after the 1st stile. Just too many and ended up feeling sea sick after jumping on the first few. Almost missed the little wall ride but that was quite fun to get high on. 

 

My overall impression is that it makes Hoogies more usable and ridable than just slogging up to cobra doing that a couple of times and heading off down to the bottom section before the car park. To be honest before this opened I reckon I had about 5 more rides there before I got bored.

 

The car park was over flowing @ 4:30 when I came in from the ride so people must like it and it's getting the use. 

 

Pet hate was just the sheer amount of mind numbing climbing I seemed to do, just kept on going and going (maybe I actually need to climb more). I don't mind paying for my downs but I felt that after that session I'm well in the black!!  Also those 2 steep banks that everyone has mentioned were hilarious. Misjudged one and totally ground to a halt like a noob - I'm saying it's was because I had all my bouncy bits set to open and forgot to lock them out.

 

Thanks has to go out to TMBC for investing in a serious length of trail, doubling the ride, getting the access and adding to the options for all riders. 

lekker Hello. Agree with your overall sentiment that it is a welcome addition to the Tygerberg Trails.

 

With this new addition my usual weekend ride of Dairy Shed - Hoogies - Conters - Bloemendal and back to Dairy Shed will now take me to a solid 3 hour ish ride and I guess about 1300m of climbing. Winning all the way.

 

edit. that would be closer to 1400m of climbing. Hogies and Trail Z and back to Dairy Shed alone was 860m

[Thermophage]

lekker Hello. Agree with your overall sentiment that it is a welcome addition to the Tygerberg Trails.

 

With this new addition my usual weekend ride of Dairy Shed - Hoogies - Conters - Bloemendal and back to Dairy Shed will now take me to a solid 3 hour ish ride and I guess about 1300m of climbing. Winning all the way.

Agree it is definitely a worthwhile addition.

BUT...I cannot see anything that indicates it should have a blue grading based on the official international grading standards.

The drops are immensely tiny...even the optional one. Slightly tricky, but the fact it's optional effectively removes it from the grading. The smaller ones are not even technically drops as one can roll them. So...green.

That's a big part of the problem...If we ever want to produce riders with decent technical skill we shouldn't be over-inflating their/my ego's

[Meezo]

Agree it is definitely a worthwhile addition.

BUT...I cannot see anything that indicates it should have a blue grading based on the official international grading standards.

The drops are immensely tiny...even the optional one. Slightly tricky, but the fact it's optional effectively removes it from the grading. The smaller ones are not even technically drops as one can roll them. So...green.

That's a big part of the problem...If we ever want to produce riders with decent technical skill we shouldn't be over-inflating their/my ego's

 

16 pages on , 5 days later, let it go bro

 

[Thermophage]

 

16 pages on , 5 days later, let it go bro

 

 

Nope...

Am chill, but people need to get a clue yo!

No point in continually lying to oneself or the average MTB rider. 

It's doing no good for the general community.

[Meezo]

Nope...

Am chill, but people need to get a clue yo!

No point in continually lying to oneself or the average MTB rider. 

It's doing no good for the general community.

 

well yes and no, general skill of most will be average or below average as you put it, but in terms of what is "big" here in SA its definitely not Enduro and Downhill racing.

Enduro is picking up nicely, but still the masses are into marathon type riding, with following non technical single tracks.

 

and i'm not gonna beat the dead horse, but yes maybe A, B, C and D lines can work, but what's the point if 2 people ride the A line and 2000 ride C, D. Feasible as Repunzal stated probably not, if its really such a big deal, go ride Jonkershoek Black/DH lines or Helderberg.

 

if you go to Jonkershoek and Helderberg too, you'll see the kind of riders that are there too, almost 80% of them on 130mm+ trail bikes, whereas the same can be said for TygerbergMTB trails, 80% on 100mm "marathon" machines...

 

sum it up, like opening a MTB shop where there is only road and no mountains to ride

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

 

16 pages on , 5 days later, let it go bro

 

 

Nah, bro. He's right. Things need to be graded correctly. And in retrospect, it seems they are. 

 

Bloody facts. Gah! 

[Thermophage]

well yes and no, general skill of most will be average or below average as you put it, but in terms of what is "big" here in SA its definitely not Enduro and Downhill racing.

Enduro is picking up nicely, but still the masses are into marathon type riding, with following non technical single tracks.

 

and i'm not gonna beat the dead horse, but yes maybe A, B, C and D lines can work, but what's the point if 2 people ride the A line and 2000 ride C, D. Feasible as Repunzal stated probably not, if its really such a big deal, go ride Jonkershoek Black/DH lines or Helderberg.

 

if you go to Jonkershoek and Helderberg too, you'll see the kind of riders that are there too, almost 80% of them on 130mm+ trail bikes, whereas the same can be said for TygerbergMTB trails, 80% on 100mm "marathon" machines...

 

sum it up, like opening a MTB shop where there is only road and no mountains to ride

Perhaps...

But... that still does in no way mean you should be calling your trail a "blue" when it is not....That is what is not helping the situation at all, as people now think we DO have more technical trails, when we don't.

And as many people have pointed out here. They were apprehensive to try a harder graded trail at first, only to find out with a little work they can do it and more importantly enjoy it. These are not the "long travel pinners" so often sarcastically referred to in the email correspondence either, but ye olde marathon rider you mention.

People often do not know what they want until presented with an option...

 

There are also a load of new longer travel bikes starting to emerge on the Tygerberg trails in the last 2 years or so.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

well yes and no, general skill of most will be average or below average as you put it, but in terms of what is "big" here in SA its definitely not Enduro and Downhill racing.

Enduro is picking up nicely, but still the masses are into marathon type riding, with following non technical single tracks.

 

and i'm not gonna beat the dead horse, but yes maybe A, B, C and D lines can work, but what's the point if 2 people ride the A line and 2000 ride C, D. Feasible as Repunzal stated probably not, if its really such a big deal, go ride Jonkershoek Black/DH lines or Helderberg.

 

if you go to Jonkershoek and Helderberg too, you'll see the kind of riders that are there too, almost 80% of them on 130mm+ trail bikes, whereas the same can be said for TygerbergMTB trails, 80% on 100mm "marathon" machines...

 

sum it up, like opening a MTB shop where there is only road and no mountains to ride

Yeah but Meez, that's not the point. The point is that the grading needs to be correctly applied. Having more technical trails would be great, yes. But if I ride a blue route I expect it to be of a certain level. And people need to know that if they ride in Hoogies / wherever, the blue there is comparable to the blue in Jonkers, or the blue at Welvanpas, or the blue wherever else.

[Meezo]

Nah, bro. He's right. Things need to be graded correctly. 

 

 

Perhaps...

But... that still does in no way mean you should be calling your trail a "blue" when it is not....That is what is not helping the situation at all, as people now think we DO have more technical trails, when we don't.

And as many people have pointed out here. They were apprehensive to try a harder graded trail at first, only to find out with a little work they can do it and more importantly enjoy it. These are not the "long travel pinners" so often sarcastically referred to in the email correspondence either, but ye olde marathon rider you mention.

People often do not know what they want until presented with an option...

 

There are also a load of new longer travel bikes starting to emerge on the Tygerberg trails in the last 2 years or so.

 

ok yes, on the grading i agree no doubt, albeit i have no idea how one would actually grade it.

 

interest point, my brother in law does sports/cycling tours last year i was fortunate enough to join on one, went to spain and italy, this year he did germany i missed this one, the general MTB spots seriously, we in Cape Town don't realize how fortunate we are...

 

majority of riders would find Oak Valley hard core trails

[Meezo]

Yeah but Meez, that's not the point. The point is that the grading is being incorrectly applied. Having more technical trails would be great, yes. But if I ride a blue route I expect it to be of a certain level. And people need to know that if they ride in Hoogies / wherever, the blue there is comparable to the blue in Jonkers, or the blue at Welvanpas, or the blue wherever else.

 

i find Jonkershoek Blue, way scarier/harder than the red only done last bit of black, but that's only coz my fear of heights...

['Dale]

ok yes, on the grading i agree no doubt, albeit i have no idea how one would actually grade it.

 

interest point, my brother in law does sports/cycling tours last year i was fortunate enough to join on one, went to spain and italy, this year he did germany i missed this one, the general MTB spots seriously, we in Cape Town don't realize how fortunate we are...

 

majority of riders would find Oak Valley hard core trails

 

Yeah, and if Tooh-Kaai fully re-opens, it'll be even coolla

[Thermophage]

i find Jonkershoek Blue, way scarier/harder than the red only done last bit of black, but that's only coz my fear of heights...

The upper Jonkers black I have done a WHILE ago...but did the chicken run entry.

Riding it blind was ... interesting, but nothing too bad higher up.

most def an eye-opener coming from Tygerberg though.

 

Which is the clue at Jonkers, Canaries?

['Dale]

Welvanpas is graded well

Would you all agree?

 

Must get back there

Beautiful

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Okay - full disclosure now. I've just had another look at the IMBA rating, and thanks to the average trail grade and the single unavoidable drop, the trail rating is officially a blue. 

 

In order to be a green, the maximum trail grade at any point needs to be 15% or less. 

 

 

So ja, I concede. It's a blue. 

 

My apologies. 

 

 

[Thermophage]

Okay - full disclosure now. I've just had another look at the IMBA rating, and thanks to the average trail grade and the single unavoidable drop, the trail rating is officially a blue. 

 

In order to be a green, the maximum trail grade at any point needs to be 15% or less. 

 

 

So ja, I concede. It's a blue, but a very tame one. 

 

 

a2f86254-50ef-4f00-9c8c-0b692abb3da1.jpg

Overall gradient is 9% on the steepest decent on Trail Z according to the GPS data.

Given the "drop" is rollable, does that even count towards the blue gradient?