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Hoogekraal Cobra - rant


Thermophage

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Posted

He was yes. Mark from G Spot would be great as well... Although I heard a story he was told a firm NO progressive stuff when Lombards was revamped.... Now we sit with a a trail which could have been amazing and is now just plain mediocre.

Club members are never going to get comfortable with technical stuff if we have no red or black graded (for lack of a better term) trails.

Even our blues... Like the new Hoogekraal one... Not blue in a million years.

 

On a side note. After all the bitching about a rock being removed from the Widowmaker in the week... It was still gone when we rode it yesterday... Thankfully ????

Use this, don't use it: join the club, attend the AGM, make your points. You'll probably be surprised by the support you get. Test it here - how many TBMB users who would have no use for a proper Black run personally would support the building thereof? Sometimes it's not the argument, but the approach? (see endless PPA threads)
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Posted

Just a random question.: When did the smoothing of the trails took place? Before or after the Fedhealth race in the beginning of the month? Just want to find out on what Cobra I rode. :)

Posted

Just remember, the club does not maintain Conties. Rob the farmer does the building as far as I know.

Not saying I am a very skilled rider, however if the trails are to easy. . You are not going fast enough.

 lol...while that's true to an extent...Going fast on something not considered technical is very different to TRYING to go fast on something that IS technical ;)

Posted

I am the first in queue to ask for more tech trails but In my opinion I think the trail work is needed. Tygerberg only get 1 time per year to fix them up during the rainy season. Without the work, the trails would just be ruts which ruin flow, are unsafe, ugly and don't do us MTBers any favours in terms of sustainability (which the landowners will judge us on-it's their topsoil that goes to waste!). Just wait until October and the trails will be gnarly again with the fixes being worn down and by February the trails will be super gnar!

 

That said I think many corners can be left without berms and less trail work (at less expense) and perhaps just a bit more effort wrt to drainage and safer jumps. It's hard and expensive work though guys so let's give credit where credit is due. Just 6 years ago (maybe 7?), there were no trails at Conties, Hoogekraal, Meerendal or Hillcrest! Be thankful for what you have-It's not half bad.

 

PS: Just rode Cobra today and I didn't find it paved like a highway (and I'm on 160mm travel!) Just wait one more month and it'll be back to it's old rocky challenging self!

Posted

I am the first in queue to ask for more tech trails but In my opinion I think the trail work is needed. Tygerberg only get 1 time per year to fix them up during the rainy season. Without the work, the trails would just be ruts which ruin flow, are unsafe, ugly and don't do us MTBers any favours in terms of sustainability (which the landowners will judge us on-it's their topsoil that goes to waste!). Just wait until October and the trails will be gnarly again with the fixes being worn down and by February the trails will be super gnar!

 

That said I think many corners can be left without berms and less trail work (at less expense) and perhaps just a bit more effort wrt to drainage and safer jumps. It's hard and expensive work though guys so let's give credit where credit is due. Just 6 years ago (maybe 7?), there were no trails at Conties, Hoogekraal, Meerendal or Hillcrest! Be thankful for what you have-It's not half bad.

 

PS: Just rode Cobra today and I didn't find it paved like a highway (and I'm on 160mm travel!) Just wait one more month and it'll be back to it's old rocky challenging self!

For sure dude, I don't think we're bitching for bitching sake. The club has definitely done great work with great expense ITO time and money and sweat and blood and probably tears as well.

But...yeah...Things are just incredibly tame (apart of course for the lower DH line at Conties).

It would just be nice to have some sections at least where one is tested a bit more (and I was saying this BEFORE Ezel as well :P).

Sure the go faster it makes it harder argument could be put forward...But one needs to be tested at lower speeds as well.

Posted

faster = more technical is a good argument but what I'm hearing increasingly is that we need trails that are maybe slower speed and ultra tech.

 

We're are wanting to build some trails to that standard in Lebanon. Trails that look scary as hell but are ridebable once you learn to muscle your bike over sections and pick lines to get the reward of clearing them. Trails that scare the hell out of people when you look at them but are actually quite safe as the speeds are lower and severe injuries are less likely due to a respect for the trail.

 

Body Building Elf (short and hard ;), Jimmy the Cretin, First it Giveth and a few other appropriate trail names come to mind :D

Posted

faster = more technical is a good argument but what I'm hearing increasingly is that we need trails that are maybe slower speed and ultra tech.

 

We're are wanting to build some trails to that standard in Lebanon. Trails that look scary as hell but are ridebable once you learn to muscle your bike over sections and pick lines to get the reward of clearing them. Trails that scare the hell out of people when you look at them but are actually quite safe as the speeds are lower and severe injuries are less likely due to a respect for the trail.

 

Body Building Elf (short and hard ;), Jimmy the Cretin, First it Giveth and a few other appropriate trail names come to mind :D

That's EXACTLY what is needed...

Lemme know when you head over a weekend and gimme a damn spade/pick...Or I'll bring me own.

Tygerberg needs this sort of stuff as well...no doubt about that :(

Posted

Just a random question.: When did the smoothing of the trails took place? Before or after the Fedhealth race in the beginning of the month? Just want to find out on what Cobra I rode. :)

the race never went down the section being referred to here.
Posted

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.

It's late and bed is calling so just a quick response regarding the survey. There were challenges with deciphering the data as many people either misunderstood the questions or misinterpreted their technical prowess (ie "I ride the b-spot boardwalk with caution but I do the conties black gap jumps"). The other challenge was that it repetitive wording on comments suggested many people had completed the survey multiple times. Ideally, we need real data on how many people are riding various trails and of that, what portion of people are riding the available lines. From this, we'll be better equipped to cater for our members.

That said, the AGM seldom attracts more than 40 people so it appears that TMTBC finds itself in a similar position to PPA where people have an opinion but are not finding the right platforms to be part of the change.

Just a friendly observation I've made too: we all like to ride with people of similar fitness and technical skills. The world view of mountain bikers is shaped by your friends and it is not necessarily a true reflection of the greater mountain biking community. 

Posted

So I discovered that I am as fast, if not faster than, a cute little hair.

 

This fluffY trail shredder dropped in front of me early on in the cobra, and keeps charging down the trail for well over a third of the trail. ... I would be happy to assume at least half the trail.

 

The f.t.s took some interesting line choices before eventually bombing back into the under growth.

 

A rare and rather surreal experience I would say.

 

I had good fun coming down cobra after the f.t.s, but did at no stage feel like the trail was too dumbed down, just that it is riding very well and has a good flow. ....... as said by another, givE it a month or two and it will start getting it's lekker washed out and exposed personality back.

Posted

The reality is that very few people can ride technical stuff. They also don't want to invest in learning how. Because mountain biking is riding on a flat gravel road with you 29er ....

Posted

So I discovered that I am as fast, if not faster than, a cute little hair.

 

This fluffY trail shredder dropped in front of me early on in the cobra, and keeps charging down the trail for well over a third of the trail. ... I would be happy to assume at least half the trail.

 

The f.t.s took some interesting line choices before eventually bombing back into the under growth.

 

A rare and rather surreal experience I would say.

 

I had good fun coming down cobra after the f.t.s, but did at no stage feel like the trail was too dumbed down, just that it is riding very well and has a good flow. ....... as said by another, givE it a month or two and it will start getting it's lekker washed out and exposed personality back.

381b8bbe6d14683f22f6b82167ed2c2e.jpg

Posted

So I discovered that I am as fast, if not faster than, a cute little hair.

 

This fluffY trail shredder dropped in front of me early on in the cobra, and keeps charging down the trail for well over a third of the trail. ... I would be happy to assume at least half the trail.

 

The f.t.s took some interesting line choices before eventually bombing back into the under growth.

 

A rare and rather surreal experience I would say.

 

I had good fun coming down cobra after the f.t.s, but did at no stage feel like the trail was too dumbed down, just that it is riding very well and has a good flow. ....... as said by another, givE it a month or two and it will start getting it's lekker washed out and exposed personality back.

Better a hare than a Rabbit © (patent pending). Not even Die Muishond can successfully follow a Rabbit! # allegedly
Posted

The reality is that very few people can ride technical stuff. They also don't want to invest in learning how. Because mountain biking is riding on a flat gravel road with you 29er ....

Agreed with your first statement but not as much on the 2nd. People have their reasons for riding the trails they do and if they have the same smile after riding a green trail as you do after riding a double black, that doesn't make them any less of a mountain biker in my eyes.

Posted

It's late and bed is calling so just a quick response regarding the survey. There were challenges with deciphering the data as many people either misunderstood the questions or misinterpreted their technical prowess (ie "I ride the b-spot boardwalk with caution but I do the conties black gap jumps"). The other challenge was that it repetitive wording on comments suggested many people had completed the survey multiple times. Ideally, we need real data on how many people are riding various trails and of that, what portion of people are riding the available lines. From this, we'll be better equipped to cater for our members.

That said, the AGM seldom attracts more than 40 people so it appears that TMTBC finds itself in a similar position to PPA where people have an opinion but are not finding the right platforms to be part of the change.

Just a friendly observation I've made too: we all like to ride with people of similar fitness and technical skills. The world view of mountain bikers is shaped by your friends and it is not necessarily a true reflection of the greater mountain biking community. 

 

 

I dig this point, Rapunzel

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