Introducing the Newlands Forest to Constantia Nek mountain bike trail

[MTBeer]

One of the reasons why I havent ridden there. I seem to attract dog attacks and even when we go for a walk there I get charged by a dog and then get treated like I am at fault.

something like this?

 

[marko35s]

post here!

Copy and paste from Facebook -

For the Cape Town MTB Community. I had an incident this morning in Cecelia forrest with a walker and his dogs. I was coming down along one of the demarcated cycling roads and saw a walker and his dogs and slowed down accordingly. As I came to pass the walker at a slow pace he started yelling at me and said "I'm carrying a gun and if you hurt one of my dogs I will shoot you".

Please can I ask the MTB community to be courteous, gracious and thankful to the walkers who we are now sharing trails with. Doug Bird posted a video on trail etiquette about 10 days ago which is worth a watch.

It is clear that the walking community is not happy with the MTB community. Lets win them over through our attitude and behavior as we share the trails, give them right of way, let them know you see them, and don't race the new sections that we can now ride that have been walking only up until now.

Tokaimtb mountainbike central Bike Hub The Bike Park at Constantia Uitsig

[HowardSteele]

Copy and paste from Facebook -

For the Cape Town MTB Community. I had an incident this morning in Cecelia forest with a walker and his dogs. I was coming down along one of the demarcated cycling roads and saw a walker and his dogs and slowed down accordingly. As I came to pass the walker at a slow pace he started yelling at me and said "I'm carrying a gun and if you hurt one of my dogs I will shoot you".

And he's the one who is actually breaking the law

SANParks Regulations

20. DECLARE FIREARMS AT GATE – All firearms/dangerous weapons of any sort, any explosive, trap or poison must be declared upon entry, and firearms will be sealed;

[Headshot]

Copy and paste from Facebook -

For the Cape Town MTB Community. I had an incident this morning in Cecelia forrest with a walker and his dogs. I was coming down along one of the demarcated cycling roads and saw a walker and his dogs and slowed down accordingly. As I came to pass the walker at a slow pace he started yelling at me and said "I'm carrying a gun and if you hurt one of my dogs I will shoot you".

Please can I ask the MTB community to be courteous, gracious and thankful to the walkers who we are now sharing trails with. Doug Bird posted a video on trail etiquette about 10 days ago which is worth a watch.

It is clear that the walking community is not happy with the MTB community. Lets win them over through our attitude and behavior as we share the trails, give them right of way, let them know you see them, and don't race the new sections that we can now ride that have been walking only up until now.

Tokaimtb mountainbike central Bike Hub The Bike Park at Constantia Uitsig

Quite sad that such people exist. Treating walkers with respect becomes all the harder when you have rogues like this a**hole around. Not to mention the less than friendly but not as violent as this turd, grannies. 

 

Carrying a gun in the park is illegal as someone else has pointed out and the threat to the rider is also an offence, probably in terms of the Firearms Control Act. 

[Simon123]

Saw a signpost at the top of Southern Cross Drive yesterday that was clearly maliciously removed.  Tried to push it back in, but the hole was f*cked.  Clearly someone pulled it out / threw it down.

 

 

[Headshot]

I am think we should start a campaign to ban walkers and dogs from all the trails until they learn how to behave properly. They are vandals and clearly capable of violence. Their animals foul the environment and they do no trail maintenance or funding of the areas they walk in.

 

How ironic when the shoe is on the other foot. 

[HowardSteele]

So enjoying this new loop....that rubber mat on the corner of the single track sure works great thanks to the installers.

The Steep portage is taking a bit of a beating from guys climbing with bikes on their shoulders wearing cleats.that and an escape route to the Cecilia parking and this trail will be 100%.

Edited December 26, 2016 by HowardSteele

[Shebeen]

I decided to finally do this this morning, didn't check the maps, but joined at the top of southern cross after riding up the green belt.

 

Should have checked the maps, as when I just joined the trail went the right direction and followed the signs to Cecillia you get spat out on the tar. kinda sucks, but at least i got to go past zillions of cars queueing in rhodes drive from kirstenbosch to the M3 - ha ha

['Dale]

Have plans to roll this in Autumn

Looks cool ⭐️

[Cam182]

is there any way to enter this from within kistenbosch gardens?

[DJR]

is there any way to enter this from within kistenbosch gardens?

No. Bikes are not allowed within Kirstenbosch. We are only allowed to use the demarcated through-way on the uppermost level, meaning you have to enter from Constantia Neck or Newlands, and then keep going past Kirstenbosch.

 

I assume that if you crash or break down, and need an escape route, you are allowed to walk yourself and your bike out via Kirstenbosch, but not ride.

 

Personally, I think an official access point / route, about halfway will be a great bonus as it will open this trail to a lot more people, especially youngsters or the unfit, because doing the whole thing is a fairly tough ride, not suited for those riders.

[T-Bob]

For some reason I thought this was a pretty sedate family ramble type trail. Rode it the other week from my crib to Rhodes, up n' over to Constantia and had to turn around and ride back home in the other direction. Jeez, a couple of those climbs are tough... especially the Muur actually in K/bosch. Wasn't expecting that at all. 

Couple of super fun sections near the end and a great asset to the local trail network. Hammer that a few times a week and you'll get nice and strong. 

Edited June 15, 2017 by hellocolour

[ridr]

Done it twice now. Even better with the whole route ridable now.

 

Just one question: how does 2 way traffic work on some of those single track sections with no visibility around the corners??

[lechatnoir]

I assume that if you crash or break down, and need an escape route, you are allowed to walk yourself and your bike out via Kirstenbosch, but not ride.

 

 

Just one question: how does 2 way traffic work on some of those single track sections with no visibility around the corners??

 

I think the top comment speaks to the bottom comment... 

 

With car traffic, it's the car coming down that has ROW... but with bikes, getting started on a steep incline isn't as easy as nifty clutch-work...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

For some reason I thought this was a pretty sedate family ramble type trail. Rode it the other week from my crib to Rhodes, up n' over to Constantia and had to turn around and ride back home in the other direction. Jeez, a couple of those climbs are tough... especially the Muur actually in K/bosch. Wasn't expecting that at all.

 

Couple of super fun sections near the end and a great asset to the local trail network. Hammer that a few times a week and you'll get nice and strong.

Tell.me about it! Had to do exactly the same past week due to time constraints, only to find out I was only 200m & 20m climbing from the top. Bah!

 

But it's an awesome lower section. Some tricky sections to climb and some lekker little rock gardens. Wet AF ad well which adds to the complexity

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Done it twice now. Even better with the whole route ridable now.

 

Just one question: how does 2 way traffic work on some of those single track sections with no visibility around the corners??

Up has ROW unless otherwise stipulated. Tokai is an example of a trail centre that stipulates Down has ROW. Mostly cos we (committee and trail builders) all prefer to have uninterrupted descents vs uninterrupted climbs. And it's good technique training to start again on an up. Edited June 15, 2017 by Myles Mayhew