dev null Posted December 31, 2017 Share The original 18th century Cape Town - Grahamstown waggon route runs through the mountains on my farm in the Klein Karoo. Challenging on a horse and great fun on a MTB. A few years ago a well known race organiser asked and got my permission to run an event through it. When next I spoke to him about it he told me that the route was not going to happen as a landowner at the far side of the road had refused due to his earlier experiences with cyclists. I know the owner to be a generous and fair person but if a trespasser told my wife to f@ck off on my own property, I too would be disinclined to let his kind back. So a small group of entitled thugs have prevented a large number from riding 30km of challenging, beautiful, historic but virgin and very special trial. C'est la vie Yes. It is a human sickness this. It is not related to any specific group, be it farmers or cyclist. My wife's uncle is a farmer, and loves cycling. He would have no issue with cyclists, but I doubt many people will travel to the other side of Calvinia to go cycling some tough routes in the Karoo heat and then get to see a few Springbuck and Steenbuck. Jef O'blique 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jef O'blique Posted January 1, 2018 Share Where in the Overberg?I’m in Gansbaai, but I get around the area as much as I can. To everyone else who replied, thank you for your messages. Some golden tips in there. I have read each of your responses. Thanks hubbers! EmptyB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naas Vermaak Posted January 1, 2018 Share Come ride on the Bredasdorp trails - almost 80km of sublime single track and more challenging in places than most can handle - ideal Epic training terrain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilipV Posted January 1, 2018 Share I’m in Gansbaai, but I get around the area as much as I can. To everyone else who replied, thank you for your messages. Some golden tips in there. I have read each of your responses. Thanks hubbers!Chat to Corrie Loubser, he is the trail guru in Gansbaai and may be able to give you an indication of which farmers are approachable and who will most likely chase you away. Andrew_Smith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew_Smith Posted January 1, 2018 Share Chat to Corrie Loubser, he is the trail guru in Gansbaai and may be able to give you an indication of which farmers are approachable and who will most likely chase you away. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbean Posted January 1, 2018 Share Your problem is not the farmers.Most of the, are really nice guys.Your major problem is your fellow cyclists.Even if you get permission,build trails etc keeping them open and access will be your constant nightmare.At tygerberg Mtb trails the marshals are probably catching 30 plus rogue riders/week on the trails.It only takes 1nob to get things closed down.The number of selfish d@@ses out there are unbelievable.You do the maths. Slowbee, dev null, Sepia and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisismyotherbike Posted January 2, 2018 Share Your problem is not the farmers.Most of the, are really nice guys.Your major problem is your fellow cyclists.Even if you get permission,build trails etc keeping them open and access will be your constant nightmare.At tygerberg Mtb trails the marshals are probably catching 30 plus rogue riders/week on the trails.It only takes 1nob to get things closed down.The number of selfish d@@ses out there are unbelievable.You do the maths. What is the sanction for getting caught? You are trespassing on private land at the very least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchelicious Posted January 2, 2018 Share What is the sanction for getting caught? You are trespassing on private land at the very leastThe trail prefects name and shame you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no calves Posted January 2, 2018 Share What I think most of US dont realise is that his farm is his business. I manage a piece of farm in Robertson and riding the Stellenbosch MTB a few things cought my eye. Being irrigation savy I saw people opening irrigation valves to try and get water. Most of our valves is hydro operated and by severing a small hose you are opening water to a block. I also stopped a few fellow riders so a tractor that was busy filling up with chemicals to spray can cross the road to the block he was working at. We sometimes think because we payed to race we have right of way, perhaps, but we are crossing a business that NEVER closes. We are also "in touch" with nature, so that puffy you possibly killed on his back roads actually serve a sole in a MUCH bigger eco system that goes back to keping our natural predator numbers up. The more natural predators i can have for my pests the less chemicals i need to use. Im not even going to touch on the litter and tresspassing points. Edited January 2, 2018 by no calves eddy, PhilipV, SCD and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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