Tygerberg MTB Club Trails

[Quagga]

Hahahaha, no, coming down the open rock slab on TM. Just screwed up cos was trying something new, braked too hard on the front and washed out. Straight OTB onto my damn hip. BAKA!

Sometimes the stupidest things result in the biggest pain in the arse.

Now you have lost all credibility asking for black trails when you still need training wheels 

 

   

[Jbr]

Tygerberg is a lekker place to ride and it's great to have that amount of off road distance (without tar) as training especially if someone was training for longer events. I used stay near there once upon a time and was a member during that time and of course frequented those trails. Respect to the team that builds and maintains it all. Hoogekraal became my favourite in the network because it had more variation in one place, with cobra and the last loop (bermed) being different from one another. I thought it was kind of weird that my limited skills were able to navigate through a "black" trail without too much difficulty, but felt like I was progressing nonetheless. Then I moved to the Southern Suburbs and had a few "bek meets rock" events on Tokai "blue" trails and realized that maybe the "black" rating of Hoogies cobra was not so representative of it's difficulty and that my skills were not improving, lol. That aside, Tygerberg is still a lekker place to ride and hopefully they just keep up the good work and adding more (with more variation and technicality) to the network.

haha for sure if you compare the tygerberg cobra to the tokai cobra it's not quite the same

[Jbr]

Now you have lost all credibility asking for black trails when you still need training wheels 

 

   

I snapped my forearm a month ago going OTB on the road bike while attempting to hop on a pavement. I think I should only ride green trails like the hoogies cobra from now on 

[Thermophage]

Now you have lost all credibility asking for black trails when you still need training wheels 

 

   

I'm never going to not need training wheels!

The BEST part about riding is approaching something you think you cant ride or couldn't previously...working it out and hucking it like Theo (in my mind) 

[Skubarra]

 

But yes, we can debate at infinitum until we use a system and  stop giving people a false sense that they are potentially capable of more than what they truly are.

 

 

I find this reasoning daft. Whenever you see a black trail you take extra care. If riding it is easier than anticipated great for you but next black trail you again take extra care until you know you can handle that trail. With that approach you will never be caught out

 

Only an absolute idiot would base his "sense of capability" on how he rode one trail on Tygerberg and dismiss all other black trail signs. 

 

I think the converse is even more dangerous, mark the Cobra blue or green and people thinking it's a really easy trail bomb down there and hurt themselves because they didn't anticipate the dangers.

 

I have no problem with Tygerberg's conservative approach to rating trails, especially with the masses riding them (those horrible 95%ers who can only ride berms).

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

The thing I don't understand.

 

According to IMBA  riders going uphill has right of way.

BUT "apparently, this is different for the corridor between Meerendal and Conties. " I remember seeing a post here sometime ago. 

 

However, this is not sign posted nor was it send via email. So do we apply IMBA there or not?

See here below

 

Yield to Others. Do your utmost to let your fellow trail users know you're coming -- a friendly greeting or bell ring are good methods. Try to anticipate other trail users as you ride around corners. Bicyclists should yield to all other trail users, unless the trail is clearly signed for bike-only travel. Bicyclists traveling downhill should yield to ones headed uphill, unless the trail is clearly signed for one-way or downhill-only traffic. Strive to make each pass a safe and courteous one.

Right of way is applied on a general basis, unless otherwise indicated. In some places, it's otherwise indicated. Like Tokai has a rule of Descenders having ROW, as it's far easier to hear a descender coming towards you than to hear a climber coming up the trail, among other reasons. 

 

IMBA are also a set of guidelines. The trail rating system is the most widely used, and some centres who abide by IMBA guidelines also have descenders with the ROW. 

 

Also - this is why most trails are now being built as mono-directional. To avoid these ROW issues. 

[Hairy]

I think people are not (Edit meant to say NOT moaning) moaning......I think the question is.....

 

Why can idea's not be voiced

Why can requests not be made

Why must someone leave a club when they like 98% of the trails they just want to ask for something to be added.

 

BTW:  Why must someone leave a country / club / group / association etc when they are not happy with how things are going, why can they not try be the and make the change they want to see? #justasking

 

Edit: What has happened to this country where one can not give constructive criticism to anyone

For example: "Get of your phone" is met with "F-You" before you can even say "there is a unmarked cop 3 cars behind you"

 

Dare tell a business that you would like something they are installing done in a certain way.... "let us do our job and complain afterwords to the boss"

 

What is going on with this

"If you dont like it then F-Off"

[Quagga]

Easily comparable to NES. But maybe you don't ride the first portage on NES?

But things are subjective, which is why there is a system to assist in making the grading less subjective.

Armageddon or rather Canaries is much more technical to get through,  think even about the second section (the one that used to be Canaries 1 before Arma came about) and how difficult that was to get through, then you have much tighter switchbacks, steeper gradient, more loose rock on the upper section than Cobra. 

Also...Armageddon/Canaries is a Blue  trail too mos

But yes, we can debate at infinitum until we use a system and  stop giving people a false sense that they are potentially capable of more than what they truly are.

 

Cobra and many other places on Tygerberg take casualties, but they also accommodate far more riders. It would be far better to quote the  number of casualties as a percentage of riders such that the data are more normalized to look at. Simply quoting a number itself can be massively misleading in ones  psyche as to what the real story is. 

I agree with you here,  rating something as Black can build over confidence.

 

I have seen this happen, people ride black Conties, or HK etc then we go to Jonkers and see a black run and they are all going "Yip" we can do this, how bad or different can it be from the other black runs we have taken.

 

And then right there you have an issue.

 

And it was not jumps or drops offs that cause the issue, sometimes it was just a little rock garden that is MORE black and other black rock gardens or just a off camber that is a little more black off camber than other ones they were used to riding

[Thermophage]

I find this reasoning daft. Whenever you see a black trail you take extra care. If riding it is easier than anticipated great for you but next black trail you again take extra care until you know you can handle that trail. With that approach you will never be caught out

 

Only an absolute idiot would base his "sense of capability" on how he rode one trail on Tygerberg and dismiss all other black trail signs. 

 

I think the converse is even more dangerous, mark the Cobra blue or green and people thinking it's a really easy trail bomb down there and hurt themselves because they didn't anticipate the dangers.

 

I have no problem with Tygerberg's conservative approach to rating trails, especially with the masses riding them (those horrible 95%ers who can only ride berms).

 

What is daft is giving someone the sense they CAN ride a black trail surely? Then they go to a doff trail centre and die...

I dunno man. It's doing a disservice to the community to give people false hope like that. Our society is turning so mediocre already with a few aspects...Let's keep the spirit of MTB

[Quagga]

Right of way is applied on a general basis, unless otherwise indicated. In some places, it's otherwise indicated. Like Tokai has a rule of Descenders having ROW, as it's far easier to hear a descender coming towards you than to hear a climber coming up the trail, among other reasons. 

 

IMBA are also a set of guidelines. The trail rating system is the most widely used, and some centres who abide by IMBA guidelines also have descenders with the ROW. 

 

Also - this is why most trails are now being built as mono-directional. To avoid these ROW issues. 

Fully agree with you

 

Just what I dont understand is that there is no sign there. 

It is a narrow trail and freeken difficult to get started on the uphill if you stop at the wrong spot.

 

I dont really care if they make it UP ROW or DOWN ROW as long as some just put a sign so we can adhere to some standard.

 

Now everyone think they have ROW..... creating confusion

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I find this reasoning daft. Whenever you see a black trail you take extra care. If riding it is easier than anticipated great for you but next black trail you again take extra care until you know you can handle that trail. With that approach you will never be caught out

 

Only an absolute idiot would base his "sense of capability" on how he rode one trail on Tygerberg and dismiss all other black trail signs. 

 

I think the converse is even more dangerous, mark the Cobra blue or green and people thinking it's a really easy trail bomb down there and hurt themselves because they didn't anticipate the dangers.

 

I have no problem with Tygerberg's conservative approach to rating trails, especially with the masses riding them (those horrible 95%ers who can only ride berms).

It happens all the time, Skubarra. And no, rating things properly is always preferential to rating them improperly, as that creates false confidence in new trails of the same "grading". Going to a new place, using tygerberg's ratings as a yardstick will ALWAYS end badly. The only solution to this is to re-rate the trails on TBMTBC's land, and show the masses what they're actually riding. 

 

Just because you scope before you ride, doesn't mean everyone does. 

[Eddy Gordo]

Interesting to note that only Conties has a DH line or am I mistaken and there is some other tygerberg trail with a DH line?

 

Cant that hill on Hoogies not be opened for freeride? That would be awesome way of getting a few technical lines

[Thermophage]

Interesting to note that only Conties has a DH line or am I mistaken and there is some other tygerberg trail with a DH line?

 

Cant that hill on Hoogies not be opened for freeride? That would be awesome way of getting a few technical lines

Just Conties ye.

[Jbr]

you can't do certain trails until you do... It's not a grading problem it's a "being an idiot or not" problem.

Whenever I go on a black trail for the first time I always go carefully, take time to analyse each drop or rock garden to try and see the best line and if that means stop every 10m to look at it, so be it. That's how you learn and improve. For sure 1st time I went down cobra or black rhino when I reached the end I was like "hm okay that wasn't too bad" whereas when I did the conties revised for the first time  (and the few times after the first) I was like WTF, stopped numerous times to analyse most things. In between the tokai cobra was mix of challenging, but not enough to need to stop, just go slowly and process information on the go.

 

For me the difference between trail gradings is :

- blue = you can go and fear nothing

- black = you should be ready to stop anytime : doesn't mean you necessary will

- double black = stop at everything out of the ordinary to have a good look

 

If you let a black grading stop you, you'll never improve. On the opposite if you think you can do all black trails because once in your life you did a black trail and it wasn't too bad, then sorry my friend, but what's happening next is what we call natural selection...

Edited February 21, 2020 by Jbr

[tcarthew]

I can say I do not understand all the moaning. I can say I am part of the 95% of people the Tygerberg club has build trails for. They are not begging anyone for membership.

 

If some people want to get something different why not create yourself a Tygerberg Extreme Downhill club, go negotiate rights with the land owners, find yourself members and sponsors, raise money and build them trails. Heck if you raise enough you can even put in a lift to the top...

 

It's like joining a tennis club and complaining they do not have a squash court...

 

#1 Tennis & squash, entirely different sports; your metaphor might work between comparing mountain biking & bmx-ing.

 

#2 live in that area, I have a family & I also enjoying mountain biking; I have no choice but to pay the fee & as is the case I have a right to pass comment on the trails in the system & to request more variety. I don't have the luxury of always heading out to TM, jonkers, helderberg, etc. Time is valuable.

 

Based on the fact that your entire tone in your comment is incredibly self-centered in that your only concern is the fact that your needs are catered for I'm not surprised that you have completely misunderstood what the issue here is. But maybe you'll understand it in the context of your statement, there trail network is vast, the club supports enduro, it is entirely acceptable for us to request more variety & improved grading so people can match skills to trail.

 

No one is moaning, we are all asking for variety & feeling incredibly frustrated at how dictatorial the clubs responses usually are & while we're at it, it's pretty frustrating when the 95% such as yourself go "well it doesn't affect me so why should you moan".

[Hairy]

can we all agree on one thing ... the coffee shop at Conties is flipping awesome!

 

rate the coffee and cakes a solid 17 out of 10 score!