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Trails Riding Wrong way


rorydewet

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So wife and I cycled Northern farms on Sunday.

 

We normally do the Blue route with some of the Red added to get us up to about 27 kms.

 

We do the Blue but add optional Red bits.

 

Why oh why with laid out routes all clearly marked and flow direction indicated do you still get people riding in the wrong direction.

 

On one section where Green Blue Red and Black all pass the big dam you turn right to go onto Blue and Green and straight up the hill for Red and Black, on section called jackal Run..

 

On the turn there is a new ramp up and right onto new route on Green and Blue. this is to avoid the main turn which is normally bogged down in mud.

 

Suddenly some guy cycling against the flow decides to also use ramp, which is narrow and only wide enough for one bike.

 

Wife falls off due to sudden stop, on back in grass.

 

We immediately ask him why is he riding the wrong direction.

 

Answer is I'm not its jeep track so flow goes on both directions. the fact that ramp isnt jeep track but narrow goes whoosh over his head

 

None of the official trails go in that direction over that ramp. all marked trails go in our direction opposite to his direction.

 

No sorry no my fault just sheer arrogance at why we say he is wrong he isn't, trail is 2 directions. (no signs indicate 2 directions)

 

This is not isolated. when the trails get busy people opt to ride their own routes and often against the flow.

 

That in itself is okay if the persons going against the flow give way for those going in right direction and also i they dont go against flow on single track or on a ramp like this prima donna.

 

I guess the trail owners need to increase signage and awareness around this.

 

Soon there will be accident s with injuries and incidents.

 

I was this close on Sunday with wife lying on back in grass and this moron not saying sorry and maintaining his right to ride contra flow to push him and his bike down the bank into the river. In fact I think I actually told him I would.

 

Luckily I didn't but it was close.

 

Watch this space soon there will be accidents due to people riding against the flow.

 

We were lucky Sunday but soon **** will go down.

 

 

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Had this in Jonkershoek as well. Coming down Firehut two ballies decided that they will rather push their bikes up the singletrack instead of riding the jeeptrack to get to the start. Something like this could end badly if you meet them head-on in a wrong section of the trail.

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Human beings in general can't read signs. Have a look at the spruit between Delta and Victory park. 3 paths, all clearly sign posted at the start and at the end. 

1 one way for bikes only, the other opposite direction for bikes only, the third is for walkers and runners in both ways. I have yet to run that section without seeing someone going the wrong way or on the wrong path.

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Happening daily on Tygerberg trails as well ...

And there is a lot of signage. Regular club emails often ask members to comply with signage.

 

Some of this relates to new/day riders. But often we encounter riders with older club boards taking short cuts, going against the flow ....

 

 

Just another case of human behaviour ....

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Had this in Jonkershoek as well. Coming down Firehut two ballies decided that they will rather push their bikes up the singletrack instead of riding the jeeptrack to get to the start. Something like this could end badly if you meet them head-on in a wrong section of the trail.

 we met head on wife bailed into grass

 

dude just stopped

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some of it could be down to just not knowing the routes.

 

I've ridden at Rietvlei 3 or 4 times and I know not one of my ride had the same route even though I thought I was following the same markers. There are a few places where you're not sure where to go but if you look around there is a sign around a fork in the path or something. But by comparing my routes to others on Strava it appears I took a shortcut and left out an entire section of the trail.

 

But that does not excuse rude behavior, especially if your actions caused someone to fall. 

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Human beings in general can't read signs. Have a look at the spruit between Delta and Victory park. 3 paths, all clearly sign posted at the start and at the end. 

1 one way for bikes only, the other opposite direction for bikes only, the third is for walkers and runners in both ways. I have yet to run that section without seeing someone going the wrong way or on the wrong path.

They can read them alright, they just don't obey them.

 

It is not just on trails, recently the body corporate for one of my rentals changed the complex ring road to a single lane one way to alleviate a visitors parking issue(so one lane is parking now). The amount of mails that go out with "naming and shaming" the people not using the new one way design is crazy. I was at the complex last month and it is very clearly sign posted all over with signs and road markings. If you can't see it, you shouldn't be driving. 

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Who doesn't enjoy riding trails the wrong way...that undeniable rush you experience when you come racing blindly around a corner...into someone else...man, there is nothing like it....
First time is always the best though....

 

Edited by Mojoman
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From the guys who ride the Cradle MTB route backwards, as well as it appears the above, to the oke I accosted in Doppio yesterday strutting in and past my table without a mask - You get ****** in life wherever you look....We were all thrown together in the old days of doing national service, but once we all had the same (no) hair cut and were put in uniform we looked the same and were harder to spot.....

 

I have a separate, somewhat related question: Why do idiots make new trails by straight-lining between nice twisties that are NOT there for overtaking as there are plenty of overtaking spots, but just because? I've started to notice this here and there in the Cradle and can't see a reason other than they are running low on RAM and can't negotiate either a slight bend of a lekker almost-berm.....

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I have a separate, somewhat related question: Why do idiots make new trails by straight-lining between nice twisties that are NOT there...

 

Ah. The old pussy straights. Some people can't corner so good it seems. Maybe they should just ride the cycle lane instead.

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From the guys who ride the Cradle MTB route backwards, as well as it appears the above, to the oke I accosted in Doppio yesterday strutting in and past my table without a mask - You get ****** in life wherever you look....We were all thrown together in the old days of doing national service, but once we all had the same (no) hair cut and were put in uniform we looked the same and were harder to spot.....

 

I have a separate, somewhat related question: Why do idiots make new trails by straight-lining between nice twisties that are NOT there for overtaking as there are plenty of overtaking spots, but just because? I've started to notice this here and there in the Cradle and can't see a reason other than they are running low on RAM and can't negotiate either a slight bend of a lekker almost-berm.....

Strava segments, straight line much faster....Anyway we all know it takes more skill riding fast and straight then slow and bendy....

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Strava segments, straight line much faster....Anyway we all know it takes more skill riding fast and straight then slow and bendy....

 

This and the fact that 90% of Gauteng twisties are just winding trails to increase distance because they don't have enough land to make trails on without making it look like chundered spaghetti.

Go ride somewhere like Karkloof or boven, the trails have a purpose and move in a direction and traverse an area or utilize a feature. The twisty bits are when it is steep or there is an obstacle to negotiate. In GP it is we have 5ha, lets squeeze 40km onto it somehow. 

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This and the fact that 90% of Gauteng twisties are just winding trails to increase distance because they don't have enough land to make trails on without making it look like chundered spaghetti.

Go ride somewhere like Karkloof or boven, the trails have a purpose and move in a direction and traverse an area or utilize a feature. The twisty bits are when it is steep or there is an obstacle to negotiate. In GP it is we have 5ha, lets squeeze 40km onto it somehow. 

I was surprised how long I could make a lap of my garden during level 5 using your above mentioned method :D

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and now you know why certain riding places in gp are not much more exciting than laps in your garden. . . . .

Edited by dave303e
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