Meerendal trails almost unridable - no maintenance!!

[ChrisF]

5 hours ago, Me rida my bicycle said:

They won't see me anytime soon again. Used to love just riding to there for something to munch and drink but, the last time we were there gate opened as we were approaching no car in sight so we headed to the restaurant like always. Sitting having a beer right at the front door (to keep an eye on the bikes) when this little @#&* security comes up to me screaming at me going completely ape ???? even saying we were hiding (at the front door not to good at hide and seek I guess) when I kind of lost my cool got up and he saw in my friendly expression its time to run away.

Talk about unprofessional, if he approached me in a decent manner it would have been a completely different thing.

Still don't know what the issue was... 

Actually at that very restaurant we first met in person..... when they still had a bike rack at the back ....

[Me rida my bicycle]

2 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Actually at that very restaurant we first met in person..... when they still had a bike rack at the back ....

Yip, dit was altyd 'n favorite om by te stop en seker die 1ste single track vir baie mense. Dit voel net meer en meer vandat dit verander het dat fietse nie meer welkom is by die restaurant nie. Soos die sekuriteit vir ons laas gesê het ons moet ons fietse by die hek los... Ja en dan seker huistoe loop. 

[pietas]

Mmmm, maybe if everybody stops going there, I might go again .....

[Mojoman]

11 hours ago, ChrisF said:

In fairness ... ticks are part of the season.

 

We typically find 2 or 3 ticks per year, from various parts of trails.

 

 

 

Granted, having to walk through brush certainly does not help 

lol...bitchin' about a tick....
Those things are everywhere....especially this time of year...
Maybe Dan should should take up lawn bowls or something...Less danger of ticks....????

Edited October 19, 2021 by Mojoman

[IMPACT]

Feedback received from Tygerberg MTB,

They will engage the landowner with evidence in the form of photos, a trail report, usage stats etc and threads like this one to convince them to step up their game. The club will endeavor to take over the maintenance of the trails. The meeting is scheduled for this week, hoping for a positive outcome. 

 

[Daniel Albutt]

52 minutes ago, Mojoman said:

lol...bitchin' about a tick....
Those things are everywhere....especially this time of year...
Maybe Dan should should take up lawn bowls or something...Less danger of ticks....????

You missed the point that was brought to light above by ChrisF (having to walk through brush doesn’t help) and when you’ve known someone whom got nearly fatally sick through a tick, you’d try to rather avoid it if possible. Constructive response though…

[Meg85]

I can confirm what everyone is saying about Meerandal.

I am nursing an injury so decided to go out and test my ribs for a short ride at Meerandal (I haven't been in months) on Saturday. It was AWFUL! The trails are so overgrown you have to walk as the weeds kept getting caught in my handlebars. The bottom section is so rutted out its not possible to ride.

Last time for me!

[Skubarra]

1 hour ago, IMPACT said:

Feedback received from Tygerberg MTB,

They will engage the landowner with evidence in the form of photos, a trail report, usage stats etc and threads like this one to convince them to step up their game. The club will endeavor to take over the maintenance of the trails. The meeting is scheduled for this week, hoping for a positive outcome. 

 

Not a trail expert but this is a bit bizarre. Surely there is a time window (winter/spring) when you should have had enough rain to do trail maintenance and you plan your trail building/maintenance around that? This is not something you leave until enough people complained on social media or TBMTB club take you to task and then jump in and try to save the day?

I get the point that enough people should raise complaints to get a reaction from Meerendal but wow, surely the manager(s) of the farm are not blind to what is going on on their property?

[Hamstring]

37 minutes ago, Skubarra said:

Not a trail expert but this is a bit bizarre. Surely there is a time window (winter/spring) when you should have had enough rain to do trail maintenance and you plan your trail building/maintenance around that? This is not something you leave until enough people complained on social media or TBMTB club take you to task and then jump in and try to save the day?

I get the point that enough people should raise complaints to get a reaction from Meerendal but wow, surely the manager(s) of the farm are not blind to what is going on on their property?

I think with Meerendal its the land owner that has the say, farm manager has no say and i thinks its the second or third manager in three  years.    

[Rudii]

To think this was once the venue for the prestigious Cape Epic

[Super Sywurm]

Overgrown = snaaaakes

[Grease_Monkey]

4 hours ago, Mojoman said:

lol...bitchin' about a tick....
Those things are everywhere....especially this time of year...
Maybe Dan should should take up lawn bowls or something...Less danger of ticks....????

Haha yeah ticks are part of it. I have picked off more than 20 in a single ride when trails are a bit overgrown in Spring. Between the months of Sept and Nov I just accept it as part of a ride, and if I don't find a few to pick off I just look harder, because they are somewhere. 

 

Strange enough, of the 100+ I have taken off my legs and arms over the last couple of years I have not been bitten a single time. 

Anyway, back on topic, pity about the state of the trails. Meerendal is a lekker venue for me when I want to take my wife cycling. 

[Chadvdw67]

16 minutes ago, Grease_Monkey said:

Haha yeah ticks are part of it. I have picked off more than 20 in a single ride when trails are a bit overgrown in Spring. Between the months of Sept and Nov I just accept it as part of a ride, and if I don't find a few to pick off I just look harder, because they are somewhere. 

 

Strange enough, of the 100+ I have taken off my legs and arms over the last couple of years I have not been bitten a single time. 

Anyway, back on topic, pity about the state of the trails. Meerendal is a lekker venue for me when I want to take my wife cycling. 

Obviously you have not wanted to take your wife cycling for a LONG time then?

[Grease_Monkey]

1 minute ago, Chadvdw67 said:

Obviously you have not wanted to take your wife cycling for a LONG time then?

Either pregnant or studying for exams for the last 3 years. She has not touched a bike in a while....

[Chadvdw67]

5 minutes ago, Grease_Monkey said:

Either pregnant or studying for exams for the last 3 years. She has not touched a bike in a while....

Excuses excuses ????

[Shebeen]

18 hours ago, ChrisF said:

  At this point they were still co-sponsors to the Cape Epic and cycling was a big thing at Meerendal.  We were there 2 to 3 times each weekend.  

Fair to say we have very fond memories of the "former" Meerendal.

 

is it still the same owner?

https://www.cape-epic.com/teams/2020/11967/meerendal-5

the prologue included going through the winery, klapping down the steps infront of crowds and squishing wine with your wheels.

this was 2014

 

did anyone ever try that wine? how did it go?