Tokai singletrack - suggestion

[reubz]

its the best when you try to make your times better on each route! also there are some cool jumps.

[parabola]

 

I am new to MTBing and have only been to Tokai twice' date=' but I thought you use the road to go up and the singletrack to go down?

Using the singletrack to go up, especially on a busy Saturday morning, seems like flirting with disaster.

[/quote']

 

Personally I love the challenge of riding the singletrack up, it gives you a chance to scope out better lines, and its alot more fun than spinning up a jeep track. But I dont ride up the main downhill (why do people insist on doing this) and stick to the other forest trails which are much more fun to ride up anyway.

 

On the weekends up-riders should least be aware and actually make an effort to clear off the trail when they hear okes coming down, rather than stare blindly with one foot on the ground, as I skid out of control in the bushes trying to avoid them and the 5 other people following suit. Crashing into a tree really spoils your rhythm.

 

[Red Zone]

I ride up and down the singltrack. and have done so for years. I have never been suprised by a downhill rider, they make so much noise you can hear them a mile away, so I just yield to them. A 20 kg bike, fatty rider and all that armour will win any day of the week.

 

There is no need for over-regulation, uphill or downhill only routes, just common sense and mutual respect, thats MTB baby.

[Gansbay]

I ride up and down the singltrack. and have done so for years. I have never been suprised by a downhill rider' date=' they make so much noise you can hear them a mile away, so I just yield to them. A 20 kg bike, fatty rider and all that armour will win any day of the week.

 

There is no need for over-regulation, uphill or downhill only routes, just common sense and mutual respect, thats MTB baby.

[/quote']

 

I remember when I started surfing - start as a grom and as you get better you slowly move up in the lineup pecking order.  Boogies changed that a bit - as it was much easier to get going.  The advantage of the grom stage was that you learn't the unwritten rules, and everybody was reasonably happy.

 

So those who have mtb'ed for years this is probably not an issue, but as there are more and more new entrants the heat gets hotter.  Single track is well..... single track - only enough space for one bike.  Most guys that I know in Tokai cycle up the st, but are very aware of what is going on and will make timeous space for the guy bombing down, but there are a number of guys that don't move out the way - probably because the previous discussions on the Hub has up as the right of way, or they feel they own it. 

 

Most of the responses to this thread though feel that down has right of way - but that all need to be aware of each other.  Most of us (generalising could be dangerous here) ride up to bomb down the st, maybe that should be recognised

[Red Zone]

I am one of those who have said, and do maintain, that up has the right of way in MTB. But I find that it is unproductive to enter into discourse on the finer points of MTB ettiquette once 6 inches of duel crown fork have already made contact with my pip at 40 km/h. Hence the reason that I yield to DH'ers

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Bollocks.

 

What do we all love to do? Go back down the stuff we've just spent hours and hours trying to get up in the first place. We all want an un-interrupted downhill section, and I guarantee that the guy going up will stop A LOT sooner & quicker than the guy coming down the track at 30kph plus. In addition, you don't expect someone to be coming the opposite way as you when you're "in the zone" and are nailing a huge jump, followed by a lekker berm & drop-off with a rocky descent to follow. Not to mention the nice, flowy singletrack where you're practicing how to go around corners at speed in order to better your time and skillset.

 

I used to be a lot more sympathetic to people going up the ST a few months back, and have, since then, stopped to let people coming up. Especially when I am riding with a slower rider - if I see people coming up, plugging away at the cranks and I'm way ahead of my compatriot, I do pull over. But having said that, when I come hurtling down at a rate of knots, and someone is coming in the opposite direction (up the ST) they'd better move over - or they're going to get a face full of aluminium, polystyrene and plastic, followed by my foot up their ar5e because they weren't courteous and watchful. And then we'll both be showered in little slivers of sintered brake pads because of the ferocity of my braking.

 

Because, after all - what is better than going up the ST, and stopping to watch someone coming down, NAILING it and then wishing that you could do the same.

 

Then you try it for yourself, and some tosser decides that people going uphill have the right of way.

 

Bollocks.

 

Move over for the guy (or gal) coming down the ST. They WILL thank you, even if they don't voice their thanks. It's common sense, as well as common decency, to move over. Problem with those two personality traits - they're not all that common.

 

[Capricorn]

 

i'm with Cpt mayhem. I dont undestand the silly logic of DH'ers on a DH track giving way to slowboats going essentially the wrong way.

But the way to sort this silly argument out is as the original poster suggestd: marked tracks dictating directionality. Then everyone will have their fun just as they want it.

But this crap about always giving way to those going up? honestly. and going up a track where you cant be seen for at least tens of meters from the other direction is pure stupidity if it's known that some flat pedal thunder is rolling in.

But again, enforced directionality should solve that problem.

Capricorn2009-08-26 09:49:51

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

 

i'm with Cpt mayhem. I dont undestand the silly logic of DH'ers on a DH track giving way to slowboats going essentially the wrong way.

But the way to sort this silly argument out is as the original poster suggestd: marked tracks dictating directionality. Then everyone will have their fun just as they want it.

But this crap about always giving way to those going up? honestly.

 

Not only DH'ers, Cap mate - I'm talking about XC'ers, Freeriders & Unimoggers when they're going down the ST and some bollocking notion that an unendingly irascible Nazi has spread amongst the unsespecting masses, that they should yield while descending.

 

Bollocks.

 

As for directionality - brilliant idea. But in order for it to work, we need trolls standing all over the place, just waiting for one of those "thou whom doth proceed down any one track of singular variety shalt yield with utmost haste whenst confronted with thy ascending partner" type idiots, and promptly places a 30cm deep ditch in front of them.

 

[Capricorn]

hahaha, but i think the 'misfortune'/just deservers, of having a fully armoured nutter in a helmet smashing into said idiot with 20kg of steel and aluminium is enough punishment. I dont wish it on anyone tbh, but that's exactly whats going to happen with you engage pedal before brain, in the wrong direction to boot.

[leet22]

I think some single track should be one way only IE the DH black diamonds. But the some should be both ways . Dont some races have single track where u have to ride up?? That way we can practice riding up as well. but all have to keep there eyes open .

[Iwan Kemp]

Haven't read the whole thing, but I am leaning towards single track for down and jeep track for up. My ride was spoiled four times yesterday in Majik with okes pedaling up. One toppie refused to give way on a seriously fast section so I had to go off the trail and through some rough stuff to avoid a crash.

 

 

 

The Mbuzi said BRING IT ON! But it's not fun. Either you have to get into the flow of things or stop and pedal back up again to restart the section. But then you might get in some other riders way and it spoils his and your loop.

 

 

 

Single track up helps build strength and climbing technique, but our trails are too busy. Pitty, but we have to be considerate.

[Capricorn]

maybe they should have DH days. Normally, there would be sections with specific directions as the original poster suggested, but on one day a week and on one o r two specific lines (hard/easy)they should give the gravity bombers complete rule. ?think of it as 'race day' for those practicing whole week against track and those giving everyone else 'uphill'

[leet22]

Any serious grade DH track should be down only. Even though I dont go on them a DH track is speed and balls to the wall. Make the DH track almost impossible to ride up  but stuff like farie garden is slooooow

[Capricorn]

maybe that's always going to be the solution: A DH only track. ?Tokai should be big enough to do have just that, and not just small sections that mix into and cross other bidirectional tracks. We want speed adn something to grate our nerves against, yet not have to worry about some chop tryng to meet his maker at the end of a riser bar...

[TreeDodger]

I see there is apparently a thread on who has right of way, up or down, but I don't have time to read it now.

 

I ride up single track in Tokai often, but it is easy to hear if someone is coming down long in advance and then you pull over, this is as logical as peanut-butter to me. Why on earth would the up rider have right of way, what possible reason could there be!?

 

Case in point is the up rider knows about the down rider in advance but not vice versa, so why would the down rider give way if he/she/it cannot see who to give way to until its too late!

 

I believe it's quite safe to ride up as long as you are vigilant and stay away from danger spots like the berm at 2 on the map. Regulation sounds like something the first world will do who's worried about health and safety. Bit of freedom to do what you want is always cool...

 

[TreeDodger]

 

Besides... 50% of riders will know the regulation and the other half will not have read the signs, so it may turn out to be more dangerous. Everyone will think they have right of way and common-sense will go out the window and then whoever survives the crash will take their broken carbon handlebar and try to stab the other party!

 

Unless it's a DH'er crashing into a whippet... then the whippet will be dead.

TreeDodger2009-08-30 06:29:25