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Posted

Guys/Girls,

 

I am going to just 'do it' tomorrow, and hit one of the trails near me (hillcrest or meerendal or majick, not sure sure yet).

I haven't done any of them before, am unfit'ish, and have only been riding around town. I don't know what to expect, or how to do this, especially doing it without annoying the experienced riders.

 

I need some advice, considering ill be slower than most others there, how do I stay out of their way, how do you carry your trail food/water(my bike does not have space or mounts for bottle :( )

 

What about getting a flat on the trail? Should i put my taillight on for visibility?

 

Anything you can suggest to a first timer?

Would appreciate it more than you think!

 

Thanks

:blink:

Posted

Should i put my taillight on for visibility?

 

 

Are you riding to the trails - or are you querying needing visibility on the trails themselves?

Posted

Hey Marlon.

The easiest by far would be majik forest or meerendal. Majik is only 2 small climbs and then awesome singletrack. Meerendal is more contour type of paths with lots of singletrack, but if you have a hard tail, i dont think do that as your first ride.

I will be going to majik and through some of the trails tomorrow. ill show you around if you keen?

Posted

Are you riding to the trails - or are you querying needing visibility on the trails themselves?

 

Well, generally, I want to do what is expected of new riders. If it requires me riding with the light on, ill do that.

 

 

Hey Marlon.

The easiest by far would be majik forest or meerendal. Majik is only 2 small climbs and then awesome singletrack. Meerendal is more contour type of paths with lots of singletrack, but if you have a hard tail, i dont think do that as your first ride.

I will be going to majik and through some of the trails tomorrow. ill show you around if you keen?

 

I don't have a hardtail though. Singletrack scares me, it means if I am slow, the pro's behind me can't get past, or am I smoking crack here?

Thanks for the offer, Ill quickly google Majik and Meerendal!

 

How do you carry 'food' ? Would I look like a gimboid with a small backpack?

Posted

well for a little majik forest ride, you wont take longer than an hour. so you dont need lots of food on you. you can eat before and after. just have some water or engergy drink. majik is still my suggestion. meerendal has more singletrack.

njoy

Posted

Definitely Meerendal. It is the Tygerberg trail that has been designed with new comers in mind. The routes are very well marked so its easy to know where to go. You can choose between 3 different routes. The red route has a little more climbing than the others, but no hectic downhill singletrack.

 

Hillcrest has some fairly tough climbing, short but sharp and the downhill singletrack is quite a bit steeper than at Meerendal.

 

I have 2 friends who are beginners and they love riding at Meerendal and prefer riding there to Majik.

 

Majik is the only trail that really gets traffic. Most of the time I find we are alone on the trails at the others (although there are normally other cars there) and very rarely pass or get passed by another rider. If you here someone coming up behind you, just move out of there way as soon as its safe for you to do so. Most of the guys are really friendly and will give you some encouragment if you are struggling.

 

Once you are comfortable with Meerendal, then go to Majik and Contermanskloof (my favourite).

Posted

Ok, sounds like I worry too much.

So between meerendal and majik it is then!

Ill check the information out, and make a choice, i have a slightly more fit friend who will be joining me, so you guys can just lookout for riders who look like dorks :clap:

 

Thanks for the info.

Posted

Marlon, I think the best plan would be to join up with Tygerberg MTB Club's slow coach ride at Meerendal on Sunday, it's aimed at beginners and the pace is really relaxed, the guys meet in the Meerendal parking lot. check out their facebook page or send an e-mail to slowcoach@tygerbergmtb.co.za

 

 

 

....and that gentlemen is what you call shameless self promoting of your club :clap:

Posted

Thanks for all the advice and inputs. I missed some of the last posts after work. We pitched up at 8ish, and did the Meerendal Red Route. Yes, it took a while, 2 hours or so with all the stopping to spit out flies and knock ticks off. But it was awesome, I enjoyed it thouroughly, and the permit marshall guy was super helpful and nice. I just had 50 loose nuts on my bike that I had to tighten up, it tortured my Dunloppie quite a bit. I hope it holds up until I can afford a new one. We didn't see many others, and only passed a family once... is Meerendal always that quiet on a saturday? Anyway, it rocked. :clap:

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