EMBA renewals will be started as soon as the updated Indemnity Form has been received. Once that is available, I will notify your Club Rep and also send out a group mail.
Existing licence holders will have first option.
Riders may transfer from one Club to another, with no penalty. However, you must belong to an affiliated Club.Your existing licence is valid until 31 December, but you will need to renew for 2010 by 30th November.
Margie
Thursday 24 September is a public holiday, but a work day for TH, therefore normal weekday times apply. Please see response from TH below
“unfortunately our harvesting season runs from April right through to December (and sometimes past X mas). We haul cane and deliver to the Mill 7 days a week now (as of a few weeks ago). Last year we did not deliver on a Sunday, but this year we are. All riders need to take specific care as there are now cane vehicles on the roads on Sundays as well. The 24th is a working day for us and therefore normal times would apply……sorry!”
I lost a black saddle bag on Sat 29 August somewhere between Gateway and La Mercy beach.
Inside was one spare tube,one bomb,one bomb tyre inflation adapter,a complete tubeless tyre plug repair kit and a set of Allen keys.
That particular saddle bag has sentimental value to me and I know its a long shot but if somebody did pick it up I would be very pleased indeed.
Kind regards
Stuart Donkin
Thames Construction
Office : 031 5693605
Fax : 031 5693609
Cell : 083 2701112
E Mail : stuart@thames.co.za
EMBA Guided Rides
We are happy to report back that after only a few months the guided rides are up and going from both Shongweni and North Coast. These have been extremely well received and are growing in numbers every week.
Imagine you get a gap, your boss has gone away or, you are the boss and you have just done a deal and need to reward yourself or, you are a mother and the kids have gone to a friend, whatever the reason you have a chance to get out and ride. You call around and no one can join you –NO PROBLEM- THE EMBA GUIDES ARE WAITING FOR YOU!
Yes that’s right, just turn up and ride. There are normally riders of all different levels so you can fit in where it suites you best.
Every week day afternoon except Mondays it is game on.
The North Coast rides on a Tuesday and Friday from Remo’s have so far proven to be the most popular with Friday afternoon’s at Hornby Life Style Centre coming a close second.
Ok, ok, yes we hear you, some of you have to work(probably to pay for your dirty habit ; ) mountain biking that is)
And so you can’t make the week day rides.
No worries as we have rides every Saturday morning and it is not uncommon for 20 – 30 riders to head off, and this has been through middle winter!
The Saturday ride from Body Guru leaves at 7am sharp and heads out to Umloti, down to the lagoon and back, around 32 – 35km. This is a great ride for all levels.
The ride time table will change as we head into Spring but for this Friday and weekend the rides are as follows;
Friday Afternoon Remo’s – North Coast Wheels turning at 15:30 to 17:00. Depending on who turns up, but normally there is a fast and social (not allowed to say slow) group.
Friday Afternoon Shongweni – Hornby Lifestyle Centre 15:30 – 17:00. Same as above.
Saturday Morning – Body Guru – Umhlanga. Wheels turn at 7am sharp.
Body Guru is opposite Standard Bank in the traffic circle on the Northern end of the Millennium bridge – Gateway.
Please note that there is no charge for these guided rides, as a member of EMBA it is covered by your R200 annual fee.
The only charge would be for a day license which is R20 and can be obtained from the guides or your local bike shop or club, this is a temp board and needs to be handed back at the end of the ride.
Tipping the guides is at your discretion, if you feel like they have excelled on the day then please feel free to tip the guides.
Trail Update Shongweni
From the beginning of the year when you could not ride the trails due to them being overgrown, to now some fantastic loops. A huge thank you to the guides who when not riding have been clearing and maintain the trails.
The Shongweni route has a lot more to offer than the north coast with sections of single track and also some real killer hills. So get out there and enjoy, rumor has it that the long downhill single track through the river is running sweet!
Trail Update North Coast
As most of you should know, there has been a route extension, mainly for safety reasons to keep us off the Verulum road. A big thank you to Tongaat and the farm managers for allowing this to happen. It might only be a small section but it is progress. The new route has been marked with route marker boards.
There is also something exciting happening, yes, finally on the North Coast, Single Track. We are in the process of building some single track through the hedge line on this new route section. Should be a few weeks till running smooth, will keep you informed.
Trail Maintenance
The route marking has been nearly up for a year now on the North Coast and we are in the process of doing our 1st round of repairs. The good news is that we have only lost a few boards and those have mainly been by cane fires and cane tractors, no theft which is great.
The trails are there for you, so please give us feedback on any suggestions or ways in which we can improve or fix things, we would appreciate this.
Shongweni is a different story, the boards have been vandalized and not by locals but by mountain bikers themselves with our guides having caught a few red handed. This is totally unacceptable, please note anyone caught doing this will be charged.
Again help us help you, where can we improve with our marking and signs?
On A Serious Note
Slowly, most probably with it getting warmer, there has been an increase in the number of riders without a license. What is even worse is that when approached these riders have been rude and have had a “don’t care attitude”. Please everyone spread the word, there is really no need for this as there are guided rides where you can get a license.
Please note that we have had to go to the next level to enforce the rules so that we can keep our riding area. The EMBA guides will be issued with cameras and they have been asked to take pictures of those breaking the rules. Once identified, there will be a name and shame with the possibility of being banned from mtb races and the cane. Lets all work together to make sure that this does not happen.
Have a great weekend and see you in the saddle
ian@singletrackminded.co.za
www.singletrackminded.co.za
Tel : 031 – 3125955
Cell : 082 6543 529
URGENT NOTICE – route transgressions!!!
Please note that once again, after a fairly long period of “peace”, riders have been transgressing this past weekend. In two separate incidents, riders have ignored designated routes. In each case the offenders were riding in the Umhlanga area and even going so far as to ride along the Farm Manager’s drive way.
The relevant Clubs have been advised and once we receive a report back the offenders, if found guilty, will have licences withdrawn as per previous Emails sent out. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, only one number was recorded, so only that person will be dealt with.
Licence cards and Bike Boards and the Guides
Riders must ride with a visible EMBA bike board and carry the licence card. We have employed guides to enhance your riding safety etc. We have recently had a situation where a rider has categorically assured the Guide that he is wrong, and the rider only needs to produce his licence card. Please do not put the Guides into embarrassing positions. The guide has been chastised, but the rider is clearly at fault. ALL RIDERS sign the paper work, agree to the terms, and, in addition, for those of short memory, the basic rules are printed on the reverse side of the card. The guides are young and from disadvantaged backgrounds, and still need to learn how to deal with members of the public who declare “their rights”
Route change
We may now ride along & inside the tree/fence line from the intersection of Red Route 9 to the point where Blue Route 8 intersects with Green Route 10. This will keep us off the Verulam tar road except when we cross it.
Ian Wilson has been asked to make the necessary changes and marker boards.
Hi Margie,
I thought you (and Tongaat ) may be interested to know we came across a Black Backed Jackal while riding in the cane at Shongweni yesterday afternoon. It was around 5:15pm and heavily overcast with a bit of mist on the hill tops. We were contouring along the North Western Section of the cane close to the Western Boundary. The identification was unmistakable (I have seen lots of them in the Drakensberg) and we got to within 10 meters of it. It was standing still on our path in front of us. It did not seem too concerned about our presence (animal do not recognise cyclists as human beings) and slowly slinked off into the cane as we got closer.
It was great to find wildlife so close to civilisation but farmers on adjoining smallholdings may not be too happy.
Best regards
Mervyn Gans
Welcome to the new EMBA site where we will have regular blog posts by our riders. Keep checking in to get the updates and posts.
