Doing the right thing

AFCD ARE REMOVING THE GREEN MATTING FROM THE HO PUI DOWNHILL

In light of recent complaints from concerned mountain bikers, the dangerous green matting, dubbed by some as the “cheese grater”...

Doing the right thing

AFCD are removing the green matting from the Ho Pui downhill

In light of recent complaints from concerned mountain bikers, the dangerous green matting, dubbed by some as the “cheese grater” on the new downhill section of the Ho Pui run, the AFCD have announced that they are removing the matting.

In a letter to HKMBA, the new director for the Tai Lam country park, Dr Samuel Lam said that he was sorry to here about the incidents, and the AFCD “are going to remove the green matting in coming few days, and review the subject trail to see what appropriate measures could be implemented in the future.”

Originally placed to prevent soil erosion, it soon became obvious that the green matting was a serious hazard, and its removal can only be seen as a good thing.

This could be a sign of thawing tensions between the AFCD and local bikers, but there is still a long way to go. We are still waiting for a response from Dr Lam about who authorized the laying of the green matting in the first place, and more importantly what expert advice was taken in the original design of the new section?

Comments

donkeyman

|Registered |2009-08-20 04:02:58

This is good news. My suggestion would be to thank Dr. Lam for his news and ask
what we can do to help. Obviously he is trying to do the right thing but the
AFCD doesn't have the necessary knowledge so some of their efforts to protect
the trail are misguided. Obviously I don't know the full history here but are we
able to give them some advice on what steps need to be taken next?

BeardedBlunder

|Administrator |2009-08-20 20:00:06

Thanks for your comments donkeyman. We at HKMBA have put forward many
suggestions, detailed maps showing ideal sustainable trails, offered to help
maintain the trails and run beginner courses, we have also tried in vein to get
them to surport our "share the trails" campaign all to no avail, so i
may sound cynical but in the past 12 months members of HKMBA have spent a lot of
time trying to help and we dont even get email replies to questions and
suggestions or offers of help-. We are at a loss!

Id like to think it is a
new chapter in relations but i fear the removal of the cheese grater may
actually be a knee jerk reaction from the AFCD as they see a potential law suit
against them if someone else has a more serious accident.

BB (HKMBA director)

tom	\|SAdministrator \|2009-08-21 04:27:17

Hey, they are also building a "beginners" track at Route Twisk nature
area. Not sure why, but they have not adequately consulted the community nor
have they hired any professionals to design it. The AFCD in Tai Lam, by their
own admission, have absolutely no experience riding a Mountain Bike on their
trails, so let's keep our fingers crossed that this is not more valuable
taxpayers money wasted. I suggest that an AFCD person be the first to ride it!

donkeyman

|Registered |2009-08-21 07:51:13

Well, let's try again wtih Dr . Lam to see if it will help. Perhaps an onsite
meeting with the guys doing the work may help rather than the pencil pushers in
the office. Then again, I'm probably being very naive!

Thanks for everyone at
the HKMBA for your efforts here.

tom	\|SAdministrator \|2009-08-22 00:19:35

One idea would be for riders caught on illegal trails to be forced to a days
work of trail maintenance. You'd probably see many riders waving down AFCD
officers and confessing ...

Don't hold your breath for any action by the AFCD.
Dr. Lam promised me on July 9 that he would reply to an email I sent about a
week earlier... You know, it was all about good stuff like safety and the
well-being of riders and an offer to teach the AFCD how to ride an MTB!

hardtail

|Registered |2009-10-10 04:08:36

Personally I thought it seemed like a good idea - not as permanent as concrete
and helped keep the soil in place. What happened?

on the note of the route
twisk beginners trail - where is it? AFCD consulted HKMBA at the start but chose
to ignore and disengage from any further consultations when it they didn't like
the advice they were getting.

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