Cycle grids (A-frames) have been installed on the Thabaphaswa Mountain Bike Routes.
Bikers do not need to stop and open gates anymore when riding.
For the newbies, we provide this Mountain Biking 101 advice by our mountain bike adviser:
Riding an A-frame
Riding over an A-frame or similar structure can be compared to climbing onto a curb with your bike.
The key to remember is not to use your brakes at all as you go over the A-frame structure. Using your brakes will cause your centre of gravity to move too far forward, which in turn can cause you to go over your handle bar. If you do not brake and keep your body weight backwards, you can’t fall over your handle bar!
Approach the structure with a relatively low speed, but still with enough momentum so that you can almost free-wheel over it. Lift your bum slightly out of the saddle so that your bike can move freely below your body.
As your front wheel is about to make contact with the structure, compress you front shock by leaning your weight forward and then pull sharply up on your handle bars and lean you weight backwards to remove all weight off your front wheel. This will assist your front wheel to ride up and over the A-frame structure.
If you do not have enough momentum to get to the top, simply peddle a bit to get you to the top of the A-frame structure, until you bike starts to ride down the other side. Once you get to the top of the A-frame structure, straighten your arms and move your centre of gravity as far back as possible.
The easiest way to do this is to move your bum to the back of your saddle.
Allow your bike to free-wheel down the other side of the A-frame, without touching any of your brakes.