[Closed] Cyclists 'frightening' people in the New Forest

Oh i thought it was going to be about WCA and his axe...

The problem down here is a number of people who want nobody in the New Forest at all.

Just last month a local counceller complained that cyclists were dangerous on the forests roads and should be banned!

It all makes me laugh 😆

ps, the official cycle network does not link together, or link any of the main tourist areas either!!

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-15773470 ]Problems also reported at Box Hill[/url]

Surrey Police said there had been a "significant" increase in cyclists along the A25 and at Box Hill.
Residents said the extra riders were causing a nuisance.

Have a thought for the ponnies will you?, the thought that riders could inadvertently be pissing oFf toffs, wot wot! spicy fart in your enemies nostrils anyone? 😀

😯

read some of those comments... how can cyclists be peoples pet hate!? I just don't get it.

159 ponies killed by car in the new forest 0 by cyclists... not that much of threat are we really? what a bunch of twunts.

Anyone for an STW forum ride?

we have teh classic

When a bike rider starts paying road tax they can moan, until then I suggest they shut up, they are a menace, they don't stop at red lights, they think they own the road, they are a law unto themselves.

Ban the bloody lot of them.

TINAS, Sounds like a good idea! I'm up for it. 🙂

Oh i thought it was going to be about WCA and his axe...

Words right out of my mouth etc... 😉

What a joke, and the rabid comments are even funnier.

TINAS, excellent idea, I'm up for it too. I'll be riding my loudest Pro 2 hub and seeing just how many lights I can fit on my bars!

I'll come! 😀

And then they'll ***king know they've bin frightened....

I'm not organising it, I can balrey point to the place on a map!

Laughable article and bizarre attitudes (and dress sense) of the priviliged twts that run the forest aside, is there actually any thing worth riding?

I've taken my bike down a couple of times (mum lives in the land of the living dead that is New Milton) and followed some of the mind-numbing official routes, even the folks in "Gone Biking Mad" looked at me blankly when I asked for routes.

Is it worth posting a link to this thread in the comments "for a laugh"?

Me too.. not too far for me, occasionally ride there but it's a bit busy with grockles.
Prefer the Northern tip of the NF, much quieter and more trails.

Ah it's OK look:

Where does the money come from for the Government to grant to local councils [for road repairs]? the tax charged on cycle helmets or puncture repair kits, no it's from VED as road tax.

So that's OK then...
🙄

I genuinely do not understand how people are too stupid to comprehend how taxation works at even the most basic level. I would go and post on there but you know what they say about arguing with morons on the internet...

Re the riding round there, it's got some great road riding.

Solomon's Boot wrote:
I agree with thew CDA. The livestock and wildlife was here first. The New Forest is NOT a cycle track. Those lights at night are so bright, they blind motorists temporarily, they are a bloody nightmare!

There's not rest for the wildlife either. They go out at night in HUGE numbers!!!!

These idiots need culling, they gather in large numbers and take over the roads. Roads were built for cars, and car drivers pay road tax, if a motorist hits one of these dickheads, the motorist gets the blame, even though these idiots have NO road sense!!

[img] [/img]

This chap maybe?

I have pointed out to motorists on more than one occasion that I too pay vehicle excise duty, and as the owner of a band G or H car usually far more than they have paid to tax their poncey mini. So by their own argument I am entitled to more of the road than they are.

Ban the cars, let the roads return to nature, then we'll all be happy 🙂

It's such a bizarre article as to be funny. I guess that it has raised the number of visits to the Bournemouth Echo website, so they have got what they wanted!

The best comment in the article has to be about children cycling on busy roads. I assume that those parents cycling with children should be in robust vehicles, increasing the traffic and childhood obesity.

I commute on my bike through the National Park and I have to admit not (to my knowledge) to have frightened anyone. Over the years I have reduced (in a very small way) air and noise pollution, helped out at the scene of various car / motorbike crashes and have contacted landowners when the cows are on the road. Sadly, on my 9 mile ride there are no traffic lights to jump.

The New Forest is a great resource but for off road riding it seems largely under used - which I guess is how the National Park would like it. On early morning rides I rarely see other cyclists.

Now when it comes to being frightened on roads my vote goes to the vehicle overtaking in the dark and rain on a blind corner, when you've lost any sense of where the pot holed edge of the road should be due to oncoming glare from un-dipped lights - suddenly you feel very fragile.

Only time I've scared people in the NF is by riding a bit too fast on some cheeky trails... so most times I went out riding then 😉

Had one of the most miserable bank holiday weekends in the New Forest. The fact is that virtually all of the residents absolutely loathe the fact that they have to rely on tourism to fund their lifestyles.

We went looking for trails and found nothing that was really fun anyway, so it's a bit of a wasted trip if you go as you'll have a crap ride and piss off the locals. Unless pissing people off is a hobby of yours, in which case it's bloody good sport.

Pootling about is the best riding in the NF.

From the box hill article...

"If cyclists are aggressive, that is inexcusable."

Wonder if the person making that statement wonders why cyclists get aggressive? When inconsiderate/careless driving genuinely puts your life at risk I'm sure most people would sometimes find it difficult to keep a cool head.

Bank Hols weekend is possibly the *worst* time to visit the NF!!

have to rely on tourism to fund their lifestyles.

Many people in the NF are retired, or work in Bournemouth/Southampton/London.... very very few rely on tourism..

My folks live down there, so it's great having a 'second home' in the NF 😀

Looks like that Echo is owned by the same crowd that does the Bournemouth Echo. Which absolutely loves printing this kind of drivel. They know that cyclist articles drive morons to their websites, so 'cyclists' riding too close to little old ladies will often make the front page in an attempt to whip up the righteous indignation crowd.

Ooh, this thread has a mention on their comments section now. Fame...

Ladies and gentlemen, know thy enemy

[img] [/img]

THERE IS NO DECENT OFF ROAD CYCLING IN THE NEW FOREST - DON'T COME DOWN HERE, EVER 😉

But do come down to the Big Bike Bash - there's loads of cycling then!

Ooh, can we have a 'frighten the locals' New Forest ride then? Can we? PLEEEEEEASE???

Elf,

might cost a little cider... 😉

Members complained that tourists were cycling along busy roads, with children as young as seven or eight struggling to keep up with their parents

That'll be because they're not allowed to cycle in the woodland!

I spend a fair bit of time in the Forest, I grew up spending my summer holiday's camping there, so I have lots of fond memories of the place. The parents now own a static in Ashley so I frequent that on a fair few weekends throughout the year, rarely takes the bikes though which is a real shame as there is so much riding which could be done, but I wouldn't want to be breaking any by-laws 🙄

Many people in the NF are retired, or work in Bournemouth/Southampton/London.... very very few rely on tourism..

That may be the case, but as a tourist, the people you come into contact with are the pub owners, restaurant owners, village shop owners, camp site owners etc - all of which are in the tourism game, and *most* of which would rather you wern't there (but just post your money directly to them).

Also, it probably says a lot that a large part of the population are second homers who are probably the worst NIMBYs going.

THE most unfriendly, unwelcoming bit of the UK I've visited.

go on then, who's the Che Guevara shaped troll?

I live down here, and I am friendly 😆 honest!

So who's up for a ride then??

It's this lot that need culling:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cyclists-frightening-people-in-the-new-forest

Couldn't agree more

You've got to admit that the cyclists in the photo [i]do[/i] look like a bunch of tearaways. I particularly like, 'I'm not sure what risk a cyclist presents to a horse or cow. I certainly wouldn't want to run into one, but I suspect it wouldn't even notice if I did.'

This is brilliant, a really funny set of comments and the article is genius, I cant wait to go out on my next night ride and start shuoting in the woods, I didnt realise that is what we should do.

I've added my comment so I'm happy now 😀

They're scared of these guys?

[img] http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/resources/images/1832692/?type=display [/img]

There is a scene in a Peter Greenaway film where 2 cyclists go round a bend in the road and crash into a cow....

The one on the left is a right nutter!.....He's got hammers in that knapsack!

I like the baseball cap style helmets 😉

Strangely the article doesn't mention the possible impact on the Forest of the point to point races that are allowed to be held annually.
In these, huge swathes of Forest are opened up as car parks, which is an open invitation for anyone with a 4x4 to practise their off road driving skills. Then you have huge numbers of riders on horses charging across the Forest flat out.
That's not a problem is it.