Farmers and "land managers" in general are just as diverse as a group of mountain bikers, and just as you might get an unreasonable biker you will get unreasonable farmers/managers.

I've worked on both sides of the fence (so to speak) and have suffered abuse, and witnessed stupidity from all corners! From ramblers insisting that they must be able to walk through a busy farm yard 24/7 and not willing to support an alternative "by-pass" which was generally nicer, and more interesting; through to a farmer who would barb wire every stile and block every path.

Nowt so queer as folk.

Forunately the majority of people are reasonable, friendly and open; and those that aren't are generally disarmed easily and quickly if you are pleasant and not confrontational.

In my opinion and experience – ramblers are far more militant and difficult than bikers.

They aren't all bad. A couple of years ago my other half's nephew and some other teenagers approached a farmer in Angus and asked if they could build some jumps in woods on his land. He not only said "yes" but provided them with a load of tools to do the job. Top bloke.

Perhaps you should have queried his right to drive a 4×4 on a bridleway. After all it might not have been his land and he may not have a had a right to drive there, take his number and let him know that you are supporting the farmer's right to keep the use of the bridleway across his land to legitimate users.
How could he complain if you were trying to protect his rights 🙂

Sometimes being polite isn't enough.

The driver of the Jag that went 'off-roading' in my front garden at 11PM last night was 'polite' enough, but that didn't stop me being more than slightly vexed that he had driven through the hedge and knocked a plum tree down.

But it's difficult to stay properly indignant for very long when you're just wearing a dressing gown and wellies.

Although there are rights of way across the countryside, a lot of them are little used, so if someone is seen crossing the land on it sometimes we or our tenants will chat to them, partly because it's a break from work or maybe because we're just suspicious as we just don't see anyone there.

'Just looking for a dog mate' is the lightbulb moment, time to lock up, hide and disable machinery and hope we get away with no more than broken windows
Other joyous tasks are cleaning up of fly tip, impromptu campsites with everything left behind, savaged stock, burnt timber stacks, smashed up gateways, makeshift banger tracks, crop circle wannabes and on and on

So there are a few bad eggs out there who make those of us with a vested interest and tie to the land a bit suspicious of people, bad experience travels and good things are kept quiet

Good grief folks,all that hassle when you live in counties south of the border.I think I'd give up and go and live in the Highlands – Oh hang on I do already.Ach well,that means I have the whole place to myself,miles of empty trails AND, all our farming folk are smiley happy people up here as well.

who cares?

Steve peat is world champion!!!!!

Nah seriously.

These things are going to happen on singletrack rides…

Just accept it and man up?

As RichPenny said if your on slighty dubious grounds just be very humble

If your on legit tracks ,,,,just dont worry.

worry more about how long you can get the next manual going 🙂

x

Myself and a friend got stopped by a farmer when out on a ride, he asked where we were going, I said 'up here, and left onto the Greensand way (bridleway).

He said… 'that may be a footpath, it may be a bridlepath, but it's certainly not a mountain bike path'. It took rather a lot of persuasion that cyclists were indeed allowed on bridleways, he was quite pleasant about the whole thing, but he seemed convinced we were not supposed to be there!

I didn't think he was rude, just a bit concerned with having us lot on his land. Once he realised we were half sensible and knew what we were on about he cleared off. I personally didn't take offence to him asking, and it's not like he swore at us or warned us about anything.

His mate looked a bit young to be driving that other 4×4 didn't he.

your trying to pick holes in their business

"His mate looked a bit young to be driving that other 4×4 didn't he."

how do you know?

He looked about 13, lucky git driving around the country side at that age. Mind you, with all that fresh air he might have just been a healthy looking 25.

so your not quite sure how old he was?

and your saying hes a lucky git

and?

try to think outside your chosen pastime.

x

Good luck to them i say, i wasn't criticising the farmer or what looked like his son. I grew up just down the road from there and was mates with loads of farmers kids. It was just a casual observation that he looked a bit young. I'd rather see a teenager (if thats what he was) helping his old man on the farm than staring at a tv or hanging around a shopping centre.

Everyone – thanks very much for your comments/thoughts. It has definitely made interesting reading. I must apologise though for the Daily Mail stylee thread title … but knew that it would guarantee a response from the lovely STW readership 😉

A couple of points though …

ade ward – not sure whether I may have misinterpreted your post but on the Chilterns ride, I was not aware of any problem with walkers. Mind you, I was at the back! I know I was really disappointed to find walkers walking up the Warnscombe Lane descent but the walkers all seemed cheery enough.

We were definitely on a legal bridleway, if we weren't I would have done my "bimbo can't map read" routine 😯

My PR duties will continue as normal 🙂

Can someone please explain me the problem as I can't see anything wrong with the guy asking where you were going.

hey cinnamon girl! you need to ride Les Arcs! France

No hassle , no forums.

🙂

Drac – we were on a legal bridleway and were asked where we were going. I explained that we were continuing on the bridleway. He then asked "where next?" so I told him. But it was not done in a friendly manner, no "good morning", no smile, he just looked grumpy. Then got back in his 4 x 4.

He may well have intended to be intimidating. It's not a popular area for mountain biking, more a quiet backwater although a very pretty one.

I know, I just need to get back to the Cheviots 😉

Drac, do you get people approaching you, and without saying anything else at all, asking you two questions about your intentions, then buggering off again? And if you do, would you really not find that slightly rude?

To the other bloke, if he'd have said good morning, clearly we'd have said good morning back and had a normal conversation, maybe even convinced him that bikers are not all evil.

Chris, get off the stella lol.

The reply to be used should have been,"We're going about our lawful business on a public right of way". Smacks a bit of "Papieren bitte" he has no more right to knowledge of your actions as you have to his.

Chris, get off the stella lol.

yer but steve peat just got in!!!!!!

xxxxx

Drac, do you get people approaching you, and without saying anything else at all, asking you two questions about your intentions, then buggering off again?

Have done.

And if you do, would you really not find that slightly rude?

Maybe but wouldn't think it was because they hated MTBers.

think you lot are all taking it too seriously!

dont be professional victims

x

I can understand his attitude especially when you have people like Knottie riding because his off road antics on the Q's did cause a complaint to the police for dangerous riding from ramblers

Dam hooligan 😉

Where in wilts was that i have had similar experiences in Wilts over the years 🙂

leeson – got any more Youtube videos on trials-type stuff? Enjoyed that last one 🙂

saladdodger – I agree, knottie is definitely a hooligan 😆

theking – on the Wiltshire/Hampshire border, near Tidcombe.

As a farmer – and a biker myself, i can clearly see both sides of this encounter, which seems to me to have been handled well by both the farmer and cg.
All he was doing was making sure the group knew where they were going and weren't planning on heading off the track and onto private land.

I have a number of private tracks accross my land and often stop bikers/walkers/runners to politely make them aware that they are not meant to be there. Mostly they apologise and i'm more than happy to let them continue and enjoy the countryside. Sadly there are the few who believe they've every right to argue/abuse me/tresspass/litter/cause damage. They are the ones who spoil it for others and make us farmers all the more grumpy!
Who knows, maybe i'm not the only mtbing farmer and he was just looking for an excuse to check out your bikes!

leeson – got any more Youtube videos on trials-type stuff? Enjoyed that last one

Well, inbetween trying to snort Viakal and watch the tour of Spain I found this.

enjoy!

oh and the flowers loved it..

Farmers and "land managers" in general are just as diverse as a group of mountain bikers, and just as you might get an unreasonable biker you will get unreasonable farmers/managers.

Fair enough, both are diverse, but the majority of farmers are moronic polluting parasites. Wherease the majority of MTBers are normal people riding bikes 🙄

All this made me think of the last time I had any friendly conversation with a farmer. None of this 'where do you think you're going' stuff.

That was also in Wiltshire – Middle Chase Farm near Sixpenny Handley.

Sadly it was back in 1999. Since then from Devon to the Cairngorms, I've just been met with a load of disapproving looks.

but the majority of farmers are moronic polluting parasites

It is comments like this that makes me realise that apart from (presumably) owning and riding a bicycle I have precious little in common with some people on this forum.

I thought it was a troll so I didn't bother replying.

but the majority of farmers are moronic polluting parasites

That statement would be thoroughly reasonable were it further generalised to "people" rather than "farmers".

There's cocks on bikes, there's cocks in tractors – they're everywhere, you know.