If you are riding illegally, i don’t imagine that your insurance provider will be paying out in respect of any 3rd party claim that might arise as a result of you riding the path.

So if you happen to wipe out a 42 year old banker (who needs 6 months off work as a result of his injuries), out for a casual weekend stroll in his loafers, you might find yourself on the other end of a pretty expensive action, with no insurance to bail you out, and a less than impressed judge who also doesn’t like his country pursuits spoiled by some “maniac” charging down paths he’s not supposed to and wiping out innocent bankers.

Good thing I don’t have insurance in the first place then.

Seriously though, got any examples of this actually happening?

Yes, I’m mounting a one man civil disobedience protest in the spirit of the kinder trespass, against unfair and ridiculous laws written by townies with no understanding of the ways or customs of the countryside – and since the bastard lefties banned Beagling riding my bike is pretty much all I’ve got, what what! 😀

I know what you mean zulu. My weekends are empty now my regular hare coursing has gone by the wayside.

Going back to the original post, if you live in East Lancs and you weren’t prepared to ride footpaths then you wouldn’t be able to string a half decent route together. Slinging your bike over styles is par for the course on any ride worth doing in the area. And very rewarding. So there! 😛

Anyway… I do most of my riding at night. And everyone knows that everything defaults to bridleway once the sun goes down 😀

I shall soon (if it ever goes through) be moving to West Lancs

Give over trying to sound posh you are off to live in skem arent you …shudders

Funnily enough Binners – my car is U/S at the moment, so the other night, I was riding up the road to the farm where I do a little regular fox control, with a rifle slung over my back and a camo jacket on – I was genuinely waiting for the blue lights and ‘ecilopter…

PS. The Exposure Maxx Daddy makes a rather reasonable foxing lamp 8)

Almost had me

I shall soon (if it ever goes through) be moving to West Lancs. The other side of the M61 from the West Pennine Moors.

As a consequence of the limited foresight of Lancs CC when it classified almost every RoW as a FP, I shall be making use of plenty of FPs crossing fields while out doodling about on my SS cross bike. I’ll be sensible about where I go, and what I ride over.

If challenged, I shall use the “it’s silly” or “Kinder” arguments.

I believe it is our moral duty to ride footpaths!

Good thing I don’t have insurance in the first place then.

Seriously though, got any examples of this actually happening?

I’ll have a look, but I doubt many of these cases are reported.

However, it’s certainly possible for a pedestrian to bring a PI claim against a cyclist who mows them down.

From my ETA policy wording on 3rd party liability:

Within Britain we will become legally liable to pay for accidental bodily injury, death, or accidental damage to any person or accidental damage to third party property, which arise from your use of any pedal cycle providing you are legally resident in Britain. The total amount payable includes reasonable defence costs and expenses incurred by you with our written consent in connection with any liability insured under this certificate of insurance. The maximum amount we will pay under this section is £1 million.

However, note the general exclusion:

This certificate of insurance does not provide cover for any personal accident or personal liability of whatsoever nature, directly or indirectly cause, contributed to by or happening through or in the consequence of:

your engaging in any illegal or criminal act;

So, if your presence on the pavement/footpath was not legal, then ETA would be able to wriggle out of covering any damages awarded to the pedestrian by the court.

If you were on a bridleway and not cycling recklessly etc, then ETA would cover you for up to £1m for any damages awarded as a result of you knocking someone down.

Give over trying to sound posh you are off to live in skem arent you …shudders

😀

So, if your presence on the pavement/footpath was not legal, then ETA would be able to wriggle out of covering any damages awarded to the pedestrian by the court.

Ah, the old volenti non fit injuria..!

So, do you reckon that my car insurance would refuse to pay out if I crashed doing 35 in 30 zone?

Tonight, I’ll be riding up the footpath that passes the commemorative stone on Smithills Moor here.
I’m just waiting for some red-socked Victor Meldrew to tell me I shouldn’t be there, so that I can point out the hypocracy of their argument. 👿

Ironically, the only times I’ve received any verbal from walkers were:
1. on a Bridleway (where we were both legit’)and
2. off-piste where there was no RoW of any sort (so neither of us had any rights).

The Cheeky Trails approach doesn’t sit well with me TBH. It all seems a little furtive and underpins the idea of “I know it’s wrong but…”.

Sod the “rules”. It’s about treating people as you’d expect to be treated. Get out there and ride where you like, when you like, with who you like. Treat everyone you meet along the way well and help fellow outdoor users get used to the fact that its really not a problem.
Most of ’em under retirement age never seem to think there is any issue with us being there anyway. They expect and accept it.

Don’t hide away under cover of darkness, start working on their expectations and normalising our presence.

Oh and MTFU 😆

better example would be, your insurance WOULD refuse to payout if you crashed on private land. Which is the case, I believe.

So if you hit someone riding on a footpath and seriously hurt them, you will more than likely be facing a large payout.

My SO is an insurance lawyer, and her comments on this are: she would be after your house to cover the costs …….

Also, the majority of walkers (round by me anyway) don’t actually know bikes aren’t allowed on FPs.

So, do you reckon that my car insurance would refuse to pay out if I crashed doing 35 in 30 zone?

IIRC, the courts generally take quite a hard line with insurance for RTAs. They don’t like seeing the claimant not getting the damages he/she was awarded thanks to insurers wriggling out on a technicality.

Not so sure what the position is if you’re only claiming for your own loss and it was as a result of an illegal act. Probably not so strong.

I’m not a litigator btw.

Ecky-Thump

do you run for Horwich RMI?

Also, the majority of walkers (round by me anyway) don’t actually know bikes aren’t allowed on FPs.

My point exactly Molgrips

Ecky-Thump

do you run for Howrich RMI?

No, that link was just the first one I found with a suitable picture. No other significance.

I thing the author of that blog does that’s all.

its a nice blog!

you from Bolton

richc,

My SO is an insurance lawyer,

What tyre for chasing ambulances?

you from Bolton

Nearer Preston but ride Rivi area quite a bit. Used to live in Horwich about 10 years ago so seams like home turf.

Sod the “rules”. It’s about treating people as you’d expect to be treated. Get out there and ride where you like, when you like, with who you like. Treat everyone you meet along the way well and help fellow outdoor users get used to the fact that its really not a problem.
Most of ’em under retirement age never seem to think there is any issue with us being there anyway. They expect and accept it.

Don’t hide away under cover of darkness, start working on their expectations and normalising our presence.

+1

ride where you want to, if you get told to leave don’t be an arse about it, just be polite and go.

i had a land owner come up to me really pissed that i was on his land. i was very polite and not an arse!
he calmed down and we chatted for a bit, turned out the last lot of bikers he tried to talk to just abused him! if they hadn’t been arses maybe he’d have been a little more open to letting bikes through his wood!

i have been told of fby a walker at the very spot I just stared at the sign and then read it outloud to them 🙄

i have been told of fby a walker at the very spot I just stared at the sign and then read it outloud to them

pure poetry

i agree with Binners that sometimes footpaths are the only way to string rides together but i always ride respectably 😀

on another note i was exploring last night and have noticed Lancashire County Council are upgrading footpaths to bridalway status.

on another note i was exploring last night and have noticed Lancashire County Council are upgrading footpaths to bridalway status.

Where abouts?

Ive heard that some of the footpaths around winter hill and great hill are to be changed but not seen anything yet.

i was up between Haslingden old road and Grane road on the rossendale way and there where signs up saying footpath 111 and footpath 117 whatever that means.

Going back to the original post, if you live in East Lancs and you weren’t prepared to ride footpaths then you wouldn’t be able to string a half decent route together.

amen.

on another note i was exploring last night and have noticed Lancashire County Council are upgrading footpaths to bridalway status.

Great, I’ll take the wife!

Sod the “rules”. It’s about treating people as you’d expect to be treated. Get out there and ride where you like, when you like, with who you like. Treat everyone you meet along the way well and help fellow outdoor users get used to the fact that its really not a problem.
Most of ’em under retirement age never seem to think there is any issue with us being there anyway. They expect and accept it.

Don’t hide away under cover of darkness, start working on their expectations and normalising our presence.

Best words ever written on the internet about footpath riding? I think so, a huge +1