STW is a niche conclave

Too true, but we are all united in a sense – by our two wheels, our knbbly tyres, our shared trails, and our mutual love of penis hats. 🙂

Ok – this bit doesnt apply to this thread but the bit in the guardian

Ill infomed inflamitory tosh in my opinion, the sort of nonsense that then starts to get quoted as gospel and just generally makes it harder to get any sensible workable ideas off the ground. Oh its in the Guardian it must be true.

Look at Jacobs Ladder, the section from the ford via the hairpin bend to the gate was once all grass and very ridable up (before bouncy forks), this section is mainly used by us MTB'ers and is now well worn because of over use

But really what difference does that make? The track is a few feet wider? A bit more difficult to ride?

Would we prefer the countryside to be a sort of museum piece that we can gaze at but not touch, or should we be using it?

Fair enough, protect the delicate, easily damaged areas (as highlighted by TJ), but why should we feel guilty about riding on the vast majority of trails.

Most areas that we ride in are not 'natural' in the strictest sense, they are all heavily influenced by human activity – whether that is Leith Hill, my local replanted slag heap, or even places like Dartmoor. We are just one of the newer users, and people resent us for that.

BTW I'm not advocating hooliganism on trails, I'm just puzzled when people invent crap to make me feel guilty for riding a bike.

Oh its in the Guardian it must be true. LOL only a knobber would believe anything that rag, Daily Mail for the left(hargic).

IdleJon – in this case it's getting deeper not wider. Just pointing out that we as MTBers are doing considerable damage to the "honey pot" areas and this could lead to serious access problems at some point. Agree that the countryside is not and should not be a museum but there are people out there trying to preserve it as then think it should be and MTB's are not included. As far as I'm concerned the country side is a place of work for a lot of people and those of us that use it as a play thing don't give them the support and respect they are due, particulary in the Kinder area. Talk to a local shepherd, their nice enough once you get past the thousand yard stare.