Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 62 total)
  • sheffield wildlife forum drive horrid flat bridleways through rivelin
  • nosedive
    Free Member

    http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/path_upgrade_nearly_done_1_3340887

    OK, so that wasn’t the actual headline. Has anyone else ridden these 6 foot wide pancake flat bridleways they have put in? I hope they never get the money to realise their plans on devils elbow.

    muppets

    uplink
    Free Member

    It’s hard to argue against giving more access

    There’s plenty more trails to choose from

    nosedive
    Free Member

    fair point. It’s just bitterly disappointing to have something re-classified as a bridleway and then turned from interesting to featureless. and ugly.

    and I really dont see why they have to be sooooo wide. Its not as if it would be hard to walk up if they were 3 feet wide. I could drive my car down them now

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    nosedive
    Free Member

    and another thing (rants). they could have ‘improved’ the footpaths which are dedicated to walkers and left the bridleways more interesting. as it is the footpaths are still prone to get waterlogged and muddy

    Rik
    Free Member

    I know they have done the bit going up hill from the lodge lane car park, and the bit from the byway to the middle of lodge lane and the first bit from rivelin reservoir.

    Is there more? They have not connected the bits in-between have they?

    br
    Free Member

    <i> upgraded and widened with a £5,000 grant from Viridor Credits environmental company</i>

    otherwise known as our money…

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    The middle track was the same as always last night

    amodicumofgnar
    Full Member

    I presume this is on a right of way not permisive bridleway, in which case the city council who decide on what its going to be width wise.

    nosedive
    Free Member

    yes, I was talking about the latest change in the bit from lodge lane up the hill. the council may have the final say on the width but none of this would have happened without the sheffield wildlife trust. They are not getting a penny from me for grenoside now, can you imagine what they could do to the bike tracks?

    thepodge
    Free Member

    check out the improvements to the drive up to the house under Rivelin rocks and that’s through a sssi.

    there has been a load of aggregate parked in a layby to the side of Rivelin valley, I suspect that’s for a bit of improvement too.

    I’ve no idea who is in charge of all this down at the council but their plans seem to be a little odd. I guess they made it clear what they thought of cyclists when they proposed opening tracks on the local landfill… but only when it closes and that’s 2018 at the earliest.

    and if you thought the wildlife trust had anything other than banishing mountain bikers and installing the minimum amount of family friendly routes in mind then you’re a less cynical man than me.

    Rik
    Free Member

    Few for the moment then…..cheers Matt

    nosedive
    Free Member

    does anyone know know if the sheffield wildlife trust have consulted any cyclists in the past? Do we have a group in Sheffield that could approach them with one voice? I did hear talk of a group that met a couple of times but I dont have or recall any details. It would be good to at least get our point of view across before they get a chance to repeat the vandalism elsewhere.

    I think we hold a pretty good card of we can get organised, if sheffield MTBers dont support the Greno woods campaign it would start to look pretty shabby

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    Do we have a group in Sheffield that could approach them with one voice?

    cough (ridesheffield) cough

    if sheffield MTBers dont support the Greno woods campaign it would start to look pretty shabby

    google: “steel city downhill” – it raised a few quid.

    antigee
    Full Member

    previous thread that links to a previous thread that has some interesting input

    http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/another-sheffield-bway-motorwayed

    as i didn’t go to the consultation meeting either i’m not sure on this point but i understood that sort of in exchange for loss of the interesting redmires rd / lodge moor bridleway to levelling to make safe for horsesthe sheffield wildlife would officially give the route down to rivelin thru fox hagg permissive bridleway status?

    and the good news is that in ridesheffield we do now have a representative body but that doesn’t stop the pressure that doesn’t favour or especially understand mountain biking

    edit ridesheffield facebook sign up here

    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137235627849 and if you don’t do facebook

    http://www.ridesheffield.com/

    Pook
    Full Member

    When this was originally planned it was to be part of a full loop. Now thus has been done, making a real mess of good paths for all users. It’ll be a bike race track now.
    Also, they haven’t simply opened up new paths, they’ve closed and rerouted some. What started out as great plans have become deeply unsatisfactory changes. Were ride Sheffield listened to? Dunno.

    I rode it before they’d flattened it all down too, when it was still open – that surface is built on sharp broken glass, bottles and mirror shards in the aggregate.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    Balls! that reminds me, there is a notice at the bottom of one of the footpaths that they were supposed to be upgrading to a bridalway as compensation for closing some of the fox hag ones, an upgrade that never happened. It didn’t look too official and I know that there is supposed to be a no horse / bike notice at the top of it. I meant to check it out on my way home. I suppose its a good excuse to go for a quick spin.

    Pook
    Full Member

    Yeah its on the rivelin rocks path through that wood by the horse field

    thepodge
    Free Member

    Any idea what it says?

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    Pook and (especially) Podge, you seem to do a lot of whining on here about your precious trails and the changes to them but neither of you seem to have put much effort into the coming to meetings or helping with the Ride Sheffield stuff. If you’re really bothered rather than just being internet warriors then why don’t you actually come and do something worthwhile? I know you, Podge, came to a couple of the early meetings but you were obstructive and then disappeared completely but then you whine and whine on here where no-one of any importance will actually read it.

    We (Ride Sheffield) are actually giving up our own time and actually trying to do something about this is real life and we do actually seem to be getting somewhere.

    Pook
    Full Member

    Bad day Matthew?

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    Nope not at all, just sick of you lot whining but not actually bothering to do anything about it in real life.

    Pook
    Full Member

    Hmm.

    As a volunteer on dig days, volunteer video producer for getting people involved in said dig days, active participant in any participative lobbying that has been required of the powers that be here in Sheffield, (led by Ride Sheffield generally), and above all responsible rider, I find your comments particularly fascinating.

    And not really all that encouraging for people who may wish to join in with RideSheffield’s work in the future. Your comments make them sound such friendly bunch (which I’d happily thought them until now).

    Podge and I have simply raised a question about the upgrading of the path on the other side of the road – which seems to have been abandoned. Nosedive has pointed out the massive change to the trail which arguably wasn’t necessary. I suggested that when ridden prior to being flattened, the aggregate they’d used contained broken glass. Perhaps something to watch out for.
    I also question how much RS had been listened to.

    Internet warrior? No. Interested in plans being followed through, yes. Worried about ‘my precious trails’? No. Worried about plans which included bikes – the rivelin loop for example – being abandoned? Yes.

    This is a perfect illustration of a group (MTBers) which is theoretically pulling in the same direction tearing itself apart.

    Here you have two people who quite clearly care about the trails and the plans made being actively disenfranchised by the very group which is supposed to be encouraging unity within the mountain biking community.

    Sad really. Perhaps you could have encouraged a positive participation as a whole rather than singling out Podge and myself for voicing concerns here where ‘no-one of any importance will actually read it’. And in an open forum such as the Ride Sheffield meetings, Podge has every right to voice his opinion on matters biking in Sheffield – regardless of how ‘obstructive’ you may consider it. Is it that bikers are allowed a say in trail matters as long as it fits in with your way of thinking?

    As I say, quite sad really.

    And I’ve been to the meetings too. Sorry if that’s not enough for you.

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    Dig days? Video? Ok.

    Ride Sheffield are doing a lot to help out and we are getting places but the fruits of this are yet to be seen as most of the stuff we are seeing happening now took place before we established. There are some very interesting developments in the pipeline that we have been closely consulted on.

    All I see is whining on here and not much actually forthcoming. Podge was obstructive on R.S. matters, not actually related to riding, and then buggered off completely deciding just to moan on here. We are actually still doing something about it all.

    Ok, maybe you have caught me with a bit of a bee in my bonnet but I don’t see much other than internet moaning when we are actually out there doing something about it.

    I’d be very happy for more people to get involved in things, that is what has frustrated me.

    nosedive
    Free Member

    OK then (deliberately not getting involved in the arguments)….

    when is the next ride sheffield meeting? Do you have to be a member or anything? If there is a real chance of influencing something then I would be interested in getting involved.

    and as a side note – anyone else disappointed that steel city downhill is involved in supporting an organisation that seems to focus on ruining our tracks?

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    Keep an eye on the Ride Sheffield facebook page or website as linked to by Antigee above to hear about the next meetings.

    Sheffield Wildlife Trust are actually well behind cycling and are not intent on ruining tracks for cyclists at all so we’re happy to support them. They’re very keen to encourage cycling in Greno hence the support of the Steel City Race.

    nosedive
    Free Member

    OK, thank

    I’m going to take some convincing about the Sheffield Wildlife Trust though. Seems you can be pro cycling but still not give a hoot about mountain bikers

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    There are a number of other factors at play here and piling all of the criticism on SWT in unjust really. Sheffield City Council Right of Way team are far more obstructive and SWT really are behind mountain biking. They’re very keen to have us on their land.

    nosedive
    Free Member

    are they still intent on ‘improving’ devils elbow?

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    The plans for that keep changing and I’m not up to date with the latest decision but I fear they might be unfortunately

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    does anyone know know if the sheffield wildlife trust have consulted any cyclists in the past?

    Yes, Me.

    They to are a bunch of lovely people who also want to get people outdoors and would be more than happy for a meeting or a chat – head to the wednesday lunch cafe at thier headquarters on Stafford Road, S2 for a chat with some of them.

    I think the bigger problem is SCC and the seemingly widely held belief that by providing a wide, smooth path for users that access problems can be solved, or that pressure on these areas is somehow relieved.

    I miss riding round Sheffield *sobs* But here is betterer 8)

    thepodge
    Free Member

    Didn’t Chris write a press release for you too?

    Do I whine a lot? Seriously, it’s hard for me to judge what other people think of the way I write things. I have been told before that I do have an “Internet” persona but I’m not so sure. Sometimes I mean to be a dick, sometimes I just come across that way.

    I have no idea what to make of Ride Sheffield. You clearly mean well but a lot of things were said at that meeting about how the group should be run that didn’t sit well with me. Plus after being told off for building you a website because I didn’t consult the comity before going live with it I figured I wasn’t welcome and didn’t want to be part of the main body. Clearly I was right as I gave off the impression of being obstructive when all I really wanted was to see something being done… Something I’m still waiting for.

    Pook
    Full Member

    I forgot about that press release I wrote.

    nosedive
    Free Member

    anyway……….

    and is ride sheffield going to bitterly oppose any improvements to devils elbow, or would that group be happy because SWT are all lovely people?

    you just all seem very positive about people who are shafting my riding

    matthew_h
    Free Member

    FWIW, my opinions above are personal and not representative of Ride Sheffield. Just to make that clear.

    Pook
    Full Member

    edited

    Pook
    Full Member

    Matthew, you’ve had a go at me, and podge. You’ve ignored or not considered the videos I’ve done for singletraction, the article I wrote for bike magic and Stw, and dig days I’ve been on. You’ve spoken as Mr ride Sheffield on here, then retracted your comments.

    Like I say, I’m just keen to see riders in Sheffield and beyond watched out for by whomever.

    But there you go.

    See you at the next meeting. i might even write it up again.

    daveh
    Free Member

    Just ride it flat out, hanging your back end out at every opportunity. It can be fun, will erode the trail and flat wide bridleways = bikes at speed may make them rethink. I do find the lower section of cut gate hilarious these days! I do of course realise this is a flawed plan, potentially dangerous and anti-social.

    thepodge
    Free Member

    Matthew, if RS were more informative on what was happening then I may be more inclined to help out. So far all I’ve seen is its members hanging out with Sheffield’s cool kids (Steve Peat, CGCC, thisisheffield, ShAFF).

    You mention there are some interesting new developments but not what they are. I find it difficult to get excited and support an organisation who keep me in the dark.

    I could turn up to another meeting but I’d prefer to read an email or web post in my lunch its quicker, easier and gives me time to consider my views on the matter. The FB page has very little information on it and the website is filled with blank pages and posts bigging yourself up.

    This was one of the things that I didn’t agree with at those early meetings. Actively keeping quiet and making decisions behind closed doors that affect us all while pimping RS as representing everyone.

    nosedive not only didn’t know you existed (more grass roots promotion needed, perhaps join Chris on one of his very popular pootles) but also frequently uses and is passionate about a track that you are involved in. And you’re still not giving him the info. you may not have been at the meeting but you should have been finding out and posting what is going on. after all if members of the main body don’t know what is going on then what hope do the rest of us have?

    davej, I’ve always said people should ride resurfaced tracks as much as possible to speed up wear and tear. only problem now is that its base is partly made up of glass so once the top has worn through it’ll become dangerous.

    Matt, its nice to know SWT are a good bunch, I like having my negative views proved wrong.

    amodicumofgnar
    Full Member

    I think the bigger problem is SCC and the seemingly widely held belief that by providing a wide, smooth path for users that access problems can be solved, or that pressure on these areas is somehow relieved.

    The look of the rights of way repairs does seem to be an entirely personal thing to the areas rights of way officer. That was one of the things missing from the excellent set of articles on STW a couple of weeks back. I’ve yet to find anything other than guidance rather than statutory obligations on width.

    Pook
    Full Member

    As I feel I was rather unfairly criticised on here the other day, and as I’m now in writing on a laptop rather than a phone, I thought I’d just give some evidence of what i’ve actually done rather than just being an internet warrior which you may or may not think is worthwhile

    Ride Sheffield meeting written up for Singletrackworld

    Ride Sheffield meeting written up and on the ridesheffield site (no less)

    It was on Bike Magic too but I can’t find the link.

    Videos produced for Singletraction:

    Dig Day.
    I’m the chap in red in the sped up sections. Also the man behind the camera, doing the interviews and in the edit suite.

    Boulder Trail video produced on request by Singletraction. I didn’t ride that day as I was feeling sick as a dog.

    But hey, I’m not one to bang on about what I’ve done. I’ve just done it and hoped it’s helped.

    Have I done enough to be allowed an opinion now?

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