Apologies in advance, but in essence this is just going to be a rant.

I KNOW that I ride in places that I am not supposed to, I ride considerately and cheerily wherever I am (legit trails or not), and for the most part I get a reasonable response from horse riders, joggers, walkers etc.

However the ‘Johnny come Lately’, got a new pair of trainers / walking shoes for Christmas and made a New Year resolution brigade are out in force. AND because they feel so damned righteous about getting off of their arses for a change, they feel the need to pull me up on whether I should be riding where I am or not. My response is erring towards “are you the landowner or appointed agent of the landowner, no? well f*ck off, then”. I know I am in the wrong, but when I’ve been riding trails for over five years and some uptight, snobby old tart and her frankly beaten husband have a pop, it gets my goat.

The thing that is keeping me sane is the certain knowledge that these tosspots will pack it in at the first sight of a bit of wind and rain and go back to having petty disputes with their neighbours or whatever small-minded people do with their time.

As I said, only a rant, but I’d be interested if anyone else has noticed the New Year Resolution bandwagon jumpers in their area.

How dare people be outside, enjoying the countryside. Shocking, etc.

FFS.

give it a week and they’ll be back to the pub/sofa/x box.

[parent mode]If you know you’re riding illegally it seems a bit out of order to respond aggressively when they point out to you something you freely admit on here.
The long game of that kind of behaviour is we’ll lose access IMO.
Personally I disagree with cheeky riding but if you’re going to do it, IMO best to be inconspicuous and polite if asked to take responsibility for your illegal behaviour…[/parent mode]

The trick is a) not even slowing down or b) ride in Scotland 😀

So are only experienced walkers authorised to talk to you?

The cheek of some people. How dare they try and improve their health and well being.

I usually just shout naughty words while spitting my chewing tobacco at them. They seem to get the point then.

Get over yourself. You’re where you shouldn’t be, they’re pointing out. If you can’t take the heat…

Why cant people just all get along.

BTW a simple “it’s my land” shuts most of them up.

Just stop and thank them for their public spirited attitude, ans as i did today, point out their crapping mutt should be on a lead, and that they need to clear up its pooh and dispose of the bag in a bin or take it home, both dog and pooh.

Strangely the ignorant walkerist/dogger,just swore at me.

BTW a simple “it’s my land” shuts most of them up.

I have also tried the ‘I am the landowner!!’ gambit recently and it’s a winner. So far. Probably not great when you are talking to the landowner. But still.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXa9tXcMhXQ&feature=player_detailpage

brooess – Member
[parent mode]If you know you’re riding illegally it seems a bit out of order to respond aggressively when they point out to you something you freely admit on here.
The long game of that kind of behaviour is we’ll lose access IMO.
Personally I disagree with cheeky riding but if you’re going to do it, IMO best to be inconspicuous and polite if asked to take responsibility for your illegal behaviour…[/parent mode]

If it was not for people “acting illegally” there would be no walking access.

I agree with the OP, I love the public police who think it’s their place to enforce the countryside law.

I got so fed up up the rightous dog walker whos mutt’s eggs get everywhere, that the dogs attack sheep, dogs and other humans that they still feel the need to tell us cyclists what we are doing wrong.

Last year I ended up saying **** off but hated to being resorted to that level.

Grow some balls and accept your in the wrong. Then you can carry on enjoying your ride till the next time.Accepting you are in the wrong rather than trying to defend your actions will hopefuly help us all in the long run as we will be seen as people who can get along with each other rather than agrivate them.

Fair enough, most of the criticism – I think my rant was probably fuelled by annoyance at myself for getting agitated in the first place.

I actually forgot the bloke walking who warned me about some some Park Rangers (aka the Fun Police) so I wouldn’t run into them. And about the woman who apologised for her dog being in the way when I shouldn’t have been there. Obviously I was extremely polite to both of them and acknowledged my ‘guilt’. Just goes to show that most people are quite relaxed, but it only takes one disagreement to lodge in the memory to cause a loss of perspective. Two days later and I couldn’t care less.

Another one to chalk up to experience, then.

I usually tell them I only speak Polish

BTW, it;s not illegal to ride a footpath (except in certain places where a byelaw applies, such as the national park). “Footpath” just means that the right to pass on foot has been proven, not that there is no right to ride a bike – it might exists but not have been proven yet. Your riding might help establish it

I have toyed with “je ne comprend pas, c’est interdit de faire du velo ici?”, but I am not sure my GCSE French is correct, and would hate to be mistaken for a frenchman(!) 🙂

My German is worse, but I suspect would be more effective for some reason…………

“Ein bike, ein rider, ein ride” delivered in loud tones with some foaming at the mouth and pointing would probably end the conversation quite quickly.

Been riding where I shouldn’t for a very long time (when I say a long time I mean pre MTB days, where a pushbike fitted with cowhorn bars and the thickest tyres available up the top of kinder drew amazed onlookers rather than unwelcome gestures) .. Unless aggression is shown to me I always plead ignorance in a polite way.

If they’re very rude.. I’m rude in return. If they’re aggressive (that’s only happened the once mind) I answer in kind.

Rule of thumb for me is that I ALWAYS show courtesy, slow down, give a smile and a thanks for people who I inconvenience along the way.

“I’ve been riding trails for over five years” – time served then? I’m a lot less new than you are? Absolutely no proof of how long the people in question have been using the outdoors. Just cos you ain’t seen em before doesn’t mean that they haven’t been there. And the fact that the specific peeps in question seem to be duffers it may indicate that they could well have been out and about a lot longer than you. Or maybe not but in the end”we” just don’t know. Not that the length of time you have used somewhere should be taken as meaning that you have free reign. Though of course one of the ways of getting a PROW approved is to establish long term passage by the great unwashed.

Have a pint of tea and give your self a talking to, you probably just had a bad day.

Your general point is right though , that the people who are the trails for whatever purpose through the bad weather tend to be ok and the ones who suddenly appear the nano-second that the sun comes out are the ones who are territorial .from being virtually deserted through the winter there were people queing up for ther stiles and getting grumpy

Why dont you do something positive like I am doing and engage the land owner to give permissive status to cyclists on the fotpaths that you ride.

So then you wont come on a forum ranting about yourself riding on illegal trails.

This thread appears to have been started by the sort of rider who gives cyclists a bad name … no wonder cyclists get so much stick

rubbish the OP is completely right.

The long game of that kind of behaviour is we’ll lose access IMO.

Access to what ? Bridleways big deal !

Its time we stepped up and demanded rights to use footpaths just like ramblers did back in the day.

Whats the reason we cant use footpaths ?

Whats the reason we can use bridleways ? How am I a 75kg person + 25 kg bike anything like a 500kg horse + 75kg rider ?

Clearly the bridleway rule was just made up because no one could be bothered with the expense of working out which trails are suitable for bikes (ie most of them). And at the time there wasnt many offroad cyclist to be bothered disagreeing.

Also the rights of way system isnt good to begin with. Often a Bridleway turns into a footpath for no obvious reason. Most of the ROW were just draw up on a definite map back in the day by one ROW officer and often they didnt put much thought into what type it should be. Also rich land owners tended to lean on them to remove ROW from their land and there werent even MTBs round then.

Seeing as the ROW system is so nonsensical I cant see there is much point sticking to it.

Why dont you do something positive like I am doing and engage the land owner to give permissive status to cyclists on the fotpaths that you ride.

Because quite clearly a person on a MTB is much closer in size and in potential damage to the trail to a normal walker. Than a MTB is to a horse and we should be classified with walkers not horse.

Therefore we should be able to ride footpaths unless they do a total reclassification.

This thread appears to have been started by the sort of rider who gives cyclists a bad name … no wonder cyclists get so much stick

I thought this thread was started by someone who was in a bad mood and wanted a bit of a grumble, despite accepting he might be in the wrong. You’re all so ****ing righteous.

Give cyclists access to footpaths petition

Click here

My response is erring towards “are you the landowner or appointed agent of the landowner, no? well f*ck off, then”.

I think people are being a bit harsh on the OP. He did say erring towards… So as far as I can gather he normally bites his tongue and responds well and hasn’t resorted to it. Given it’s an internet rant, I don’t see the issue.

I don’t ride on Footpaths btw, but probably only because they’re all crap round my way.

Just smile and say “i know” as u whizz by

scu98rkr – Member
Give cyclists access to footpaths petition

maybe this needs a thread of it’s own? (maybe it already has?)

have signed!

db

e-petition signed!

i think it’s worthy of its own thread

“Because quite clearly a person on a MTB is much closer in size and in potential damage to the trail to a normal walker. Than a MTB is to a horse and we should be classified with walkers not horse.

Therefore we should be able to ride footpaths unless they do a total reclassification.”

Well it might be news to you, but we’re not given the same classification and instead of moaning on a forum about it why dont you do something about it.

why not start a thread on a forum about it – that will get a result

I just posted the link to the e petition did nt I thats a good start have you signed it yet ????????????????????????????????

clearly what the e-petition is for?

e-petitions is an easy way for you to influence government policy in the UK. You can create an e-petition about anything that the government is responsible for and if it gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will be eligible for debate in the House of Commons.

People who don’t like their lot are even more of a pain in the arse on a Monday and Hartleys pineapple jam is so good when mixed into steaming hot rice pudding are my lessons for the day.

maybe you should do more than think that the internet can solve your problems.

try engaging the people who own the land, you might get something out of it.

have you signed it yet ??????????

No, i’ll not be signing it,