ok, so leaving aside the ludicrous law which no one seems to be able to give any clarity to, has anyone actually got into trouble for riding on a footpath? as in, some deep shit that they really wish they hadn't got into? or is it just occasional handbags? I've ridden on footpaths since 1987 and can't say I've experienced anything to make me stop. Some old bloke waving a walking stick and a forestry commission guy who didn't know the law are about the extent of it.

maybe its time we all ignore the law, whatever it is, and get on with riding bikes where we want to?

I went on some local footpaths at the weekend and got a thorn in my rear tyre……watch out they bite back !!

(been going on the same paths since 91 with no trouble)

If a cyclist isn't confident enough to ride on the road, maybe they should be riding at all.

The most stick I've had by far for this has been from other mountain bikers and particularly STWers 🙂

paddy, bless you, I'm talking about bumpy muddy public footpaths, not pavements/sidewalks etc

When we did this one before, nobody could come up with anybody having been taken to court for it – not even in the places where it's a criminal offence under bye-laws. I've also googled before now – am reasonably convinced nobody has ever got into serious trouble for it.

(why does my google browser thing "googled" is a spelling mistake?)

I once almost went to prison for cycling through a golf course aracer. I was really worried – as you can imagine.

YOu would Ernie. did you smash a loom while you were at it

SFB – you provide people with the ammunition to bitch and make a fuss – same morally as red light jumpers

That story must be worth sharing

I ride footpaths in the hope of meeting SFB 😉

SFB – you provide people with the ammunition to bitch and make a fuss – same morally as red light jumpers

an interesting concept 🙂 The difference being that no one is placed in any danger of physical harm! But as for bitching I'm sure they can do that without any help from me!

I once rode across the 18th hole of Barbon golf course, under the impression I was on a bridleway and those distant golfers were waving at me cheerily :o) The reason being that the actual route of the BW had been allowed to become so overgrown I didn't even see it…

SFB -the red light jumping I do is to improve my safety – but it still causes the cage drivers to bitch.
By riding on footpaths you give the bitches ammunition

By riding on footpaths you give the bitches ammunition

ammunition for gobfarts ? Why would I care ? The point is, it's only an issue in people's heads. IRL no one has the time or inclination to police it and without enforcement (on dubious grounds anyhow) case law is entirely moot, as I weekly demonstrate.

I still think somebody(else) should organise a well publicised, Kinder Scout style mass trespass. On Kinder Scout for added antagonism. (Only if it's still a FP obviously, it'd be a shit demo if it was now a BW!)

I still think somebody(else) should organise a well publicised, Kinder Scout style mass trespass

How about this? (STW Jan ride)
click pic for bigger

38 riders in central Lakeland on a Sunday and 40% footpaths…

Paramo clad ramblers waving a leki pole in red faced rage – 0

Fail.

Damn good start though 😉

I regularly ride sections of footpath that connect bridlepaths, on the assumption that back in the sixties people were too stupid to realise that a route that people rode horses on didn't suddenly require them to get of and carry the horse just because the next parish shows a footpath. No matter what Mr Sanctimonious says. It's the hypocracy of Ramblers that gets me; mass trespass to get their access, but denial of same to others just because of poor ROW mapping by parishes when access law was changed in the sixties.

I heard about the Jan ride, Footpaths on a Sunday afternoon with 36 people – not my preferred method.

Nice evening or small groups being discreet is what I prefer.

In an area such as the lakes where there is already some tension about use of the fells it would be useful for people to at least not head out in big groups in the middle of the day. The last thing we need is someone to have an accident with a rambler who maybe waved his walking stick at a bike then we all have a much bigger issues and it is taken beyond a minor telling off.

The last think I want to see is a bunch of National Trust/NP guys sent out to look out for bikers forcing confruntation

Nice evening or small groups being discreet is what I prefer.

Are you a swinger? 😉

38 riders in central Lakeland on a Sunday and 40% footpaths

Sounds like hell on Earth.

Observe "The Rules" and all will be fine… 🙂

😉

SFB, that footpath was a nice smooth track, look what all those irresponsible cyclists have done to it!

anyway, footpaths are old hat, corridors are more 2010

If someone says “bikes are not allowed on here” reply with “yes, I know, silly isn’t it?”

this is a very handy tip… a much better and more purposeful response than the usual guff I manage to summon up.. will be repeating this mantra whilst out and about later on today..

Love that site Crazy legs..

forget footpaths I always fancied a go in an airport.

(They do look like c0cks though)

I had a Police caution when a kid, from riding on the pavement, I'd have probably got off with a telling off if I'd not been cocky:

PC – Son, here
Me – What?
PC – You are riding on the pavement
Me – Not really (technically yes, but I was 'trackstanding' with a friend as he walked on an empty pavement home from school)
PC – Whats' your name?
Me – John Smith (name changed)
PC – And whats' your dads' name (small town)
Me – MR SMITH

So he took my details, and a few weeks later my folks received a letter that I had to meet with the Chief Constable for a Police caution.

My mum (no nonesense Yorkshire lady) took me, and let the copper read what he had to do, and then berrated him for a good 5 minutes on how he ought have his guys out dealing with real-crime. He couldn't get a word in edgeways, and at the end apologised for all the inconveniance.

As we left, I said sorry to her – and she said don't be daft, and don't worry about riding on pavements – he won't have us in there again.

What's the "legal" difference between a footpath and a pavement then?

(just to open up another can of worms) 😉

it would be useful for people to at least not head out in big groups

I demur. I don't agree with the appeasement line and welcome confrontation – except it never happens – most of the time there's nobody there to notice or care and the sooner the self-policing meme is eradicted from riders, the happier they'll be

Yes going out in big groups is more likely to annoy others into complaining but I think you are on shakey ground saying big groups on FPs is irresponsible cos it may mean trouble for your future fp riding mikewsmith.

While I don't agree with SFB on much I do like his open attitude about footpaths ie he doesn't sneak around doing it. Oh and the stw lakes trip was fine, no problems with walkers, very quiet day rambler-wise actually.

I too am more of a stealth trail poacher myself tho.

Spent most of my youth (11-18+) riding footpaths and never once got questioned until I went out onto more popular paths such as those around Rivington, where the odd rambler got over-excited about my lack of bell, or subsequenty about my use of a bell. If you're careful and courteous around other path users I find you get nothing but a nice smile and a "Hi".

What's the "legal" difference between a footpath and a pavement then?

Pavements are next to roads, and AFAIK it is illegal to cycle on them. Footpaths are not next to roads and AFAIK it is legal to cycle on them, but the landowner can object.

Others may disagree with the second statement.

if you are polite and considerate to other users then why not?

to get to all the out of bounds stuff in the Peak you have to use footpaths.

To be honest when you get into the stuff out you will only find like minded people (on two legs or on bikes)

Despite me finding sfb to be an argumentative, disturbingly pervy, intellectually arrogant, perniciously corrosive presence on this forum, I find myself agreeing with him on this particular point. 😕

I abandoned my principles in this area a number of years ago, originally to take the load off some badly eroded BW areas. I found that there was no other bugger using most of the footpaths in my area and realised my riding was substantially enriched with the increased variety and options for route building. Its also clear that s has been stated above, the definitive map process of the 60's was hardly undertaken thoroughly.

I now ride where I will, irrespective of ROW and only mindful of sensitive or contentious areas.

Despite me finding sfb to be an argumentative, disturbingly pervy, intellectually arrogant, perniciously corrosive

I'll accept all those but "perniciously corrosive" – how so ?

I abandoned my principles

interestingly, I'd describe it the opposite way – for years I reluctantly toed the club's line on sticking to recognised rights of way until I abandoned this craven stance…

Sorry, but bollocks to the law.

I have ridden fp's since I was a kid and will continue to do so. I simply dont care what other people think. In 23 yrs of riding, I have been moaned at twice. I tend to find a cheery preemptive "hello" does the trick with even the most militant of walkers.

Lots of farmers get pissed off with people riding on footpaths.What needs to happen is all outdoor users mtbers horse riders even the ramblers work together for better sensible access to the country side.One local nature reserve is out of bounds as a natural unspoiled place despite the steps and the gravel paths that have been put in .You get a right bollocking for riding round it but the wardens land rover is always in there.It's not us country lovers who will wreck it but all the townies who need gravel tracks steps and signs so they can access the countryside

What's the "legal" difference between a footpath and a pavement then?

A pavement is a strip of land by the side of a highway set aside for pedestrians, on which it was made illegal to drive a carriage in the 19th century. At some point, someone decided that a bike is a carriage. It is therefore a criminal offence to ride a bike on a pavement, but the advice to the police from the Home Office is only to issue a fixed penalty notice for the offence if the cyclist is riding irresponsibly.

A public footpath is a route over which pedestrians have a legal right of way. This right does not mean that you can't ride a bike on the same place; indeed there may be other legal rights of way for bikes along the same route. If there is no other right of way, the landowner or their agent may ask you to leave the land and they could start civil proceedings to recoup the damage you have done by riding on their land, just as they could if you rode anywhere on their land without permission.

For those not in the know..

if there is a footpath local to you and you know the land owner – go and speak to them – with their permission you can then ride on the said footpath – much to the chgrin of the red sock brigade.

I used to do this as a 15 year old living at my mum and dads where there was no BWs just alot of FPs..

mostly the FPs were in and around Farms and Farmland.. and the Farmers had no issues as long as I stuck to them. (which walkers often wouldnt)

I no longer worry about this as I now live in Scotland..
Where any track, trail or path on the ground – you can walk, cycle or horse ride along. However Pavements are covered by the highways act and not the Land Reform act – therefore not permissable for use by cycles.

back in 1988 i wrote to Lord Stafford asking for permission to ride my 'specially adapted bicycle' on some of his land. he wrote back, said no problem, enjoy your cycling. Hence, in Hanchurch at least, it seems the landowner is on your side no matter what the FC say.

Agree with above we wandered off a bridleway and saw the farmer in the field so we went to say sorry and he didn't mind at all just said keep hold of the dogs (which we were) and leave the gates as they are