I'm all for a bit of cheeky riding now and again, but following another thread on here it struck me that there are some footpaths I simply would not ride on. I like to bike, I like to walk. In the same way that I would not want to have to keep avoiding walkers on a "man-made" trail, I wouldn't want to have to keep getting out of the way of bikes on many footpaths, especially the steep and narrow ones.
So, how do you justify where and when you "go cheeky?"
You know it's too cheeky when you get yelled at.
So most bridleways are cheeky then.
If the local bridleway provision is pants.
Chobham common for example has only a few bridleways but loads of bridlepaths which say "horses only no bicyles" - some of these were bridleways but have been changed. Plus the horses go all over the place anyway.
Not that I ride there much as it is too sandy - but sticking the the bridleways is even worse because the horses have made the sand deep and loose. Plus they repair them by dumping loads more sand/core on them whilst the (obese) ranger tells me that bikes do more damage than horses!
Obviously I don't object to taking horses out for exercise but the speed these horses go at whilst transporting their fat riders is no exercise as far as I can see.
Cheeky trails in quiet Forestry plantations - OK
Cheeky trails in busy/popular walking areas - Dubious
Cheeky 'tight' footpaths - not OK
Cheeky wide footpaths where the farmer/landowner takes his tractor/4WD down them - OK (can't be 2 rules!)
Overly simplified.....
i just the ones that will be busy at peak times, then early morning or late evening they are free
Any footpath where you encounter less than one walker per 15 minutes is fair game.
There's a lot round here (Worcestershire/Shropshire border) that I have ridden dozens of times and never yet met anyone else walking or cycling.
After 6pm every trail is available to bikers
Before 6pm caution is to be advised
Restraint is to be observed in sensitve areas eg. National Parks
Restraint is not to be observed in areas that no one else ever uses eg. ugly countryside
Skids are for kids
If the trail has no classification but walkers have been seen on it then it’s fair game
Mind the English daffodills and bluebells (only wreck the Spanish ones)
When encountering walkers behave like we are meant to do on bridleways (but seldom do) ie. stop and yield trail unless they’re the landowner in which case you flee asap
If you continue to encounter walkers reconsider the value of the said cheeky trail and when best to do it if at all
The closer the cheeky trails are to civilisation the more acceptable it is to ride them
The fewer the amount of bridleways an area has the more right we have to get cheeky wid it
Alarmingly garish clothing is to be discouraged
Squealing brakes are not allowed
Do not ride where and/or when your presence will be easily detected
At no time should the cheeky percentage of your total ride total more than 50%
Do not hang around on the cheeky trails
Do not race on cheeky trails, just pause and enjoy the cheek instead
Stop looking so guilty!
Ride with a confident smile knowing that what you are doing is not wrong
If someone says “bikes are not allowed on here” reply with “yes, I know, silly isn’t it?”
taken from http://www.cheekytrails.co.uk/ All you need to know.
just the ones that will be busy at peak times, then early morning or late evening they are free
+1
My local tracks are in and around a country park so best avoided on a sunny weekend during 11 - 4 however 8am on a sunday morning and other than the keen dog walker it is peaceful.
We have a lovely downhill path that is owned by the National Trust that has a 'No Cycling' sign at the start and finish but you can join it past these points so thats the normal excuse! However it's fast and often busy with walkers so this is normally a no no at even quiet times.
Cheeky riding is allowed when:
It is done on trails you know
It is done sympathetically - ie not 20 of you on a ribbon in the mud
It is ridden with knowledge of other users you may encounter
It is done with a good attitude and good humour
Tricky one.
There is a large country park (Br@dgate park) a mere 10 mins ride from my front door which is probably the biggest of it's kind in Leicestershire.
It is also home to the most interesting trails in the area.
However bikes are banned completely apart from the tarmac strip that runs through it.
My rule of thumb is this:
Night time, before 9am, or after 6pm = fair game.
Other times = discretion to be advised.
Recent exceptions to this rule have been:
1) I was given an earful by a local dog walker at 7.45am on Saturday and was called a bad name (that my mother had me out of wedlock). Seemed slightly excessive, he was actually on the tarmac so there is another reason to get cheeky.
I have met this character before and his is very vocal but 99 times out of 100 I have no hassle.
2) I have ridden the cheeky trails at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon when I was greeted by a river of humanity on the tarmac as it seemed like the safer option to be honest.
The rest of my local riding is less cheeky but not exacly legal either.
See loads of walkers, and generally get cheery hellos and smiles.
There is basically bugger all in the way of interesting bridleways round my way so it's either riding around the edges of fields or cheeky trails.
Interestingly in my experience you are far more likely to get earache from Mr Dog Walker than a keen hiker.
Not sure why.
Riding through someones kitchen?
Stealing their buns as you pass through?
Carving a nice big set of doubles out of their flower border?
That's pretty cheeky.
you should always leave at least one bun.
BillOddie - MemberTricky one.
There is a large country park (Br@dgate park) a mere 10 mins ride from my front door which is probably the biggest of it's kind in Leicestershire.
It is also home to the most interesting trails in the area.However bikes are banned completely apart from the tarmac strip that runs through it.
My rule of thumb is this:
Night time, before 9am, or after 6pm = fair game.Other times = discretion to be advised.
I used to get thrown out of braggy so regularly, Early mornings are where its at for the least hassle.
Wasn't that place left to the people of leicester? Which includes me and I just happen to ride a bike 
Wasn't that place left to the people of leicester? Which includes me and I just happen to ride a bike
My thoughts exactly...
Has to be said if you are bit clever/sneaky you'll not get thrown out and it's unlikely that you'll even have a cross word with anyone.
The most likely place you'll get earache is ironically when you come back onto the tarmac and try to leave.
But that very rarely happens.
Just
Smile
As
You
Ride
By
Ride quickly and carry a big stick!
I have no morals.
From my experience,if you'r riding at the front,by the time the walkers/horse riders have time to vent there fury at you,you are long gone and the rider behind(John)has to offer the appolagies.So in conclusion the leader of the pack can ride any cheeky trail,with no consequences.
I avoid golf courses though, apart from at night
When it touches delicate countryside.
Footpaths are very often fair game, so I don't give them a second thought ... but, delicate / rare environments are absolutely, completely off-limits.
When we get told to turn off all our lights and be quiet for the next mile or so by the ride leader, I feel like it may be a bit too cheeky.
...when a group ride of of 15 or so on 70% cheeky trails features people wearing the local club strip. 
One of my rules, that is (ie not to wear club jersey if cheeky)
Another is that often I stop to pat dogs and talk to their owners about their dogs. I don't actually like dogs much but consider it part of the 'It's ok, I'm supposed to be here' thing.
Oh yeah, quiet bike too.
Have a downhill bridleway that runs through a golf course so fully legal. However, the raised tee mound is too good to miss on the way down so have to go up,over and off the end of it - that feels a bit cheeky 
In my local national park, I rode on a legal track the other week 
It felt so wrong
Apparently it's too cheeky when it's through a SSSI.
Apparently it's too cheeky when it's through a SSSI.
Loads of my (legit) riding is on SSSI land
Well my fav trail was cheeky and through a SSSI at Woburn (I didn't know) :/
The sign was very clear that if riders continue to use it, bikes might be persona non-grata at Woburn in future.
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