[Closed] 100% Dangerous Idiots

Stay on the road.

Keep clear of the moors.

Beware the moon, lads.

I was block and harassed on Cavedale not so long back. I just shrugged at them, said nothing and carried on. I was in the right but what would I gain by becoming shouty etc?

I have (rarely) ridden on footpath's. If someone objected or I could see a situation developing I'd LEAVE THAT FOOTPATH WELL ALONE.

Simples.

I do a lot of riding up rivvi and would love to catch these doing this sort of stuff. If its not nails then just where the stone path starts they push the grass over and put rocks down in the hope you will come off. There is a difference between not liking people sharing these locations on bikes and potentially injuring people an their livelyhoods etc.

They put stones across the bit at the start of where you go over to great hill and turn left to lead miners aswell. Some miserable fekkers about.

an "illegal to ride on" footpath as oppossed to a "legal to ride on footpath" which a permissive bridleway following the same line as a FP would be.

What a load of crap the English law is! A throw back to feudal w*nkers who had nothing better to do than annoy the oiks! I love that in Scotland I can go where I want when I want and noone can say nything about it. All this searching out paths, and "ooohh can I ride there or can I not?" would put you off biking completely!

I know the area very well. They guy who plants them is a grade A nut case.

May I ask why no action has been taken against him, either by reporting him to the rangers or directly having a word?

an "illegal to ride on" footpath as oppossed to a "legal to ride on footpath" which a permissive bridleway following the same line as a FP would be.

But it's [i]not[/i] illegal to ride a bike on a footpath.

[i]"If you think a FP should be BW then lobby whoever you need to and go down the proper channels."[/i]

Does this work ?
Can you give some examples of footpaths that have been changed to bridleways in this way ?

May I ask why no action has been taken against him

To the best of my knowledge, no-one does know who he is, but his actions are known. The Caltrop thing cropped up about 3 years ago and it was investigated, might have been the runner incident that Footstomper mentioned.

As for access on the footpaths. I don't give a toss what anyone says, I'll ride them as I see fit and have done since 1985.

Del - Member

"I suspect Scottish riders are more courteous as well"

do wind your neck in.
would you describe those you rode with on the quantocks as discourteous types, or are we 'south westerners' excluded?

Not meant like that at all. A decent bunch you all were. apologies if it sounded like that. Some even on this thread

However there are often discussions of conflict between walkers and MTBers on here where the MTBers appear to have been discourteous at best.

So what if its not technically "illegal" (yes I know it would be a civil matter), the blatant disregard for rights of way access will still have the same effect down the line.

Can you give some examples of footpaths that have been changed to bridleways in this way ?

Militant Graham, send me an e-mail, I've got some stuff for you on this
point

This whole thread is very amusing given the [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-to-shout-at-pedestrians ]what to shout at pedestrians[/url] thread here. Some people her are blatantly contradicting their own posts on that thread.

Some people here are blatantly contradicting their own posts on that thread.

Makes a change eh 😆

However there are often discussions [s]of conflict between walkers and MTBers[/s] on here where the MTBers appear to have been discourteous at best.

If you judged the courtesy of MTBers by threads here you'd get a very negative opinion of 'us' 🙄

If that is aimed at me its a very different situation and I shout to warn them not to abuse them. Someone steps out in front of me - "Look out" loudly. A walker on a path infront of me "ding ding" "May I squeeze past please?" - "thank you"

However don't let the truth get in the way of your stalking of me you sad pair. Jeezo your lives must be dull

All this fuss when clearly a proper ard northern fell runner has left his running sandals at the side of the trail 🙄

(edit; oops, did I interrupt a tiff!)

TJ, why do always assume that anyone makes a slightly sarcastic remark is 'stalking you' ?

As for a [i]dull life[/i], well you're either being gratuitously insulting (which from a zen-master of politeness and professional cheek-turner isn't really 'on message') and/or making assumptions (and posting them) on something about which you know nothing.

So what is it Jeremy, insult or ignorance ❓

So what if its not technically "illegal" (yes I know it would be a civil matter), the blatant disregard for rights of way access will still have the same effect down the line.

The current rights of way laws came about due to a mass trespass.

A new bridleway can be 'created' by riding a visible track for 25(?) years without anyone attempting to make it known that the landowner objects. Riding a public footpath would/could have the same effect.

TJ - understood, thankyou. 😉

on another point i'm not sure that i accept we shouldn't ride footpaths. as has been mentioned, walkers got their right of access through methods that were contrary to the law, and another example that might be worth considering is the problem of access for kayakers. the BCU have long preached an approach of appeasement wrt anglers and landowners, which in many cases has left them with very little access to some rivers, and only now that they are taking a more, shall we say, proactive stance are they seeing headway being made.

Ohh the irony.

😯 I never thought my thread would start a discussion about the rights and wrongs of where to ride, I was just trying to warn people against injuring themselves.
Whether we are right or wrong for using said footpath, we or anyone else should not have some nutcase put our lives in danger because they do not agree with people riding along on what they probably think is their own private walkway.

Crazylegs definition +1

i'm not sure that i accept we shouldn't ride footpaths

Indeed. It could be said that we owe it to future generations to ride footpaths, and other not-bridleways, now, so future generations can have their access rights protected.

As an example, our local council were going to build a bike path along a council-owned field that separated a housing estate from a river. As part of this, they were going make the 'spurs' coming off this path and into the housing estate pedestrian-only, with gates to enforce this. When I pointed out that I'd regularly ridden my bike down these access paths since the estate was built 27 years ago, so could apply to have them designated as bridleways, they changed their plans.

I never thought my thread would start a discussion about the rights and wrongs of where to ride

New around here? 🙂

[i]A new bridleway can be 'created' by riding a visible track for 25(?) years without anyone attempting to make it known that the landowner objects[/i]

Is that right ?
I've been riding the footpath along the River Severn near where I live for almost that long. How do I go about getting it upgraded to a Bridleway ?

Is that right ?
I've been riding the footpath along the River Severn near where I live for almost that long. How do I go about getting it upgraded to a Bridleway ?

Speak to your local ROW officer. Get in touch with your local IMBA and CTC rep too

Is that right ?
I've been riding the footpath along the River Severn near where I live for almost that long. How do I go about getting it upgraded to a Bridleway ?

Contact the council ROW department.

"In England and Wales, a footpath, bridleway or restricted byway may be expressly dedicated by the owner as a public right of way. Furthermore, unchallenged use by the public, as of right, for at least 20 years, may give rise to a presumption of dedication under Section 31 of the Highways Act 1980. A presumption of dedication may arise under common law after any appropriate period of time." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rights_of_way_in_England_and_Wales#Creation_of_new_public_rights_of_way

Basically, if the owner of the land hasn't ever challenged access, by erecting signs for example, it is presumed that they wish to dedicate the path.

You sometimes see signs stating that although access isn't being prevented by the landowner this does not constitute a dedication. We have these locally on a well-used path through the local hospital, and on some cyclepaths on council land (those are usually to stop horses riding them).

The Wirral Way last year, almost box full of Tacks spread on the sustrans trails, repeated punctures by cyclists and i believe some damaged dogs.

Year before somebody putting down poisoned meat forr the dogs, killed a few i believe.

A trail in the clwyds, always seems to have various braches across the trail usually on a corner.

I blame the squirrels.

A wise man, who has an arse photo fetish, once told me that "As for 'legality', the common law allows one to go where one wishes so long as there is no criminal intent or breaking in, and most land 'ownership' is the result of theft from the common wealth by the enclosures (or former robber barons) so I'd not take the protests of landowners too seriously, never mind that the nail setter is a 3rd party with no rights in the matter."

Anyway,

We'll keep our eyes peeled and give him a good ****ting if we see him.

vandalism & putting people at risk of serious injury, I hope I would have the foresight to get my phone out and take some pictures of the culprits if I came across anything the OP showed.

Is TJ telling us all how we all ought to behave when we come across walker's, very presumptuous to think a lot of mtbers are guilty of abuse to walkers, in my experience its to the contrary, walker being rude and abusive to mtbers and on bridleways or designated mtb trails in trails centres.

I am often shocked my their behaviour I am just wide mouthed and aghast, I point out the dangers rather than give them a mouthful, its dog walkers who don't keep any control over there pets that will get a telling off.

robdob seems very angry, has someone stolen his red socks?

We'll keep our eyes peeled and give him a good ****ting if we see him

😆

I've often wondered about organizing a two wheeled mass tresspass. Same place as the original, get the press involved, and campaign for the scottish system to be introduced here.

robdob seems very angry, has someone stolen his red socks?

i think he sound like a cock.

they do same on lead mine clough he * has a point we are trespassing ubut that is dangerous
* must be a bloke
Am Heading home that way via moors so will be vigalant but nt a vigalantee cheers for heads up OP

flippingheckler - merely observing that conflict begets conflict and I have heard MTbers on here stating that they have behaved in (what appear to me to be)an antisocial fashion - perhaps in reaction the the walkers but "blasting past them" and that sort of thing. Complaining that walkers interrupted their fast descent. Not abuse but being less that courteous. This may be because they have run out of politeness having been abused by walkers in the past but in hardens attitudes

Once an air of confrontation develops then it is hard to stop it.

Those arguing for the scottish system remember that it is a qualified right to roam we have - not absolute. It is qualified by the need to be reasonable and this includes giving way to walkers and sharing the paths. You have an absolute right to ride a bridleway in england. Some of the large groups that ride in honeypot areas with fragile ecology would not be reasonable [i]in my opinion[/i]

has a point we are trespassing ubut that is dangerous

bollocks.

so we can legally ride there then Dave?
I agree we should be able to but there is plenty up Rivvy we can ride legally without going onto Footpaths. Not that great a ride either IMHO - the descent dwon is fun though

Robdob has his point of view and puts this across well. If that makes him a cock it is true of many people on here.

rivi is shyte anyway.................... 😉

Actually your right, he did have a point. Several of them poking out of a plank.

[quoteSome of the large groups that ride in honeypot areas with fragile ecology would not be reasonable in my opinion

The same can be said of walkers IMO! Thanks for your insight on the Scottish right to roam, if ever I'm roaming in Scotland I must pay due diligence, if I see a Tandem I can presume the route has been qualified.

Actually your right, he did have a point. Several of them poking out of a plank.

so we can legally ride there then Dave?
I agree we should be able to but there is plenty up Rivvy we can ride legally without going onto Footpaths. Not that great a ride either IMHO - the descent dwon is fun though

I seem to remember from last years STW ride over to Darwen Tower junkyard(Loweys Ride) that we went on quite a few FPs and you did not complain once 😉

I say please, thank you, lovely day, etc etc to almost every walker I pass. It helps I am sure.