[Closed] dogs at trail ctrs

The point is, I don't think a dog is a good idea at a trail centre because some think they are the next big thing and ride too fast. Just because it is a trail centre, does not mean you wont come across something, what about someone lying on the ground?
Foxes, deer, rabbits and other wildlife will be there.
As I say live and let live, why can't we all get along?
I can see why car drivers think the road is for them alone, when we cannot share the spaces we do have.

You can guarantee at Llandegla at 9/10am on a weekend someone will be setting off with a dog, just as the place is at peak busyness and you are tripping over other rides let alone dogs darting around the place. It might just be the same person(s) who goes there most weekends?!

Personally I think they should ban it, even if only at peak times.

'Sup.Dog!!!.....

[img] [/img]

[img] ?oh=fb96ad2757e4125058ec06d98b969144&oe=5726DE2E[/img]

Nobeerinthefridge - Member

We're talking about purpose built trails, not shared spaces

Is there such a place? Maybe down south as I don't keep abreast of the archaic access laws, but certainly in Scotland I can't think of one single place is that is only for MTBers and no one else.

Something tells me you don't read many of the other threads in here....

Shall we start a list?

1.Llandegla
2.BPW
3.FoD/Pedalabikeaway
4...

What happens if a dog takes a Strava!! segment off you?

[img] [/img]

Footflaps - That dog needs SPD booties, then it could ride a bike 🙂

Would this be acceptable?

[img] [/img]

I've taken my dog around the red at Sherwood Pines a couple of times at 06:00 in the AM on a weekday when there is no one around. It's not something I would consider if we were likely to see anyone else. Likewise I wouldn't take him on a group ride as its not fair on others in the group.

Whoever it was that took a deer into the 'downhill' section and let it off the lead was a bloody idiot because it sent me over the bars.

Oh Deer!!

Is there such a place? Maybe down south as I don't keep abreast of the archaic access laws, but certainly in Scotland I can't think of one single place is that is only for MTBers and no one else.

There certainly are plenty of purpose built mtb trails in Scotland. Just because you can take a dog/horse/baby down them doesn't mean you should, hence separate walking trails at the likes of Glentress (which you can of course ride on if you really want)

Something tells me you don't read many of the other threads in here....

Shall we start a list?

1.Llandegla
2.BPW
3.FoD/Pedalabikeaway
4...

Posted 15 minutes ago # Report-Post

As I said, I'm not familiar with your silly access laws.

I agree Legend, it's pretty dim allowing a dog off it's lead at the likes of GT, but our access laws mean everywhere (with the very odd exception) is a shared space. Those same laws allow me to ride on all of the private estates etc, so claiming an area as MTB only is really short sighted in the grand scheme of things.

IMO its a pretty selfish way to use the trail. By all means if its a natural route, but if its a trail centre (like Cannock) then keep it off the trails. I almost hit a lost trail hound on lower cliff before Xmas, and whilst I appreciate it could have been a deer / rabbit / jabberwocky (delete as appropriate) I'd rather the risk was minimised by the damn dog not being there in the first place.

Can't be arsed to write another long response to this. But here goes. Dogs often zig zag and don't follow the trail. On tighter switch backs they will run through the ferns cutting corners running onto and off trail. I have very very nearly run dogs over at Swanley and fod because they 'appeared' like a furry missile from the side and ran across the trail after their owner....

We're talking about purpose built trails, not shared spaces

If your dog causes an accident its you that will get sued and be [s]criminally[/s] liable.

im with you bacondouble, ban them at peak times
if I agreed to meet some one there like I did yesterday and they had brought a dog I would just not ride with them, it would really stress me that it was causing a problem for other folk, I used to ride the local disused railway line with my brother and his dog and that was bad enough, never did as it was told, would go looking for things in the bushes then pop out right in front of folk, it was a bloody pain, you could always rely on going out chilled and coming home thinking NEVER AGAIN, and that was a non specific bike route

[quote=Nobeerinthefridge ]
As I said, I'm not familiar with your silly access laws.
or ours 🙂

[b]6 Land over which access rights not exercisable[/b]

(1)The land in respect of which access rights are not exercisable is land—

(e)which has been developed or set out—

(ii)for a particular recreational purpose

I nearly hit a boar at FoD once, they should ban them.

I nearly hit a sheep at Cwmcarn once, they should ban them too.

Does it hurt Nobeerinthefridge?
The burning? 😆

scotroutes - Member
Nobeerinthefridge »
As I said, I'm not familiar with your silly access laws.
or ours
6 Land over which access rights not exercisable
(1)The land in respect of which access rights are not exercisable is land—

(e)which has been developed or set out—

(ii)for a particular recreational purpose

darn it, I cannae ride my bike at the dog park anymore.... 🙂

Does it hurt Nobbersinthefridge?
The burning

😆

[quote=hammyuk ]Does it hurt Nobbersinthefridge?
The burning? Does anyone else's screen do that thing where the letters "r" and "n" merge together to form the letter "m"? 😳

You cant ban wild animals 🙂

You can ask people to be considerate and not risk their dogs safety as well as other riders on a purpose built mountain bike trail.

Guess that's the butthurt kicking in....

I had a fairly bad accident at Cwmcarn thanks to someone else's "trail dog" I was a good 200m ahead of him and the dog decided to latch onto me, not him. I didn't even know it was beside me until I happened to catch a glimpse of it as I approached a series of s-bends, completely distracted and moving to avoid the dog beside me, I hit the outer edge of the first berm, not sure what happened after that, but I was on the ground. The chap with the dog just rode past without a word...

I don't think any of the tracks are sole use for bikes, if someone wants to walk up them they can and are entirely within there rights, same with dog walking/horse riding etc.

You may want them to be sole use, but that doesn't mean they are.

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/nwepermissions
Your Right To Roam

The majority of our forests are dedicated as open access under Countryside & Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) which gives walkers the right to roam across these areas. In many of the rest we operate a permissive right to roam policy. In addition we extend a permissive right to roam to cyclists and horse riders who may use our forest roads and tracks.

You can find out whether your event includes Forestry Commission land by using the MAGIC website.

Whilst everyone has right to individual and family recreation on open access land this right does not extend to holding events or running commercial activities.

I nearly hit a boar at FoD once, they should ban them.

I nearly hit a sheep at Cwmcarn once, they should ban them too.

Don't forget fat knackers and kids. They are often in the way too. Add them to the banned list, if you would.

OK, we have now run out of common sense 🙂

Im off to a trail ctr where I will ride randomly up and down the trail with lots of zig zaggig to keep you all guessing.

I don't think any of the tracks are sole use for bikes, if someone wants to walk up them they can and are entirely within there rights, same with dog walking/horse riding etc.

Trimix - Member

OK, we have now run out of common sense

wrecker - Member
no chance I'm slowing down for horses

I have a dog and he loves coming with me on the bike. Goes mental as soon as he sees me putting my riding shoes on.

I took him to a handful of trail centres when he was younger and they aren't the right place for him. The ground mashes up his feet pads, lacerates them up. I take him over long rides up the black mountains/brecon beacons/quantocks but trail centres are a no go, hes better company on a long ride anyway.

Needless to say he never knocked anyone off their bikes but i've given him a few tyre rubs on his backside now and again! 🙂

They can do so at their own risk; no chance I'm slowing down for horses or walkers on a dedicated MTB trail.

Access or right in this isn't particularly relevant for me

It's irresponsible to ride with your dog at a place where people go to specifically hoon it around on a bike, and you know that in advance

Unless your dog is always within a metre of you and NEVER deviates from that. But even the best behaved dogs sometimes have a moment

Whether you're allowed to have a dog there is sort of irrelevant

As for slowing down for horses, trust me on this, if you collide with a horse you will slow down rapidly.

See its MY trail and I will go as fast as I want, get out of my way.

See also, you don't pay any road tax or insurance get out of my way.

Its all a shared space, sometimes you have to slow down for whatever reason, accept it, and ride accordingly.

Can the owner safely satisfy the criteria that they are under control in a public space?

I do not think so, based on the fact a dogs presence on a trail would make me worried it could injure me from its actions.

https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public/overview

I'd not take my dog for fear of injuring someone and being liable

Do any trail centres have protection orders?

https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public/public-spaces-protection-orders

The comments regarding being able to stop in time are of some merit. Obstacles or obstructions usually don't move though and you can dodge, hop swerve. Dogs are unpredictable moving objects on a trail. Possibly not so bad in front of you but lethal to the side of you.

see also 'there's a cycle path next to this road, cyclists using the road had better watch out for me, it was built for cars, they should be on the path where they belong'

I like to ride in a way which allows me to stop in the distance I can see to be please. Some call be shit at riding for this. Im pretty risk averse however.

Now Ive known first hand of people that have had dogs run under their wheels. The carnage (for the rider) was horrible. Months off work, pain traction operations etc etc. Now if you ran over the dog then tough titty its your fault and you should face the consequences. If they darted under your wheels then im afraid id be getting the police involved as your dog clearly isn't under control.

If I came across one at a trail centre id like to say id run it over landing the owner with thousands in vet bills. unfortunately id probably end up missing it and riding over a cliff to certain death.

Id like to suggest a vigilante type group where anyone found with a dog at a trail centre gets the crap kicked out of them (the owner not the dog) and their bike stripped for parts.

If your dog causes an accident its you that will get sued and be [s]criminally [/s]liable.

FIFY

if your dog is out of control then you you can be punished by the courts by fine or jail term. pretty sure you end up with a criminal record when you go to jail.

I regularly ride with my dog at Hamsterley but stick to evenings or weekdays when it's quiet and spend most of the time on either shared or off piste trails.

Never had any complaints from people i ride with and response from other trail users is generally positive.

Don't really see what the problem is so long as common sense is applied.

Yes, Room 101 IMO. I'm not a regular user of our local trail centre (Sherwood Pines) at weekends, because of the crowds, but went yesterday and ended up with a dogs face in my back wheel! Group of dog walkers with about half a dozen dogs (on leads) had gone to look at the wooden start ramp at the start of the 'Mini DH' runs. I was just pedalling back up for another run, and slowed to walking pace to give em chance to get dogs under control - as I passed one of the big mutts went for me and the owner lost grip of its lead, which ended up around my brake rotor, reeling in the dogs head into the wheel (at least it couldn't then bite me!) I'm not into deliberately causing pain and injury to animals, but I was a lot more concerned about the state of my nice new back wheel!

As one of the fellas on the ramp said - if you've got a dog that cant be trusted around other people, and you cant keep control of it - don't take it to a crowded place with loads of kids and people on bikes!! (Selfish owners are the main problem IMO)

Never had any complaints from people i ride

You should hear what they say when you're not around

I'm worried by the argument that bike trails are only for bikes and that you can "nail it" at all times on them. My local trains at Haldon, and many others in the UK, are on FC land. There is absolutely no legal restriction on who uses the trails. If you "nail it" into a dog walker on a bike trail it is your fault for going too fast, not the dog walkers (even if they are being stupid by walking on a trail intended for bikes!). I've had this conversation with the Rangers who have confirmed to me that they cannot legally stop walkers going down the bike trails, only ask/ advise them not to. We all need to exercise some caution on that basis.

Why, what have they been saying?

hora - Member
Another reason why I avoid trail centres.

This.

There's a very good chance you'll meet some of the worst of what the human race has to offer. And unfortunately they might have a dog aswell.

Stick to the hills. Or go out on the roads; at least then you're already prepared to meet some of the worst of what the human race has to offer....

There's a very good chance you'll meet some of the worst of what the human race has to offer.

At a trail centre? As opposed to in outside Yates's on a Friday night or Butlins in Skegness or A&E on a hot bank holiday? Which trail centres do you go to?