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Campaign to increase the number of bridleways in the UK by building new ones, not just upgrading footpaths.
[url= http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/15341 ]http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/15341[/url]
Signed.
Its all bridleway to me anyway. I'm identifying with my Scottish side, and funneling the spirit of TJ 😀
Do many people on here actually use bridleways? I thought most went to trail centres.
Why spend money building new ones when theres so many footpaths just asking to be upgraded. You know, the ones you look at & say, 'that path looks great to ride but no one even walks it, & It's out of bounds for bikers'
I never ride on footpaths me. Oh no, never ever. 🙂
@essel - I ride 75% of my distance on Bridleways/other rights of way. Rest on singletrack.
I would be very cautious about upgrading footpaths, that's a big can of worms bringing us into conflict with many others. Better to look at newly constructed Bridleways.
Signed.
Bridleways and [s]foot[/s]paths are all I've ever ridden, never been to a trail centre.
The only downside I can see is the militant brigade will get even more arsey about us riding on non-bridleways, if it went through.
we should be campaigning for more off-road cycle paths, or upgraded footpaths - not more routes where horses have priority over everyone and have every right to churn the route so much such that it becomes impassable for everyone else.
In winter cycling on a footpath is feasable but loads of bridleways become unusable as they are deep troughs of mud, which no cycle passage would have caused.
Could we not start a campaign to have all footpaths upgraded to bridleways between 7pm and 7am each day?
Does every other minority sport have this many pettitions.
There are probaly 3 cyclists/mountainbikers in the office, but 20 people who play footbal regulalry. Does the government recieve 7 times more pettitions for 5-a-side pitches than it does form yet more wingeing cyclists?
My bike is foot powered so I use footpaths anyway.
A lot of the bridleways around here have stiles on them which stops the horses from using them, fortunately I can lift my bike over them 😀
signed
good point by thisisnotaspoon, CTC, IMBA, MPLA, MP3 XR3 ...
jambalaya see: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/places/rightsofway/prow/default.aspx
I think we should be pushing for a LOT higher % of existing ROW, there should most certainly be a 'redisribution' of rather a lot of footpaths.
Oh I've signed it alright, but in this time of budget constraints to local authorities I'd love to know who's gonna pay for it all. Be a load cheaper to upgrade usable stuff we already have thats crying out for it.
Agree with egf - but I've signed it too
Surely we should just be concentrating on getting all existing rights of way opened to cyclists and horse riders? I'm not fussed about full on Scottish right to roam, just let us use what is already there. If we can't lift our bikes over the stiles we won't use that route anyway.
where I was coming from is that I consider the current 'split' of access types as totally unfair, there's a massive bias to footpaths that should be addressed (based on the massive expansion in cycling and the need to encourage physical activity etc etc and my personal self interest of course) and I strongly suspect it will be much easier (and quicker and cheaper and therefore likely) to turn an existing fp to a bw rather than have to pay someone to plan, negotiate with landowners, etc, build a new, graded, surfaced, etc etc bw which I suspect most 'mtbers' won't really want.
By not confronting you're sort of saying that the ramblers having 80%ish 'private access' (and they've got the coastal path coming etc) is ok, and I really don't agree with that.
@gusmac, thanks. FWIW I think 80% footpaths and 20% bridleways is reasonable given relative numbers of walkers vs horse riders and bikers. You are right in that budgets are constrained today but as bikers if we want more trails then we should contribute to the cost. I really think a campaign to convert meaningful numbers of footpaths will be fraught with difficulties and conflicts. It's better to find selected spots and put a trail/bridleway in.
Also I walk more often than I ride, having paths without bikers on is good, I generally avoid bridleways used by bikers if I'm walking. Where there is joint access I'm resectful both ways, step off the "trail" when walking or slow down if riding. I think the term ramblers is rather disrespectful as there are many users of footpaths who are not ramblers.
Anyway I'm all for more trails and I'd be happy to make a contribution towards them.
Is that the thing where you dig up a corpse and do bouncy castle sexy stuff with it ?funneling the spirit of TJ
I walk more often than I ride
sicko...
I'm in Scotland and there are still lots of stiles for lifting my bike over 🙂MoreCashThanDash - Member
Surely we should just be concentrating on getting all existing rights of way opened to cyclists and horse riders? I'm not fussed about full on Scottish right to roam, just let us use what is already there. If we can't lift our bikes over the stiles we won't use that route anyway.
Does anyone have evidence of these online things making a difference ?
Signed.
Does anyone have evidence of these online things making a difference ?
That's not the point.
The govt runs the petitions website thingy so that we all believe they're listening to us, when actually all they probably do is have a giggle reading through them on a friday afternoon with a few brandy's.
That's what I'd do anyway. Many of the petitions are hilariously stupid.
To acitively promote and encourage the development of new public bridleways for the safe off road use of mainly horse riders, but also cyclist and pedestrians.
Will we have to take it in turns? 😉
Signed
[b]@Tunerguy[/b]
sicko...
🙂
Walk the dog pretty much every day, riding three times a week, my old body cannot take any more than that !
[b]Trimix[/b]
Does anyone have evidence of these online things making a difference ?
At 100,000 signatures they are bound to discuss the matter in Parliament, agreed however that they don't have to do any more than than just talk.
Right to roam, so long as it doesn't have a detrimental effect on jolly farmers land and livestock.
All woods/forests should be opened up with access to and from..
Signed btw.
Signed 🙂
I posted this link because I thought it was a bit different to the usual "Let cyclists use footpaths" angle.
It's obviously started by a horsey type, although whether it's one person's idea, or it's got the backing of those with money and influence, I don't know.
We've got a few [url= http://www.tollrides.org.uk/ ]TROT[/url] trails round here.
Briefly, horse riders pay an annual subscription to ride private trails, landowners get paid for allowing use of trails on their land.
If it's a bigger, free public access version of that, then it sounds like a good idea to me.
Markenduro: "A lot of the bridleways around here have stiles on them which stops the horses from using them,"
Either they're not bridleways or the stiles are illegal and I suggest you report them to your local Rights Of Way Officer.