[Closed] Off Roading in National Parks

Motorised off-roading - nowt to do with me!

As for riding bicycles in the wrong place in National Parks.... well, cheeky trails I'm afraid. I'll be using a zimmer frame before the Gov legalises it.

212 signatures? not sure we're going to see it discussed in Parliament any time soon.

Luckily its one of those government petitions, so pointless.

Support this, and it'll be us next in the crosshairs of the red-socks.

Suprisingly 'us' and 'red-socks' are often the same people. 🙂

There needs to be a system where you can counter vote. Them off roaders are a bloody nuisance but why should I or anyone else try to restrict it? Yes where its causing real damage but restrictions should be the last resort.

NIMBY's the lot of em.

I dont think anyone should be barred from using the national parks but the impact of how they use it should be measured and a ban imposed if nessesary.

When I started riding 5 years ago the local moorland trails were a bit rutted (maybe 6 inches deep) 5 years later there so deep as to be unridable by anyone other that motor bikes (which is whats caused it) plus its forced other users to walk on the f;ora and forna either side which is now being worn away.

"The impact of how they use it" was measured, by the previous Government, but the evidence showed that there was not generally a problem. This did not suit their agenda so they ignored it and massively cut the rights of way forcing users to more concentrated use of certain areas such that it has more potential to be a problem. Don't blame the users who individually may only be there occasionally.

Do you see any parallels with the use of mountain bikes in certain areas and the attitude of "the authorities"? Wakey, wakey folks.

I'm with Frodo - there is also the danger that they'll move on to bikes next.

That BBC film the other week led to a thread here that covered most of this. If we keep going over the same ground, we'll leave huge ruts and the mods will have to ban the topics till the subject repairs itself....

Frodo - Member
There needs to be a system where you can counter vote. Them off roaders are a bloody nuisance but why should I or anyone else try to restrict it? Yes where its causing real damage but restrictions should be the last resort.

Before voting, you might want to consider how limited off roading already is (*and how much the ramblers get in comparison to everybody else)

Figures for England.
Footpaths – (146,600 km) over which the right of way is on foot only;

Bridleways – (32,400 km) for pedestrians, horse riders and bicyclists (who must give way to people on foot or on horseback); and

Restricted byways – (6,000 km). carriageways over which the right of way is for all types of traffic except mechanically propelled vehicles. Currently most of these are former Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPPs) re-designated en-masse, by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, on 2 May 2006.

Byways open to all traffic (BOATs) - (3,700 km) carriageways over which the right of way is on foot, on horseback and for all vehicular traffic (including mechanically propelled vehicles, but which are used mainly for the purposes for which footpaths and bridleways are used (i.e. by walkers and horse riders). Use the following link for more on the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on rights of way.

Offroaders seem to be the chosen target of the various NIMBYs at the moment. Following the BBC4 programme last week there was a piece in the Sheffield telegraph stating that horse riders in the peak park were campaigning to get rid of 4x4s due to the damage caused to the BOATs no mention of the damage caused by horses hooves of course.
Those stats are useful. I'll wheel them out next time it comes up in conversation.
216 votes now by the way.

Before voting, you might want to consider how limited off roading already is (*and how much the ramblers get in comparison to everybody else)

considered it and the fact that historical anomolies allow a relatively small minority of users of national parks the right to [b]noisily[/b] rip up the countryside for their pleasure doesn't wash here - it is just plain selfish and pointless - one life waste it

the redsox will get mtb's next argument has some merit but only because some equally tw*tty people on mountain bikes fail to respect other users - probably the same people on here that defend off roading.

antigee - Member
considered it and the fact that historical anomolies allow a relatively small minority of users of national parks the right to noisily rip up [b]a tiny section[/b] of the countryside for their pleasure doesn't wash here - it is just plain selfish and pointless - one life waste it

conservation nazis.

won't get my signature.

And the point of mountain biking is?????

ok so it is just selfish

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Gate to gate Stanage in 4minutes

because some equally tw*tty people on mountain bikes fail to respect other users - probably the same people on here that defend off roading.

What an utterly ludicrous generalisation 😆

That's a big fat fail for you right there.

As an ex [motorised ] trail rider I have mixed feeling about this. When I started back in the day there were very few 4x4s and the bikes we rode were gutless XL 185s and the like which caused some damage but weren't capable of ripping huge holes like a convoy of Landies or KTMs. However you can't really legislate about what type of vehicles use a ROW e.g. 'you can't come down here on that race bike'. I do worry that eventually the wroth of Telegraph readers will eventually come down on our heads. I can see the existence of trail centres being used as an excuse to curtail our presence on ROW. At the moment we are flavour of the month, ticking exercise and participation in sport boxes that the govt are keen on. Un fortunately we cant guarantee that we will not become targets for other users, yes I walk too but I do hear miseries moaning when mtbs come past. We need to be beware!

Do you see any parallels with the use of mountain bikes in certain areas and the attitude of "the authorities"? Wakey, wakey folks.

As soon as me and my mountain bike can put out even one tenth of the amount of power and noise as a 4x4 I'll be worrying about that one.

You're missing the point oldnpastit. The Govt's own research proved there was not a real problem in the vast majority of areas but they still cut tens of thousands of miles of RoW for motor vehicles.

What you [i]actually[/i] do with a mountainbike won't come into it if the "right" people are involved.

the redsox will get mtb's next argument has some merit but only because some equally tw*tty people on mountain bikes fail to respect other users

Oh the ironing !

To be fair there are several lanes around by me that got restricted a few years ago and are now so overgrown and disused as to be impassable to almost all users. Whilst its still the council's responsibility to keep byways clear, in todays austere climate they've got higher priorities...

As for the 4x4 drivers are antisocial yobbos, whilst obviously they exist in all walks of life, ime no moreso in greenlaners. Plenty of smashing people do it; volunteers who help disabled people access and experience parts of the countryside otherwise unreachable to them, and people who give up time and money maintaining the lanes, to cite but two examples.

Another important point is that so long as its on a byway, it's not 'offroading' as the routes are public highways and as such all motoring laws apply.

People I know who participate in greenlaning are mostly acutely aware of the criticisms levelled at them and as such follow a fairly vigorous 'tread lightly' code of conduct. In fact the vast majority are far more 'responsible' than MTBers tend to be, at least in that any suggestion of using 'cheeky' trails would be considered massively unacceptable, in sharp contrast to present company. (although that can partially be put down to the increased likelihood of getting caught, due to being accountable as motorists, and the heftier penalties possible).