Bogtrotters ride the Ben on a bank holiday!

Bloody stupid to ride it when it’s so busy. Too close to too many walkers. Early morn/late eve only on The Ben IMO.
BUT,….

awesome water bar hopping skilz!

jojoA1 – Member
Bloody stupid to ride it when it’s so busy. Too close to too many walkers. Early morn/late eve only on The Ben IMO.

See Grum, another Scotland-based English person speaks up against irresponsible access..

Regardless of who should be giving way, I think it’s irresponsible to be either riding off the path, or forcing others over the edges of the path. If there’s not comfortably space for both (and there isn’t on this particular path in places), the bike shouldn’t be there.

A sunny bank holiday is not the time to be riding the pony track on Ben Nevis tbh, although I can see why you would if you didn’t know just how busy it gets.
Actually, no I can’t… there are much better places to go in that area!

edit- Too slow, discussion seems to have moved on. Ermm. YAY for football and odd youtube videos.

And, to further defuse the TJ/SFB standoff…

Just like lager louts in marbella acting like its manchester on a friday night

Druidh – I still fail to see what this has to do with anything other than lazy stereotyping of English people. Mind you I expect you are too addled on Irn Bru and deep fried butter to notice.

Mmmmmmmm….deep fried butter… 😛

If it’s awesome enough smaller ones make way.

The CMD Arete has a lot of appeal.

😆

Why on earth would you want to ride it with so many Walkers afoot? Doesn’t look like fun at all for me just an exercise in risk taking. I’m all for cheeky riding as I think all trails are fair game both sides of the border, but I’d be too worried about hitting a walker on a trail that busy to enjoy it.

Still good to see TJ and SFB slugging out like the good ol’ days. Shame wee Elfin isn’t here to be snapping at their ankles as well 😀

Just looks awful doesn’t it? All that effort and the descent gets ruined by all the walkers. I’m not entirely sure that too many walkers would have been upset, offended or whatever, and the riders seemed to ride fairly responsibly in the main. But it just looked crap didn’t it and it looks like it would be a decent descent if you got a good run at it too.

Not sure it’s worth getting overly emotional about, but that’s up to you.

I’m half scottish does that count? i don’t see why being english has anything to do with it.

in reality scottish people go on about how they have open access but the fact is you seem more shackled than people who ride in england and wales. at least we have laws saying you can’t ride that and if you do you can be prosecuted. plain, simple and easy. In scotland you can ride anywhere but if we don’t like the cut of your gib then you lose the right and will be prosecuted.

Its still going on n on n on………

might as well ask what tyres for a busy descent of Ben Nevis?

looks pretty selfish and an awesome blow to the image of MTBing

cheers lads

no this is a blow to mountain biking

Funny,my first thought was Jet Ski. You know the type,busy harbour or beach,with the odd chance of some Dolphin bothering.Look at me,look at me,look at me on my fast jet ski. Please look at me. Never too far from shore,never giving toss about anyone or anything else.Well done bogmincers

You do have to wonder if part of the point is precisely because there are so many people around so maximum attention/willy-waving potential.

having watched the video, it doesn’t look much fun, but then I wouldn’t have wanted to do it in the first place, for a start there were no female riders and you know I’m suspicious of single sex groups…

philfive – Member

is you seem more shackled than people who ride in england and wales. at least we have laws saying you can’t ride that and if you do you can be prosecuted. plain, simple and easy. In scotland you can ride anywhere but if we don’t like the cut of your gib then you lose the right and will be prosecuted.

Not at all – its a duty to be reasonable – something that is tricky for many of us 🙂 In exchange for being reasonable you get the right t ride anywhere

grum – Member

You do have to wonder if part of the point is precisely because there are so many people around so maximum attention/willy-waving potential.
I suspect more ignorance – of the conditions on the mountain and the right way to behave and arrogance in not giving a shit

Not at all – its a duty to be reasonable

I see a problem right here.
I think red light jumping is completely unreasonable, illegal and gives cyclists a bad name undertaken by arrogant people who couldn’t give a shit.
Hope that’s clear.

if, as has been claimed, they didn’t have a right of way due to their behaviour, what are the consequences ? Would I be right in concluding none whatsoever beyond an outraged tonguelashing on various forums ?

To them as individuals – effectively no sanction however that is not the point. Why do you need threat of punishment to behave in a reasonable and responsible manner? Most of us don’t find it hard to behave like this.

Its a part of the ethos here and a happy exchange for the widespread access we have.

we have laws saying you can’t ride that and if you do you can be prosecuted

Not in general we don’t, even in England 🙂

Why do you need threat of punishment to behave in a reasonable and responsible manner?

I suspect they thought they were acting in such a manner, they’re all incredibly nice (if a bit dim)

So the ‘code’ referred to is more of an aspirational document ?

we have laws saying you can’t ride that and if you do you can be prosecuted

can be prosecuted in some areas where a byelaw applies, though interestingly, in Lancashire the full penalty is to be excluded from the area in question for a period of 3 days – which always happens anyway. But in practice no prosecutions ever take place because only a tiny minority care and most of the violations go undetected.

double post deleted

NO – try reading it or posts from folk who have.

druidh – Member

That’s from the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, a document which was drawn at the request of the Scottish Government up to outline what was and wasn’t considered to be responsible access as defined by the Land Reform(Scotland) Act – i.e. it carries significant legal weight.

Nothing aspirational about it. Its how you are required to behave in order to enjoy your access rights

Its how you are required to behave in order to enjoy your access rights

but if you don’t nothing will change ? Or do you mean if you don’t comply you won’t enjoy it ?

just watched it and what a set of ****.
I wonder how they would react if a bunch of lads on motocross bikes roosted them and forced them off a trail at speed.

I wonder how they would react if a bunch of lads on motocross bikes roosted them and forced them off a trail at speed.

that *would* be illegal! I get rocks thrown at me by passing motocrossers’ tyres about once every 3 years and I kinda tut and forget about it.

I get rocks thrown at me by passing motocrossers’ tyres about once every 3 years and I kinda tut and forget about it.

ahhh… but you’re a loose limbed and limber, free and easy super hero.. with the sun on your back and a girl on your mind..

a percentage of the constipated walkers in the video will be slagging off MTBers for years to come as a result of that stunt..

Well I for one am outraged 😐

Nice to see TJ being so obedient to codes 😆
what next, stopping at red lights and repenting his wanton disregrad for national speed limits ? No thought not.

At least Simon et al have the commitment to ride where they like when they like, have a bit of fun and semingly cause little problem with fellow countryside users.

It’s just a pile of skanky rocks, ride it and be beggard if that’s what you feel like doing – worst that can happen is to incur the faux moral outrage of some bitter old keyboard libertarians whose moral/social values bend to support their own viewpoint.

Irresponsible…hmmm?
Inconsiderate is probably more suited.

would anyone try it after seeing the video? I would think not…maybe they were trying to deter fellow mtb’ers all along?:lol:

I’ve ridden with these chaps and they are good guys.

great post BTW (very entertaining) 🙂

Or do you mean if you don’t comply you won’t enjoy it ?

Proper lol.

a percentage of the constipated walkers in the video will be slagging off MTBers for years to come as a result of that stunt..

That is pure speculation, you could easily say that a few will also say good things about them too, for having a go, for doing something a little crazy.

There were a couple of point when I though they should have stopped and let the walkers past, but in the main everyone seemed friendly and happy to share the trail.

On a related note, what tyres for the north side of Oxford Street on Christmas Eve?

I’d have liked to have seen more of the push up in the video. Probably more flow at that point.

To force walkers off the path is not acceptable. You have to give way to them.

I didn’t realise that in England and Wales we are allowed to mow down walkers as we please…

To force walkers off the path is not acceptable. You have to give way to them.

I didn’t realise that in England and Wales we are allowed to mow down walkers as we please…

only if you shout elite strava rider coming through !

Did I watch the wrong video? I’m struggling to see why knickers are getting in a bit of a twist here. The riders come across as polite and in control. The mountains are there for all to enjoy and not just walkers so why the keyboard agonising? No one was hurt, the riders weren’t going fast and appeared to slow down for everyone they passed. To be honest, they looked to be going a fair bit slower than most fell runners I know! 😀 Perhaps we should get the pitchforks sharpened for them instead? Ha! Ha!

While some people may not like our presence in the hills, it’s the same in all walks of life. You can’t please everyone all the time and some folk won’t like you simply for being in their presence. 😕

As for the route, boy does it look bumpy! It’s still one on my list of rides to do though. Looks like they got one of the few good weather days for it. As for being responsible, I’ve always considered picking a good day part of being responsible. When the weather is nice, if things go wrong there is arguably more margin for error. If it’s pissing wet and windy, hurting yourself can become more of a serious issue more quickly. Of course, on nice days, more folk are inclined to go up into the mountains to enjoy the weather. Does this mean that mountain bikers should only go out on wet days?

If the argument is that we shouldn’t be there at all in case the frankly unlikely threat of a ban comes into play then by not going into the mountains, we have created a self fulfilling prophecy. Not being there to avoid being told not to be there has the same result. Sorry but I’m just not buying that logic.

See you in the mountains (or not as the case may be!)

Sanny