Shall we all bombard his inbox then?

Best bet is simply to ignore him completely. Any sort of response simply hardens their resolve and makes them imagine that their “work” is worthwhile. No amount of reasoning is going to change his mind.

Similar to the “tack attack” on the Etape Caledonia a few years ago, the self-appointed spokesman of that ACRE group was oh so happy to get his name in the papers and feel important, it just made the group think all their campaigning was worthwhile so they stepped up the comments and publicity seeking. 🙁

An obsolete parochial organisation desperately holding on to rapidly waning responsibilities. That’s the impression I got from those articles anyway.

I was only joking about bombarding his inbox!

Normally in face-to-face situations am always happy to do a PR exercise for mountain biking. But, having been on the ride where those pics were taken, it’s just not worth the effort. You can’t change that attitude and, my, were those lady horse riders vocal. 😯

Lifer – they won’t become obsolete if they’ve existed for hundreds of years. That’s the worrying thing.

They have no place in modern society IMHO. The right for commoners to graze their geese? WTF? Im sorry but its just a throwback to the class system which still pervades that part of the county. Coem the reolution brothers!
Im pretty sure that modern National Park management / Forestry Management has come on a bit in the last few centuries too.

I’ve had my photo taken by the ranger in the NF – went back for a bit more in the same ride, unfortunately they’d all gone.

Been stopped a couple of times with the “do you know you are not allowed to cycle here” by verderers and some of the campsite park keepers – my response of “yes, rather silly isn’t it” threw them enough and I simply kept riding.

Often get shouted at, accosted or stopped by walkers, dog-walkers and other pedestrians which is another reason why I tend to cylce with headphones, keep going and never, ever stop to engage.

Sometimes, in the more remote parts or on bad weather days I rarely bump into anyone, you just have to cycle through the busier places to get there though.

And, despite some postings, plenty of singletrack if you know where to find it 😉

Road.cc report

road.cc has discovered that while Dr Ferris is critical of bike riders over the alleged threat they pose to animals and the “much vaunted tranquillity of the Forest” apparently he does not feel the same way about hunting with hounds – he is joint honorary secretary of the New Forest Hounds Hunt Club, which supports a repeal of the Hunting Act.

Always good to have perspective and balance on these issues huh..

For much of its history it regularly played host to large, often boisterous royal hunting parties, and on its website the New Forest Hounds Hunt Club, of which Dr Ferris is joint honorary secretary, claims to be “continuing 900 years of tradition in the New Forest.”

The New Forest Hounds Hunt Club continues to drag hunt, as permitted by law, with hounds chasing an artificial scent. Last year, Dr Ferris was quoted in local newspapers including the Bournemouth Echo as saying that trail hunting was “not like traditional hunting because it will never have the same element of the unknown.”

What it does have, however, is a large group of people on horseback, rather than bicycles, and one accompanied by a pack of baying hounds, presumably disturbing the very tranquility that Dr Ferris appears so keen to maintain.

*pop* goes the credibility..

Lifer – they won’t become obsolete if they’ve existed for hundreds of years. That’s the worrying thing.

Castles?

Right then you lot, I ride a bit in the mentioned area… it’s not the best in the world, but it’s on the ‘doorstep’ so to speak 😉 this makes it good..

I dispute those who say it’s boring, you just need to know the trails to find, and the forset has edges, outside these dont fall under the by-laws mentioned.There is good, not Wales, Quontocks, Scotland, Exmoor etc great, but good (singlespeed stuff) stuff!

So, if you want to see, drop me a mail, and we can meet for a ride (and a cider 😆 )

I was only joking about bombarding his inbox!

There goes CG again with her thinly veiled vile sexist innuendo
<reported>
😉

Well I must also confess to be a NF local. Although not born and bred I must add. But yes I am miserable 😆

In 8 years of riding here, I have yet to encounter anyone from either the FC or the verderers. But then again I tend to ride either early or late.

However, I have had the odd “run in” with horse riders and well all I will say is that all the aggression has come from them. I simply smiled and bid them a good day. Seemed to make them even more mad.

I find it hypocritical that they are happy to ride all year round and turn most paths into impassable bogs and yet are adamant that MTBs are bad for the forest.

The FC also seem to do a very good job of carving up the forest with their logging vehicles and cause enough damage to last 100’s of years.

I have also witnessed countless people let their dogs chase deer, birds etc. Dont get me started on those people who simply take their dogs to the car parks twice a day to empty them.

Having said that I have found most dog walkers very friendly and curteous.

Gosh I feel better for that!!

I would be up for a STW Forum ride.

ciderinsport, go organise a forum ride, go on go on go on.

I’ll reciprocate by organising one on the IW in return.

Count me in for both. I now live just outside the Forest and grew up on the Island.

I would like to add that not all the forestry workers are anti bikes. There have been several times on my midweek rides that I’ve passed some of them on cheeky trails with nothing being said. I get the impression that a good few of them are sympathetic to cycling in the Forest but know better than to shout about it in front of their bosses.

Mostly it’s been the retired set that have had a go at me out there. On one occasion I passed a group of ramblers with a cheery wave and a “good morning”. Most of them returned the greeting with smiles and just one at the back having a grumble.

I also live in the forset (well right on the edge) and often ride on cheeky trails to and from work in summer and never had anything but friendly hellos from those I have met. There does seem to be s et who only want it for them selves though if you see the local papers. A bit like the lymington ferry debacle.

You have to admire Mr Pasmore’s research methods…

“When such miscreants are challenged, and I only once recall seeing a member of the Forestry Commission doing so, the normal response is a torrent of abuse.”

normal from a sample size of 1.

You have to admire Mr Pasmore’s research methods…

Usual story with this sort of tory boy nimbyist, i.e. lets not let the facts get in the way of having a good go at the prols.

More info here (Boxhill and NF):

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/box-hill-cycling-boom-sparks-police-patrols-32462

I live in Lymington NF and know all this area well. People hammering around at night is pretty common and is pretty new to the forest folk who like their hunting and horseriding etc. The problem is that no effort is being made by either party to accept / be more acceptable.

There’s plenty of singletrack in the forest which no-one walks or horse rides on and If they let us ride on that, or gave us a bit of hilly land [rare in these parts] to build something good on then that would keep us away from all the others [the semi-dead people].

As someone mentioned; up north [the north of the forest that is….] there’s some nice bits around nomansland and godshill which we could build a little trail with a few berms, kickers, tabletops and the like and we’d all go there and everyone would be happy.

But no…..

the thing is that there are cyclists that don’t want anyone there but cyclists, walkers that only want walkers and horseriders who only want horseriders. Personally I’d like it if there was nonne there but me!!!

I have however over the last few years, helped riders who’ve fallen off their horses, walkers who are lost [grockles everytime] and helped agisters find an injured horse etc etc etc and in the same way been helped by those people in return [especially the two “ladies” on horseback who held my bike light whilst i chnaged my derailler hanger. thanks girls….!]

I was out there last night (Monday) on foot with my son for his cubs night hike and I’ve got to say it was pretty busy.
I walked with them for a half mile but soon had had enough of 25 shouting 8-10 year olds and torches being shone in my face. Unlike previous years no other parents tagged along so I cut off to follow some tracks I’ve ridden and find a bit of peace and tranquility. After a hundred yards I was passed by a group of four cyclists (2 on Cube and Specialized, all wearing hi-viz jackets). Not long after that there were a couple of runners with head torches, one of which may have been Ayups. Lastly , on the way back to the car park there was a lone rider on what looked like a full suss Marin.

Wun….

😐

Din’t want it anyway….

Sniff.

I think traditionally you’re supposed to deal with land use issues in the New Forest by shooting the troublemaker with an arrow while he’s out hunting

I agree with Northwind – but if you’re going to try it remember to put your tyres on the wrong way round.

What a kill joy..

I think this bit is especially pathetic..

“Organised races, time trials and ‘iron man’ competitions result in huge numbers of cyclists travelling silently at speed on narrow country lanes – at great risk to residents and livestock.”

Acting as the VOICE OF REASON in this debate I have added my fact based comment to the Echo article. I wonder if it will calm the debate (or even get published):

It is clear that this is a well written and deliberately non-provocative article designed to provoke reasoned argument so I would propose a fact based approach to resolving the issues.

Lets start with the published number of animal deaths and injuries for 2010:

Number of animals : 7910
Number killed : 65
Number injured : 27

Total Number : 92

Now let’s see what caused these death and injuries so we can address the real problem:

Cars and Drivers : 92
Bikes and Cyclists : 0
Acorns : 30*

*not included in data about road deaths.

Breaking this down further to find which drivers are the menace if more difficult but it appears that about 70% of the road accidents in the New Forest are caused by local drivers.

I think the evedence from this is clear:

1 – BAN ALL LOCALS FROM DRIVING
2 – BAN ALL TOURISTS FROM DRIVING IN THE FOREST
3 – REMOVE ALL OAK TREES
4 – HANG ALL CYCLISTS FROM THE REMAINING TREES AND FLOG THEM UNTIL THEY DIE*

*This isn’t strickly supported by any evidence but then nor are the majority of comments left here so I thought I would join in the stupid ill informed bigotry!

Whinging cock bags. We are evil pernicious nuisances and must be stopped, ghettoised, and ranked third class. The naZional trust, Forest verderers, and any paid idiots should all f*** off.

Where are the headlines ” new Forest is rammed full of cars that pollute, congest, kill”. ” lyndhurst tail backs reach Southampton as too many cars invade the Forest”. Ringwood a35 tailbacks over 15 miles due to fat lazy people without bikes”.

Morning Charlie! Cup of tea?

Had a very nice, if a little damp, ride out there last night.

Came across loads of deer and horses, and even a group of naughty mountain bikers on a trail they shouldn’t have been on (oh, and so was I 😳 )

The cider in the pub was great, just like the 2 big bowls of chips the 3 of us were given by the landlord!

Forum ride…. yes I will do one, but lets wait till the summer, when the chances of upsetting people are a bit greater!!

Forest local too, Mrs is a ranger in the forest. The offical line regarding cycling in the forest has changed recently, it certainly doesn’t support the verderes case now though. Maybe this is what is sparking off the vitriol against cyclists?

Cling, that’s interesting are you able to shed a bit more light on that?

I ride (as said earlier in the post) in the Northern area of the NF, Normansland etc.. and there are lots of trails over there that have enough of a didtance between other users and yourself.

If you are sympathetic and ride with your eyes and ears open you can ride all day and not come across anyone.

I’m up for a NF ride too.

Ihave head people on here talking about mass trespass and so on in a similar vein to Kinder Scout

I thiunk this sort of issue is a much better one for this. Organises a mass ride and publicise it widely – but take the moral higher ground as high as you can. Be friendly and polite to everyone. Have marshals if appropriate, hand out carrots to the horses. Sweeties to the children, zimmer frames to the old dears.

smile at everyone, get the press involved.

could be fun

Sounds like a top idea from Teej. Annoy them by being nice 🙂

Lets start with the published number of animal deaths and injuries for 2010:

Number of animals : 7910
Number killed : 65
Number injured : 27

Total Number : 92

Now let’s see what caused these death and injuries so we can address the real problem:

Cars and Drivers : 92
Bikes and Cyclists : 0
Acorns : 30*

*not included in data about road deaths.

Why are animal deaths getting involved? I don’t think they much to do with the trail, especially since most of them were due to cars.

The Echo (Bournemouth) is loving it this week. A ‘cyclist’ has knocked a little girl over and rode off, leaving her with a broken leg. An unpleasant story no doubt, but not as unpleasant as the Echo using it to push their agenda. Has been a front page exclusive twice this week, with nice emotive language on accompanying billboards. The one outside the newsagent today reads ‘FAMILY IN CYCLIST HORROR’.

I won’t link to their website, but the resulting vortex of dim is staggering.

While the man in the story is technically a cyclist by riding a bike, he isn’t “a cyclist” as in an enthusiast. Lots of chavs ride bikes, it doesn’t make them cyclists. I hope this guy is caught and gets what he deserves, but I would really like to see what would happen if every time a cyclist gets injured on the road the Echo posted “Teenager injured in motorist horror”.

Although naturally, all teenagers are waste of space no-gooders that like to terrorise old people and injure children.

I do hope these people don’t get paid.

So where are all these cyclists who have been causing havoc in the New Forest.

Drove from the north to the south of the forest today and back and only encountered two cyclists in that entire drive.

Rather amusingly the only disruption to traffic I came across was a bunch of toffs on horseback with a pack of hounds accompanied by some idiots in pick ups with people stood up in the back, who were clearly breaking the law by doing so on a public road.

Would have been interesting to see what the police would have done if they had been there.

A bike ride in the NF would be great, I’d join, live just outside. Don’t lets wait til Summer! I have done some boring riding there ages ago, and more recently a fab ride which convinced me that the NF has some great routes to offer.

On the subject of beligerent walkers and horse riders – rule of thumb IMO: Hants/Wilts = unfriendly, Dorset/Somerset = friendly.