Dogs at Trail Centres

Kids on balance bike are a bit slower,more predictable than a dog & easier to see…..Some people 🙄

what if it was a kid on a ballance bike following dad rather than a dog?

On a green (grade) route, fine. On a Blue route, hmmm, don’t think so, on a red and above no way.

So what’s wrong with a dog following their owners wheel?

Kids on balance bikes are generally moving along the trail, not emerging from the undergrowth chasing pheasant / squirrels / fairies.

Only the dog owner can answer whether their dog is suitably behaved for trail centres or not. But I still dont think its appropriate, any more than a child riding a balance bike on a trail centre.

I’ve seen kids on balance bikes who are a dam site better riders than some adults I’ve seen….. 😉

I don’t mind dogs at trail centres as long as I’m not having to pull it out of my spokes, or the owner doesn’t expect me to take stupid measures to avoid it ( i.e. if its a choice between me or the dog, it’s me every time) . Crap on the trail is well out of order.

Trail centres are full of people riding their bikes and probably aren’t thinking, “what will I do if I meet a dog” I wouldn’t take an animal to that environment .

On a green (grade) route, fine. On a Blue route, hmmm, don’t think so, on a red and above no way.

What about wobbly middle aged men on Ibis Mojo’s going not much faster?

There needs to be more rules covering this sort of thing, and licencing, preferably with a test you have to pass before you can ride down each grade, and number plates and 3rd party insurance. Won’t somebody think of the children rad core dudes shredding the gnarrrrrrrr who might have to interupt their flow and drop out of the zone if there’s anyone slower in the way on the trail!

johnikgriff – Member

I’ve seen kids on balance bikes who are a dam site better riders than some adults I’ve seen…..
🙄 *sighs*

Kids and dogs on trails don’t make a good comparison imo.

So what’s wrong with a dog following their owners wheel?

it’s not a good as sniffing another dogs arse?

What about wobbly middle aged men on Ibis Mojo’s going not much faster?

It’s fine to just barge them out the way. 😉

i cant see the problem, its like riding in the Peaks and moaning about Horses, my personal feeling on this is Give Way ! or dont ride in the peaks unless you have your own piece of land and then you can moan all you like when a Dog gets on your trails, you could even shoot it and pretend it was worrying your sheep ?

I was told years ago that it was doled out in order of heirachy, walkers, horses, Cycles, and **** the Motorists.

dogs arent in that line up but are often accompanied by Walkers, horse rider types, and cyclists, Ive even seen some dogs in cars, or at least i think they were dogs ?

I suggest that if you feel so strongly about it that the next time you see a rabid pooch on your trails that you enquire as to its owner and tell him face to face.

I’m a bit scared of dogs arriving unannounced on a trail in front of me (I was bitten by one a while back). Also, I’ve ridden through enough dog turds in my life so far and don’t want to ride through any more, especially at trail centres. Dogs, to me, are 4 legged biting sh*tting things and all the dogs I’ve met so far whilst out biking have had the stupidity to wander in front of me while I was moving.
True story: A German Shepherd dog decided to wander in front of me while I was cycling along the canal (Tinsley area) about 4 years ago. For various reasons (mainly safety) I was travelling at speed (20mph+, on 575). I hit the dog amidships and kept going.

I suggest that if you feel so strongly about it that the next time you see a rabid pooch on your trails that you enquire as to its owner and tell him face to face.

I have done several times 😉

I don’t get dogs/pets at all. Why do people have/need them unless they are used in a working role, sheep/guide dog etc.

Surely people have friends/kids/family so they don’t need the faff of a pet?

Surely people have friends/kids/family so they don’t need the faff of a pet?

Why bother with friends and family? They just get in the way of riding bikes round trail centers?

I have a pet so i don’t need the faff of kids. 😀

I’m going to buy a cow & have it as a pet,then take it around the trails with me.Obviously I’m going to need a bigger car to fit it in……

And you will be able to blame the cow for holding you up on the trails !!!
Win win situation, and you get a bigger car !

and free milk….

Your not supposed to Cow Juice, it said so on here the other day ?

kid on a ballance bike following dad rather than a dog

As I predicted, took longer than I thought…..I can’t believe people think that stands up to any sort of common sense.

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anyone decides on here, it’s at the discretion of the landowner as to who’s allowed where on their land and whether to enforce it (and no!, that doesn’t mean you on FC land).

3 at Swinley on the blue run last Sat morning, probably the busiest UK trail centre, at the busiest time of the week.
What are these people thinking?

It doesn’t bother me really, dogs at trail centres are generally a lot better behaved than the ones I encounter on bridleways.

Its the outdoors. If I have to stop for two mins so they are out of the way or the opposite then no big deal.

Deveron53 – Member

True story: A German Shepherd dog decided to wander in front of me while I was cycling along the canal (Tinsley area) about 4 years ago. For various reasons (mainly safety) I was travelling at speed (20mph+, on 575). I hit the dog amidships and kept going.

Ummm…please tell me I’m missing something! How is safety a justification for this? You hit a dog, on a canal path, at 20mph; you didn’t stop; you don’t see anything wrong with this?

Don’t get me wrong; I often ride too fast on shared access paths. I just don’t try to kid anyone (including myself) that it’s okay. I would be mortified if I hit a dog under those circumstances. Just think – it could have been a child’s face! On a balance bike!! following a wobbly middle-aged man!!! etc.

EDIT – were you being chased by ruffians intent on doing harm to your person or that of your child’s face?

So what’s wrong with a dog following their owners wheel?

The fact that its not what generally happens (apart from in the mind of the dog owner).

mine does. i posted a video somewhere up there ^^^^^ that proves it.

EDIT – were you being chased by ruffians intent on doing harm to your person or that of your child’s face?

YES!

A bunch of Pikeys were burning the insulation off a pile of cable right by the canal. I had already accelerated to get past them. As I saw their German Shepherd bounding towards me, my thought was: Increase Speed! I didn’t want to find out if the Pikeys and their dog were friendly. Call me prejudiced but I assumed not! Plus I was on my own on a 3k bike!
The dog ran in front of me, I t-boned it, it bounced off my front tyre and I decided to put a bit more speed on! There were some shouts behind me. I never looked back!
I brought this incident up to demonstrate that if you’ve got enough momentum (200lbs me, plus 30lb bike at 20+mph) dogs just bounce off your front tyre.

Swinley Tuesday late afternoon, one bloke and 2 dogs ! one was keeping up , one was 100m behind and roaming everywhere .

Any advance on 2 !

This thread is basically a two page whinge.

Keep it up fellas, internet’s an awesome place for getting stuff off the chest.

I’m not on about the shared access trails, I acknowledge that these are shared between cyclists, walkers, people with dogs etc.. and your speed should reflect that. I’m talking about the bike specific red and black trails where people are riding with their dogs off the lead with absolutely no consideration for other trail users.

The red and black trails are just paths that the managers of the land had bikes in mind for when the built them. No matter how they are signed and graded cyclists of any age or ability can ride them and folk can walk them. And dogs are dogs.

Your speed on marked trails or shared trails should reflect the fact theres no stripy tape and no marshals with flags and whistles making sure the path is clear around the next corner. In the absence of those measures anything or anyone you encounter – pedestrians, children, dogs, another fallen rider, a fallen tree – that you can’t readily and easily stop for is entirely your problem.

I like reponsible dog owners.
I like well behaved dogs.
I like trail centres.

However, I intend to ride my bike round the show ring at Crufts next year;
I shall crap on the floor, hump Clare Balding’s leg, bark at the judge and circle Peter Purves in a threatening manner, whilst Ms Spanner shouts ‘He’s harmless really, your microphone scared him’ in a patronising, smug voice.

I like naughty dogs. They make me 😆

Have a dog, he’s still young (18 months) but we’ve done Glentress blue with him. But we waited till after 5 when the trails were near empty.

I was in front, followed by dog followed by the girlfriend. Don’t see a problem as long as he’s between us on the trail.

As for him wandering off chasing stuff, yes when your walking no when he’s chasing one of us on a bike. The key is to give him one job i.e chasing you and he won’t go off wandering in front of other riders.

Before we got the hound we’d often see dogs on trails didn’t bother me as its for everyone to enjoy the trails and if people enjoy it with their dogs so what!

Stopping to let a dog past or to get out of its way is no worse than having to stop or move for another rider.

Some people need to realise trails are for everyone and that some people like taking their dogs with them. As long as they don’t cause accidents where’s the problem?

The red and black trails are just paths that the managers of the land had bikes in mind for when the built them. No matter how they are signed and graded cyclists of any age or ability can ride them and folk can walk them. And dogs are dogs.

Your speed on marked trails or shared trails should reflect the fact theres no stripy tape and no marshals with flags and whistles making sure the path is clear around the next corner. In the absence of those measures anything or anyone you encounter – pedestrians, children, dogs, another fallen rider, a fallen tree – that you can’t readily and easily stop for is entirely your problem.

Footpaths are for walkers only. Bike trails are for cyclists only. From Llandegla’s own website 😉

There are a huge number of assumptions being made on this thread, they ain’t ‘my’ trails, and I have no problem sharing them with responsible users, neither do I have a feeling of self importance. As for the post above, I always ride within my limits and with the assumption I’m going to encounter someone or something along the trail. I’ve been riding long enough to expect the unexpected, especially somewhere with such a wide scope of ability as Llandegla. Dog number one from last Wednesday cut through the forest as I came round a hairpin and under my wheel as I was on the edge of a small drop, if it had been a couple of seconds later I would have been airborne and please do explain to me how I could have taken evasive action to not hit a dog whilst in the air. Dog two last night came from behind and across the path of my front wheel, I guess it had been sniffing around something off trail then panicked as it heard me come past and realised it had lost its owner. I don’t blame the dog for either incident to clarify, just the irresponsible owners who clearly had no control of their dog in either situation. My speed clearly wasn’t an issue Maccruiskeen, otherwise I would had hit them 🙄

As for it could be a small child, I have yet to see a three year old hitting up the table top jumps on the black trail on her/his balance bike, and if they were, I would expect them to stick to the marked trail like any other user.

this again? really ?? I thought we had already established that people using trail centres to exercise their dogs were dicks

WHAT ABOUT DEER AND BADGERS? THEY HAVE FEELINGS TOO.

Your speed on marked trails or shared trails should reflect the fact theres no stripy tape and no marshals with flags and whistles making sure the path is clear around the next corner. In the absence of those measures anything or anyone you encounter – pedestrians, children, dogs, another fallen rider, a fallen tree – that you can’t readily and easily stop for is entirely your problem.

I’m yet to see a pedestrian, child, fallen rider or fallen tree run out of the bushes without warning and start jumping and barking at me.

3 at Swinley on the blue run last Sat morning, probably the busiest UK trail centre, at the busiest time of the week.
What are these people thinking?

I fancy a ride with my dog?

It’s a free country after all.

WHAT ABOUT DEER AND BADGERS? THEY HAVE FEELINGS TOO.

And the middle aged bimblers on Ibis Mojo’s, don’t forget them.