Leith Hill – MEGA – who knows about this?????

Tony B got 4th place last night. Roo Fowler won it.

xcgb – Member
Nice job, there are enough access issues as it is

Thought Howard would know better

Indeed. Had always thought rather highly of him.

This guy reckons > 100 people at the start: https://twitter.com/tomgrundymedia/status/215513103587217408

Not very ‘stelf’ is it lads?

But they are just a bunch of mates, they all now each other – doing a good job at leaving this thread alone thou I’ll give them that.

There has been simular at puddletown woods and near minehead in north devon, its just a great shame we havent got a big enough hill in the new forest as im sure the locals would totally understand. looks like top fun from the vid,,,,

That’s a fun route, done most times I’m up on the hill. I’d join in, but I’d need a walking start and about a five-minute lead so I could go at my usual elderly pace…

they actually did nothing wrong. just a big bunch of mates riding down a hill, all on legit trails.

the ranger was very angry! the good lady was in coldharbour last night and this ‘event’ was a big talking point in the pub.

shame, but sadly the actions of a few will mean sooner rather than later the worse will happen. 🙁

they actually did nothing wrong. just a big bunch of mates riding down a hill, all on legit trails.

Funny, I thought it was a race, not a ride?

Still, nobody’s opinion of the rights and wrongs are going to be changed on here, are they?

Some lad told me about this in the pub at the end of football tuesday night – i said yeah i’ll see you there – unfortunately i’d had a lot to drink that night and my ride home resulted in multiple crashes on stane street – and a sore head in the morning.

they actually did nothing wrong. just a big bunch of mates riding down a hill, all on legit trails.

Even if you say that, it’s a bunch of 75+ ‘mates’, hardly great for relationships.

I don’t doubt it was great fun, but definitely agree it’s only damaging for the perception of mountain bikers.

I saw a bloke with a race number taped to his bars pushing up to the tower. There’s lots of talk on Twitter and Strava of winners and positions.

If it looks like a race and smells like a race, it’s probably …

just a big bunch of mates riding down a hill, all on legit trails.

Large group, at speed, descibed as a race by people posting on twitter, vimeo and here. Basic law on Rights of Way – “Races or speed trials on paths are forbidden”

Looks lots of fun but really doesn’t look like a good way to build bridges in an area with access issues.

I am in agreement

but then everytime you race your mates down a trail you are breaking the law! its just on a bigger scale.

Head out of the sand Nick. 70 riders at speed, close together, on mostly shared use trails, some of it with very short sightlines.

They were lucky not to meet someone coming up the other way on Wolvern’s Lane. And anyone who went up Wolvern’s last night was lucky too.

Can you imagine the pile-up?

but then everytime you race your mates down a trail you are breaking the law! its just on a bigger scale.

It’s the scale that’s the specific issue!

Not quite true about ‘racing your mates’ either, that’s not an organised event.

I’m shocked. Ride Leith and Peaslake all the time.

Can’t believe anyone would be stupid enough to do this… don’t we have enough enemies already?

This wasn’t organised either….

it was all over in 13 minutes.

10 mates from diaryofarider.com etc blatting down the tower BW on a sunday morning is just the same – if not worse. going to come up against more foot/horse traffic

njee20 nails it.

Idiots. Selfish idiots.

If you hit and injured someone walking up to Leith Hill, you could easily end up in court. Especially if you’ve got racing number strapped to the bars, a GPS logging your time for a Strava segment called “Leith Hill Mega”, and a phone with text messages detailing a meet up for a Leith Hill race, whilst in a big crowd of 70-100 people doing speeds of up to 40mph and no warnings whatsoever for anyone who happens to be walking in the area.

“No officer, I was definitely riding responsibly”

This wasn’t organised either….

cba linking to the face palm again. You calling it a coincidence then?

And unsure what the timescales have to do with anything?

This wasn’t organised either….

God I hope that’s sarcastic! Did the 75 riders just happen all to be at a specific point, all knowing the route, at the same time then? What are the odds! I want to go to Vegas with those guys!

it was all over in 13 minutes.

WGAS? If the ranger sees them for 10 seconds it’s going to cause as much trouble as if they carry on for 4 hours!

10 mates from diaryofarider.com etc blatting down the tower BW on a sunday morning is just the same – if not worse. going to come up against more foot/horse traffic

Seriously? Even though that’s non-competitive, and one would hope that on seeing walkers/horses they’d slow down and show courtesy, not see it as a chance to attack the other riders to get a gap.

I’m not sure if you’re a naive fool, or just trolling.

muppets.

I’m not sure if you’re a naive fool, or just trolling.

He’s just trolling.

Remarkable self-discipline from the racers tho, in not posting here.

As someone who was riding up one of the two way trails on Leith Hill last night when they all came hurtling down, it wasn’t fun at all.

No one was around to warn of the on coming pleb fest, the guys at the front were all head down racing, I was forced to get off the trail or risk getting hit.

It was basically like trying to ride against the starting field of an xc race.

Oh and no one has mentioned the direction signs nailed to trees yet?

Just had a look at last year’s race videos online. 75 riders doing that is a bit daft, but what’s done is done. Things like this are like free parties, they only happen a few times before they get busted well in advance. Next time there may be people out to stop it and in any access-conflict bikes would be worst-off.

Yes it was abit silly, and not a good advert for biking…still fun though

^ stop winding people up )

We all know who organises it and he puts in a hell of a lot more than he takes out so I for one trust him not to destroy mountain biking in the area!

As someone who was riding up one of the two way trails on Leith Hill last night when they all came hurtling down, it wasn’t fun at all.

No one was around to warn of the on coming pleb fest, the guys at the front were all head down racing, I was forced to get off the trail or risk getting hit.

It was basically like trying to ride against the starting field of an xc race.

Oh and no one has mentioned the direction signs nailed to trees yet?

Given that a biker felt threatened by the mob coming down the hill then one can only guess at what local walkers felt like. Not the smartest move by the organisers IMO. The good work done by the local MTB support groups with the rangers will have taken a knock I reckon.

Racing your mates for fun in a small group is a million miles from racing at an ‘event’ , no matter how informal. Next year expect 200+ riders and some proper trouble. 🙄

We all know who organises it and he puts in a hell of a lot more than he takes out so I for one trust him not to destroy mountain biking in the area!

But it won’t be anything he can stop once the ban-it movement has enough momentum. I have a lot of time / respect for peole like that if they’re responsible, don’t get me wrong.

I know a guy who used to put loads in to our local spot, made cheeky trails, put on events, was a big part of creating a whole scene that grew from that area as well as making some of the local trails. A bit of a 90’s MTB scene legend really. The riding drew attention though and up against the local anti’s, landowners, the council etc, powerless. There’s less riding available in that area than there was 10-12 years ago. Over-simplified version of the story and a different situation yes, likely outcome any different? No.

Always remember rule #1.. individually or collectively )

surprised at 2 people employed by MBR/IPC partaking in what essentially is unofficial racing in a sensitive area (recreational use/conflict)
it’s just a bit of harmless fun until somebody loses a leg.

Milner has already removed his from strava.

“it’s just a bit of harmless fun until somebody loses a leg.”

What was it, a chain saw owners convention?

Man, those middle aged IT managers ROCK!

I was pi$$ed off enough by what happened last night to consider jumping on any anti mtb campaign and support any attempts to ban riders on anything other than ROWs.

24hrs later, it’s still a stupid thing to have done again, it was reckless last year but they got away with it, this time it’s just “jumping the shark” and it has been done right under the nose of the ranger from what has been said earlier.

any videos? 😆

Milner has already removed his from strava.

Shame he’s still visible in pictures (with race number boards? hardly discreet) on public flikr sets.