Mendips: Motocross Riders

Up on Black Down yesterday early evening we saw four blokes on MX / Trials bikes blatting up this climb (which is fuq3d from other mx / 4×4 use) – they then jumped the bridleway and continued up over the Down.

I'm normally pretty relaxed about land use but the Mendips are so small and so easily busted up by powered vehicles I thought I better have a moan on here.

Does anyone know who I should inform (ranger? police?) the Bikes were all without reg plates.

Blokes were quite scarey looking and tatooed so I didn't get bolshy *wimp*

Somerset pathwatch: 0845-4567000

http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/community_safety/pathwatch/

Plenty motorised stuff going on up there this year.
😥

Do not even bother having a go at these types. I was kindly threatened with a kicking by a charming group of 3 gorilla's on bikes, in front of my wife.

This was near Brockely Coombe, by Bristol Airport, which has seen massive destruction at the hands of MX'ers and 4×4 brigade. At least it's dry at the moment and so damage is limited but the state of the Brockely Coombe to Wrington bridleway is staggering considering i used to use it to commute home on (when it was mostly grass double track with the odd puddle).

Also, can someone explain how the new big gates stop 4×4's when they always seem to be open?!!

I understand the padlocks are all getting the same keys, but seems to me they're taking a mighty long time.

yeah I don't understand those big metal gates – I've never seen them closed at all.

If and/or when they are shut they will stop 4×4's but anything we can get through an MX can too 😐

nickegg, there are obstacles at the start of sections at afan which allow mtbers through but stop MXers

4×4 damage is by far the bigger of the two on the dips at the moment though.

reported to the pathwatch, can't see it having much effect though. 🙁

I'm aware of those Leggyblonde but the trouble is if it's a bridleway, access has to allow for horses too and they're wider than MX bikes.

I agree that 4×4's are probably the worst of the two up on Blackdown especially the c&^t who finds it acceptable to try and straddle the path up to the trig point 👿 and whoever drove around the edge of Blackdown on the singletrack up towards the gates that lead to the 2 masts, taking out some of the barded wire fence in the process. What is wrong with these morons?

Same as us doing cheeky really, except they care less about the damage in general.

Strictly speaking, the path up to the trig doesn't actually have any ROW status.
😳
But I take your point.

The barbed wire – is this new? I've not been that way for a couple of weeks.

There was damage to the fence at the rooty corner three weeks ago, last time I was along there.

The MXers are not entirely a new thing, a couple of years ago saw two of them blatting up the Fore Cliff hillside from the zigzag on Warrens Hill 😯

Some of the gates at Afan cater for horses as well and look like they would stop Mxers – they are big planks of wood which mean the horse has to step over them – a MX bike would need to be lifted over. (or maybe someone good at trails could bunnyhop it…)

Not the mendips but I was close to being flattened by a chav blasting down a fireroad last week when I joined it from singletrack at my local spot

Problem isn't just the mendips!

Its certainly not a new problem on Mendip, but its getting worse this last year or two.

I'm well aware of the lack of ROW status of the roman road leading to the trig point.

The biggest problem is the recent years of wet weather which mean any damage is just made worse.

Rooty corner – thats the bit i was trying to explain. 4×4 tracks were clearly visible on the ground there about 4 weeks ago.

totally agree nick – wet weather seems to have pushed trails beyond the point of recovery – at least with the current (and increasing) level of use. Time for some sustainable trail practices on Mendip?

a MX bike would need to be lifted over.

Any kind of barrier would just make it a bit more fun to a good rider.

Not that a good rider would ever attempt anything like that.