Thought I'd post up as I've been stopped X2 and photograhped in the New Forest for riding in "un-authorised areas".

Earlier this week I was stopped by Percy the Park-Keeper at the Campsite in Ashurst for riding the bomb hole / jumps there and warned that if I was found there again I would be reported to the NF Agister. I was hard to take an overwight, jordie in a bright red t shirt that was way too small and some tight shorts, with obligatory jack boots and long socks seriously and to keep a straight face. Made my excuses and scarpered, slighlty PMSL, if I'm honest.

Today, was stopped by a NF Agister (bloke in a Forestry Comm 4X4) and asked lots questions about where I'd been riding, did I know what was permited and what wasn't etc- this was up at Deerleap just before the DH gnarly trail that takes you back to the Happy Cheese. Again, rode off pretty sharpish.

Then as I was going though the Campsite at Ashurst to go home, the 2 park keepers from earlier in the week took photo's of me (I saw the flash and camera pointed towards me) as I was riding in an "un-authorised" area of the forest. Thought it best not to stop in the cirucumstances.

Not sure if it's a series of unconnected events or concerted effort, but thought I'd post up and let you know.

I noticed there`s alot of foresty comm 4×4 driving around Woodfalls side of the forest recently, shame because i only live about a mile away from the forest but of course you are not ment to ride in any of it…Bloody silly, but there you go 🙁

So they might be having a crackdown on bikers this month, To$$ers

So let me get this straight – 4x4s driving around on trails that you are not supposed to be biking on? 🙄

I didn't see them stopping any walkers, no horses in sight – sometimes I think we are so under-represented….. 😈

Where's this bit that goes to the happy cheese?

oooh, missed our night-ride tonight as my mate has ebola or something

campsite, jumps, ashurst : intriguing, Mr Lucien ! are these well known to all ?

last week a dogger/dealer gent in a darkened parked car shouted something at us as we went through deerleap cp on the way to DH radness (about 10pm) but I've never been spoken to by a power ranger

time somebody learned that prohibition doesn't work as well as managed access would 🙄

I was in the Forest Tuesday daytime and happened to arrive at the gate (complete with 'no cycling' sign) up the road from the Crown Stirrup just at the same time as a Forestry Bloke turned up at the other side in his green pick up. Naturally I opened the gate for him and we both passed through and went our respective ways with a wave and a smile.

Clearly some of the Foresters are more understanding than others. Those residing in the cottages at the reptillary and at Beachern Wood out the back of Brockenhurst have a reputation for not being tolerant of 'lost' cyclists.

DH gnarly trail that takes you back to the Happy Cheese

?
It's a nice techy XC trail and a good excuse for retro, narrow handlebars but DH and gnarly? I think someone has led a bit of a sheltered life?

Do they mean us?

cyclists were using lamps with bright halogen lights strapped to their heads

What using halogens ? Not me guv…..surely everybody knows LED is the way 😉

Did I miss the bit where the location of this 'DH' trail was revealed?

I got stopped by two chaps in an FC truck a few years ago on a night ride. They were friendly enough – told us we weren't supposed to be in the forest at night which was news to me.
We were on one of the broad gravel tracks at the time which, I suppose, is how they saw us.

The thing to do, I suppose, is to ride away from those broad tracks.

That or become organised and push for proper access rights.

I too am interested in said 'gnarl'

Any chance of some google earth? Email in profile if you don't want to flash the location round the interweb…

When I ride out of soton I go via deerleap through the campsite so would be almost on the usual route.

Third the request for GNARL.

DT – you'll have mail shortly (don't get your gnar hopes up though)

other 2 – you won't (guess why ?)

(I bet you know it anyway – lots seem to)

Well as gnarly as it gets for the NF at least and that trail has a lot of potential…

If you don't know where, as you enter Deerleap CP just before the cattle grid turn right, follow trail to a gate, go through said gate and turn immediately right – takes you pretty much to the Happy Cheese. A good bit of stuff exisits in the NF, you just have to look for it

Cheers for the mail Mike.

Ride past there at least once a month….will I be needing the full face then??? lol.

I've been looking for a trail to 'improve' over winter too… most likely will be in my local spot though

Oh, in there. I've been poking around in there a bit.
Turning right and following the fence I find a bit stop start but there is a surprisingly down-y bit just from that gate IIRC. I always seem to end up on fire road though – must do more poking about.
Thanks.

That news story is quite funny, deserved it's own thread IMO.

Apparently it's OK to go riding through fields of cows and horses wherever there is a right-of-way for bikes, but not OK to do it in the New Forest on the basis of animal cruelty. Presumably they have more sensitive livestock there?!

Theres such great potential for miles and miles of XC based singletrack in the New Forest, so its a real shame that the conservation facists have such a grip on it.

I think due to the bylaws unique to the forest they can actually confiscate your bike can't they?

Haha, "unnatural activity". You deviants!

Just returned from a holiday in this area last week and it reinforced my opinion that quite a few of the locals are uptight, unpleasant horsey-loving killjoys.

This thread seems to support that view.

poppa, that news story is a microcosm of (as far as I can make out) the whole "management philosophy" of the NF. Vested interests, NIMBY land"owners", reactionary arzles in general whose own pastimes are already permitted all conspiring to keep the place in the 19th century for as long as they can

Why can't we ride there? Because the 1876 (or whatever) rules don't mention mtbs. You can ride a **** horse anywhere you like

they'e not preserving the area for anyone else visitor-wise since nobody ventures out of the 500m dogshit zones round car parks

erosion/sensitive environment? there is NOTHING i could do with my bike that would register: you should see the state of the hoof-churned kackfest that leaves many areas pretty much impassable unless you're on a long-legged horse. let's not forget the logging vehicles leaving 2-3 foot deep ruts.

groundesting birds ? personally I stay away when the signs are up but the livestock don't and nor do the walkers/gangs of birdwatchers (and it's pretty well established that birds come straight back down after a brief disturbance but not if the "thing" stays nearby)

for what it's worth and as you'd expect, the livestock don't give a bugger when we ride past, day or night – the deer stroll away by maybe 50 feet and the rest just stand & watch you go by (actually, they mostly don't even look). I admit, the occasional rabbit may run for cover but luckily we don't ride next to the roads so even they aren't mercilessly herded into the path of vehicles

<looks up at post; calms down. I know, it needs more caps 😳 >

Would anyone be up for guiding me around a bit (or letting me tag along their usual ride) next time I'm in Soton? My folks live down there and my dad bought himself a bike this week so I'd like to show him some places to ride in the new forest.

Got to admit. There's loads of the NF that is never used by anyone so if you go for a hike you can walk for hours and be almost completely alone. Quite why bikes cause the locals such a shit-fit is a mystery.

There cannot be a law saying we cant ride on bridleways at night. In fact there are laws saying we have to have lights on at night. They should be encouraging cyclists not criminalising them!

More mis-spelling required scardeypants! Good rant otherwise, and bang on the money IMO.

Lol at SP's rant 🙂

Agree completely. Livestock are quite happy to munch grass next to a busy road, and occasionally stroll out into oncoming traffic….obviously the odd mtber going past at 15mph is going to be far more traumatic…

I didn't know the bike confiscation thing, is that true? That could result in a rather unpleasant scene.

I'm not fully sure, I was hoping someone more learned than me may know.

Whats certain is there are a load of New Forest Bylaws with specific penalties that don't apply anywhere else in the UK. From memory, theres something like a £500 fine too.

I could easily be wrong though.

There cannot be a law saying we cant ride on bridleways at night

there are surprisingly few bridleways (or indeed ROWs) in the forest. It's mostly permissive hence the rule.

The new forest goes to show why the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, and subsequent laws have been so important to the country.

EDIT: yeah you can be fined. not sure about confiscation…

Do they have to catch you to impose the fine???

Could be good training for the next race 🙂

Atlaz, call in to see me at Perfect Balance cycles in Totton when you're down and I can give you some pointers.

Totally agree with scaredypants. The Verderers have absolute control of open forest areas (only the Queen, not even government, can overturn the rules). The FC control the enclosures under licence and are much more forgiving.

Newforce have been lobbying for access since all cycling was banned in the early nineties – its their work that entailed the limited selection we can legally ride at present. The FC generally arent too fussed if you are in the enclosures, but the Verderers get quite cross if you disturb the environment which their livestock inhabit (their only real interest in the Forest IMO)

I live in Ashurst so ride regularly in the area, will keep an eye out for developments! Their is one particularly vindictive old verderer who recently was minuted describing 'mountain bikers and other vandals' in a statement about people torching cars in the forest. Says it all really…

And the track from Deerleap really ain't all that – just a bit of singletrack with some roots. DH? PMSL!

Oh and standard fine is £300 but can be higher. No record of it being applied to a mountain biker, but a kite boarder did get fined for having a kite over the max permissible 6ft wingspan.

Do they have to catch you to impose the fine???

they'd have to know who you are; and i'm unclear if they have the power to detain you – i can't see why you couldn't cycle off and by the time some one with proper authority – ie a copper turns up – deny the whole thing.

"well i don't doubt you saw someone in a top like this, cycling a bike like this; but it was not me"

not like there is cctv on the ancient oaks!

Think I need to get one of those bank robber masks….

So were exactly is the legal area to ride? I thought all the fireroads were ok? Or is it just the green waymarked ones?

Any tips for a decent enclosure (southampton end of the forest) that is worth 'investigating'?

not like there is cctv on the ancient oaks!

I doubt it will be long if you read that pathetic echo article. How do other national parks cope!?

I thought all the fireroads were ok?

oh no!! it has to be special designated fire roads! 🙄map here

there not even in any way joined up!!

Dibden Enclosure is the most gnarly bit I know of.
Not exactly the Alps mind you.

Mostly Balanced – Are you aware your website doesn't work? And thanks, will definitely get in touch

If anyone stops you, tell them it's Direct Action protesting the Norman Invasion of 1066.
Use the confusion to escape 🙂

Atlaz, fraid the website went by the wayside some time ago. I'll get round to removing the link eventually.

DT78, Ashurst Woods has a number of trialsy xc sort of trails. There seem to be some dog walkers? who very thoughtfully provide us with log hops on one of them to exercise our skills.

ANyone know how/where I get a copy of NF-related byelaws (Hantsweb & friends doing a great job of hiding them, if they exist)

I do have copies of the NF acts, plus the verderers' byelaws (#993, 2010) but I'm after local council stuff too

Mostly Balanced – Ashurst Woods was where I was photographed by the camp site people……….

Others, try places like Busketts Lawn and Brockishill Inclosures for good ST riding as well as Ocknell Plain & Ocknell Inclosure as that's about the highest point you can get in the NF at 100 mtrs, plus the other side of the road a Fritham Cross and Withbed Bottom – finally a nice run from Acres Down to the Portuguese Fireplace if you know it.

I meant the woods the other side of the A35 from the campsite. Obviously close to where you were photographed but a little more secluded.