These pictures were taken at 10am this morning and the blockage is about 1/4 of the way down just after the bend that takes you towards the new dirt jumps.

This has been put in place by more than 2 people and it has been wedged in between the tree. Looking at the branch it is rather fresh and all of the smaller snapped branches are very fresh.

I tried my best to try and move it but sadly I was unable to.

I did also notice 3 or 4 more obstacles on the track nearer the blue bell wood, but cleared these up.

A word of advice then is to keep your eyes open and be aware that the trail is very muddy and slippy.

Is it a legal trail?

Trail tools would have had that out of the way in 10-minutes. Nicely cut up and left to the side of the trail like a pile of fire wood.

someone has destroyed a live tree for that ??

What tools do you carry?
As for the trail, it is situated in a private forrest with public rights of way and briddle paths. This trail has been there for about 15 years and the local land owners have never stopped the locals from riding it.

However, more and more obstacles and blockages have appeared over the last 6 months but the local riders suspect there are few dog walking village idiots that are trying to get us to stop.

Some of the trails in Woburn have been sabotaged lately. Sections have clearly been cut by hand and pulled over the paths. So if you have kids a dog or a buggy your in trouble.
Well sort of, because all it’s done is create new trails around the obstacles, looks a bloomin mess.

Nail up signs around the woodL

“Damaging living trees, e.g. to block access, is a criminal offence. If caught, you will be prosecuted”

bunnyhoppable surely

I’m with SFB on this….

Who REALLY cares about the woodland here then? Not the sabs, that’s a fact

You know if this happened localy (And we’ve had a few small branches put over trails, but nothing like that!) I’d print up some signs and laminate them, then pin them to the trees in the area, something along the lines of – “Would the fools who are destroying perfectly good trees please stop, because if you’re caught you’ll be charged with criminal damage and blocking a right of way”

That may be all BS, but it might scare them a bit

Could it have just come down of it’s own accord?

Looking at the end of it, it doesn’t looks it’s been cut down and you’d struggle to pull down a branch of that size by hand so maybe it blew down?

Reggie, thats about 10 feet tall

….I’d also be tempted to borrow a chainsaw, cut it up into convenient lengths, then make some jumps out of it, to really pee them off.

I forget to mention that there were marks all over the floor from where it had been pulled into place. And looking at how well it has been forced into the gap of the tree trunk, it has been placed there.

Maybe the branch did fall down on its own accord, but it has been put there by a few hands.

To be honest i think it might be worth nicking the english nature sign board a bit further down buckholt road and planting it nearer the shrine trail. It makes specific mention about damage!

I think it might be time to assist the white primera next time i see it parked.

just for those who don’t know

buckholt wood

That’s stupid.

A word of warning too, we had some of this happen on my local trails a while back and shortly after it turned into bits of string being tied across the trails at head height – so watch out for that! 😡

id do the thing where you chop it up and turn it into a jump

piss off the miserable old codgers to the max

😉

There wasn’t anyone else up there and no sign of white primera man.

Will give the trail a miss for a week of so and let it dry out.

bits of string being tied across the trails at head height

Had that years ago on local trails. 🙁

Was up in cranham this morning but didn’t venture over to the shrine direction. Headed over to painswick, the wall etc was all clear. Have not seen the nissan up there since. Still got the reg no just incase.

String and things across the trail is a matter for the police, imo.

As for the tree. I once met with similar obsticles on a trial I used. Initially I use to remove the obsticles, clear the way for other MTBers, etc.
Sadly, this only escalated the number of obstilces placed along the trail.

Then I started riding around the obsticles, then they couldn’t be sure if their actions were a deterent and didn’t extend the obsticles, they eventually backed-off.

Show them that their efforts will be fruitless by riding around and not removing the obsticles. Thats what I’d do.

Sorry to learnt that some tw4ts are screwing with your trails.

Solo.

Put a sign up saying there’s a bounty on their head and draw one of these -> 👿

tbh ive not ridden that stretch as much as i used to as it has been in perma mud and is more and more heavily ridden, plus some bad building appeared. did the whole lot last week and nothing there. still, i had images of wire/string across the trail, bad vibes ruining my time out. i am however totally up for sorting this issue out with all concerned as it can only get worse. these woods are big enough for all. anyway, im sneaking off elsewhere tonight…..

This sort of thing happen’s round my way too. It’s done by sad little people with no friends, who literally have nothing better to do. They don’t care if you get injured either.

They get it wrong though. Making obstructions presents interesting challenges and in our woods, lots of new alternative trails appear. It can make a ride more intereting. They don’t understand modern suspension systems. 😆

If these eco-numpties really cared about their bit of woodland they would form a group of users representing each interest group. By working together, a sustainable compromise stands a chance of being reached and we could all live in harmony. They don’t want to talk however, they want the place all for themselves.

All these self-righteous gonks are doing is causing damage and bad feeling. Themselves: ripping down healthy timber, disturbing habitat, pixxing off other legitimate countryside users (not just bikers). Bikers and other users: causing damage to habitat by making new trails to get around the obstructions that numpty has created.

It’s nothing more than narrow minded intolerance. So that encourages me to specifically carry on using my chosen route to the contrary of their wishes.

If any eco-numpties who want it all their own way are reading this, come on, be big and let’s talk!

Its sad when folk do this – try to obstruct cyclists from using trails where clearly there isnt a problem & the trail is legal. Ive had barbed wire strung across trails in the past. But at least in the UK cyclists have a LEGAL right to use trails & are as nowhere near as restricted as cyclists in the US for example.

I posted this Clicky earlier about access on Mt Tam in Marin County but from what I can tell no-one really bothered reading it.. 😥 Which is a shame considering Mt Tam/Repack Road is really where it all started..

Whats going on here is mild compared to the kind of sh1t bikers have to put up with in the US. Check this out if yr not sure.
Clicky

from what I can tell no-one really bothered..

You could have posted a more inflammatory thread title. “Asshats fence off mountain biking’s birthplace” or some such. 🙂

Ride around it, both sides. Then they have two to block 🙂

They always give up or just go away.

—

I’ve had broken bottles in puddles and partially buried in trails 🙁

Always throw the block down hill if you can and see it as a upper body workout 🙂

A similar problem on the North Downs. A friend has run into walkers blocking trails with saplings, deadfall and the like. He pointed out that the landowner’s agent is *very* keen to speak to people blocking trails, as are the police, since it has injured a number of riders and the people blocking the trails are committing a criminal offence. Apparently, it’s had the right effect.
The funny thing is that the landowner in question has been talking to mountain bikers for years, understands what’s going on with the trails and is supportive – especially since there’s a deed of trust on the land in question specifically setting out that the land be used by the public.

Tang, where do you ride now?

well i live backing onto painswick beacon. i have routes through slad/sheepscombe/cranham/painswick. just had blast all round the beacon linking all the good bits in popes and elsewhere. also when the golfists have gone, no end of fun!

May meet up with you on evening if you want some company?
Are you a bigfooter?

nah, bump into them from time to time and hold the gate! big groups not my thing, going to ride with lookmanohands of this shire next week. which evenings are good for you?

Militantsquirrels.org.uk

The small cute furry sort, may be the culprits, as theyre very protective of their nuts.

There’s some right fooking idiots about.

Fortunately, they will get bored of blocking trails before we get bored of riding them/clearing away their nonsense.

I hadn’t read this thread until now. Two of us moved that very tree out of the way tonight. Took about 5 minutes without any tools. Enjoy your tree-free trail!

Nice one guys. I couldn’t move it on my own.

Tang, normally Tuesdays I ride Cranham / Painswick.

Am Off up there this morning, hopefully it’ll be clear and dryish 🙂

Dunno where that is in glos but unless thats a bridleway I can see the point of some objections. Look at the mess by it. you and I don’t have a problem with that but for a non cyclist who may not approve, its a mess.If on private land ie FC or other its part of the fun of using some one elses property. They have as much right to block it as you have to use it.

mattsccm – Member
They have as much right to block it as you have to use it.

Not if they’re putting other users as risk/in danger though. Cowards who do things like that would probably be $hitting themselves if someone got injured and the Police got involved.

It came as quite a shock to me to realise this practice is commonplace.

I am a dog owner and on my walks, cylists have always been polite, always slowed down and always said thanks if I have called my dogs to heel if they go past.

Now I have started to ride in these same areas, I have always had respect from the dog walkers/ ramblers so who the hell is doing this stuff?

Mattsccm, The trail is not a bridleway and is on private land, land which incidentally forms part of the Cotswolds commons and Beechwood national nature reserve, English Nature are clear, no digging, no breaking trees, no damage. From what i have been told the wardens are fine with bikes, as long as there is no digging, northshore etc. The landowners are happy with bikes on the same basic premise.

There are a few locals, like the bloke who lives in the big house at Cranham Corner who object to people riding in the woods. There are a few dog walkers who also object.

There are actually very few trails and they help minimise some issues by separating the horses and bikes.

The real issue is fly tipping but looking at the green bags you find about the place i guess that isn’t a problem in the dog walkers eyes.