Had an ace ride today. Time is very limited for me atm to get out and ride, so I really want to enjoy every ride. Headed out this morning from Horwich, over Winter Hill, down a super-sketchy cheeky trail off the masts, then headed across the Rivi-Belmont road, rode up to Great Hill (riding really well), then dropped all the way down to White Coppice which was in A1 conditions (I don’t ride here unless I’m happy it’ll be dry)

Chilling out at the very bottom of the White Coppice descent, getting my breath back, and this bloke comes through the gate from the cricket pitch and starts mouthing off at me, telling me ‘You shouldn’t be here’ etc etc. Over and over. He had two young boys with him, probably his grandsons. I was pretty taken aback, and was unable to respond other than telling him that it was silly that I was not able to ride here, he was a sad little man for berating me, and there were surely other, bigger issues to be chasing. He kept on baiting me, saying ‘but, you shouldn’t be here!’

Afterwards, riding back home, I was kicking myself for not having some better patter off-pat. The evolution of the human race, and the absurdity of the PROW network in England and Wales were some of the items that sprung to mind.

So, what’s your best comeback at a ‘holier than thou footpath user’?

I just tend to laugh at them then ignore them if they’re being that arsey, otherwise find a polite “Hello, how are you today?” followed by a smile works with most people.

I’m impressed that Great Hill was rideable, it’s usually still 3 foot deep in mud at this time of year.

I’d have smiled and said ‘Yes, I know. It’s silly isn’t it?’

If he’d have continued I’d have told him to **** off.

I just smile.

“Yes, I know. It’s silly isn’t it?”

We should make this the default STW answer for walkers who get “funny”.

Apart from the first section up from the road, it was fine. Great Hill descent was really, really good. Dry, dusty and very fast. Even the massive puddle at the bottom has dried out.

Yup, I tried the ‘silly, isn’t it’ tack, but he wasn’t having any of it. I also said that if he was that bothered about 1 cyclist riding here, that he should spend his time wandering the tracks around the NW of England, searching out 4×4 and trials bikes, and ensure he has a stern word with all he met driving on bridleways and footpaths. The guy was having none of my banter – so I need to take some lessons on how to silence someone like that.

Cool ride other than that 🙂

On account of there being a couple of young uns with him, I didn’t swear, kept joking with him and trying to generally keep cool, but was seriously close to losing it with the stupid little twerp.

How about something along the lines of “Right. You’ve had your say and i respect your rights to say it. However, you are now getting irritating and abusive and i’m going to lose my temper if you carry on” in a particularly forceful but polite(ish) manner?

OK ta, I’ll nip over there next weekend. I love that descent from the top of Great Hill down to White Coppice.

You could try, ‘what’s it got to do with you?’ because it has absolutely nothing to do with him whatsoever but if he’s intent on arguing and showing his grandsons what a big man he is just ride off smiling after saying bye. Preferably along that offroad bit towards anglezarke and then round that nice path around anglezarke reservoir, both of which have lots of ‘no cycling’ signs on them.

there is a cycle path from reservoir to brinscal just the other side of the gate built by LCC tell him you used that 😉
I ride the path with young kids when we ride cheeky [woods and a few other bits] and get challenged my eldest [5] asks them about their right to roam and then talks about the kinder scout mass trespass.
Seriously I walk there with my kids and MTB are by far the single biggest danger to me and my kids when we are on foot. Most could not really stop if they had to and the only thing that has ever hit me has been a MTB. there is danger when we mix with walkers I have never hit one but I have scared a few

Ask him if he is the land owner or the land owners agent, if he his do as he asks you, if he’s not tell to mind his own business.

Yes, people like this can spoil a great ride if you let it get to you. At least he was right in that it’s a footpath, I’ve had abuse for riding bridleways before. I just tend to avoid Great Hill on Sundays as it’s always been a cause of contention for as long as I can remember riding there (over 15 years). When it’s dry, this is one of my favourite descent and climb in this area.

A polite, **** off!

Seriously I walk there with my kids and MTB are by far the single biggest danger to me and my kids when we are on foot. Most could not really stop if they had to and the only thing that has ever hit me has been a MTB.

Gavin, was it Junkyard who approached you? 😉

Ask him if he is the land owner or the land owners agent

I challenged him on whether it was actually a criminal offence, as he alleged, to which he backed down somewhat, and conceded it was a civil offence. Again, I was kicking myself for my poor comeback skills, as 5 mins later, I had the perfect comeback along those lines – if you are the landowner, fine, otherwise, jog on!

This was on the road, but I got a ton of abuse from the passenger in a grey VW Transporter when I stopped on a steep climb and pulled right over onto the side to let an ambulance (with blues and twos going) pass me easily.

The ambulance had to momentarily slow since it was narrow anyway, and the passenger in the van behind yelled obscenities at me for stopping when there was an ambulance coming. He had his head out of the window and tracked me as the van passed and I just gave him a middle finger from each hand as they drove on.

I didn’t feel like pointing out that a) since I’d set off from lights about 30 metres back I wasn’t carrying much speed and, and that the alternative to pulling over was forcing the ambulance to drive over 100 metres behind me up this hill.

Oh, and also that he should probably get the **** out of the bus lane that his mate was driving in. I seriously doubt his builder’s van counts as either a bus, a bike or a wheelchair accessible taxi.

I figured that the double “up yours” was suitable. I just wish a cop had caught them in the bus lane avoiding the traffic.

You should have apologised.

You were in the wrong after all.

Rusty Spanner – Member
You should have apologised.

You were in the wrong after all.

Posted 1 minute ago # Report-Post

Took longer than I thought 🙄

Gavin, was it Junkyard who approached you

Were you wearing a black Adidas top, short/cropped grey hair, about 55-60, 5’7″, Lancs accent?

If so – bingo!

Yup, haven’t ridden there for at least 6 months, as I said, I haven’t been riding as much lately (having twins in October seems to have restricted riding somewhat), but the comments I received from the other folk around were quality – more along the lines of ‘what a t**t’, than anything else.

only a matter of time 😉

On a different note – it was great to see so many folk out on the trails today. I must have seen around 30 or so folk in my little loop, all having a great time, enjoying the Spring weather and dry trails. Ace!

There’s a time and a place for cheeky.

A sunny Sunday afternoon at one of the most popular recreation spots in the area, one that has had ‘issues’ with cycling access before isn’t it.

Just saying like.

I wonder if anyone has been on a walking forum where this subject crops up as often as it does on here?

I find it much more interesting to blast through the Chinese Gardens on a Sunday afternoon wearing full body armour and a 45lbs DH bike whilst using the steps and walls as technical features in the trail. 😆

Only joking, it’s 40lbs actually

IMO there’s plenty of room for everyone around white coppice, its a big wide path that should be a bridleway. Why should we apologise for the vagaries of the definition of whats a path and whats a bridleway. I’m all for keeping off it when it is (usually) boggy, but when its dry why not….

Just my opinion

You see, your riding in the wrong area of winter hill, i rode my newly found piece of heather lined singletrack this evening without interuption from anyone 😉

I wonder if anyone has been on a walking forum where this subject crops up as often as it does on here?

Dunno MD, but I’m in a climbing club and it comes up all the time.

Serves you right for

1. Riding my land without my permission
2. Breaking the unwritten rule of riding popular Rivington areas at Weekend (Further reading and information can be found here

Seriously though… I bet thats the b’stard that has been making it his life’s work to bannish bikers from the hills north of Sheep House Lane. Some old duffer, retired with time on his hands, making walls across footpaths and laying Caltrops and other traps on Redmons / Spittlers edge.

I’d love to meet that guy sometime.

Nod politely, say “I’ll bare that in mind” and then ride off. Don’t let him get the satisfaction of getting a rise out of you.

On another note, where abouts is this descent/climb? 😉

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=362331&y=418993&z=120&sv=362331,418993&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=775&ax=362331&ay=418993&lm=0

the arrows marks best descent bit Most people come all the way from top of great hill – variety of routes up all cheeky

if someone gets shouty try this: get your phone out and begin dialing, then tell them: ” I am feeling threatened and if you don’t moderate your tone in the next ten seconds I will phone the police and ask for help” they usually back down. If they don’t, request assistance. Simple.

when you do that do you get your phone out you handbag rather than a camelbak 😉

i rode my newly found piece of heather lined singletrack this evening

@Wors – I think I know where you are talking about 😉

“You shouldn’t be riding here”
“That’s nothing, last time I was up here I was burying the body of the last interfering old man to tell me I shouldn’t be riding here”

I don’t bother getting involved in stand-up trail arguments any more. Face it, whatever you say, you won’t change his mind. I few months back, I witnessed a massive strop between three mountain bikers and a walker by Hollins Cross. The walker was saying that they shouldn’t be there.

I think the bikers assumed he meant that they legally shouldn’t be there – it’s a bridleway – but what he meant was that he hated mountain bikes and they shouldn’t be allowed anywhere. Lots of shouting, threats of violence, swearing. Four very angry people with ruined days out.

It’s ages since anyone’s had a go at me for riding on a footpath, I smile and say hello, which is half the battle, but when people do start all that nonsense, I just apologise and say that I hadn’t realised it was a footpath, but it seems a bit daft anyway. They feel vindicated and wander off to be officious to someone else, you get on with your ride and hope you don’t bump into them in the same place again.

If you’re not going to change someone’s entrenched opinions, why waste your time trying. And why get abusive and just confirm their prejudices? The only thing at stake is ego.

Time to move back to the Peak, Gav 😉 Or at least pop down for a PMW reunion spring outing. Stuff’s riding great at the moment in a loose rubbly sort of way.

Looking at the streetmap – there are virtually no bridleways in that area! Almost like the council couldn’t be bothered to designate any when they first came in!

Went out for a lovely ride last week and rode a few footpaths. Seems to be a pattern though as I’m only ever told off by middle age women without dogs or partners and never ever by anyone walking their dogs off the lead (presumably they feel like criminals themselves sick off being told off by lonely middle age women!).

Last week I’d just lifted my bike over a stile to take a short cut by mostly pushing my bike up this field to avoid a horrible narrow lane with lots of blind bends. The sour looking woman I met didn’t melt by my friendly smile but instead said “You shouldn’t be here!” to which I replied “Don’t worry I’ll be walking.” “That is not the same!” She said and added that there were sheep further up. I should have said that I’d put my bike on a lead to stop it chasing them but couldn’t be bothered and just set off walking up the hill. Do these people get a real kick out off telling others off?

I much prefer the Sunday townies going to Lyme park with 3 bored looking kids who have no idea what the difference is between a footpath and a bridleway and just laugh and smile and think you are awsome being able to ride where there isn’t any tarmac!

you should have said “who died and make you the king of you cant do that here” and then taught him to swim in the lovely brown river 😀
i hate all the (i can but you cant’s) of this world!
i ride through there at least once or twice a week and everyone is usualy very friendly

Should of asked if his kids wanted a sweety 😛

we get them all the time, bobble hat brigade can be a nightmare up rivi.. i just tell them to phone the police then if your that bothered..