Was I right?

Sunday morning ride, about 10ish, 5 mile in and we are going down a bridleway that borders and then intersects a golf course. Quite a posh golf course as I remember. Anyway, we close on a gathering of people (may be 15) standing in the middle of the the bridleway waving us to slow down. I look over and I see a fair crowd of people watching two golfers about to tee off. The people in our way are now making it obvious that we should stop.

Well we didn't (only 2 of us by the way) and we zipped through as i said "Morning" (fairly loudly) someone shouted "shut yer gob…..".

We carried on and saw loads more golf spectators, and signs (on the fairway, not on the bridleway) saying "senior masters".

Was i right to peddle through? should I have stopped?

What a w@nker you sound.

Troll of the day.

Yes a golf ball in the head stings a bit

It wouldn't have done any harm to let them take their shots

Now bikers using the same trail are more likely to be viewed as **** – just like you

IMHO

that did say tvvats but i'll change it to phuckers

Fairly rude way for you to behave if you ask me. Interesting spelling of 'peddle'.

You did fine. They're golfers, so they don't count as real people. Just treat them as badly dressed horse manure 🙂

The shot they were about to take was away from us, they only wanted us to stop as the noise of our passage would/might distract from their accuracy.

Politeness dictates you should have stopped and waited the few seconds until they had teed off. congratulations – thats another bunch of people who now believe with good reason that mountainbikers are male hens!

they only wanted us to stop as the noise of our passage would/might distract from their accuracy.

😆

A bridleway is a right of way ?

I suppose it seems that 30 people watching 2 other people hit a white 2 inch ball have more rights?

It's not about rights though is it, it's about good manners. Would it have done you any harm to wait – no. Did you behave like an ill mannered asshole – yes. Do these people now think all cyclists are arrogant tossers – probably.

not about rights is it? its about having some comprehension that other people exist and that by stopping for a few seconds you have have 'done the right thing' – you're obviously socially retarded in some way.

terry – politeness and co operation go a long way. Stopping for a few seconds would have done you no harm and would have shown MTBers in a good light. As it is your actions were selfish in asserting your rights despite the effects on others and now a group of people have good reason to view Mountainbikers in a poor light.

Or to put it another way – your actions were not reasonable at all and would have been against the access code in Scotland

Given that any right of way existed long before the golf course. The people who designed it had ample opportunity to design it so that there wasn't a tee off near the BW.

Which do you reckon was there first, the BW or the golf course ? I'd have said the former in all likelyhood and if that's the case, the golfers should wait until the ROW is clear.

Its this sort of selfish attitude that really pisses me off about some cyclists. And I find the 'I was here first' attitude rather immature.

Stopping for a few seconds would have done you no harm and would have shown MTBers in a good light.

Nope, it would have just shown that we are subservient to golfers wishes 🙂

Hmmm…………….I asked the question not to boast or brag but to guage other views, as I have been podering over it since the event.

I am not going to get defensive here and will take all comments on the chin.

i would have stopped and made a phone call while waiting
"I'M ON A GOLF RANGE THING. YEAH REALLY BAD JUMPERS AND WHITE SHOES, YEAH EVERYONE'S MISERABLE. WHAT? YEAH SPEAK UP. YES BACK IN TIME FOR TEA"

Was it a Golf course in Gloucestershire by any chance?

I'm with TandemJeremy, would have been polite to stop, but its up to you to be responsible for your actions at the end of the day, just remember it could have a negative impact for other cyclist in the future.

Personaly…………….

I'd go on their website, find out when the next big event is, then organise a STW ride , in single file with several meters between each rider, just to make a point 🙂

golfers are one step past even rambler levels of arogance.

Its this sort of selfish attitude that really pisses me off about some cyclists. And I find the 'I was here first' attitude rather immature.

Why is it selfish or immature ? Surely it's more selfish and immature to presume that you can interrupt the flow of traffic on a right of way so that you can play a game with your friends ?

Why were they miserable doing something they enjoy, people enjoying something other than playing on bikes must be miserable of course what with them being grown ups and all.

Do i slow down for ramblers…yes. People with dogs…….yes. A farmer working yes. Slow and stop for everthing really, quite often stop and have a chat.

Maybe be its because they were golfers……? I dont mind golfers, I live and let live but its not a "sport" I have ever understood.

Well, they weren't golfers, thinking about it, I have in the past stopped for the people actually playing the game.

Maybe my "non stop2 was a reaction to golf spectators?

Some folks attitudes on here really does surprise me, complete failure to comprehend the fact that there are other people out enjoying doing other things. Would I have stopped – yes as it would be the polite way to behave.

I probably would have stopped but it's hardly crime of the century is it.

As I see it, it was teh spectators complaining. If there had not been a crowd of spectators would it still have been the right thing to do to stop and let the golfer play? I suspect if the golfer had come on here and complained that while he was playing a competition (that no-one was watching) and bikers had ridden by without stopping for him there would have been uproar and he'd have been shouted off the forum. Yet because there were spectators this is somehow different?

Wow! How incredibly idiotic, selfish and rude. Is there a history of Dissocial Personality Disorder in your family at all?

Or are you just a frustrated middle manager from Milton Keynes?

Yet because there were spectators this is somehow different?

Not at all, if I was riding past a golf course in a group and someone was teeing off I would let them have their shot. They wouldn't have to ask.

Would you expect them to stop if you were in front of them ? I have played golf at a low H'cap level before and if you were in front of me i would have waved you past….however if i knew it was YOU who was not prepared to do the same when behind me,i would in future grip down on a 3 iron and fizz it towards your fat head !!

should have jumped a bunker and done a massive skid on the green

I would've just ridden through without even saying 'morning.

Obstructing a right of way without authorisation, sounds like poor preparation for the competition. Doing it mob-handed is bullying and possibly a public order offence. Stop and ring plod next time?

Were you there Sandwich?

Not at all, if I was riding past a golf course in a group and someone was teeing off I would let them have their shot. They wouldn't have to ask.

In that situation it wouldnt even pass my mind that they might need me to stop, surely a half-decent golfist can hit a ball while people are passing, and whats more they can pause if they dont feel comfy with the environment (whether the cyclists were unobservant or rude). I quite regularly used to ride past a golf course, never had any complaints from those hitting the ball or those stood near the fence.

Have to laugh at those banging on that it was a RoW.

Basically advocating sheer bloody mindedness because the RoW "was there first" over common manners and courtesy.

I've just been over to the golf magic forums to see if we are the bane of their life.
People who turn up to the green wearing jeans, combats or untailorred shorts appear to be far far higher up their hate list 🙂

They had no right to try and stop your enjoyment of riding on a public right of way (even if it was trying to slow you down momentarily) just for their enjoyment of watching someone hit a ball around a field. You wouldn't be able to stop on the BW waving at them telling them to wait whilst you crossed it until they took their shot?

Loads of people will disagree but unless it was something like a dead body lying in the trail etc, I'd have done the same.

As an example, on the golf course near me that has a BW running through and around it, if someone is taking a shot thats over the BW, they have to ring a bell to warn BW users to take care. Sticking a mob of people in the trail isn't something I'd have been too pleased with either.