Invasion of the dog walkers - PART 1

Anonymous

They're bleedin everywhere, I always have to slow down my hell for leather downhill runs and now it's got to a stage where some of them are obstructing my trails with logs.

Why do dog walkers try and colonise the woods? They're also training their furry friends to chase me down.

HELP!

docker0141

all dog walkers seem to think that you (not you personaly but bikers in general) are completly stuck up and cheeky so say high to them and make yourself aprochable. then explain to them that there may occasionaly be bikes on the trail and if they could put there dogs on a lead for this particular section

if that fails kick there dog

Anonymous

now kicking dogs is simply out of the question my Glaswegian friend. How can you ride a hardtail? The pain is unbearable ...

docker0141

i like riding a hardtail, there stiff, quick, strong, and easy to maintain... i ain't to good at the technical side :oops:

andituk

You moan as if you don't want them to be there, but then say they're colonising the woods?

Fair enough, blocking off paths with logs is out of order, but unless you're on a bike specific trail, they've as much right to be there as you. Live and let live.

John Stevenson

SamHilldriftslikenoother wrote:

They're bleedin everywhere, I always have to slow down my hell for leather downhill runs and now it's got to a stage where some of them are obstructing my trails with logs.

Your trails? As others have pointed out, unless it's a bike-only trail, then you have to share it, and if it's a bridleway, we're expected to give way to just about every other trail user.

If trails are being obstructed, talk to your local council's rights of way officer.

Anonymous

Hi John,

I really like your articles. I really liked your one about how British trail conditions are really to our benefit. you talked about how the mixture of terrain is a big reason why British riders have had so much success.

The day before I read your piece, I had just come back from the muddiest ride in living memory and was cursing the British weather like never before.

I think it's the inability to gain speed in the mud which peeves me the most. Funny though ... since conditions have been mud-free as of late, I miss locking up the rear and sliding around the place.

As for my previous post, my wording could've been better. However you have quite a stern tone for someone who lives in a sunnier part than most.

John Stevenson

Aw, shucks, now you've gone and been nice to me and I feel guilty for telling you off.

Which I didn't really mean to do - I just tend to be terse, the legacy of years of news stories on CN.

Or maybe it's just that I'm now back in the UK (must update my info on here) and the sunniness has worn off

Anonymous

I've always been fascinated by cycling journalism. My first ever fave writer was Steve Worland when he used to do a column for Mtb Pro.

After that I loved reading the musings of Zapata Espinoza who used to be head honcho of my Mtb Action. The current editor Ritchie Cunningham is also a special writer, but used to write some great pieces about his love of bikes and how his scientist dad encouraged him to build whacky inventions in his garage.

I'm a journo myself (news) and I've always been fascinated by cycling journalism. To decipher a bike ride or talk about a steep head angle on a bike ain't easy in my book.

I think Ian Collins of MBUK writes some of the most interesting technical prose going.

The one person that does mystify me is the young Rick (ed assistant) his column 'Ricks bit' is pretty poor in my opinion. I feel he's trying to hard to convey the sense of his writing ability to the reader) his other pieces such as race reports and reviews are written really well though.

Tell Steve Worland to write more as well. He doesn't do enough, there's a gap in the market for ageing words of wisdom.

counterculture

did someone leave a vacuum cleaner on? i can hear a loud sucking noise

The Northern Monkey

counterculture wrote:

did someone leave a vacuum cleaner on? i can hear a loud sucking noise

someone's nose is getting browner by the second!

Anonymous

Just heard a tumbleweed blowing in the wind ...

counterculture

SamHilldriftslikenoother wrote:

Just heard a tumbleweed blowing in the wind ...

it was pulled in by the vortex not blown by the wind

ratty2k

Reminds me otf an old joke;
Dentist: "Did sir have oral sex this morning?"
Bloke "Why have I got a pubic hair on my teeth?"
Dentist "No you've got sh!t on your nose."

toasty

I also like your work John, as documented here. The story board you cooked up for Fern Gully 2: The Magical Rescue blew me away! How did you make those fairies convey such deep emotion anyway?!

John Stevenson

Toasty wrote:

I also like your work John, as documented here.

Oh no, apparently I am down 1% in popularity this week.

SamHilldriftslikenoother, please get to work fixing this!

passout

docker0141 wrote:

all dog walkers seem to think that you (not you personaly but bikers in general) are completly stuck up and cheeky so say high to them and make yourself aprochable. then explain to them that there may occasionaly be bikes on the trail and if they could put there dogs on a lead for this particular section

if that fails kick there dog

I like MTBing and dog walking (not at the same time). Does this mean that I find myself 'stuck up', should I try making polite conversation with myself?

I must say that this tread is confusing & pointless but I liked the doctor joke.