Getting told off!

woodnut

Took a nice turn round the moors today setting off from Ogden Water. The three of us had a smashing time and got nicely wet and muddy. My mate went over the handlebars after riding into one of those comedy puddles thats about 4 foot deep. Said hello and smiled nicely to lots of other cyclists, ramblers, runners and nice folk walking their dogs. Shame then that some 'law abiding citizen' took great delight in telling us "you shouldn't be on here...walkers only" as we slowly drifted past him at about 5 mile an hour on a bridle path the width of the M1. Now technically he was right , as we found out when we got to the far end of the track to see the no cyclists sign, but we had no way of knowing as we'd come down from the moors. Serious question though, why ban bikes from bridle ways?

Splottboy

He was Right...He's ALWAYS RIGHT!!!! Don't know this B/way but there may be a local order on it for some reason. Check with the local Highways Dept.

4 of us riding on the Marin Trail one day, Sunday,, during Summer hols.
Guy with a toddler, dog, walking down one of the designated singletrack Mtb trails !!!

Told us to slow down, we were dangerous, where's our bells etc...
I tried to "reason" with him that there were about 50 miles of fire roads he could use at Bets y Coed.
Didn't want to know. Of course, he was RIGHT too, must be your guy's Brother.LOL!

D-Cyph3r

Theres a nice little area round here with those cursed "No bikes beyond this point" signs, every time i've snuck in there (most times off the bike) theres been literally 1 or 2 dog walkers and maybe an old couple walking... seems such a waste.

bails87

Was it an 'official' sign? Because bikes should be allowed on bridleways, maybe someone from the red sock brigade has put up their own sign.

Also, I don't see how a horse is less potentially dangerous than a bike, so if bikes are banned then surely horses should be too.

woodnut

No horses also. Looking at the OS map, it's an old packhorse route. I think, though, that it's possibly now owned by the Water Authority on the section that runs alongside the reservoir so HE WAS RIGHT (as Splottboy said)....but in our defence there were no signs in the direction we came from. On the bright side, he was the only Meldrew we met all day.

ravey1981

Splottboy wrote:

Guy with a toddler, dog, walking down one of the designated singletrack Mtb trails !!!

This annoys the hell out of me, the tracks up in Gisburn are designated bike trails and are off limits to walkers and horses but they still go there...

We're not right even on our own "patch"

You should have kicked him in the nuts...*

*Dont do that really...but imagine doing it...and ride off smiling...

captainfly

meh, nothing wrong with a bit of trespass, well by wrong I mean 'criminal' :roll: (It's how the walkers gained rights) though if my reading is right there are quite a lot of rights of way wrongly designated as footpaths as there is president and common law right of way of regular vehicular traffic. In other words if you don't get challenged by the land owner or their lawful agents, it's alright

Briggo

Just tell em to do one or you'll D lock em.

x-isle

Thats just plain daft!

Why still call it a BRIDLE-path if you can't have horses on it.........

It's like saying a Motorway can't have any motors on it.......!

It's about time we should be able to ride where the hell we like (within reason).

I've seen fat b@stard ramblers walking, they must erode the soil more than 2" of tyre passing at speed.

pilsburypie

I think I must be some sort of ASBO.... every time there is one of these types of threads, all that goes through my mind is that right or not, if anyone spoke to me in an unreasonable manner I would thus retaliate in a far more unreasonable manner encouraging them to think twice before imparting their opinion again on another stranger.

So far no one has ever said anything narky to me, hence my shoe has never met anyones testicles out on a ride :shock:

Radioactiveman

There is a lot to be said for night riding

bomberesque

if it's a trail that you ride regularly, then I'd put some effort into finding out the real access conditions (is the sign official etc)

if it's not then I'd just forget it tbh

x-isle

I just ignore them and carry on riding, that annoys them even more than arguing back as all they want is a response.

I generally say hello to people, walkers, bikers, horses (sometimes even the people on the horses), if I get negativity back I just ignore them........ It's hard not to argue back, but satisfying when you just ride off and ignore them.

*AL*

x-isle wrote:

I just ignore them and carry on riding, that annoys them even more than arguing back as all they want is a response.

+1

RichMTB

Or you could move to Scotland

spongtastic

If it's a bridleway and marked as such on the map, then the land owner even if it is a water authority cannot change its designation without the appropriate order and permission from the local authority and county council. To do so it must also be signed at the start and end of any section.

It is almost impossible to do this. It's taken us nearly 3 years to change the designation of a cycle route that goes through a supermarket car park to go round it.

ilovedirt

I ride wherever the hell i like on our local trails, have been doing so for quite a while, i've encountered lots of walkers, dog walkers, horse riders and they've never told me where i should/shouldn't ride, and i'm fairly sure i ride some places i probably shouldn't, though i don't ride anywhere the horse riders don't, and they make a right bloody mess, moreso than any mtbers.

woodnut

x-isle wrote:

I generally say hello to people, walkers, bikers, horses (sometimes even the people on the horses), if I get negativity back I just ignore them........ It's hard not to argue back, but satisfying when you just ride off and ignore them.

8) A great philosophy and one I intend to follow!

handon94

wow i really want to ride off really fast if anyone wants to have a go at me lol we will see if they can keep up

Willrideforcake

A cheery "Hello" can work wonders! The number of times I've nearly flattened walkers on designated MTB trails at both Thetford and Cannock beggars belief... Guess you there's something in the old adage "You should always be able to stop in the distance you can see..."

fletch8928

I have a section of an oft used route that is sign posted "no cycling" (that pic of a bike with a line through it). The signs are all on the other side of the gates so I just assume its a one way system.

I have met many walkers who are cheerful, pleasant amd warm. Met others who are total R-soles.

I have also taken to looking in the local papers for proposed changes to byways. I can't change the planners mind but WE can.

bike-a-swan

I'm convinced that almost all english people are nearly incapable of being rude to you if you've already politely said 'good morning/afternoon/evening' and they have, as a result of the nature of this country, been forced to reply in kind. any complaints then tend to be a little more polite...

Yukon Boy

Walkers using the trail centre mtb routes is ridiculous. Most bikers would adhere to 'no cycling' signs so walkers should do the same to 'no walking' signs.

I have encountered parents with kids and dogs on trails at whinlatter, dalby and gisburn. In all instances a serious accident for both parties could have arisen. MTB trails tend to be twisty and turny and when you're hurtling round a bend and suddenly find walkers it's potentilally bad news.

This happened to me at Gisburn and the walkers didn't move to the side of the trail to politely let me pass. I had to go around THEM and they didn't look happy. UNBELIEVABLE!

rolf_f

x-isle wrote:

It's about time we should be able to ride where the hell we like (within reason).

I've seen fat b@stard ramblers walking, they must erode the soil more than 2" of tyre passing at speed.

As long as you're ok with folk walking on designated singletrack then.......

Thewaylander

Problem with our cycle designated paths, it is just a recomendation. If you actually look atht eh access rights say at Afan they can walk there. It's just not very wise because we will run walkers over as they have there own set paths there we stay politely away from

Briggo

Rolf F wrote:

x-isle wrote:

It's about time we should be able to ride where the hell we like (within reason).

I've seen fat b@stard ramblers walking, they must erode the soil more than 2" of tyre passing at speed.

As long as you're ok with folk walking on designated singletrack then.......

They do that already...

delcol

i to nearly collided with hikers walking on the bike trails at gisburn.. i politely pointed out this was a designated bike trail and they were at fault and risk of injury to them selfs and other.. :shock: :shock: :shock: i got an apology as they did not know it was a bike trail, to be fair there was no signage up back then..

i alway let on to other ppl hikers doggers horsssssey types fell runners ect..

as for the do gooder who has to make a cooment on you should'nt be up here on your bike, one thing springs to mind..
produce my mobile phone or give him 10 p and ring someone that gives a foooooooooook :P :P

i work i pay my taxes why should'nt i be allowed to ride my bike.
i don't ride reckless i always yeild to others on the down hill bits.

crust

It never occurs to me to even bother thinking about whether I can ride somewhere or not, I just ride with a smile on my face and nod or say hello to everyone.

Not had a problem anywhere.

Smile more, it works wonders.

That or maybe walkers are scared by the grinning idiot

Raymondavalon

Yukon Boy wrote:

Walkers using the trail centre mtb routes is ridiculous. Most bikers would adhere to 'no cycling' signs so walkers should do the same to 'no walking' signs.

Had that happen at Cannock Chase two weeks back, weather was crappy and I only got there at about 4PM.
As I was riding "Follow the Dog" I came across walkers on the clearly designated bikes only FtD {red} route!
Some moved over but there was a woman rabbiting away on her mobile and I had to stop as she was so deep in conversation she ignored the pleas to move out of my may from her fellow walkers
I remained polite as it was a largish group (10+ incl. offspring) of walkers and I was one of the few bikes of FtD that day.

Thewaylander

Well thats just midlands people anyways raymon:P

And i know my whole family are from brum lol(bar me born in wales with all the singletrack hehe) but still i see this at afan and so on very annoying

clodhoppa74

woodnut wrote:

Took a nice turn round the moors today setting off from Ogden Water. The three of us had a smashing time and got nicely wet and muddy. My mate went over the handlebars after riding into one of those comedy puddles thats about 4 foot deep. Said hello and smiled nicely to lots of other cyclists, ramblers, runners and nice folk walking their dogs. Shame then that some 'law abiding citizen' took great delight in telling us "you shouldn't be on here...walkers only" as we slowly drifted past him at about 5 mile an hour on a bridle path the width of the M1. Now technically he was right , as we found out when we got to the far end of the track to see the no cyclists sign, but we had no way of knowing as we'd come down from the moors. Serious question though, why ban bikes from bridle ways?

is that part of the loop that goes accross thornton moor and round? i keep meaning to do that... as it's all bridelway... i would pay them no heed tbh.