Stopped by farmer on forestry track

amt27

Cycling along a track, which i have used several times before, plenty of mtb tyre tracks on it and have met other cyclist, many years ago i was even taken on a club ride along it.

Noticed a pick-up in front coming out of a field onto a track and caught it up, the person inside was busy looking around and didn't notice me behind, managed to get round the vehicle then got a beep beep and skid along side me, "your not allowed to ride that along here".

I pleaded ignorance and said i though it was a bridleway to which I got "your not allowed to ride those along bridleways either" :shock: , anyway he said it was a footpath until the next road, so i had to walk a few miles.

Waited for him to disappear and got back on.

Have done a bit of research and found out the track is neither a footpath or bridleway, its just a forest track and both of us were on Forestry Commission land.

So am I allowed to ride there? and if so should I have a moan to the FC?

Porgy

amt27 wrote:

I pleaded ignorance and said i though it was a bridleway to which I got "your not allowed to ride those along bridleways either"

er...yes you are...it shows that this farmer hasn't got the slightest idea what he's talking about.

If it's not a footpath then I can't think of any reason for you not to be riding along there - unless it's not a right of way - in which case it's between you and the owner of the land....nothing to do with the farmer.

Splottboy

A well know trail builder, initials DD, was riding a track in N.Wales.
He was stopped and told to stop riding by some farmer/FC dude.

He said, "The track I'm riding on is paid for my the EU supplemernts to farmers. I pay taxes, those pay towards the EU, therefore I paid for this track..and I'm gonna keep on riding it."

He rode off, smiling...

---

What about this "CROW" Act from a few years ago, Countryside and Rights of Way Act?
Thought it gave access to more areas, although for walkers mainly.

Also, check the Definitive Maps, which should be at you local Council Offices or Library, they should show the definitive Rights of Way.

Radioactiveman

All I can say is you gotta love night riding

I am impressed you were so polite, If I knew I was right and the other wrong I think I would have lost patience. Then again I usually have a map and my GPS with me unless it is a group ride. Unusual for a farmer to be arsey its usually the red sock brigade.

I wish we had open access to all existing footpaths,byways, etc. It would open up some amazing riding.

RealMan

Radioactiveman wrote:

I am impressed you were so polite

He was a farmer, maybe he had a gun.

I like how he skidded over the field in his pick up because he was worried about your mountain bike damaging the field or whatever.

Dobbs

Do you not know any swear words?
Farmers may have guns, but it doesn't mean they're all psychopatic mankillers.

RealMan

Dobbs wrote:

Do you not know any swear words?
Farmers may have guns, but it doesn't mean they're all psychopatic mankillers.

Was eating when I read that first sentence, struggled to keep the food in my mouth LOL.

And of course, but still, insulting someone who has a gun is on my list of things that probably aren't a good idea.

captainfly

If it is a footpath then the farmer shouldn't be driving a pick up truck down it.

Splottboy

There's a house near me, that has a Footpath going to it from two directions.
This path is also the drive way to the isolated house.
Go figure?

I ride down it, as they drive down it.

al2098

Fed up with this countries footpath psychopaths.
The farmer was an idiot with too much time and not enough to complain about.
Most farmers are ok but obviously this one has a chip on his shoulder.
I know where I would tell him to drive his pickup.. :shock:

RevellRider

Splottboy wrote:

I ride down it, as they drive down it.

It's their property, if I remember correctly you can use a footpath for bikes/horses/motor vehicles IF you have the landowners permission

angry_bird

I only ride on footpaths with permission (it helps that i did a load of work experience with a lot of the local farmers so they know me) and it is nice being in the right. At the end of the day it's their land, they can choose who uses it.

but I've realised nobody has a clue what they're on about when they stop you for riding, somewhere you either should or shouldn't be

quite funny when i cycle down the canal and someone stops me, just pull out the permit and watch their expression

angry_bird

I hate do-gooders who decide they should enforce laws that they think exist, such as no riding on bridleways, interestingly I help at a local disabled riding school and we've been told before that we can't use the bridelways either :shock:

fletch8928

Some folk are just thick. probably has a bike himself, but she's always down the Lamb looking to be Tupped.

When I first started mtbing 91ish i did alot of work for the North Yorkshire NP, I had a ranger drive up to us on the NYMoors he was full of hell but as soon as i took my glasses and lid off he was all Oh hello Dave, didnt know you did that, enjoy and drove off

scale20

The issue of land access is like a minefield.

I've lived in a farming comunity and known local farmes all my life. You will probably find that some farmers are bitter and twisted about the fact there are footpaths running through their land and hate the fact that people can come and go along them.

Footpaths come in all shapes and sizes, there are footpaths near me that you could drive your car up, so you would think that they could be bridleway's.

With the landowners permission you can ride on footpaths. Half of the time if you approach the landowners/farmers they will happily give you permission, all it takes is a simple letter.

robertpb

Next time tell him it's FC land which is owned by the state, the state is owned by the public, so I just gave myself permission to ride on it.

RallyBiker

Why did you not ask him "So what you going to do, arrest me?"

kaytronika

I never knew you needed a permit to ride on the canal towpaths. :shock:

Better find myself a bell for my two dings.

angry_bird

kaytronika wrote:

I never knew you needed a permit to ride on the canal towpaths. :shock:

Better find myself a bell for my two dings.

Yeah on bits of them you do, infact most of them local to me you do, which seems pointless as the permits are free :roll:

abarth_1200

:shock:

I would not have walked.

If you cant ride it how is he allowed to drive on it unless it is in fact his land, which by the sounds of thing it wasnt.

Is it not true that in Scotland there are no tresspassing laws so we can go anywhere we like.

Correct me if im wrong, not that I do go running around neighbours gardens saying its a free country

angry_bird

abarth_1200 wrote:

Correct me if im wrong, not that I do go running around neighbours gardens saying its a free country

So that isn't normal behaviour :?



I have issues

abarth_1200

I just did a little research on it

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index. ... AccessCode

Basically you can use paths, cross fields and open gates etc as long as you have reason and are responsible. (following any signs)

My reason being recreational and enjoying the great outdoors

.blitz

Should've d-locked the cnut

Uncle Peter

ouchthathurts wrote:

kaytronika wrote:

I never knew you needed a permit to ride on the canal towpaths. :shock:

Better find myself a bell for my two dings.

Yeah on bits of them you do, infact most of them local to me you do, which seems pointless as the permits are free :roll:

Yes the permits are free but if you don't have one and you have an accident, and even if f the waterways agency are at fault you can't sue them because you don't have a permit to cycle.

IIRC there was a case a couple of years ago where some split had an accident, tried to sue but couldn't because she didn't have a permit.*

*I may have been drunk when I read this.

Porgy

Uncle Peter wrote:

ouchthathurts wrote:

kaytronika wrote:

I never knew you needed a permit to ride on the canal towpaths. :shock:

Better find myself a bell for my two dings.

Yeah on bits of them you do, infact most of them local to me you do, which seems pointless as the permits are free :roll:

Yes the permits are free but if you don't have one and you have an accident, and even if f the waterways agency are at fault you can't sue them because you don't have a permit to cycle.

IIRC there was a case a couple of years ago where some split had an accident, tried to sue but couldn't because she didn't have a permit.*

*I may have been drunk when I read this.

Permits were downloadable as pdf files from their website - but were abolished two years ago - now you can cycle on the tow paths without one.

angry_bird

Porgy wrote:

Permits were downloadable as pdf files from their website - but were abolished two years ago - now you can cycle on the tow paths without one.

Really???? They're still downloadable and the latest i heard was that you were still supposed to have one for the majority of cycleable towpaths

bails87

ouchthathurts wrote:

Porgy wrote:

Permits were downloadable as pdf files from their website - but were abolished two years ago - now you can cycle on the tow paths without one.

Really???? They're still downloadable and the latest i heard was that you were still supposed to have one for the majority of cycleable towpaths

I think they were only abolished in/around London.

Porgy

ouchthathurts wrote:

Porgy wrote:

Permits were downloadable as pdf files from their website - but were abolished two years ago - now you can cycle on the tow paths without one.

Really???? They're still downloadable and the latest i heard was that you were still supposed to have one for the majority of cycleable towpaths

Well, it may just be in London they've been abolished then - tbh that is my world.

yoohoo999

Splottboy wrote:

He said, "The track I'm riding on is paid for my the EU supplemernts to farmers. I pay taxes, those pay towards the EU, therefore I paid for this track..and I'm gonna keep on riding it."

He rode off, smiling...

I'm going to try the same thing when I "borrow" a fire engine from my local station tonight. :?

camerauk

Here you go
http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/cycling/permit

glauciaregina9

As long as the Forestry Comission land you were on was open for access to the public, then yes, you were perfectly entitled to ride there.

As for the farmers statement about bikes not being allowed on bridleways !!!!
That's made my day :-)

Sounds like you came across him on a bad day. Either that, or he's just another guy with a big chip on his shoulder about bikes.

Well done with the calm polite response - otherwise you'dve given him one more reason to hate MTBers