Where can I go (legally)?

oxoneil

Just invested in my first cyclo cross bike and am looking at where to ride it. I'm on the edge of the Vale of White Horse and just 5 miles from The Ridgeway and have been devising some off road routes with the help of maptogps.com My question is, when I get out there will I actually be able to ride where I think I can? My routes seem to generally be bridleways and byways.

Thanks

thel33ter

Ignore this, I wasn't paying attention and I'm tired :roll:

oxoneil

Not interested in DH, just want good XC routes.

thel33ter

You legally can ride all bridleways, byways, and all other paths unless they are specifically marked footpaths or have no cycling signs, although every now and then you get trails with no cycling signs on one end but not the other, in which case you should avoid if possible.

Although, TBH I have never met anyone who's been told to get off a footpath in the woods because they were cycling.

As for what I meant to say before I read your question or thought about it :oops: , a cyclocross will handle gentle singletrack with small 8 inch or so drops easily.

The Ridgeway is a nice route, but I haven't explored much of it.

oxoneil

thel33ter wrote:

You legally can ride all bridleways, byways, and all other paths unless they are specifically marked footpaths or have no cycling signs, although every now and then you get trails with no cycling signs on one end but not the other, in which case you should avoid if possible.

Although, TBH I have never met anyone who's been told to get off a footpath in the woods because they were cycling.

As for what I meant to say before I read your question or thought about it :oops: , a cyclocross will handle gentle singletrack with small 8 inch or so drops easily.

The Ridgeway is a nice route, but I haven't explored much of it.

OK lol, I thought it was a strange reply. Thanks for the info.

Happy Harry

Public rights of way for cycles (Bridleways, Restricted byways and Byways) are shown on Ordnance Survey maps available from major bookshops, WH Smiths, online and outdoor/hiking shops. The Landranger is about two and a half inches to the mile and the Explorer gives much better detail at one inch to the mile but covers a smaller area.

Pop into a local bookshop and browse through the ones that cover your area and find one which has several rights of way crossing it. You can buy adjoining ones later when you've got the hang of it.

m1tch666

...or come to Scotland, where you have public rights of way but also statutory access rights.

http://www.scotways.com/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=73

I was moving from one right of way to another through a farmers field (behaving responsibly) on his track when he pulled alongside on a quad and asked why I was in his field, when I told him it was the route from one right of way to another (over a couple of gates), he told me that as it wasn't a right of way itself I wasn't allowed on it.....I pulled out a copy of the 'factsheet for farmers' on statutory access rights and also pointed out I'd have been happy to continue on the right of way I had been on if someone hadn't ploughed the whole track up and left it in that state....wonder who that could have been?? He read the factsheet and was quite ok about it, said he didn't realise that we as cyclists had that right........

http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/r ... code-says/

Handy to keep a copy for farmers if you cross their fields from time to time....3rd 'related link' on the right hands side......

oxoneil

First ride on the CX bike today, first time off road for a very long time. Good fun http://bit.ly/9Fqaa9

diy

Its not illegal to ride on a footpath, that doesn't make it sensible to do so though.

See article:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... highlight=