increased acces for mountain bikers

noj121
noj121 Posts: 58
edited October 2011 in Routes
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/3508

Increased Access for Mountain Bikes

Designating mountain bikes in the same category as horses is wrong and provides a barrier to the lawful pursuit of a healthy past-time. In many parts of the country there simply is not a legal network of trails open to cyclists, or too little to be meaningful. Cyclists should be allowed to use the footpath network to pursue the sport of mountain biking, this would help to promote activity amongst young people, especially as the roads become increasingly congested. Shared use of all paths and trails has been successful in Scotland and could be throughout the rest of the UK. It will spread the density of mountain bikers further reducing the potential for trail conflict and the (disputed) erosive impact of bikes on the trail surfaces. There are no costs involved (we don't need special gates or access) this is just a re designation exercise to make a bicycle an extension of a pedestrian on the footpath network (with the exception of roadside footways)

As you are all probably mountain bikers (and anyone else that reads this) can you please show your support for this as if this happens it would be extra-ordinary for us bikers as we could ride pretty much anywhere (legally) 
Thanks
__________________________________________________
just because you're breathing
dosn't make you alive

Comments

  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    Signed and put on my facebook page.
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • C0LL0
    C0LL0 Posts: 271
    signed
  • altern_8
    altern_8 Posts: 1,562
    signed and link on my FB
    Biking pics
  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    Done!
    Finished, Check out my custom Giant Reign 2010
    Dirt Jumper Dmr Sidekick2
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    What's the crack with lumping bikes in with horses then? I've not heard anything about that.

    I'll ride wherever the hell I please, whether or not we get given more or less access rights anyway. It's incredibly rare to have someone tell you to get off their land, so...
  • Wildhighlander
    Wildhighlander Posts: 49
    Horses ? Bikes ?

    I can't remember the last time my bike took a huge dump in the middle of a footpath. Although it's dumped me often enough certainly.

    Anyway - signed on.

    Scottish access rights for all !
  • stubs
    stubs Posts: 5,001
    Wildhighlander wrote:

    Scottish access rights for all !

    + several billion
    Fig rolls: proof that god loves cyclists and that she wants us to do another lap
  • andrewyzfr6
    andrewyzfr6 Posts: 194
    in my experiance horse riders are more important, better people than everyone else, and as such should make all the rules.

    No wait, thats a lot of crap. I mean thats what the majority of them think.
    Untrained horses/ riders should be kept away from the public at all times, and a horse/rider licencing system should be introduced(the cost of which would be met by a tax on them). Failure to keep to new system should result in said donkey being taken straight to the fray bentos factory.
    2011 Orange 224 evo race
    2009 Orange 5 pro
    2008 Scott Scale 30
    2002 S-works m5 fsr
  • andrewyzfr6
    andrewyzfr6 Posts: 194
    I have had issues with these people in the past, as you may guess, and as such, i cant stand the few of them that think they are high and mighty.
    The cyclists(of any type) and walkers/pedestrians should be allowed to used the path trail network together, AND sensibly(ie: walkers not to walk down technical/fast desents)
    2011 Orange 224 evo race
    2009 Orange 5 pro
    2008 Scott Scale 30
    2002 S-works m5 fsr
  • butcher of bakersfield
    butcher of bakersfield Posts: 1,233
    andrewyzfr6 wrote:
    (ie: walkers not to walk down technical/fast desents)

    What if you're into technical walking? :wink:

    Seriously though, you see it from both ends. If it's a designated bike trail, such as at a trail center, then it's a fair game. But a public trail open to anyone, there needs to be care and consideration both ways. Without any self-righteous claims of ownerhip over rights of way. It doesn't matter if you see it as a fast technical descent, that's only your perceptioon of its use. It should be there for everyone to enjoy, and there's no reason that can't happen.
  • sniper68
    sniper68 Posts: 2,910
    Good luck but don't hold your breath.We started a campaign about 18 months ago and a letter/petition we sent ended up in the office of one Richard Benyon MP(minister for countryside etc.We got a very lengthy reply but basically in a nut-shell this paragraph says it all:-
    Mr I******* made suggestions for changes to current public rights of way legislation, but
    the Government has no plans to introduce access provisions in England similar to those in
    the Land Reform Act in Scotland.
    The legislation has already been subject to a recent comprehensive review with direct input
    from user groups. In autumn 2008 Natural England set up a Stakeholder Working Group
    with a focus on the issues around the planned extinguishment by the Countryside and
    Rights of Way Act in 2026 of pre-1949 public rights of way not yet recorded on the official
    definitive map held by surveying authorities.
    I'll sign anyway 8)
    Lynskey R480

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