Blocking singletrack

raldat

Reading this I find it totally unbelievable. Riding the forests I do in Denmark I am thankful to have seen nothing even close to this. OK we have no hills but I am just glad t be able to freely ride when I want and we happily share with dog walkers, horses and all others...

Woodmonkey

That's because everyone in Denmark is nice. Fact.

Lagrange

In the part of Essex that I ride in some of the farmers log the bridleways because of the 4x4 vehicles that like to play in the country and really do make a mess. Then they bypass the logs causing huge damage to the farmers land. The truth is that the 4x4 are allowed on bridleways although the damage they cause makes them impassible.

ilovedirt

Lagrange wrote:

In the part of Essex that I ride in some of the farmers log the bridleways because of the 4x4 vehicles that like to play in the country and really do make a mess. Then they bypass the logs causing huge damage to the farmers land. The truth is that the 4x4 are allowed on bridleways although the damage they cause makes them impassible.

I'm faaaaaairly sure that they're not.

bluechair84

Lagrange wrote:

The truth is that the 4x4 are allowed on bridleways although the damage they cause makes them impassible.

Only if it's a mobility scooter! Could you pass of your Defender as that if there's a blue badge in the window?
Thankfully, I've not come across this sort of thing in a long time, but the last time I did it was shards of glass sticking out of the ground on the landing transition out of a bomb hole. This was down in hertfordshire and cycling certainly wasn't permitted there, but kids did anyway. And someone thought that adequate punishment for kids getting out, having fun in the countryside and being kids, was to have their palms and faces slit open if they crashed out of the landing. The depravity

ilovedirt

bluechair84 wrote:

Lagrange wrote:

The truth is that the 4x4 are allowed on bridleways although the damage they cause makes them impassible.

Only if it's a mobility scooter! Could you pass of your Defender as that if there's a blue badge in the window?
Thankfully, I've not come across this sort of thing in a long time, but the last time I did it was shards of glass sticking out of the ground on the landing transition out of a bomb hole. This was down in hertfordshire and cycling certainly wasn't permitted there, but kids did anyway. And someone thought that adequate punishment for kids getting out, having fun in the countryside and being kids, was to have their palms and faces slit open if they crashed out of the landing. The depravity

That's disgusting.

Chinley Churner

There's a regular "Rock Fairy" who's been operating on the main bridleway across Chinley Churn in the Dark Peak for a couple of years now. Fortunately I run the trail most mornings and tend to undo their work but a couple of times on night rides I've had some rocky near misses.

.blitz

bluechair84 wrote:

Only if it's a mobility scooter!

Last year we had to stop at the start of Tacks Blast (the last bit of Follow the dog) because there was a bloke on a mobility scooter on the trail. He had parked up at Marquis Drive and got confused between the wheelchair path (marked in red on the visitor's map) and the red MTB route

All credit to him though he had cleared the first couple of braking bumps

Fortunately we managed to pick up the bloke and his scooter, turn it round and push it back up the hill

querhoch

there was a guy who used to put string at head height and logs on blind corners in mugdock woods a few years ago. he was one of map-on-a-string brigade and, like the rest, seemed to think that bikes were the work of the debbil. I caught him doing it one early saturday morning and we had 'words'. he hasnt done it since. not that I would encourage violence or anything, but if you do catch somebody at this, it is your duty to punch them in the mouth as hard as you can. if not harder. its not as though theyre going to go to the police, is it?

bluechair84

.blitz wrote:

bluechair84 wrote:

Only if it's a mobility scooter!

Last year we had to stop at the start of Tacks Blast (the last bit of Follow the dog) because there was a bloke on a mobility scooter on the trail. He had parked up at Marquis Drive and got confused between the wheelchair path (marked in red on the visitor's map) and the red MTB route

All credit to him though he had cleared the first couple of braking bumps

Fortunately we managed to pick up the bloke and his scooter, turn it round and push it back up the hill

Did you ask what his Strava times were like?

.blitz

Never had the chance to ask him he was too busy cussing his mrs (waiting at the top c/w mental yapping dog) for guiding him onto the MTB route!

A fun day out for all the family

neil_sheehan2000

What I've never understood about the nutters who put up trip wire and other traps for us mountain bikers is that they never seem to hang around to see what happens next.

I mean, if I hated someone enough to lay a trap for them, with the intended outcome of severely injuring them, then I'd probably also be mental enough to hide out in the bushes waiting for them to fall into it- like Wile E Coyote waiting for Roadrunner.

To just set a trap and then b*gger off smacks of laziness, cowardice, or just a complete lack of awareness of what your actions are actually going to achieve.

(Edit: I suppose that's the point really, isn't it? To lay such a trap in the first place you'd either have to be a coward or a psychopath, wouldn't you?)

DodgeT

What I don't get is,
I would imagine the people who do this to be middle to old aged
the same people will probably have children or grandchildren
they are probably locals
Do you think that it doesnt cross their mind that it may even injure one of their own kids/grandkids, cause surely won't they be out in the local woods enjoying themselves too??

We have our fair share around my local stuff, logs usually put across downhill sections, just after bends or drops. Again, would love to know who does it.

cooldad

DodgeT wrote:

What I don't get is,
I would imagine the people who do this to be middle to old aged
the same people will probably have children or grandchildren
they are probably locals
Do you think that it doesnt cross their mind that it may even injure one of their own kids/grandkids, cause surely won't they be out in the local woods enjoying themselves too??

We have our fair share around my local stuff, logs usually put across downhill sections, just after bends or drops. Again, would love to know who does it.

Why?
Why not young hoodie teenager types?

This is more like it - just total farking morons

neil_sheehan2000 wrote:

I suppose that's the point really, isn't it? To lay such a trap in the first place you'd either have to be a coward or a psychopath, wouldn't you?

DodgeT

Only by going off the walkers i've met on rides. It only seems to be some of (few granted) the older generation who don't seem overly chuffed to see you on bikes.

cooldad

Only serious words I've ever had were with a very large 20ish hero with a surfeit of testoterone showing off in front of his wife/girlfriend who threatened to fark me up for riding up behind them. When I turned round to give him the opportunity he apologised - not sure why as I'm 50 (next week anyway) and not very scary.
Have had minor words with hiker/walker types with thick socks and big sticks, but I don't really see them trying to decapitate anyone.

DodgeT

This just popped up on Oldhams MRT facebook page....

SADDLEWORTH MOUNTAIN BIKERS - WARNING : A number of deliberate traps have been found around the Chew Plantation near Dovestone Reservoir, Saddleworth Moor. These include black cords tied between trees and unstable boulders placed in the landing zone for jumps and drop offs. These traps have the ability to cause lethal injury. Any information relating to them should be passed to the police.

cooldad

Maybe us southerners are just gentler people.

stubs

Come across a few plastic bags of dog egg hung at just about chest/face height on some local trails. Thing is theres a 100 walkers for every MTBer so not sure who they are aimed at.

milko9000

The plastic bags are moron dog walkers who apparently think doing that is OK and better than just leaving the crap on the floor. Presumably they expect a poo fairy to come along and they're helping him/her/it find the poo.


I've never had any trouble personally off walkers etc, most are keen on a cheery hello if anything. Nearest I can think of is a couple who seemingly didn't want to get out of the way on a steep grassy climb out in the Chilterns. Harrumph! Like we wanted to climb fast anyway.

cooldad

stubs wrote:

Come across a few plastic bags of dog egg hung at just about chest/face height on some local trails. Thing is theres a 100 walkers for every MTBer so not sure who they are aimed at.

I think they either intend to pick them up on the way back, or think people will think they intend to pick them up later, and won't abuse them as being dirty mongs.

Alibran

I'm really, really shocked to read all this, and it makes me so glad I live in Spain. Walkers, runners, families and MTBers share the trails happily here, and the only (very minor) problems are at weekends when there are a lot of "casual" trail users around, and you have to take it a bit slower so you don't hit someone's kid or dog.

Most of the land I ride on is owned by the "junta" (town councils), and they put chains across the trails at points to stop motor vehicles using them, but they're always clearly marked, and low enough to easily lift your bike over. I'd rather that than have to dodge lunatics in 4x4s.

The Rookie

We fairly often get small logs dragged round and across trails, aimed at MTBers I assume as no motorbikes use the woods, most are small enough to hop anyway....can't see 'yoofs' doing it, they don't 'do' woods.

kammybear

cooldad wrote:

DodgeT wrote:

What I don't get is,
I would imagine the people who do this to be middle to old aged
the same people will probably have children or grandchildren
they are probably locals
Do you think that it doesnt cross their mind that it may even injure one of their own kids/grandkids, cause surely won't they be out in the local woods enjoying themselves too??

We have our fair share around my local stuff, logs usually put across downhill sections, just after bends or drops. Again, would love to know who does it.

Why?
Why not young hoodie teenager types?

This is more like it - just total farking morons

neil_sheehan2000 wrote:

I suppose that's the point really, isn't it? To lay such a trap in the first place you'd either have to be a coward or a psychopath, wouldn't you?

Sorry to stereotype but this is exactly the sort of thing only a retired country person could have. They don't care about townies with their fancy £3000 bikes. There is a lot of hate towards us in the countryside and it's sad there is this split.

I blame the tories.

frankspencer1979

There's been a story on bbc north west tonight about people putting up ropes at head height across trails in oldham. Just read the story on MEN website, the comments section is disgraceful, so many people taking the chance to bash cyclists who ride on footpaths and pavements, totally ignoring the subject of the story. Bradley wiggins even gets a mention. One guy said we bring it on ourselves.... We bring someone trying to decapitate us on ourselves. Unbelievable.

tudj

frankspencer1979 wrote:

There's been a story on bbc north west tonight about people putting up ropes at head height across trails in oldham. Just read the story on MEN website, the comments section is disgraceful, so many people taking the chance to bash cyclists who ride on footpaths and pavements, totally ignoring the subject of the story. Bradley wiggins even gets a mention. One guy said we bring it on ourselves.... We bring someone trying to decapitate us on ourselves. Unbelievable.

I just read through the MEN comments, it's depressing to think that there are people out there with those close-minded views.

batmo

Sometimes what looks like a malicious trap is just the actions of the unthinking.

I've had near misses with branches across trails (young girls making 'jumps' for their ponies) and with big lumps of demolition rubble at the bottom of a descent (placed as 'stepping stones' through the muddy patch).

compo

DodgeT wrote:

This just popped up on Oldhams MRT facebook page....

SADDLEWORTH MOUNTAIN BIKERS - WARNING : A number of deliberate traps have been found around the Chew Plantation near Dovestone Reservoir, Saddleworth Moor. These include black cords tied between trees and unstable boulders placed in the landing zone for jumps and drop offs. These traps have the ability to cause lethal injury. Any information relating to them should be passed to the police.

This was on North West Tonight, tonight

DodgeT

Did a fairly long (timewise) ride in the peaks today. Lots of friendly people of all ages about. 2 or 3 older couples though were complete ignorant feckers, some wouldn't even look at you let alone return a cheery hello. Miserable old cnuts

The Rookie

But they may not return the cheery hello of other walkers either.....most walkers I've found treat me just fine, never had any abuse, I allways make sure I approach at a sensible speed (just over walking pace) to be considerate.

The worst people in the country are the transplant townies, most real country people are very live and let live....I blame New Labour (olf Labour financal acumen retained) - and Wiggle of course.