E-bikes could be banned in New Forest?

[Beekeeper]

New Forest could ban e-bikes from cycle trails

The Verderers Court of the New Forest, which regulates and protects the interests of the area, has set aside extra time to decide whether or not to ban e-bikes from the forest’s 140 miles of cycle trails. In July, the Advertiser and Times reported that Hale-based firm, Likie Bikie, had drawn...

ebiketips.road.cc

 

[Norange]

The forest has always come across as an exceptionally unwelcoming place to me. It used to bother me a bit, but there are much nicer places locally which aren't populated by twats. So stuff like this is a blessing in disguise really.

 

[Jimbo Vills]

The forest has always come across as an exceptionally unwelcoming place to me. It used to bother me a bit, but there are much nicer places locally which aren't populated by twats. So stuff like this is a blessing in disguise really.

Its not that just that though is it mate. If they sanction this, these people will see it as a success and set precedents for ‘claiming back’ more areas we ride / enjoy the countryside in.

fcuking busybodies. Don’t they think that this wasn’t considered when ebike laws were passed.

Just reading that it’s quite clear those lobbying for it have never ridden an ebike and need education on the subject before casting judgement.

 

[Norange]

Verderers are pretty specific to the forest though.

 

[Jimbo Vills]

Verderers are pretty specific to the forest though.

And then what about other groups specific to other areas….

It’ll just snowball and we end up with a cluster fcuk fighting over trial access like other places.

It’s bad enough of a nanny state already in England and the uk imo

 

[InRustWeTrust]

Electric bikes do not wear out more on nature than a normal bike does, horse riders on the other hand, wear out enormously on nature, but they can ride wherever they want.

we have the same problem here in sweden and the problem is usually that it is slightly older people who own land who bother e-cyclists for some reason.

 

[apac]

Ebikes have probably doubled to usage of the forest by cyclists, so locals need a cull to keep numbers down. Watch out for dearstalkers with elephant guns.

 

[yorkshire89]

Electric bikes do not wear out more on nature than a normal bike does

I don't want to see ebikes banned from anywhere but I don't agree with this. They are heavier and cut into the ground more than a normal bike, they also spin up on muddy climbs causing ruts and you probably get more descending in than you would a normal bike.

I still ride through winter, the ebike makes the slop fun but I put alot of work in to maintain the trails I ride.

 

[Hamina]

I don't want to see ebikes banned from anywhere but I don't agree with this. They are heavier and cut into the ground more than a normal bike, they also spin up on muddy climbs causing ruts and you probably get more descending in than you would a normal bike.

Are you also going to ban riders with too high BMI? You could also demand mandatory traction control for ebikes. Maybe call your local EU representative to get it widely in use..oh wait...

 

[yorkshire89]

Are you also going to ban riders with too high BMI? You could also demand mandatory traction control for ebikes. Maybe call your local EU representative to get it widely in use..oh wait...

I'm not looking to ban anyone... I'm just saying I cause more damage to trails on my ebike than I do on my normal bike

 

[Zaskar20]

Their argument of "bicycles going faster through the forest" just shows their ignorance!

 

[InRustWeTrust]

I don't want to see ebikes banned from anywhere but I don't agree with this. They are heavier and cut into the ground more than a normal bike, they also spin up on muddy climbs causing ruts and you probably get more descending in than you would a normal bike.

I still ride through winter, the ebike makes the slop fun but I put alot of work in to maintain the trails I ride.

Do not really agree with you, it's kind of like saying that elite cyclists wear more on nature because they ride faster.

I do not know what kind of bike you have but mine does not spin up a lot of soil, you talk like electric bikes would be some kind of motorcycle.

 

[RustyMTB]

Tend to agree with that. The notion that e bikes are a signifcant contributor to trail erosion seems unlikely to me. Horses on the other hand, turn any trail into the Somme.

 

[yorkshire89]

I ride a standard Bosch ebike - It's not a motorbike.
It puts out more power than me alone, it weighs more. It's surely not hard to understand how this can cause more trail damage?

 

[RustyMTB]

Not hard at all. Just overstated imo. Plenty of 16 stone normy riders out there on 12kg carbon bikes no one's pointing a finger at. Maybe I'm wrong, I just don't really buy the proposition is all.

 

[Tubby G]

I’ll put my hand up and state that I’m one of the stereotypical fat, overweight & unfit middle aged ebikers that the anti-fun brigade are always pointing their fingers at. 16+ stone with a 26kg emtb. We tend to keep off the natural trails in winter, as I do feel we’re adding to some trail erosion. The beginning and ends of natural trails always seem to be slop, and my emtb will happily churn itself through this making the slop even worse, which is why we keep off them

I have no issues however riding the hard pack man made trails in winter such as Hamsterley or Dalby and don’t feel that I’m contributing towards the rapid erosion of these

 

[Rich-EMTB-UK]

In fairness I think we probably have a group of fairly responsible riders here who care about the trails and areas they ride in. Issues can occur I am sure with those who dont care, modify their Ebikes so they are derestricted and can ride much faster than 15 mph and give everyone else a bad name. Been similar arguments against against MTB bikes for years around the peaks.

 

[LeftItLancs]

The problem now in my area of Lancs is that kids are terrorizing local neighborhoods on their various electric vehicles and if it is similar down South then e-bikes have obviously been placed in the same nuisance category by jobsworths on the council.

If they are official trails I don't see what the problem is with riding an e-bike and someone would have to produce some solid evidence to argue e-bikes cause more wear and tear than an MTB but even if they do that's what the trails are for anyway. Horses cause enormous wear and tear on official trails in general and if it's a funding issue with maintenance after 12 years of austerity then introduce a small charge to enter these areas, it isn't an ideal scenario but it really isn't rocket science to resolve.

 

[Jimbo Vills]

The problem now in my area of Lancs is that kids are terrorizing local neighborhoods on their various electric vehicles and if it is similar down South then e-bikes have obviously been placed in the same nuisance category by jobsworths on the council.

Yup, the electric scooter boom and kids ripping around on them alters perception.

Not that I think they are doing any harm personally. I was just as anti social tearing around on my bike as a kid as these. Even worse if we got our hands on a scooter or crosser of one of the older kids

And I bet no worse than the duffers back in their day complaining about e bikes now.

Easy to look back through rose tinted glasses and all that.

Sad thing is I bet if you stuck one of the people moaning about them on one for the day they’d probably have a great day.

My folks and all their pals have gone out and bought e bikes since I got mine and they go off miles on awesome social rides. My mum suffers with joint issues and she now rides 30+ miles and loves it. She flies on hers whereas the hills made it impossible before.

They often go to the new forest in their campers etc and cycle loads.

Be a shame if that got stopped.

 

[RustyMTB]

In fairness I think we probably have a group of fairly responsible riders here who care about the trails and areas they ride in. Issues can occur I am sure with those who dont care, modify their Ebikes so they are derestricted and can ride much faster than 15 mph and give everyone else a bad name. Been similar arguments against against MTB bikes for years around the peaks.

I can see that side of the argument clearly. In my flying days, site access was pretty much always gained by negotiation with landowners via the flying clubs & consequently, behaviour was heavily policed & if I'm honest, heavily self policed by pilots themselves for obvious self interest reasons.

Cycling isn't at all the same thing, it's a come one, come all activity. All you need is a bike & you're off. In those circs, controlling it is like herding cats. You can put up all the rules you like but unless someone is out there enforcing them, people are going to turn up & ride & when it gets to that point, you end up with all sorts getting involved, councils, local papers, MP's, Verderers, whoever they are & so on. Far better to go with the flow & look for compromise in the face of the inevitable in my view.

 

[LeftItLancs]

They often go to the new forest in their campers etc and cycle loads.

Be a shame if that got stopped.

Good on your mum for getting out there! Totally agree with everything you wrote and of course, an active lifestyle not only promotes individual well-being but also overall health, in general. Saving the NHS untold billion in direct comparison to the relatively small cost of maintaining official trials.

 

[Jimbo Vills]

Good on your mum for getting out there! Totally agree with everything you wrote and of course, an active lifestyle not only promotes individual well-being but also overall health, in general. Saving the NHS untold billion in direct comparison to the relatively small cost of maintaining official trials.

It’s complicated, she’s super active and healthy, walks loads, gardens etc. But her knees and hips are shot, she can’t put the power through them. So her ebike been a revelation.

She’s very much of the ‘move it or lose it’ and batts right on. So there’s always more to it these people don’t appreciate

All they see is the kids and weekend warriors and think that’s what e bikes are all about. Even if the majority are considerate to others

 

[Jimbo Vills]

Verderers are pretty specific to the forest though.

Just reading up as didn’t know too much about them tbh but it’s not just the new forest they tend to.

FOD and Epping would probably be next on their ‘agenda’

 

[Marcm]

I don't even live in the UK anymore and could sort of see this coming....once upon a time I rode some fantastic Enduro events in UK but always a few hours in a van to try and ride and clubs losing land due to the Ramblers,English nature and so on..
In the end i just left the UK....
Think last time I went to New forest I had some sort of ticket slapped on van for something or other...never went back again.

 

[Beatn1K]

It is a very tempting, if a somewhat less practical possibility than it was before Brexit...
Kind of feel this country is sleep walking into some very unpleasant, irreversible policy outcomes for minority user groups of all kinds; that and the over whelming numbers of people everywhere. All doing the same thing, in the same place, at the same time..Eat sh1t breed repeat..! Hell.....
We are being very badly led by cynnical politicians. Hard to see the wood for the trees...

 

[Planemo]

FOD and Epping would probably be next on their ‘agenda’

Epping Forest already has it's own, standalone sworn police officers. I know cos I got chucked out within minutes of arriving with my daughter, pootling along at 10mph on our electric unicycles, slowing for pedestrians, saying hello etc. It was quite funny, because we had just stopped to take a drink (not knowing we had passed the officers) and their 4x4 off roader came hurtling round a blind bend, presumably thinking we were going to make off or something. Bearing in mind the track wasn't even as wide as the 4x4, and we were in the middle of it, they virtually locked up the motor to avoid driving into us. Then we got the lecture about how illegal and antisocial our activity was. Of course I was polite at the time, but what a load of bollocks.

 

[Jdub]

The UK is a great example of the cause and effect from over-regulating and meddling into every facet of peoples lives by useless bureaucrats.
Some teenagers will be always be hell demons regardless of new laws passed. Knife crimes will still happen even if you have to go on a registry when you buy a kitchen knife. I just ripped up 30 km of single tracks and only passed one biker.. gotta love Spain!

 

[SquireRides]

It's very simple. The Verderers only object to a small number of significant problems they've seen in The Forest:

1. People
2. Outside
3. Having fun.

if we could all just reduce these crimes, report them when seen, everything will be fine.

 

[Norange]

They often go to the new forest in their campers etc and cycle loads.

Be a shame if that got stopped.

Alternative areas locally which are better for camping and cycling and not controlled by officious arseholes would include:

Cranborne Chase north - most familiar to me are Grovely Wood, Great Ridge and the Shaston Drove south of the A30.
Cranborne Chase south - Chase Woods/Ox Drove/Ashmore Wood/Melbury Wood

ArcGIS Web Application

wiltscouncil.maps.arcgis.com

Isle of Purbeck - Wareham Forest, Purbeck ridge from Corfe to Old Harry rocks, Rempstone heath.

DorsetExplorer

DorsetExplorer - Maps and Local Information from Dorset Council including Rights of Way, Highways, Aerial Photography and much more

explorer.geowessex.com

 

[Jimbo Vills]

Alternative areas locally which are better for camping and cycling and not controlled by officious arseholes would include

Don’t moan when your alternatives are packed with ‘casuals’ on their ebikes from the new forest