Trails on Trial

[dobbyhasfriends]

 

[Tonybro]

Interesting and definitely needs further exploration and re-alignment of old access rights/rights of way usage.

For everyone's safety, I think we should work on segregation of uses so walkers and cyclists shouldn't often come up against one another on trails. That's safer and more enjoyable for both groups of land users. Formalise the trails, maintain them, charge people for the use if necessary to cover cost of build and maintenance. Do the same for the walkers and horse riders too.

We should all have good access to, and safe use of, the wilder landscapes in the UK.

The problem I see is lack of users accepting their responsibility for that safe use.

There will always be idiots, there will always be people who willfully ignore markers and signage. I've come across one woman with two dogs neither of which were on leads on a clearly marked mountain bike trail at Gisburn. Likewise, and I am sure I am not alone, I have ridden sections of Public Footpaths when it was the only way to link sections I could legally ride on. I was always conscious that I was in the wrong and would always cede passage to walkers in those scenarios. Most didn't say anything as I wasn't being obnoxious or causing them to change their behaviour but I was still in the wrong (in England under current law).

The mess needs cleaning up, no one group has rights stronger than the other - I am looking at Ramblers here who seem to think they are the only people with rights on the use of the land.

 

[Gary]

We?

Nah.. you lot can clean up your own mess. Good luck with that though

We're fine as we are. Thanks.

 

[Gary]

Ps. In the tweed valley you now hear more English accents on the trails and cafés than Scottish.
#LittleEngland

 

[Doomanic]

You're welcome.

 

[RustyMojo]

I’m not sure it’s a mess, I just think MTB is still relatively* new and the explosion in participation in recent years has accelerated traffic everywhere.

Education is what’s needed across all user ship groups. There are knobbers in all user groups, sadly I do see the sense of entitlement and idiocy is more heavily weighted within the cycling fraternity.

I don’t ride trail centre unless I can help it, bar the odd field trip and regular jaunts to BPW. I love off piste trails. Give me super steep, sloppy, tech gnar over a hard packed table top any day. However with increased foot fall, ultimately has seen the deterioration of some stuff. It was great to see the Risca riders featured. Those guys have done a hell of a job, I have been lucky enough to ride with their group a couple of times. Some of their unofficial trails are some of the best I have ever ridden. It’s nice to see the valley developing more into official trails, to me it’s a bit like a Innerlethan/Golfie of South Wales.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the video. Which reflected and illustrated the position across the U.K. well in my opinion.

 

[Gary]

I wasnt talking about mountain biking Rusty.
I was taking a cheap shot your stupid access laws and out of touch government. Different people accessing the countryside certainly isn't anything new.

Are you aware that before MTB became popular. The trails in and around the inners area were used for off road motorcycling and car rallys. We used to share trails with motorcycle guys. Infact a lot of the classic inners and Golfie descents were actually motorcycle climbs.
Mtb is part of the reason that has gone.

 

[RustyMojo]

I wasnt talking about mountain biking Rusty.
I was taking a cheap shot your stupid access laws and out of touch government. Different people accessing the countryside certainly isn't anything new.

Are you aware that before MTB became popular. The trails in and around the inners area were used for off road motorcycling and car rallys. We used to share trails with motorcycle guys. Infact a lot of the classic inners and Golfie descents were actually motorcycle climbs.
Mtb is part of the reason that has gone.

Sorry Gary, my comment wasn’t aimed at your post.
Regardless, I want aware of the history of I’m honest. Although it doesn’t surprise me. I do agree with you completely around the access laws south of the border. My local XC loop as an example is on a privately owned cotswold hill. Access is ‘OK’ but if you stray in anyway from the bridle way the estate managers are all over you. Then you have the nonsense of them trying to ban dogs being off leads…because it may harm the birds they want to blow out of the sky…I digress, ultimately they own it. I guess it’s like me allowing people in my garden.

I have to admit to being very jealous of the right to roam laws in Scotland, you guys have embraced the beauty of your land and have made it possible for it to be enjoyed by all. It’s a wonderful asset, I’d move up there in a heartbeat… if it wasn’t for real life getting in the way of things.

I do believe that tolerance is a problem in society though. People are tolerant to all sorts of weird things in life, but not in others. Why would anyone want to go out of their way to ruin someone else’s enjoyment is beyond me…but it’s a thing! I don’t think the MTB community as a whole does itself many favours, but I also believe that some of the newer blood to the sport haven’t a clue of some of the challenges and work that have been put in over the last few decades to ensure access is maintained.

 

[Gary]

Well put