To think these dog walkers are bonkers.

[QuebecBagnet]

So at the weekend me and a mate went mountain biking in a local wood. The wood is totally private property and owned by the local cycle shop. No public right of way at all. There is a sign by the entrance saying “bike trail”. You used to have to be a member of the shop’s cycling club to use it but think they’ve stopped that now (I’m a member anyway).

it’s a proper mountain bike track, single track, twisty through the trees, loads of jumps and berms. It’s admittedly not very well used and I’m often the only person there when I go.

we came across two different groups of dog walkers on the path. First one a solo woman with an off lead dog. The second lot a group of 5-6 people with 5-6 off lead dogs. Dogs were running infront of the people (out of their sight) and I nearly flattened them as I came round a bend. First dog was growling and snarling and baring it’s teeth at me. We obviously stopped until the owners came running and put them on leads. They were apologetic about the dogs

I Politely pointed out it’s not a public right of way and they just sort of shrugged and said it’s a nice walk and that maybe we should go slower! They seemed so adamant that it was ok them being there that I came home and checked the OS map and definitely no right of way. No where near a right of way.

Why would they walk on a single track mountain bike trail? It’s dangerous for me as well as them!

People here aren't going to understand what a purpose built mountain bike trail entails. They're probably the sort to take their dogs there as well.

Imagine watching the biking at the Olympics and seeing some dumbarse with a doodle wander across the track. That's a private, prebuilt trail. It's private. It's for bikes only. It's built for speedy, technical riding.

They might need more clear signs that the trail is incredibly dangerous to trespass on. Give it a clear name and repeat those signs throughout where possible.

I've done some great prebuilt, managed trails and there's usually a lot of signage highlighting that it's off limits to walkers and they're in danger. But oh the joy of not having to swerve around people!

I had to give up riding in a couple of areas near me as even though the trails are wide enough for everyone, the selfish turds let their dogs off the lead and the dogs chase my bike. They cannot control their idiot dogs so I'm at risk of running them over, or getting spooked by their barking and teeth and just kicking it in the face, and then I suppose it will all be my fault.

@NumptiesIncorporated ·

They technically shouldn’t be there but it’s still up to you not to hurt them by riding your bike dangerously fast into them or their dogs-that would probably be a criminal offence whereas trespassing isn’t

I'm no legal expert but I would find that doubtful. If you trespass and put yourself in danger, I would imagine you would be liable. However, I hope the cycle club has sufficient signage that this is private land with no trespassing as they could end up liable if there was an accident.

For people that aren't aware, this is what mountain biking trails look like and how people ride them. As you can see it would be really dangerous to have walkers, children and dogs doddering around on them:

You are tagging me, making it look like that was my quote. It isn't. My comment was in answer to that. The original quote was by @Lampyshady

As a dog owner, I would never take my dog on a bike trail. Come to think about it, I wouldn't walk along a bike trail without my dog. It is not a footpath.

@NovaDeltas

Hi! I'm on mumsnet and I know perfectly well what a purpose built mountain bike trail is. It is something that I would never walk my dog on.

That's hilarious. You think they drive around Silverstone cautious of pedestrians? They don't. Not unless they've been told pedestrians are on track.

As a viewer, if say, Verstappen hit a pedestrian on track that wasn't meant to be there, a trespasser my first thoughts would be sympathy for him, then confusion as to where security were.

At no point would I feel remotely sorry for the person on the track. They weren't allowed there, due to you know FAST MOVING VEHICLES.

Obviously, that doesn't stand if it's a Marshall, as they've obviously made the drivers aware, and they're doing something to make the track safe again.

It's a bike trail, for bikes, and a one way system to boot! Would you tell skiers they should ski slowly on a ski slopes incase a dog walker decide to take a stroll across the piste?

Yanbu. The bikes take priority.
I occasionally walk a dog and am ruthless about not letting it be a dick and keeping it on lead.

Those dog walkers are as bad as parents who let their dc's run around car parks or scoot way ahead of them.

If you're often the only person using it on a bike, but there are 7 dog walkers I'd be closing it as a bike path and opening it back up as a dog walking area

That's hilarious. You think they drive around Silverstone cautious of pedestrians? They don't

I know. I've been watching F1 for 35 years.

At no point would I feel remotely sorry for the person on the track. They weren't allowed there, due to you know FAST MOVING VEHICLES

That's exactly the point I was making in regards to dog walkers being on a mountain bike trail. Thanks :)

It’s owned by a bike shop. Presumably as a perk, marketing, for members of its cycling club. How do you propose they monetise that for dog walkers?

I guess the bike shop who own it don’t want to do that. It’s actually part of a private large estate and they have opened a lot of their park land to walkers and made a shared use path from the car park to the nearby forestry commission woods where dog walkers are welcome

Sorry @NumptiesIncorporated I confused myself!

People shouldn’t go into woods, fields, etc unless there’s a public footpath sign surely?

I wish more people would be considerate of others - and that includes these dog walkers, pulling their dogs under control and keeping them out of the way of bikes.

BUT, on a more general point, I also think it is bloody criminal how little public access there is to the land. People should have much greater access to walk in many mre places - imo.

Yanbu, but it does sound like the bike shop should put up clearer signs, saying “private property keep out! This is not a public footpath!”

If I saw a sign saying “bike trail” I’d assume it was a public footpath also shared with bikes. And few people bother to check OS maps.

They should have grovelled when you challenged them though.

Dog walkers are the worst for trespassing, we get them all over DC’s school field and when challenged they argue that they’re locals and the schoolkids aren’t so the locals should have priority over local fields. Er it’s private property?!

It’s admittedly not very well used and I’m often the only person there when I go.
Doesn't sound like it's doing well does it

No the bike shop are looking at improving the trail over the next 12 months and publicising it more. They’re holding a race there next month which might raise the profile more. But it’s up to the bike shop I guess to determine whether they think it’s doing well enough for what they want or not. But regardless of usage it’s still not for pedestrians

Doesn't sound like it's doing well does it

I wonder how much of that is down the fact that dog walkers are making it unsafe to bike on it...

I go skiing a lot, and yes you obviously look out for others and stay in control/only go fast when it’s safe to do so (not round blind corners or when there are lots of people ahead)-that’s basic survival instinct/common sense. I’ve seen people alpine walking up ski slopes, and seen people walking their dogs up them too and I’ve never gone so fast that I didn’t see them/nearly flattened them.
it sounds like trespassers on the bike track is a known issue, and it isn’t unlikely that you’d hit one going round a corner-so until the landowners try and sort this out with a fence and/or signs then cyclists should take care not to hit people. If the track is commonly used by walkers, it doesn’t sound like a suitable place to go fast round corners unfortunately. I don’t think that an amateur bikers desire to go so fast they can’t stop trumps the safety of anyone who is in their way-it’s not Silverstone it’s just the local woods.
would people on here really not feel any remorse if they ran over a child at speed on a bike and caused them life changing injuries, when they knew that people often trespass on the track yet still thought it was a suitable place to tear around blind corners at high speed. It wouldn’t be the child’s fault that their parents are entitled idiots.

Doesn't sound like it's doing well does it

Not sure what that has to do with it. That's like saying my garden isn't doing very well because we haven't been out in it every day. It's private land. It doesn't have to 'do well' unless the owner decides it should.

I would feel sorry for someone who got hit by a formula one car, they’d probably die an awful death-you sound very cold.
But I wouldn’t expect Silverstone drivers to look out for pedestrians as they have fences and security measures in place and it’s very obviously a car race track and you’d know a race was on by the massive amount of noise and spectators-no one’s going to be confused and think it’s an empty path in the local woods are they.
A track through the quiet local woods that says ‘bike trail’ on one end is hardly the same thing so it would be a LOT less surprising to see people walking there than at Silverstone!

Also, in terms of risk-benefit, Silverstone is a massive publicised event that has a lot of money invested in it relying on the drivers going fast and their fast driving brings joy/entertainment to loads of people so it’s worth the (much smaller) risk of them hitting a pedestrian. I don’t think there’s many good reasons for cyclists to go super fast round blind corners in the woods that they know might have walkers on

They'll need to put up signage that says that it's not safe or suitable for dog walkers/dogs/pedestrians. They'll have to be put up at various intervals along the cycle track.

Any injuries to pets or the person will not be the responsibility of the cyclist or the bike shop.

Then the mountain bikers should just go all out and the pet owners/dog walkers takes their chances.

I mean you wouldn't walk your pet in a skateboard park, why would this be any different??

You have no idea what you're talking about