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!

I walk my dog in the forest with mountain bike trails. It's open for bikes and dogs (and everything else but cars). We all know we have to be careful but as a dog owner (of a small breed), I take ownership to be alert if I am on a trail. We don't go in the mornings where cyclists are out more and we rarely walk on trails but to cut between areas. I will pick up my dog when I see a cyclist and it's polite fashion for them to say thank you.

On private land open to cyclists oy, dogs and their walkers have no place to be. Going as fast as possible is part of thrill and it's great to have a place to be able to do so. If it's well marked as private for mountains bikers, then these dogs owners were stupid to take such risks.

It is literally owned by the bike club.

Why do you think you are more important than a dog Walker. You arnt. Learn to share the space safely and don't be so selfish

😂😂😂

Would you say the same to a car driver complaining about a dog walker on the motorway?

Oh RTRT for goodness sake, or at least the OP. The dog walkers are trespassing on private land owned by the bike club. So, with that in mind , who arwe the selfish ones?

Why do you think you are more important than a dog Walker. You arnt. Learn to share the space safely and don't be so selfish

FFS it's a bike park. It's like demanding that cars on a motorway share space.

Is it just me or are the dim entitled multiplying?

and yes, people complain (rightly) about nearly getting hit by cyclists on pavements so here I am trying to avoid pedestrians, cars, shared use paths, etc and still can’t get away from pedestrians

Indeed. Wherever cyclists go they are unwanted. Roads - get out of the way of cars. Pavements/paths/towpaths - get out of the way of walkers. Bike trails and paths - well it's ok for dog walkers to use them as well and cyclists should slow down. Sigh.

Do you own a house or flat?

Bit rude of you to hog it all to yourself, I'm sure there are loads of homeless people and others who'd love to live in it too. Learn to share the space and don't be selfish.

Definitely not just you :)

And if only (some) dog owners should share space safely and keep their dogs under close control...when I go out running now I am having to restrict my running routes more and more as there are more and more out of control dogs.

Totally happy not to walk my dog in an area that would make it dangerous for me, the dog and other users of the area.

Alongside a bit of common sense, I would expect that the area if accessible to the public, is clearly signed saying it was bikes only, no walkers/dogs/children.

If the sign just says bike trail I would think it is a path where cycling is permitted in addition to others, rather than expressly forbidding other users. In the scenario you described though I would probably check with the bike shop before I took my dog and kids down there.

Private land reserved for specific use needs clear signage and a gate - ideally with a combination lock that only registered users have. A wooded trail is otherwise just that - I like most people don't carry an os map on me, I just go for a wander. My ddog ignores bikes anyway. Signage is key.

Shared use paths btw way means sharing aka groups of walkers moving aside for bikes, and bikes single file at sensible speeds adhering to no cycling path signs

I think I know the sort of place you're talking about and if so the dog walkers would know that it's a single track one-way mountain bike trail. It's really not a place for dog walkers or anyone else who is walking! As you say, it's a bit like trying to walk your dog on a Moto GP circuit.

This thread is hilarious!

The OP clearly stated that this track is rearly used and she likes to race at neck braking speed without considering any other living begins- may that be cyclists, walkers, dogs or a cat out on a brawl!

She also said that it's a mountain bike track with no public right of way.

There's a private car race track near me that's rarely used. Should the cars that use it go slower in case there are trespassers there to?

It's a mountain bike trail. They are supposed to be ridden fast!

I’m a dog walker, but I hate English dog walkers. So fucking entitled. Saw a piece in the paper a week or so ago, about a group of ‘rambling dog walkers’ (fucking stupid townies) who formed in response to be gored by cows when trespassing on working farms into paddocks with cows and calves with their off lead dogs. They have the gall to be suing the farmer for an accident that was caused by their trespassing. 🤬

I find dog walkers here obnoxious, lazy and entitled. Our local park is filled with idiots with untrained dogs off leash. Now thanks to covid they have infected the countryside too.

Saw a piece in the paper a week or so ago, about a group of ‘rambling dog walkers’ (fucking stupid townies) who formed in response to be gored by cows when trespassing on working farms into paddocks with cows and calves with their off lead dogs.

But you don't understand. The farmer should have taught the cows how to share...

@NumptiesIncorporated hahahah my mistake, as an antipodean I didn’t realise the unspoken rule. 😉 (great user name btw)

Don’t ride at braking speed, possibly at breaking speed.

@Lampyshady thats the whole point. It is a safe place to cycle as fast as you like. It is not a safe place to walk. Why do the people for whom the space is designated (and there are previous few of these spaces) have to modify their behaviour for people who shouldn’t even be there

The dog walkers must be either oblivious or entitled trespassers. Perhaps more obvious signage is needed.

I don't know why people who have large dogs but nowhere to walk them don't buy smaller dogs instead.

My friend owns a field and some horses and sometimes gets dog walkers driving out from the nearest city to let their dogs loose to run around her field, presumably because its next to a convenient laybye for parking! It really is unbelievable. Some of them tried to get arsey when she shouted at them to leave.

This thread is hilarious!
The OP clearly stated that this track is rearly used and she likes to race at neck braking speed without considering any other living begins- may that be cyclists, walkers, dogs or a cat out on a brawl!

She also states that the track is on private property and for the use of mountain bikers.
Do people not actually know what mountain biking involves or something despite repeated explanations including videos? It's a specific sport. Where do you expect people do do their sport if not a private bike park set aside specifically for that purpose?
Dog-walkers shouldn't be there. Other cyclists will or should know the route etiquette. And if you're that worried about cats, keep them indoors, they're about a million times more likely to be run over on the road as on a mountain biking track.

It's not a shared space though 😂

That's the best course of action isn't it? HUGE signs seem to be the order of the day for entitled idiots who think they can walk their dogs anywhere. As you say you are quite entitled to ride around the one way system without having to worry about hitting anything/anybody coming the other way. I wouldn't be taking my dog through a skate park just because I can... ridiculous nonsense from the walkers.

When I’m driving down a narrow twisty rural road (which I do often) I always take corners slowly and look out for people, bikes, horses, cars coming the other way. Don’t you??

Yes I certainly do. But those other road users are (hopefully) using their awareness and common sense to anticipate me coming the other way too. Quid pro quo.

twitter.com/AbiReader/status/1564294115663159302
They're the sort of people who leave gates open, allow their dogs to worry sheep and allow this sort of thing to happen. See above link