to tell mountain bikers off

[asicsgirl]

near where i live there's a big area of woodland. it's national trust and v popular. there's a track that runs thru' it that serves a couple of farms up on the tops, and the national trust vehicles go up & down it. it is the main route thru' the woods and is always busy with pedestrians including people with buggies, toddlers and older kids, dogs, runners, walkers, have seen wheelchair users, people with walking frames etc etc.

at the entrance there is a sign that clearly says 'walkers and permitted vehicles only. cyclists and riders please use bridle path' and arrow pointing to said bridle path (which is a road for a while, then a track).

however i regularly see mountain bikers on the main track despite the sign. it's quite steep in places and they are often moving fast downhill. i used to point out to them (in a friendly way) did they know that they weren't supposed to be on it but just recently got a load of abuse with guy shouting at me that it was a road, and on the map, and therefore they were allowed to cycle on it.

should i just shut up and let them get on with it?

Introduce a large stick to spokes of wheels.

Arse over tit. Very satisfying.

I have always wanted to do this but as I am in London never have a big stick to hand

I'd check your mad just to be sure that it isn't a byway as they would be allowed to use it if it was, the sign may just be advisory.
If they really aren't allowed to use it then I'd make a stink. There will be a reason for it being designated for some traffic and not others - maybe it will take someone getting injured before anything is done about it.

I used to live next to a byway that was reduced to a footpath from October to March and the number of times people tried to lift mountain bikes and, worse still, scrable bikes over the padlocked gate was crazy. Some people think they are a law unto themselves.

Carry on telling them. If theres an NT warden around might be worth mentioning
that they need a bigger sign!

That's scramble bikes; I haven't just invented a new kind of bike

morningtown

thanks tigerschick - it's a green dotted line so that's a footpath innit. i think they get confused, poor loves, because cars drive up it occasionally (nat trust, and people who live up there).

scrabble bikes sound like a great new hybrid - part machine, part board game

I hate them! Not just the erosion they cause but they're f*ing arrogance. I should not have to be constantly grabbing my 5yr old's hand and hauling him out of the way of bikes on a footpath in a AONB. It is supposed to be peaceful.

I had a colleague who was into mountain biking. He told me the mud flap was called a 'crud catcher'. I took exception to that - it's not crud! It was a little bit of bloody Exmoor

Bikes are a wonderful green alternative to cars. Not a way of ploughing up national parks.

i thought it was just me...

My dad is a volunteer warden for the National Trust on the Mendips. He is supposed to wander about looking helpful and looking out for damaged fences, gates left open etc. He is also supposed to 'police' the footpaths to prevent horses and bikes from going on footpaths where they aren't supposed to be. Which would be great if everyone who rode a bike or a horse was polite and reasonable. Difficult to stop a horse in mid gallop and also hard to tackle some lycra-clad thug who tells you to f* off. He's 76 and the politest, most reasonable man you could wish to meet. Sadly some members of the public aren't. I think he should take a shot gun personally

your poor dad orm. why do people assume they can do what they want? i have had bikers say 'oh really, i didn't know' when i've pointed out (gently) that they're in the wrong place. but sadly it's mostly groups of blokes who put on a big show in front of their mates. of course it is well 'ard to ride up a wide forest track - esp when there are plenty of other routes - i sometimes feel like saying 'bit scared of the rough stuff are you? maybe you should put the stabilisers back on eh?'

like those guys who think it is fine to hammer along the towpath. if you're so hard, go properly off-road fgs and leave the rest of us in peace.

i'd like to point out that i'm a cyclist and don't have anything against it in principle. it's just the thugs, as you put it orm

Not all mountain bikers are like this. I have been known to use a footpath on my bike to get between two bridleways for eg. BUT if anyone was around have gone slow or got off and walked past them, esp if they are with kids or there are animals about. If I am doing this, to be honest it rankles a little (a lot) when I get pointed looks or comments. Is it not better to be out exercising (sp?) in the open air, rather than sitting on my bum in front of a pc?! To be honest I'd rather be in a forest on a designated track or route as being an outlaw does make me feel sooo guilty. I do agree about the thugs and will give pointed looks and comments myself when justified though. But don't judge us all the same!

I'm sure they aren't tricky. But I hate to see the mess bikes make of the countryside . Have to say the same of horses though. But there seem to be larger flocks of mountain bikers than horse riders in our part of the world these days.