Public footpaths, do you ride them?

RickTheUncivil":ctsc3kr6 said:
I do get miffed when I’m barrelling along a bridal path or whatnot and walkers make themselves into an obstacle, intentionally getting in the way with calls of ‘you shouldn’t be riding here!”. I nearly flattened a jack russel off a lead one time and the guy was pissed at me (I was well impressed with the huge bunnyhop) so stopped and had a discussion with them. He wouldn’t back down so I left him to it, next time I might not bunnyhop!

I reckon you ought to take it easy approaching walkers.
 
I have a bell and give them a tinkle whenever I approach on whatever path. This raises a smile and thanks are exchanged. Not had an issue yet. Horses, walkers, cyclists, doggers, the odd crosser, all seem to get along. We have an annual vintage motorcycle trial too. And a walking festival. I think the Honc helps.

There's even a website promoting the town surrounds.
 
I ride footpaths all the time. I'm not actually sure of the legality of it, to be honest. If there's a signed cross-country cycle trail, I'll usually do that instead, but most of the time there isn't. I've never had a problem with walkers, partly because I tend to be in places that are "isolated" to say the least, but a lot of it comes down to common courtesy - and that's not just slowing down for / stopping and talking to other users of the path, but also knowing when to get off and walk / carry (fairly common around here anyway for safety reasons) rather than churn the path into a mudbath.

The signed trails around here don't tend to get you anywhere; the prepared trails, which are almost all DH or at least hardcore enduro simply aren't for my bike (or me).
 
Re: Re:

Matthews":35u4kv5o said:
I'm not saying it's right to ride on footpaths but just pointing out some of the myths.
Hi, whilst I agree with much of the sentiment of your posts, I think that in your attempt to point out some myths you're introducing or perpetuating some others. The right to pass and repass is more than an exemption from being sued for trespass (contrary to popular myth trespassers are not "prosecuted"). The "right to roam" in the CROW Act only applies to a fairly small (but significant) minority of land designated as access land (mostly upland, moorland and common land). There is no general "right to roam" in the rest of the country. The CROW Act doesn't affect the existence of public footpaths.

after all just ask a rambler how they got all there so called rights , err wasn't it something called the Mass Trespass if my memory serves me right , pot and kettle springs to mind .
The right to walk on public footpaths is ancient. The "right to roam" in the CROW Act 2000 was the result of active campaigning by the Ramblers' and other walkers' groups in the late 20th Century rather than the Kinder Mass Trespass in 1932. Rather than criticising their achievement we'd do well to follow their example and seek our own rights over access land.

Back on the main topic of this thread, I'm not all that fussed on wide tracks where there is zero potential for conflict or where cycling is done courteously causing no damage or inconvenience, but I think we could all do without the anti-social minority.
 
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