Being a keen off road driving enthusiast who has got back into the mountain bike due to the constant removal of what few legal green lanes (non tarmaced routes with legal right to drive on BOAT) i've stated stuudying my maps for good circular routes in the Dales and NYM only to find that tere are also bugger all bridleways out there (Natural England stats for ROW's show 78% footpaths and only 17% bridleways and I'm not even going to mention BOATS because it's zilch), any way being a bit sad I've done some digging on various legal definitions regarding access on a bike and this seems to be the common answer
"Cyclists have no right to cycle on footpaths away from the road but only commit an offence where local by-laws or traffic regulation orders create such an offence. Cyclists can ride on bridleways, but not on countryside footpaths. To do so is a civil tort, ie not a criminal matter, the landowner has to sue the transgressor for damages (of which there’s likely to be none)."
So it would appear it's not against the law to ride on a footpath but the land owner could take you to civil court and try to prosecute you for trespass.
Any contrary info appreciated.
Matthew
"Cyclists have no right to cycle on footpaths away from the road but only commit an offence where local by-laws or traffic regulation orders create such an offence. Cyclists can ride on bridleways, but not on countryside footpaths. To do so is a civil tort, ie not a criminal matter, the landowner has to sue the transgressor for damages (of which there’s likely to be none)."
So it would appear it's not against the law to ride on a footpath but the land owner could take you to civil court and try to prosecute you for trespass.
Any contrary info appreciated.
Matthew