Public footpaths, do you ride them?

[Mike Muz]

I have to admit, this is one of my pet hates. A bit like rides jumping red lights, it gives the good ones a bad name.

None of the rides I do involve them. This can makes my rides a bit samey, but I can live with that.

However, when I go out with the local group for a monthly ride, I think we may go on some. I don't always know where I am, so have to follow.

Mrs Muz and I sometimes have a stroll around the local woods, and when we do I notice tyre tracks, and even worse horses' prints on the footpaths. This churns them up, and in some places they have ' cut ' another track around the resulting mudfest they have created.

What are your thoughts?

Mike

 

[legrandefromage]

I was out today where bridal paths stop in the middle of nowhere with only the choice of footpaths to join back up to a byway or another bridal path. There no rhyme or reason to it all.

Didnt meet a soul either so whats the point in it all? Scotland has it better.

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Forgot to mention Scotland :roll:

Can you go where you want up there, MacRetro?

 

[dyna-ti]

Aye. Well pretty much. Some larger estates for deer are sort of off limits at times due to animals and shooting. But no theres no path you cannot take.

 

[longun]

i'd love the right to roam, obviously within reason and with respect. i ride lots of place, on and off-limit but never take the piss. i know plenty who do and it ruins it for the minority. my local trails are mainly just that, trails used by all around the woods etc for donkeys years, linked by bridleways, footpaths and roads. you soon learn who minds and who doesnt round here.

its quite nice really

 

[kingbling]

This is my biggest gripe with riding off road is that you are only allowed on bridleways and green lanes. Up here in the lakes we have bridleways you would struggle to get a horse along let alone ride a bike. Being a member of IMBA I respect their ethos so I don't ride on footpaths, but on some of the more walked paths up here trail erosion is quite extensive this caused by walkers alone.
The LDNPA spend quite a large amount of money repairing these footpaths and AFAIK never seek voluntary help form the ramblers association to maintain these paths if mountain biking where to be permitted then they could seek voluntary help from groups like IMBA who organise trail building and repair days.
My opinion is that England should take a leaf out of the Scottish land access right to roam and let footpaths be used as Recreational paths for all and the engage local clubs of Walkers, Riders and Equestrians to volunteer in the maintenance of the trails. This would have benefits for all user's and guardians of the countryside.

 

[k-rod]

Re:

There is a giant, hundredsuponhundredsofacres big woodland called the UBC Endowment Lands here in Vancouver, BC, through which wend numerous paths and trails that were, for many decades, multi-use affairs (bike/horse/foot). During the eighties and early nineties, dozens upon dozens of fat tire enthusiasts hammered through those trails regularly. However, over the years and increased intensity of fat tire activity, the trails began to get seriously eroded ... and while the exposed roots and creeks and rocks and such made for an extremely visceral and athletic mountain-bike experience ... it didn't do much for the environmental stability or the longevity of the flora, so the Parks Board went in and closed a whole slew of trails to cyclists, and gentrified/protected almost all the rest by loading them up with Navy-Jack self-compacting footpath gravel, making the pathways through there not much more than gravel foot-ways now.

Of course, to an ardent and passionate fat tire-ist ... the trails are an absolute bore now ... but to anyone over 45 yrs of age ... that smoothing out of the bumps and roots and rocks and jumps factor, makes for a welcomed respite from the jarring and bone-bashing old times hard-core experience.

Times change, more people move in, old people get scared and complain, stupid people run into pedestrians (or get run into, and end up suing) ... and the world is forever tamed.

sigh :|

 

[chrisv40]

Re:

Yes we ride on a lot of footpaths here in the east riding as do horse riders, the bridleway network in our local area is hopeless with a lot of them reaching a junction and changing to a footpath for no apparent reason. Ive been riding this area for 25 years now and we all get along very well together, walkers, mtbers and horse riders.

 

[jimo746]

Re:

I've always included footpaths in my riding, where I began my mtb riding in West Yorkshire if I didn't ride on footpaths then it would have seriously reduced the amount of off-road riding available locally.
I think the only time I had a walker question my use of the footpath was on one of the more popular walking routes in the 'dales. On the local paths across farmland there was barely a soul to be seen save for the occasional dog walker.
I guess if a footpath is heavily used by bikers and walkers then conflict is going to be inevitable.
Scotland is a bit different, generally the land is still owned by someone, but you've got more freedom to take paths and tracks.

 

[foz]

Sometimes you are almost forced to use them, as others have said bridleways often stop in the middle of nowhere and continue as footpaths, without using footpaths many rides would just be out and back again, instead of a loop. I've always used them carefully when I've had to, getting off and pushing if necessary (especially when coming across other users)