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I can't be the only rider to have noticed that there's huge amounts of home made signs suddenly popping up on all sorts of legal/illegal trails we all use (well, most of us use) I've seen more in the last couple of weeks than I've seen in the last 10 years. I don't think it's a coincidence that the owner of a local woods has started putting signs up near me (there's a few in fact) . I've had quite a few interactions (most of them v pleasant) with folks explaining ROW, but mostly giving directions!
Lots more folk going for local walks/rides and many will be less experienced in the outdoors. Makes sense to provide some (legal) guidance.
Loads more people out and about.
Also lots more people staying at home so noticing all the new visitors.
Hopefully it is part of a step change to more people getting out there but I suspect once the pubs open it'll be back to normal.
Definitely more signs gone up.
And then there are the pen and cardboard passive aggressive social distancing ones... 😮
loads and i mean loads near me saying pick up litter. 6 in one local wood alone!
I've certainly seen people walking on obscure cheeky trails deep in the woods that I've never seen people on in the last 15yrs. They have all been fine. It's the folks on the public bridleways near the roads that can be odd, but no aggressive home made signs. We did spot a camera on a trail but we aren't sure whether that was for wildlife or MTBers.
I've recently realised why cycling in shopping malls is usually banned...people with tiny brains and useless legs just can't deal with it...here's hoping for the prompt return of leisure shopping
edit and I have plans afoot to grass over the carpark outside the local sports centre and at the end of what was a quiet shared path
Not seen any new signs near me, but found a couple of substantial new cairns/piled up rocks on the edge of the Peak district where I ride. Had an enjoyable 5 mins hoofing all the stones off into the heather to discourage any rebuiulding.
loads and i mean loads near me saying pick up litter. 6 in one local wood alone!
Litter has got ridiculous at some local bits.
Sadly the main culprits are a group of bikers who are meeting up to build trails, and leave their food wrappers behind each day.
The local farmers around where I live in Dorset have been putting up their children's rainbow pictures with "Stay at home" underneath.
Yeah a few and more litter.
I've mixed feelings on cheeky trails. They just get swamped now it's so hard to keep it to a few locals. I sympathise with the land owners.
There has been a few go up in the local (FC) woods. Mostly around the 2 jump spots, to remind the yoofs that lobbing the contents of your rucksack all over the ground is a disgusting thing to do, in the woods, in the middle of no-where. I assume by the person who cleaned it up.
What there definitely has been a huge increase of, is digging. There are jumps appearing everywhere on trails. Which is fine, if you don't mind hitting them. However, given the massive volume of people now riding locally again, most don't want to hit what was a nice flow trail, with a new detour into a big sharkfin, into an even bigger creek gap, which I built seperately to the main line, maybe 10 years ago & now its been made 50% bigger. That trail is now unrideable to probably 99% of people.
People should build their own trails if that's what they want. Not poach others & then totally change them. It would be better if they wen't and buffed in all the other stuff, repaired crossings, etc.
Quite a few no dog shit signs up around where I live. Not sure why lockdown has led to an increase in steaming dog turds everywhere but it has. Folk not picking up? Folk walking dogs that never got walked?
Only one sign scrawled on a path "Stay at Home Idiots" in foot high letters. Not sure why, it's a tarmac footpath across a field. It's a popular route because it's scenic but is very much within the town, seems like a very reasonable route for people either going to the supermarket or exercise.
People should build their own trails if that’s what they want. Not poach others & then totally change them. It would be better if they wen’t and buffed in all the other stuff, repaired crossings, etc.
Bit of this going on locally too, yoofs have made part of my favourite DH trail on the hill easier. Annoying as it's the one decent KOM I Have left.
I feel like leaving a note with some changes and fixes I'd prefer to see elsewhere on the trails.
there’s huge amounts of home made signs suddenly popping up on all sorts of legal/illegal trails
Are you saying the signs are "barely legal"?
I've not been out on trails to notice any signs.
The only signs I've seen are asking people to either pick up their dog shit or not leave it hanging in a bag. Which I completely agree with, as it's definitely got worse since lockdown.
I did have one woman stop me and ask if I was lost whilst out on the bike. When I said no, she pointed out that "this isn't a cycle way". Had to laugh as it's a gravel double track that she was driving her car down at the time 🙂
TBF it's technically a footpath but when it takes you from a road, to a local country park with routes for bikes and horses and it's gravelled and wide enough you can drive a car down it for access to some nearby cottages, I'm not going to lose any sleep.
Definite increase in jump building, new private signs from landowners and also KOM-holder changes!
I have several short local loops, both on and offroad I've been doing and all of them have new 'amateur' signs up. They vary from Please observe social distancing in our village (complete with pictures of 2 cyclists not dog walkers obvs) to these woods are now private and plenty more in a similar vein.
Its a leafy area of east sussex and just an excuse for a bit of thinly veiled passive aggression at anyone the locals don't recognize or anyone doing something the locals don't like them doing like cycling or walking through their village.
Human nature innit.
Other than the distancing, best ignored.
Anyone found bagging their dog's poo and then leaving it should be made to eat the bag, the poo and the dog. There is absolutely no need for it.
No sign but got turned away from a local foot path (on foot not bike) < 1km from home. I asked the farmer if it was on to pass through and he came up with bullshit that didn't make sense but didn't want to argue. I think there are lot of people with footpaths etc cross their land that want to use this as an excuse to shut them down.
One footpath few minutes walk from home
not one I'd ride but joins a bridleway. Further afield I've seen "think of the NHS and go home" signs, locked gates on RoWs and one footpath completely blocked with chainlink fence and "covid concerns" sign. At the moment I'd rather choose routes that avoid people and don't go through farmyards, so I'm not kicking up a fuss, yet.
Bit of this going on locally too, yoofs have made part of my favourite DH trail on the hill easier. Annoying as it’s the one decent KOM I Have left.
I feel like leaving a note with some changes and fixes I’d prefer to see elsewhere on the trails.
Which trail. Tbf I've not touched the mtb in weeks
Most, if not all, of the signs local to us that I've seen are from North Yorkshire Police. There are some homemade ones but they are quite polite along the lines of "The footpath stile is 30m to your right, please don't use this gate".
Someone near me must have burned out their laminator too making dozens of keep out signs covering about half a mile of local bridleway.
Thing is, I don't think some folk understand that it can be counter-productive. Saw a sign on Sunday while out for a walk with my partner on a well hidden entrance to what looks like a pretty inviting trail. Nothing is quite so appealing as a previously unknown trail, especially one that's clearly entertaining. Without the sign, I'd have never known it was there.
Unintended consequences...
Strangest thing I've seen is a guy trying to drive a Honda Civic down a doubletrack complete with foot deep holes - said Civic had been lowered complete with chin spoiler and what looked like rear seats replaced with subwoofer - needless to say when he got to the end his spoiler was hanging off
I feel like leaving a note with some changes and fixes I’d prefer to see elsewhere on the trails.
Go speak to them (notes come across as a bit bawbaggy as this post shows) and let them know your thoughts, and help out, I'll bet you'll find they're decent lads that just hadn't thought it out properly
Agree though, if you're gonna build, brilliant, I'm all for it, but not on existing paths and tracks, build something new.
The only signs I've seen are on the local Golf course saying that residents on site are Self-Isolating and to stay off. It raised a few questions with me.
1) Do Golf Club Stewards need several hundred square metres to isolate?
2) If so, we are they still allowing people to maintain them?
3) Do they think we were born yesterday? I had no intention of being on your private golf course, but trying to use a global pandemic as reason to try to stop people stepping on your precious grass is the height of Golf Club mentality.
Similar story around the Peak District where I live. It's all quite depressing.
Some rather tame trails have had huge gap jumps built in them.
A very aggressive note put up on a footpath (that runs down a wide gravel track) aimed at "ignorant cyclists breaking the law".
Lots of village idiots placing anticycling signs up / social media ranting / unfavourable media stories going on.
People placing hazzards across trails / bridleways (wooden planks with nails). Lots of strategically placed glass on popular trails and even some roads around here. I've also spotted vandal grease smeared across gates.
Seems there's a lot more angry people out there in general ready to have a pop at anyone riding a bike at the moment.
Duncan - K2, and I don't mind really - it's fine apart from a silly little kicker.
Seems there’s a lot more angry people out there in general ready to have a pop at anyone riding a bike at the moment.
That described the Peak District normally TBF, but I've no doubt it's got even worse.
Aye right
@birky, I'd read that to say no driving on them. Do you interpret it differently?
On a similar, but unrelated to Coronavirus, note, there are signs on some of the verges around access roads to mid sized properties on the new housing estate stating "no trespassing". I often feel like stapling a copy off the access laws to them, as whilst I would have no reason to walk along that road, being that it's not anyone's private garden etc. then it wouldn't in any way be trespassing.
Trespassing does seem to be the new buzzword...The only conversation I had that went south recently (like I said, pretty much all the folk I've spoken to are cool) he was most disappointed to learn that while cycling a footpath wasn't a criminal offence, blocking the entrance to one certainly was!
Surely a lot of this is self defeating.
Its a bit like when I've gone the wrong way in the car and I have to turn in a narrow lane. You are looking for a place to turn around and you see a sign "PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TURNING"
Guess where I turn around 😉
Yep, reported this to the local rights of way officer at the weekend
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There's a fair few appearing round my way too.
I'm just ignoring them and concentrating on riding well within my limits and social distancing.
It is the usual NIMBYs using the excuse to have a bit of a pop and stir up a bit of anti-MTB attitude. So best ignored.
Came across this today, I can only assume its like the opposite of those disinfectant mat thingies we had for foot and mouth!
Started to appear round my way too.
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There's also an increase in people moaning at me about cyclist never stopping while I'm stopped in the bushes at the side of the trail waiting for them to walk past...
Even had some **** try and spit at me a few weeks back while we were on a multi use trail.
Just heard this evening that someone has been putting wire between trees at head height, on a series of trails not far from me. That’s a good way of protecting the NHS.
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This is actually a bridleway but not one I would go out of my way to use. Just happened to see it when passing end of track. Sort of understand because the BW goes through the farmyard. However, I've spoken to the rights of way officer for the area and he is going to have a word with the farmer. It's the only one I've seen but they've had complaints from walkers about FP closures
Forestry England have put passive aggressive ‘Why are you here?’ signs on every gate in the FofD. They are unnecessarily intimidating the local populace in that lovely way that they always do. They love to assert their authority when they get the chance.
Near me in Dumfries and Galloway. Part of me thinks cheeky *******, I bet its not even the farmer, but the big grand designs style larch clad self build owner nearby, but at time of heightened anxiety i will respect.
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It's hilarious the level of jumped up little arsehole isn't it.
Didn't realise this was a "thing" will keep a lookout for them next time.lol
Not seen much signage like that around (Northern edge of the Peak District here) but there's been numerous articles from around Hope Valley in particular of arsey locals complaining about "Covidiot Cyclists", people who've ridden a whole 12 miles to cycle past their houses. 12 miles of cycling, to these people, seems to be the equivalent of driving to Cornwall for a quick wander round.
I know a RoW guy up in northern Pennines and he's been busy with visiting landowners explaining that yes, it really is a criminal offence to close or block RoW and to put up threatening notices.
The only signs I've seen have been fairly official ones from, I assume, the council. The gist of it is "please help keep this parkland open by following the rules". Seems reasonable.
Nb, to be clear, that sign I posted is on an old double track drove road and goes past a farm, not through it. Its just signposted as a footpath from pre Right to Roam days.
One of the local pitchfork brigade in my village took it upon herself to erect signs on local footpaths telling people to go home annd not come here possibly spreading the virus. I wasn't aware of this until she emailed me as chair of the Parish Council complaining that people had been removing her signs and asking for PC support to stop all these walkers walking through the area.
I emailed back explaining that so long as they maintained social distancing and hadn't travelled too far to come here then they were acting well within their rights. I also explained that just because she didn't recognise someone doesn't mean that they do not live within the wider locality easilly within walking distance from their home. Also, these people that she seemed to despise could well be hard working health workers taking a bit of well deserved R&R.
There are a couple around here too, I just ignore them TBH. In fact I am such an awkward bastard that I tend to ride or walk those tracks more often than I would have if there were no signs.
This is actually a bridleway but not one I would go out of my way to use. Just happened to see it when passing end of track.
Please report that sign to the grammar police as well for flagrant misuse of exclamation points.
While I haven't noticed any signs going up there has been an increase in motocross riders in my local woods resulting in the police attending on several occasions. There has also disappointingly but somewhat predictably been an increase in damage to trails.
found a couple of substantial new cairns/piled up rocks on the edge of the Peak district where I ride. Had an enjoyable 5 mins hoofing all the stones off into the heather to discourage any rebuiulding.
@Mowgli Whenever I've seen stone cairns on trails, say in Wales, I've always considered them as being part of the local character so am curious why you would do that. Not being a local to your area what is the issue with stone cairns, do they have an undesirable effect on the local environment?
Seen a few official signs on the Canal about limiting use of them. That's fine, and I actually live near it and use it regular for my daily exercise, outside of peak times.
Other signs have been sensible - local farm, please don't touch the horses or fences as the virus can hang about a few days.
Our local I belong to winter Hill Facebook group is lead by a real anti mtber...
It's so full of venom
Yeah I ventured into the hotbed or malice and extremism that is my local village community Facebook group...Christ some of them make ISIS look reasonable.
People are cooped up and getting tetchy. Perhaps some are scared, others of an ignorant disposition. Some of those people are becoming emboldened and vocal. It's disheartening, sure, but hardly surprising.
I suspect 90% of the notices are put up by assholes trying to take advantage of the current situation to achieve some sort of self-serving goal, but don't discount the idea that some people are terrified of germ-infested people bringing the plague to their door.
As always, the best option is common sense and a cool head.
"footpath closed you should be at home saving lives!"
What if theres no-one that needs saving at home?
Buy one of these and pop it up alongside?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273941184304/blockquote >
Funny you should highlight that sign. I suspect round me they are used far more as a "get orf moy lannd" tool than anything to do with lifestock.
Here's one from my last ride. I cropped out the CCTV warning sign on the gatepost next to it as they were just too depressing (and equally unbelievable).
If you think it's a bluff, then 30 seconds with a black Sharpie pen could amend the sign accordingly.
One of our local farmers has put some passive aggressive "Don't make us ill, go home" signs on gates and styles footpath that I occasionally use to walk the dog on. I ignored them.
Another farmer has decided to refence one of his fields that has been pasture with no livestock for as long as i ca remember, I think mainly due to the huge rise in traffic the informal path through it has seen in recent weeks.
Some digging is happening in the woods. Assume it's kids.
You'd think with the higher number of people in the woods etc and the fact that almost all of my riding is not on ROWs, I would have had arguments with people but everyone* is being lovely.
*apart from the farmers who are reverting to type. Getooorrfffmylaaand.
Yeah I ventured into the hotbed or malice and extremism that is my local village community Facebook group…Christ some of them make ISIS look reasonable.
Remember the good old days where people like that had to write a letter, post it to the local rag, wait a week for it to be published...
Now they just sit at their keyboard, the Daily Mail on one tab and Facebook on the other. Same around here, the Hope Valley community pages are quite similar. The reasonable people on there get shouted down or scared off and you're left with a right wing / NIMBY echo chamber.
1) Do Golf Club Stewards need several hundred square metres to isolate?
2) If so, we are they still allowing people to maintain them?
3) Do they think we were born yesterday? I had no intention of being on your private golf course, but trying to use a global pandemic as reason to try to stop people stepping on your precious grass is the height of Golf Club mentality.
Local golf club to us (which has several RoW through it) had similar signs up all over the place, which I considered to be unnecessary and unhelpful.
Still, they were still watering the greens and as it was a hot day, the kids went and had a play in their sprinklers, so it wasn't all bad 😉
Yeah I ventured into the hotbed or malice and extremism that is my local village community Facebook group…Christ some of them make ISIS look reasonable.
Oh god, not the village Facebook group! Do not look at those, you'll end cowering in a corner as you are brainwashed into believing that Islamic extremists in Lycra hijabs are terrorising the decent folk of Nether Piddly or whatever.
There are two absolute boilers on my village one. Any mention of cycling and they are in like a rat up a drain pipe. And it is the same 'anecdotes' over and over again. Almost as if they haven't got enough in their sad little lives to actually worry about.
I suppose these FB groups are a good thing really. At least it stops them actually building gallows and lynching anyone they think is a 'bit shifty'.
Our local home made signs have taken a sinister turn. If anyone has information please contact supertato directly.
Not signs in trails, but have had a heads up from work, that there are quite a few 5G/Covid conspiracy signs,that have been stuck onto telecom street furniture in locations both urban and remote, That have razor blades and dirty needles behind them.How pleasant!
No signs either, just a lot of building going on, but not by the usual crews and not to their usual high standards. So plenty of random stuff, but really nothing wrong with that at all. It's the litter appearing that's the issue, and ultimately might get on the landowners radar and cause us all problems.
@stayhigh. I think the point about cairns in the hills, especially new ones, is that they tend to encourage people to stick to a path/route/line, thus making erosion worse. Old-time hillwalkers like Hamish Brown would delight in kicking them over, and I'd go along with that if they're not marking a well established existing route. And arguably a well established, clear route doesn't need cairning, by definition.
I've had this email from the council regarding the picture on the previous page
<div>Dear Sir/Madam,</div>
<div>W201327775</div>
<div>Public Right of Way, Public Right of Way</div>
<div>Location: Swimbridge Footpath 3, Swimbridge</div>
<div>Further to your communication received on 20-April-2020 the record was completed on the</div>
<div>07-May-2020.</div>
<div>The following information is now available;</div>
<div>We are aware of this issue, and have contacted the landowner asking for the signs to be removed,</div>
<div>following DCC current policy with regard to COVID-19.</div>
Our local I belong to winter Hill Facebook group is lead by a real anti mtber…
It’s so full of venom
I ride up that area, Rivi etc a lot & having seeing this comment I clicked on the 'join group' on their Facebook page yesterday. Pending approval...
Surprisingly I now cannot find any trace of their page on Facebook. Looks like I've been blocked before I've even joined. Wonder if its anything to do with my FB profile pic where I'm on my mtb? LOL.
No the cairn thing is because existing ones are navigation points and new ones could cause people to get lost or injured in poor weather or bad vis. Nothing to do with wear on trails since most cairns are on well used trails. If a cairn isn’t on the map it should be removed.
@thelawman - Tony, there are cairns in the Lakes where the path follows a dry stone wall and people takes stones from the wall to create a cairn! WTF! You've got a bloody great handrail to follow, there's no need for anything else.