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Just a note for Gisburn riders to keep half an eye open as they plunge through the dark woods. Found what seems like a deliberately placed stick neatly positioned just before one of the faster jumps/drop offs in the 'Bottoms' section. The picture doesn't really show the potential for injury - the general idea appears to be to throw you OTB down a four foot bank.
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Found another one dragged across just after the log rides - both have been reported to the foresters.
Take care out there!
Not long back we encountered militant ramblers walking up the singletrack near the road, who when informed they were on specific bike trails, retorted angrily that they could walk where they damn well liked.
I got back to the car to find my missus very shook up as she'd had to bail out on the north shore section, as the same idiots were walking up it and refused to move. Morons!!! May well be similar headcases.
The first reaction of the FC chap I spoke to was 'Not Again!', so it seems like an ongoing, although infrequent issue.
Just ride into them. Trails are signed to warn people of the usage. Therefore they have no comeback if injured by a cyclist who can reasonably expect not to meet pedestrians on a designated cycling trail. All IMO
A few years ago this kept happening on old NAMBS downhill track closet to the Bottoms section. Whole trees that had fallen due to the wind looked liked they'd been dragged across the track to intentionally block it. People would move them and then someone would drag them back again a few days later. Eventually the person must have given up.
Although I do not in any way condone belligerence or blocking trails i would also like to point out that designated bike trails are simply cheeky rambles, if walking is your thing.
Just ride into them. Trails are signed to warn people of the usage. Therefore they have no comeback if injured by a cyclist who can reasonably expect not to meet pedestrians on a designated cycling trail. All IMO
Apart from the likelihood you'll come off just as badly as them, there are a number of bits of Gisburn where the trail briefly runs along public footpaths. In addition, quite a few of the sections are only signed from the start, not from the other direction.
We'll look like complete tossers if we make no effort to slow down or avoid pedestrians who may not know it's a cycle trail. The ones binners mentions are a different breed, though.
If you never ride cheeky trails then maybe your within your rights to be rude, but as I do I'd go with being polite.
If you never ride cheeky trails then maybe your within your rights to be rude, but as I do I'd go with being polite
This. Much as I can see he desire to go postal on them and obvious warm glow of satisfaction after, who on here can say they *never* ride cheeky trails. I do and I try and be as polite as possible at all times. However if someone was walking on bike specific trails I would expect them to give priority to bikes, as I do to walkers on cheeky trails, and use them sensitively, as I do on cheeky trails.
I don't always have the time to head off to a trail centre or wind swept bridleway so I've got to make the best of what is local.
Having said all that people who deliberately try to intimidate others or lay down potentially dangerous traps deserve anything they get.
+1Just ride into them. Trails are signed to warn people of the usage.
Life's too short to suffer pedestro-plebs.
mafiafish - MemberJust ride into them. Trails are signed to warn people of the usage.
+1
Life's too short to suffer pedestro-plebs.
Are the pair of you really that stupid?
1) You're likely to damage yourself as them.
2) You may well end up with a law suit on your hands for your actions.
3) You're gonna do other people's opinion of our sport no good at all.
Do what you like to yourself, but don't drag the rest of us down with you.
Re: Riding into walkers. I find that attitude pretty sickening to be honest.
Pretty similar to people on twitter saying that cyclists should be run off the road.
Placing traps across trails otoh should be a very serious offence.
Are the pair of you really that stupid?
I'm detecting a smidgen of sarcasm in Mafiafish's comment.
i came face to nose with a bloke on a horse near whelpstone once. i warned him politely that he was on a bike track but he was adamant it was a bridleway and as such he was going to continue. ok i said but be careful ! live and let live i reckon, but its his risk. personally i prefer the wind-up technique to the lose your temper, its more fun !
Brianblessed, there is an old track which starts near Geldards Laithe and go's right over to Rathmell via Whelpstone Crag. It's not a marked bridleway, but I think people have attempted to upgrade it officially using historic evidence. I'm not sure where it goes once it gets near the Crag, but I'd be suprised it overlaps the bike track.