Just had some dog walker go totally mental at me for cycling when on a bridleway, the usual there's no cycling here quip, I replied that there was and it was a bridleway and he can check with the rangers if he wasn't sure and that I had previously after a similar encounter, he then rather lost the plot and started shouting his head off and being really nasty and aggressive, I thought he might get physical, the thing is you know he'll be like this with everyone, some people just bully their way through life, not good.
I reported him to the rangers as he's quite distinctive so hopefully a word can be had, I just despair of some people, ruined my day.
Forest Farm Cardiff, oldish bloke, chunky, white beard and a lab, avoid if you can.
I've had the same, multiple times, and done the same.
Don't rise to it, present them with the facts and just get on with your day.
One time I rode off from a footpath/bridleway argument and stopped a few hundred yards down the way for a breather and a drink, placing my bike against the 'bridleway' finger post and just smiling at them as they came past.
Encountering people who are feeble-minded and angry about it is just part of life's rich tapestry. Laugh at them and ride on.
Get it regular off the red socks you encounter round here. Trying to reason with then is futile as they'll just take offence at everything due to their thermonuclear sense of entitlement. I just give them a big smile and ride off. That really sets them off. 😀
Yeah, this country sucks. +1 for moving Scotland
Can be a really unpleasant, day-ruining, experience for sure.
Best tip I got off here is ignore. If you need to say anything, particularly if you need to buy yourself some space/time, reply cheerfully, “I know, bloody terrible isn’t it! These bloody cyclists!”
Forest Farm Cardiff, oldish bloke, chunky, white beard and a lab, avoid if you can.
He's a regular there, just cycle past and ignore him. I've had conversations with him on the DH trails at Forest Fawr and at Forest Farm.
i had the best conversation with someone once on the quantocks with him telling me I shouldn't be riding my bike where I was.
I mean I probably shouldn't have been riding my bike where I was, but he was sat on a horse and shouldn't have been there either...
you still get this shit in Scotland
I've had it once in three years.
Back in the Midlands it was almost every ride...
Ignorance combined with self-importance is a scary mix.
Unfortunately, it's rife within a certain demographic.
Yup had it other week, on the TPT , just pootlin down a long ,flat part.2 youngish women with many dogs talking, one of the women was facing me, and saw me coming over 100m away, and made eye contact and maintained it as I rode towards them, as i got closer,about 20m away I called out morning and the women with her back to me, acted like I'd shot her and started ranting, about its no cycling on here.And the other women chirped up backing her mate up.with you shouldn't be riding up fast and sneaking up on people . FFS
Smile and wave boys/girls 🙂
Poah yes it does happen but like SSS its pretty rare. Never had it from a landowner / gamekeeper but I did get shouted at one - IIRC they had english accents ( like me)
I've had it a few times but it's always been when away from trail centres etc riding in the wilderness so to speak. Had it once in a park while riding on the cycle lane
Shout "suck my winky" and keep on riding.
I get it on roads around east Devon - people beeping their horns and waving me off the road (and I’m so slow I find gateways for people to overtake anyway, not like I’m bashing out strava times and pretending I’m in the tour). Some people just have an irrational hatred of cyclists.
I sympathise as it can affect my mood and takes the edge off a ride when it happens, but not much you can do and you can’t reason with idiots.
My reiterating that it was a bridleway was just met with him bellowing YOUR'E SPECIAL, YOU'RE SPECIAL! at the top of his voice at me, so I told him in no uncertain terms where to get off, takes the edge of your day tho.
Calmly explain the access law, If they start ranting, look at them quizzically, with “Sorry, I don’t speak dickhead” and ride off.
Just ask them if they need a hug. Or blow kisses at them ?
in all my years cycling, i have never once had anyone challenge me where i am riding........... ;o)
Why am I not surprised Ton 🙂
Same as with road ragers. it took me a long time to learn this but make their day worse than yours. They get all het up? laugh at them. you ride off chuckling at their stupidity, they are in a frothing rage. YOu win.
I normally give them a "so long mother****ers!" with my best Chinese accent.
It happens very rarely though, perhaps once a year, if that.
I had a good one the other week.
Gravel bike on the shared use foot/cycle trail that runs from Ambleside all the way to Wray Castle. It's a lovely bit of trail, quite swoopy in places.
Coming up to a junction, I slowed right down as I wasn't sure which way to go, there was a lone walker (woman in roughly mid 60's) just getting to the junction. Dinged the bell a couple of times, no response. I stopped at the junction, unclipped. Said "good morning". I was about 2m behind her at that point.
A moment later she turned around, saw me (still stationary, unclipped) and said "DON'T YOU HAVE A BELL?!" As I started to reply, I noticed she had wireless earbuds in...
I pointed out that not only did I have a bell, I'd rung it twice, said good morning and [b] if she took her ****ing* earphones out[/b] she might have heard some of that.
*I said the f word in my mind, not out loud cos I'm dead polite like that.
She was not at all impressed. Stupid woman.
Whilst deliberately smiling sweetly, I told the last car driver, raging at me (much swearing), that he really shouldn't use language like that in front of his mother*. Turns out, it was his wife. Who knew? 🤷🏼♂️
*thanks to whoever it was on here that posted that eons ago. I've never forgotten it 😁
I'm sure it's not you OP but.....
In my experience the cyclists that get the most shit with walkers even when on a bridleway are the cyclists who forgot to ride courteously. It's part of the gig - we're meant to give way and more importantly not ride in a manner that means the walkers don't feel obliged to step off the BW for us. Slow right down, stand off a respectful distance until they've noticed, and be friendly and it's only the fringe nutters. I have a friend like that - always on social media berating the red socked ramblers, but riding with him is super cringy.
And the same counts in Scotland - this is not a might has right scenario.
There's a woman who rants and raves at anyone riding a bike, this is on the tarmac stretch of the 'Peak Forest canal near Disley'.
She was apoplectic with rage when I asked her did she drive a car? I said I prefer to use a bike to shop and not to pollute or bung up the roads. She shouted ahhh you're one of those climate changing people. She's a menace and stands right in the middle of the tow path and spreads out her arms so it's tricky to pass. I wonder if she can swim?
Since doing a bit of motorcycling on 'green lanes' recently, I had kind of forgotten that some people get so wound up about cyclists.
I mean, on a motorcycle you REALLY expect everyone to hate you, so when I mtb I'm actually quite surprised that they still hate me. 😊
Oh well. But yeah, it can really taint your day I find, despite trying not to let it.
fazzini, that’s bl***y brilliant, I’ll have to remember that one 😂
I disagree, there is a type who are offended by people on bikes full stop, regardless of where they are and how they are ridden.
So, **** them. I’ll ride wherever I feel like.
If they look like they're fuming and looking for an excuse to kick off I make a point of enthusiastically saying hello to their dog.
9 times out of 10 the dog looks delighted and wags its tail which sets off just enough cognitive dissonance in the miserable red-socked arsewipe to get you safely past and on your way.
I disagree, there is a type who are offended by people on bikes full stop, regardless of where they are and how they are ridden.
As I said - a minority will be offended whatever. But most won't if you ride respectfully.
So, **** them. I’ll ride wherever I feel like.
It's not where, but how. Riding at 20mph down a tight shared use bridleway expecting folk to get out of your way so you don't have to break your rhythm, and you pretty much deserve any shit you get. Sadly the courteous rider 5 mins behind you will probably get it on your behalf.
Kick the dog then the owner. Ride off.
Rarely happens round bristol - can only think of one ocurrance in 10 years.
I was on a BW in a field used by horses in mid-summer. He told me I shouldn't be there, I pointed to the BW sign. He told me that I would be destroying the path with my tyres. I pointed to the horses, and the massive horse foot prints everywhere. He then said I'd be leaving a massive trench if it was wet 'like all the other cyclists do' - I pointed out it was bone dry and rock hard, and that in the winter I avoid that BW because it's so miserable.
Then I just asked him where he was going and what he'd been up to. By the time we got to the other end of the field, he was recommending me other BWs and footpaths that he thought might be fun to ride 😂
Ended up having a nice chat with the bloke.
I do think some people attract bad attention. I've a mate who's always telling me about close passes and grumpy walkers, but I hardly ever experience either (or at least get riled up by it)
Do you not think that you're part of the problem by referring to "red-socks"?
The hierarchy of pedestrian, horses, bikes, cars should be observed. Some people out walking are muppets, they probably drive too. A lot of MTBers we see here in W Yorks are knobs and ride aggressively. A lot of car drivers seem to forget the rules of the road once behind the wheel - including the moron with the crap bikes on a shonky rack that nearly crushed me and my wife in the summer. Go figure
The issue is usually that most "users" think that they have exclusive use of the path, lane, road etc, and don't want to share
I’ve a mate who’s always telling me about close passes and grumpy walkers
Sounds like those drivers that have never crashed but seen quite a few in their rear view mirror
🙃
Happens everywhere and on every type of trail or route, worst place i've been for it was canal paths between Bath and Bradford on Avon, always expect some confrontation there with the amount of groups you get.
Used to get it all the time on estates in Scotland as well, and down here as well, always wonder why they have them as bridleways if they hate cyclists on them, there does seem to be a load of 'it's for horses not bikes' down here though.
As always, no point being confrontational, just avoid them like the plague, you can usually see them coming a mile off, especially the ones who fan out when you're ringing and politely shouting cyclist passing to the L/R!
In my experience the cyclists that get the most shit with walkers even when on a bridleway are the cyclists who forgot to ride courteously.
Conversely I ride in the same manner* now as I did in the midlands but now have no trouble at all.
In fact loads of folks I now encounter are happy to have a bit of a chat about stuff while I'm stopped for them.
Where as I have in the past got told "you lot go too fast and never stop" while I was stopped waiting for them to walk past.
*Always respectfully
I've had this on red trail centre routes (when stopped adjusting gear and they were walking by!) I've rarely had a positive outcome engaging and I'm not there to educate so usually carry on my way.
My mantra is a Slow down, be polite, smile. If they have a problem it's not with me, I just happen to be lumped in with their prejudices.
Got shouted at by a driver on last weekends club ride - a lack of concentration by the ride captain at the front confused the group following behind. Cars and bikes all over the junction, looked awful where I was at the back.
He pulled over further down the road and called us a "bunch of shitholes" as we rode past.
My response of "I know, I'm sorry, that shouldn’t have happened" totally confused him.
Ride captain apologised to the group profusely.
This hardly ever happens to me. On a South Wales bridleway as long as you aren't giving it full gas on a motorbike or driving a stolen Corsa most people assume you are one of the good ones.
Only ever happened to me a couple of times, today was quite nasty.
There’s a woman who rants and raves at anyone riding a bike, this is on the tarmac stretch of the ‘Peak Forest canal near Disley’.
Ooh I haven't met her, I shall look forward to it. I did have words last year with a bloke who observed me riding towards him on the tow path, stepped to one side, then berated me for not ringing my bell.
Don’t rise to it, present them with the facts and just get on with your day.
Agree with this. It’s only happened rarely to me too. It’s always been someone with an axe to grind or just a bit misguided. The last one, about 5 years ago, the first thing the chap said as he turned round as I approached him was “you shouldn’t be here, it’s a footpath”. I pointed out it was a bridleway, check the definitive map on the council website, the OS map, and the bridleway signs, and he said it wasn’t - “look there’s a style, it’s a footpath!”. There was indeed a style, next to a gate…
We get a bit of it here in Surrey. That’s why I like night rides. There is no one else around and you can have a lovely chilled ride..
I do remember one occasion riding up to a couple, dinging our bells, a cheery “Hello can we come past” and the guy stepped into the middle of the quite wide track. We stopped and got the full “you can’t ride here” BS. I was stopped holding onto a Bridleway finger post. The guys wife at least had the good grace to look embarrassed
One of the weirder ones I had was descending a stepped trail (yes, it is a bridleway!) in the Peak District and a woman said (not unpleasantly) "you shouldn;t be riding here".
I stopped and pointed out that it was a bridleway and that bikes were allowed to ride it and she said "oh no, that's not what I meant, just that...well, it's very dangerous. You must be [b]very[/b] good!"
Why yes. Yes I am*
*disclaimer - I am not at all!
It's quite a unique thing on bikes how concerned for your safety everyone else becomes.
You should wear a helmet!
You should have a bell!
None of them would ever think to flag down a car and tell the driver that they shouldn't be on a phone, none of them would ever say to a horse rider "oh you should be wearing a helmet".
Bikes, it's fair game.
Strange.
"I pointed out it was a bridleway, check the definitive map on the council website, the OS map, and the bridleway signs, and he said it wasn’t – “look there’s a style, it’s a footpath!”. There was indeed a style, next to a gate…"
It's important to fashion your argument correctly in these circumstances.
@fazzini that's quite superb
If someone is apopleptic with rage / clearly unhinged there really is no point trying to reason with them. You might aswell have some fun with it and enjoy it. Blowing kisses, asking if they need a hug etc. is all good.
I have had some reasonable debates with people who aren't unhinged but have challenged me (usually fair enough when I have been technically in the wrong). We've never ended up agreeing though so it's still basically pointless. A bit like arguing on here eh?
Interesting point made by Ton re:not being challenged due to being a bit scary looking.....Now you mention it...as I have got older, more haggard and scary-looking (just a bit big and bald not really that scary) it is true I am challenged less compared to my younger more fragile waifish self.
In fact I can't really remember that last time I was challenged. Must have been years ago and I do ride quite a bit of cheek.
@crazy-legs loads of walkers stand at the side and pull out the metaphorical popcorn every time I’ve been down Jacob’s Ladder.
Blow them a kiss and ride off ..
Shout “suck my winky” and keep on riding.
I'm still laughing.
I've been riding off road since 1997.
I've had one lady have a right shout (there were 20 of us on a foot path- you shouldn't be here- which was true).
And that's it.
I moved to Nottingham in 2004 and have been itching to get my Scottish accent hammed up and claim I didn't know about England's weird and backward laws but I've never needed to.
Maybe I'm lucky. Maybe I'm 6"4 and shouting cheerily good mornings ( up to 3pm) and that helps.
I find - "good morning, can I please come past on your right side, thank you" works well as people jump, look, hear the please and thank you, and have time to move. A bell did not work at all. Occasionally I get a "you should have a bell" but those people would just shout something else If I had a bell
Yeah, bells have never worked for me neither.
It’s important to fashion your argument correctly in these circumstances.
Indeed, do it with style.
Genuine one from a group night ride many years ago (Hebden Bridge way IIRC):
You shouldn't be riding here!
Umm...this is a bridleway...
Not at night it isn't!
Indeed, do it with stile.
FTFY 😉
Indeed, it’s been a long week 😊
Only ever had a couple of mad ranters around local routes in Macclesfield but it is rare. I’m not generally in a rush and will stop to shoot the breeze with people out on the trail. Had trouble with angry dickheads on the road though. I’ll either laugh at them or resort to behaviour that will likely get me arrested one day. All depends what mood I’m in 😂
We had it once near the Hayfield Campsite descent - we knew the last bit towards the car park by the river was a footpath, but it's a road width, and we'd be doing a big diversion to get round to where we were going. We rode it slowly, no pedestrians at all. Got to the bloody car park at the end and there was this mad old lady telling us how terrible we were, screaming at us - she was blocking the car park. We just told her to 'chill' and carried on.
Rarely happens to me, but my favourite is the ones that say something just as you're going out of earshot.
I just ride on, but what I really want to do (never would!) when it's a group is slam the brakes on, put the bike down, and walk back ...
A moment later she turned around, saw me (still stationary, unclipped) and said “DON’T YOU HAVE A BELL?!” As I started to reply, I noticed she had wireless earbuds in…
I did once reply with "ding dong"in the style of Leslie Phillips.
A group of us were riding along a bridleway once when some random walker felt the need to challenge our right to be there."Ah, don't YOU start" says one of our number, which seemed to do the trick. (Has to be said with real psychotic intonation for maximum effect.)
Rarely happens to me, but my favourite is the ones that say something just as you’re going out of earshot.
I just ride on, but what I really want to do (never would!) when it’s a group is slam the brakes on, put the bike down, and walk back …
and in Gunnery Sgt Hartman style, "who said that?"
(apologies for the sweary video embed which mods removed)
Generally ok riding out in the proper hills of the Peak District. Even when on footpaths most people are fine.
Best one was cycling along a canal which is a cycle path and part of the national cycle network. Came up behind some guy, did the polite "afternoon, can I just squeeze past you there". He went into a full on rant about how I needed a bell and it was illegal not to have one.
I did think for a nanosecond about discussing how a bike needs to be sold with a bell but you don't have to have one legally.
Instead I just said "Calm down darling" went "ding-dong" and blew him a kiss and cycled off. Seemed to confuse him a bit 😁
For the OP... My reaction is to make a fuss of the dawgie whilst asking it whether his owner was always such a dickhead, and that he could come live with me for a better life if he just follows my back wheel for a few miles.
@fazzini that’s quite superb
I wish I could take the credit for it, but it was someone else on here that posted it and I pinched it!
Only ever get problems on the road, or the cycle lane at the business park where work is.
Only real issue I've had off road was a woman with her smashed-face dog. Rising Sun Country Park. Just got up the hill and this dog is yapping, snarly, jumpy, bitey at my ankle. Woman screams at me to stop. If I stop it will stop. I did, it didn't so go a squirt from the water bottle. Confused it for a moment. Apparently, as it turns out, the dog doesn't like bikes; or other people; or other dogs, or anything...
I did suggest if it was that bad then she should maybe keep it on a lead in public places, especially public places known for having other people, dogs, bikes etc. Cue torrent of the foulest language and threats that hubby is on his way to kill me. Not sure I helped matters when I suggested to her companion that, rather than the dog being on a lead and muzzled, maybe the companion could put the woman on a lead and muzzle her. (Companion tried not to smirk!) I was annoyed I let it bother me in the moment, however, within 2 minutes I'd passed 3 or 4 other folks with dogs who were lovely, said hi, dogs were lovely etc.
I got shouted at this summer "YOU NEED A LOUDER ****ING BELL!!!" I just replied **** off you ****...really cannot be arsed with these tossers that want to have a go at someone who is doing nothing wrong....they usually get both barrels back
A few of us got shouted at for having lights on our bikes on the road the other week by a woman walking her dog on the pavement.
"You're f*** blinding me"
We weren't, they were all on low
My responses on bridleways range from a pleasant engagement to 'oh just f off' depending on my mood and the initial comment
On footpaths I'm obviously a little more diplomatic, always slow down, don't try and hustle past and if told I shouldn't be riding there, usually respond with 'that's a shame we can't all enjoy this space, eh?'
Had one the other week that replied with, "well you wouldn't ride your bike on the M1 would you?" Idiot
For years I've been an 'excuse me please' rider, but have recently started using a bell and do seem to get better responses in general. Even had a bloke the other day who I though was ranting, but he was actually saying "bloody hell, a bike with a bell" and gave me a thumbs up
My favourite is riding up behind a group of walkers, ringing my bell. No one moves and I then do the “excuse me could we come past”. If I get the “you should have a bell”, I reply “and you should get a hearing aid” and I ring my bell a few times as I ride off
My latest reply is to tell them that since our government pay very little regard to rules then why should I. They soon shut up!
My stock reply to this is to yell - "Call the cops" while not even breaking my stride before disappearing into the distance. What would be odds of the cops showing up for this heinous act? Slim to none!
Smile and wave, smile and wave.
Occasionally get this on Woodbury common.
A year or so back on the bridleway that borders the East side I came up behind a couple with many, many dogs.
I called out excuse me a few times, but they were blatantly ignoring me, so I dismounted and tried to walk past them.
Cue much shouting at me that I wasn't allowed to ride there, etc. I pointed out it was a BW, but they carried on shouting, which set the dogs off, so they then accused me of upsetting the (until then unconcerned) dogs.
I just rode off with a cheery "**** off".
.
.
Another one that sticks in my mind is a woman's dog properly going for me, so much so that I had to put the bike in-between me and it.
She was shouting that I had to get off my bike - which I already was!!
I then squirted the dog with my bottle, and she got right up in my face accusing me if assaulting her dog 😆 so I squirted her in the face as well.
I've never been called a c*** by an middle-aged, middle class women before!
Initially I was very dubious about this one, but I've used it a few times and the results were phenomenal.
" Yes, I know, it's ridiculous isn't it"
YES, I know, IT'S RIDICULOUS,isn't it"
"YES I KNOW, ITS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS ISNT IT"
Was riding with the wife and small kids ( maybe 8 & 10 yo) on a section of footpath between Ambleside and Coniston.
I asked the kids to be extra courteous and stop early for a pair of ramblers coming the other way. MrRambler took that as a sign of weakness and started telling us we shouldn't be cycling there.
We explained gently why we deemed it a better overall solution than braving the busy A-road. We then argued the merits and demerits of it back and forth for a while.
Naturally he ran out of arguements pretty soon and so reverted to the usual
" but it's a footpath you're not allowed"
" Yes, I know, it's ridiculous isn't it"
" it's illegal"
" Yes, I know, it's ridiculous isn't it"
He'd try again to find some genuine reasons why it was actually wrong. These would fail and at some point he'd come back to:
" there is no legal right for you to..."
" Yes, I know, it's ridiculous isn't it"
But it's wrong, YOURE BREAKING THE LAW"
YES, I know, IT'S RIDICULOUS,isn't it"
" The lAWS OF THIS SOVEREIGN NATION DECREE THAT WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS A CIVIL CRIME"
"YES I KNOW, ITS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS ISNT IT"
Round and round and round. He'd divert occasionally to some newly thought up actual reason, but of course they were flimsy as **** so he'd always return the vehemently telling us it was against the law.
And I'd just as vehemently agree with him with matching levels of vehemence and solidarity that it was utterly unbelievable that the law was such an ass.
And he'd get more and more agitated...
In The Beacons this only ever happens on Bank Holidays.
I had someone once try to argue that "The Council" had banned cycling on my local mountain. Not only could she not named the Local Authority, but hadn't been at the meeting I'd attended where it was clear the LA had no will or budget to get involved in the trail developments there and was happy to leave it to others (who have access to funding). The trails and signage are deliberately ambiguous as to who they are for, everyone is supposed to just play nice.
It’s never happened to me, I ride too fast to be in earshot of any complaint
I generally use "ridiculous, isn't it?" but I think my next one's getting "we didn't all vote for Brexit" (true, obvz).. "just for some bureaucrats to tell me what I can't do in British countryside - I'm taking back control from the elite"
