Off-road motor bikes

[Dave]

As Ann says, anyone who has got any views on this could usefully let SMBC know about it.  Also the police; I wrote to them a while ago, and have just had a letter back saying that they have asked the council to put signs up warning motorcyclists that they are committing an offence if they ride on these bridleways.  The police are aware that these tracks have only recently been reclassified as bridleways, and that many of the motorcyclists probably don't even know that something which they used to do quite legally has now become an offence.  So PC Sensible doesn't want to go round arresting people until they have been made aware that they are breaking the law - which seems reasonable enough.  

However, how long will it take SMBC to put up a few signs?  Any bets?

[Norris]

I actually live in a city Dave, so a track near to me might be hard to get planning permission for.

I was thinking of perhaps in the middle of a wood, where the noise from the bikes would be lessened by the surrounding trees.

If the track in question is a bridle way they are most certainly breaking the law.

The upkeep of b'ways is the responsibility of the local authority (much though most L.A.s would like this not to be the case!'> A complaint to SMBC might be useful especially if a lot of people write in thus making it harder for them to ignore the matter than to do something about it. Perhaps letters to the motor bike magazines letters pages might do some good.
A problem would arise if this is not a b'way but a BOAT (I think that's the acronym) which permits most forms of transport.
BTW us horse-riders are very reasonable - we like meeting walkers and well-behaved dogs on b'ways. We feel it is important that they are used and enjoyed as much as possible. It is, of course, important that horse-riders behave responsibly too! '>

[Dave]

An off-road biking track sounds like a good idea - are you offering to have one near your place, Norris?

how about using the site of the Jolly, Norris?  Perhaps give them a few beers first and then just let them go?   '>

[Norris]

That was an interesting little rant, one suggestion.

As these off-road bikers are seemingly going to ride off road, whether they are flagged down or not, it might have been a good idea for you to come up with a suggestion as for somewhere else that they could enjoy there hobby.

An off-road biking track perhaps?!

It's no good just to complain about problems they generally need solutions!!

Are there any other dog-walkers or horse-riders who are getting a bit fed up with the motorbikes which use the bridleways around this area?  There you are, strolling along enjoying the peace and quiet and the Spring birdsong, when this convoy of roaring motorbikes comes careering along.  Sometimes they slow down, sometimes they don't.  Even when they do, the noise is earshattering (they don't seem to go in for silencers), and the fumes are often really unpleasant.

I don't know who the riders are, but I suspect that some of them don't come from round here at all.  Some arrive in a van which parks at the top of Lakes Road and unloads the motorbikes out of the back.  

Recently I've started waving the riders down and politely pointing out that they are breaking the law.   As you can imagine, you get a variable reception to this, and they don't always stop anyway, but maybe if there are a few others who would be prepared to do this as well, the riders might get the message that they are not welcome?

Is this one for the MCC '>