The Big Picture
adults, we were just about able to lift the bikes over the gates.
It was decidedly dangerous negotiating this with small children next to the A308 and, as a result, we have avoided the route since.
Today, however, I was on my own so I thought I’d try it again – I mean, how hard can it be to get a bike through a hole allegedly designed for bikes?
Turns out that it’s nigh-on impossible if you’re not riding a standard 19'' men’s mountain bike!
After much, much struggling, ages trying and nearly having to phone for help, I’ve come away fuming, humiliated, frustrated, close to tears and with a damaged bike!
How anyone smaller, less strong, less able or with any kind of modification to their bike would get through, I have no idea!
Certainly the route is now completely impassable for anyone with a child seat on the back or trailer or mobility modifications.
My one saving grace today was that the main gates to the lake were open, so I only had to negotiate two out of the three bike gateways.
That said, I was stuck for some time between the other two as I really struggled to get through the middle gate (and ended up scraping my bike badly) and felt extremely vulnerable during this time.
Whilst I appreciate that the route is a permissible path – granted at the discretion of the land owner, who has expressed concerns about alleged misuse during lockdown – absolutely no consideration has been made to allow equal access to the path.
In my opinion it would be preferable to close the path to cyclists completely rather than the current sexist, ableist situation which is incredibly discriminatory and only allows access to those with a particular style and size of bike (ie, fit, able men) and/ or the size, strength and physical ability to either manoeuvre a bike through the gap or lift it over (i.e., fit, able men).
Certainly, I now know that the route is inaccessible to me which is incredibly unfair when others (i.e., fit, able men) can access it.
Why should they be allowed to cycle there and not me?