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With off-piste trails getting out of control, riders are being urged to stay safe and not dig new lines
Mountain biking is experiencing a boom in popularity, and long may it continue. However, it has led to more riders venturing off-piste to escape the crowds and seek out more testing trails – and this is beginning to cause problems. We sat down with Hannah Christie, cycling and events manager for Forestry England, and Dan Weston, a Forest of Dean cycle ranger, both keen riders, to find out more.
Under the Countryside Rights of Way Act, visitors can roam
freely around the forests of England and Wales on foot. However, the same rights don’t extend to cyclists. Forestry England and Natural Resources Wales do promote mountain biking on waymarked trails, bridleways and forest roads. But that doesn’t mean you can just go off and dig your own lines. In the past, a blind eye was sometimes turned to routes built without formal permission and which aren’t officially sanctioned or waymarked, but they’ve begun to cause a real headache for the forest authorities.
Hannah says there’s been a significant increase in issues relating to unauthorised MTB trails over the past two years. Complaints have shot up, due to near-misses and even collisions with horse riders and walkers. Some MTBers have ignored forestry signs and put themselves at risk of being hit by falling trees. Poorly-constructed trails with dangerous features have been found by rangers, too. These things raise a liability issue for the landowner – while they may not be responsible for your safety on unauthorised trails, they have a duty of care towards the forest workers and people who are legally allowed to access these areas.
Aside from safety issues, these trails can damage the environment. Legally-protected bird nests have been disrupted by riders, which is a criminal offence. Here on MBUK, we’ve come across tracks that have been built straight past badger setts (again, against the law). And there have been lines built through areas of planting to reintroduce ancient woodland, which have caused a significant financial and ecological loss. This all paints mountain biking in an unfavourable light.
Thankfully, the authorities haven’t had a kneejerk reaction, such as demanding the criminalisation of off-piste riding. They just want MTBers to behave sensibly and not dig without permission. Dan and Hannah both explain that trails will only be tolerated if they’re safe and manageable. This means riders need to accept they’re riding at their own risk, slow down at crossings and be courteous. According to Dan, MTBers can be viewed as an “in your face” and “noisy” group – a perception that we need to change. Picking up litter and giving a friendly greeting to passersby can make a big difference.
As for those looking to dig, you can always contact your local trail association and work with them on improving any official tracks. Ultimately, if we want wider access, we need to act responsibly. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have plenty of fun while we’re at it.