Crossduro Wales

[sean_iow]

The way I read the regs Bob has linked to is the cycle racing is only allowed on Public Highways in England and Wales, with Authorisation. In Scotland you can also use bridleways but authorisation is still required? It says authorisation is by the Secretary of State but is that done by Local Authorities?

[Bearbonesnorm]

You can't even time a bicycle on a BW with the landowners permission ... you can time a bicycle on a FP with permission and you can time a horse, motorcycle or car on a BW.

[GregMay]

Stu has it.

[sean_iow]

That's the way I always understood it to be but the way I read the above regs is that the only public way that can be used in a timed event is a Highway in England and Wales.

I know the various regulations are a minefield though. I have been involved in motorsport where we crossed a footpath. We had to have a marshal at the crossing point and the cars had to stop and give way if somone wanted to cross, fair enough. This was at a military base which was hired for the event. During the working week the same track is used by the MOD for high speed testing of development vehicles without any of the restrictions we had in place. They were probably going nearly as fast as us but weren't 'racing'.

[pistonbroke]

At the risk of seeming curmudgeonly, I have struggled to work out how events like the Holme Valley Mountainbike Challenge and Colne Valley equivalent run their events. They're advertised as using bridleways, publish results and times and, I think, give trophies. There's also a number of off road duathlons that are held with impunity in areas criss crossed with bridleways such as Sherwood Pines and Clumber Park. Not sure ignorance of the law counts as a defence.

[ianfitz]

At the risk of seeming curmudgeonly, I have struggled to work out how events like the Holme Valley Mountainbike Challenge and Colne Valley equivalent run their events. They're advertised as using bridleways, publish results and times and, I think, give trophies. There's also a number of off road duathlons that are held with impunity in areas criss crossed with bridleways such as Sherwood Pines and Clumber Park. Not sure ignorance of the law counts as a defence.

There also uk road sportives that have podiums, and ‘results’. Some of these are (or think they are) organised and insured through the BC scheme.

My guess would be that rules/regulations/law is/are not always followed, applied or enforced. So it isn’t raised as an issue.

[pistonbroke]

The barmy thing about the law, as Stu has pointed out, is that with landowner or highways authority permission, bike racing is allowed on footpaths, rupps, boats, highways but specifically not on bridleways. Its not a problem in Scotland as afaik there aren't any bridleways there.

[Moder-dye]

Yup the law is barmy. You could get done under highways act for cycling on a footpath prow, but cycle in the field alongside it and its just trespass so potentially only a civil wrong that would go no where.

Cycling on a bridleway is not actually a right (unlike walking and horse riding), its just an allowance under the countryside act. And as such work doesn't need to be carried out on bridleways to facilitate cycling.

Scottish access rights are great, but they have their issues too. PROW are just PROW in Scotland, but they can have specific rights.

[JohnClimber]

Forget the racing collective.

I think we need a bimbling collective.....

[ianfitz]

Yup the law is barmy. You could get done under highways act for cycling on a footpath prow.

In terms of general solo, or at least outside of ‘ event’ type riding that’s not my understanding. Footway yes - pavements next to a public highway (road). Subject to a fixed penalty notice under highways act. Can be enforced by police, pcso or local authority.

Riding a bike on a public footpath in England it wales is only ‘wrong’ because you don’t have the of right access on a bike. Therefore it’s a technical trespass - a civil issue.

The landowner, or their appointed agent can ask (insist really) that you cease your trespass, either by leaving via the nearest exit, or by dismounting (because then you are classified as a pedestrian - under the 1869 metropolitan carriage act amendment and have legal access) so no longer breaching you rights of access.

The landowner can also pursue you for any damages caused by the trespass. If a) they can find you afterwards - you have no responsibility to give your details. And b) can prove, in civil court, that you have caused said damage.

Worth noting that there is no case law on record (and it all is!)- ever - of any landowner pursuing cyclists for damages after incidents of ‘trespass’. It would be an expensive case to bring and the damages awarded would (most likely) be tiny.

[pushbikemike]

Forget the racing collective.

I think we need a bimbling collective.....

+1

Also, the Scottish route uses the #badgerdivide which is a great name. I'd happily bimble along the badgerdivide.

[Moder-dye]

As you say, in practise all that normally happens is you'll get told to bugger off. No one's going to be taking you to court or the police being involved unless there was some long term ongoing issue being pushed/created or aggravation involved.

BTW Another +1 for the bimbleurs

[GregMay]

Forget the racing collective.

I think we need a bimbling collective.....

We have those, they're called sportives.

[Moder-dye]

Sportives are not bimbling!

Bimbling involves cafes, cakes and photos instead of paying silly money to be in a non-racing race.

Viva la bimbleur

[restlessshawn]

Forget the racing collective.

I think we need a bimbling collective.....

+1

Also, the Scottish route uses the #badgerdivide which is a great name. I'd happily bimble along the badgerdivide.

Looks good doesn't it, I've put it on my list of things to bimble

[ZeroDarkBivi]

My initial impression reading this thread was something like, "what an irresponsible bunch this Racing Collective are", but has evolved into, "I really like the look of that Badger Divide route." Seriously, it looks so much better than the WHW influenced GT24, although I don't care much for the timed sections.

[Wilkyboy]

Sportives are not bimbling!

Bimbling involves cafes, cakes and photos instead of paying silly money to be in a non-racing race.

Audax?

[pushbikemike]

Forget the racing collective.

I think we need a bimbling collective.....

+1

Also, the Scottish route uses the #badgerdivide which is a great name. I'd happily bimble along the badgerdivide.

Looks good doesn't it, I've put it on my list of things to bimble

Same here.
Loving the bimbleur name.

[Moder-dye]

Sportives are not bimbling!

Bimbling involves cafes, cakes and photos instead of paying silly money to be in a non-racing race.

Audax?

Nah audax is still too formal to be bimbling, but close

I have couple of friends I ride with occasionally who I call the 'freewheeling bimbleurs'. Hardly a bead is sweat is raised or a strava segment registered which kind of sums up bimbling to me.

I'm thinking to start the badger divide with the canal route from Edinburgh to Clydebank as a warm up next year, but have the pesky prospect of a knee replacement to circumnavigate first

[Chicken Legs]

Just for the record the Badger Divide route is ace wether you race it or bimble it.
I bimbled it in September and would definitely ride it again, to get to Loch Ossian youth hostel on the first night is a fair ride !

[BigdummySteve]

Can't remember his name, tho ... “Mostyn”, I think ... I thought it funny that they were the only two riders on the event.

I met a bikepacker who was called Al Mostyn, something to do with the cold weather I believe, could be the same bloke?