This is a cross post from a Singletrack forum thread. Comment here or there as you see fit. If you’re going to be an arse, do it there.

Inspired by this thread and some of the other threads [on Singletrack] where MTBers got frankly depressing and right-wing about access rights I’m going to relate my experiences of my local RoW access model. It’s a long one and I apologise now for grammar and spelling errors. I invoke Muphrys Law on any spelling grammar pedants up front. I will probably repeat myself.

Disclaimer: I ride bikes and horses, used to ride a trail bike. I can’t be arsed to walk anywhere because the scenery changes too slowly and since the dog died I have no compelling reason to bother.

I have horses stabled in a valley which contains a single bridleway and lots of footpaths. There are lots of bridleways outside the valley on which I ride my bike, and occasionally ride the horse. The bridleway in the valley is OK for horseriding, but for cycling it’s of no interest except as a means to get to other, better (from a biking PoV) bridleways. There are BOATS at each end of the valley, so the bridleway is also popular with trail riders linking them. The trail riders also have a cheeky play spot at the end of the valley on wasteland, but that’s mostly used by local yoof on minibikes. (I live next door to one of the yoof and he’s a nice lad. So I’m not trying to be derogatory with that term, but it is the one that best describes them).

The bridleway is too narrow for the 4x4s who use the road through the valley instead. The trail riders could use this road too, but a they don’t I’m guessing the bridleway is more fun. I’d have ridden it on my XR250. It’s fun on horseback because it’s open enough to canter and gallop – think DH speeds – and I suspect that when no-one else is around the trail riders enjoy a bit of speed too. As it’s not really fun on a bike I can’t get bothered about hoofprints because I know that I’m only using it to get somewhere more interesting on two wheels.

Seeing as I’m not the only horse at the stable an arrangement has been reached between the stable owner and the local landowners that all the horse-riders can ride round any headland in the valley, on condition that we each pin a unique identifier to our saddles so that anyone being obviously stupid or riding on the crops can be caught and dealt with. Some of these headlands are shared with the footpaths.

On a bike Some of these footpaths are more interesting than the bridleway for reaching farther destinations, so I ride them too.

Most of the walkers in the valley are dog-walkers, not ramblers (I’ll recount a rambler incident later.) There are no livestock in the valley so a dog on a lead is a rarity.

So there are horses and bicycles and walkers and loose dogs on the footpaths.

There are horses and bicycles and walkers and loose dogs and trail riders on the bridleways.

There are no legitimate vehicle rights of way in the valley, but there are at each end.

Yet it all works smoothly. Reading this forum you’d expect a bloodbath of dog bites and trail rage.

Here’s a typical day. In the morning my wife and I rode our horses up the bridleway for a gallop. Before we got to the fast bit we met some trail riders coming the other way. They slowed down and we all passed each other with polite head nods. Then we had a canter before meeting a bloke walking his dog, off it’s lead. We slowed to walk. He got hold of his dog. We had a chat in a good-natured way. Then we had more cantering and a gallop and finally rode back on the field headlands, basically on a footpath.

That afternoon I rode my bike round the valley and met more trail riders going to the play spot. Again, no bother. Then I rode a cheeky footpath and encountered at least four dog walkers, with not a single dog on a lead. No-one bothered to get hold of their dog (compare earlier when I was on horseback), but I was never in danger of being bitten and no-one went “ooh he doesn’t like bikes” or “you shouldn’t be here’.

On the last leg I met a horse being broken to trap (basically someone walking along behind it using long reins) on a footpath at the asme time as there was a dog walker. On the last cheeky footpath I met a woman walking a pony atop which sat a young child. Smiles and polite hello’s.

So the general atmosphere in the valley is nice and relaxed. There’s been no involvement of officialdom, just informal arrangements. “The Law” is being broken by just about everyone, but everyone else just turns a blind eye to it rather than getting stressed rather than feel the need to get all angry and apoplectic and write on internet forums.

There’s almost an “after you”, “no, after you” politeness to it all that is quaint, but not in the least bit stressful. In the valley, if you have a problem with someone you really have to ask yourself “is it them or is it me?”

Why can’t everywhere be like this? I think it’s because of the “they (i.e. anyone doing something that we’re not) shouldn’t be here attitude”

Here’s my rambler incident. I rode out of the valley and was riding on a legitimate bridleway that’s at least three Land Rovers wide, and has a pair of tractor ruts down the middle. Coming the other way was a bunch of at least thirty “proper” ramblers. Hking boots and gaiters and more goretex and rucksacks than a Himalay expedition merely to wander around the wild terrain near Woburn Abbey. As I approached the first group – riding uphill so not exactly caning it – I moved out of the ruts on which the ramblers were rambling and started to ride through the grass on the side. As I approached the middle group of ramblers the lead rambler -and I mention lead so that it’s clear he could see me – deliberately walked out of his rut and into my path. “Is it them, or is it me?” In this case, I think we can safely say it was him. I ignored this until the last minute when I moved sharply out of his way and said “mind your back”. As I passed the last group I said out loud, but with a smile (and I like to think a cheeky glint in my eye) “There’s always one”. In that case it was me.

Do we as a group want to turn into that wanker, being awkward for the sake of it?

In the valley by turning a blind eye to RoW rule violations and letting everyone use the trails, responsibly, there are less conflict issues than if you tried to restrict people based solely on their mode of transport and create honeypots. Isn’t “mode of transport” a silly way to segregate people? I’m not suggesting it’s up there with race or gender or sexual preference but at the end of the day it’s all just people.

tl:dr – IME letting everyone ride what they like where they like works better than restricting access. YMMV