Anti Cycling campaigners at the New Forest

[Dave Davenport]

I ride in the forest a lot and our club runs time trials, road races and reliability rides there (25TT today). There's definitely a large anti-cyclist element amongst the locals, in fact there's a large anti-anyone who's not a local element (you need to be towing a horse trailer whilst talking on the phone to really fit in).
I was marshalling the heath road race (commissaire's cars, motorbikes etc.) last year and had a local councillor stop his car (coming from opposite the race direction) and go apeshit at me 'cos they weren't riding in single file, and a women in a 4X4 pull out of her drive into the 50 yard gap between break and bunch whilst chatting on her phone, similar stuff happens all the time.
Quite a few hundred riders still turned out and rode the route today.

 

[jonny jeez]

Interesting.

So what's it like taking a Saturday road ride with a few mates in the forest. Am I likely to enjoy it or hate it.

I want to be able to ride about, two abreast chatting and such, stop at pubs, engage in banter and generally enjoy the forest from fordingbridge down to Beaulieu and back (via Brockenhurst probably).

Should I take a bullet proof jacket, flak-hat, cattleprod perhaps?

times have changed, I used to MTB a lot in the forest as a 25 year old and never sensed any poor feelings...mind you I wouldn't do as I was alone in a forest for most of the time.

 

[DRHysted]

Riding in the Forest is fine, the vast majority of people don't have any problem with it. Just looking out my bedroom window on a sunny Sunday morning you'd think a sportive was on!
This anti-cycling thing is a small group of narrow minded nimbys, with my local MP on the bandwagon (I wonder how much his helicopter stresses the ponies).
The protestors Saturday were a joke 15 people (whose appearance smacked of the local travellers) and one placard. The NPA don't feel the need to restrict because as they say 0 pony deaths by cycle and 65 by car last year. The drift (roundup) causes more stress.
Get on your bike and enjoy.

 

[RussellZero]

The signage goes up at least a couple of days before..... and why do you need SO MANY signs on a straight road with no junctions?

Does it matter? They normally put the wiggle NF signs up on Friday, but they don't do any harm. Wiggle seem particularly diligent in their organisation and tidying up afterwards - I live about 200 yds away from one of the feed stations, it was kept clean, there were plenty of marshals around, I even managed to drive out while the sportive was on, and yes it did slow me down, but only as much as it would have done coming across an elderly driver in the forest.

I took part last October in the 100 mile event and loved it. As said above, some individuals always act without thinking of the consequences and give the rest a bad reputation, I just hope the non cyclists are intelligent enough to realise these people exist in every part of society, its just how it is.

Having said that, I think the main issue the campaigners have is that these events are becoming more and more frequent. I don't know how true that is, but as cycling gets more popular I guess it makes sense that more people will want to participate in sportives...

 

[RussellZero]

Interesting.

So what's it like taking a Saturday road ride with a few mates in the forest. Am I likely to enjoy it or hate it.

I want to be able to ride about, two abreast chatting and such, stop at pubs, engage in banter and generally enjoy the forest from fordingbridge down to Beaulieu and back (via Brockenhurst probably).

I do this a fair bit, living near Fordingbridge, heading out to Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Beaulieu etc ... Can't beat it, I absolutely love living and riding here. Touch wood, never had any exposure to anti cycling feeling or action other than that mentioned above in the local press.

 

[jonny jeez]

I do this a fair bit, living near Fordingbridge, heading out to Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Beaulieu etc ... Can't beat it, I absolutely love living and riding here. Touch wood, never had any exposure to anti cycling feeling or action other than that mentioned above in the local press.

I've ridden that route on the motorbike a few times and love it. I particularly love the views as you join the common outside Fordingbridge (east of sandy balls). The forest looks epic from here and just seems to go on and on, then 2 mins later I'm in deep forest with trees forming canopies and the light creating its own cinematic shutter effect.

Love it, one of my favourite places in Britain, way up there with Cumbria and the Scottish Highlands.

you are very lucky.

 

[jdtate101]

Just the usual NIMBY nonsense really. If it wasn't us they'd be getting their nickers in a twist about some other cause. Some people really do have too much time on their hands and need a cause (any cause) to fill their time and give their lives meaning. Sadly sometime we (the cycling community) don't always behave as we should but I've done dozens of sportives and 99% of the riders behave as you'd expect.

Chances of getting us banned from the NF....zero. The evidence just doesn't support their case.

 

[numbnuts]

How low will people go
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10354939.Vandals_target_top_cycling_event_in_New_Forest/