These paths weren’t just made for cycling - don’t forget the walkers
ON the back page of your January 5 edition, Chipps Chippendale is quoted thanking Calderdale Council for letting them “make a mess of their lovely park” with their annual mountain biking race.
I wonder who is paying for the damage - the cyclists or the taxpayer?
Or is it going to be left as it is, parts of our award winning park under five inches of thick mud?
Already mountain bikers are destroying our local footpaths, widening and deepening puddles so that in many places walkers can’t get through at this time of year.
And so many of them are rude, forcing walkers off the paths to let them pass and spraying them with mud in the process.
Check out a sample of the damage by walking a mile along any part of the canal towpath.
Now they get to destroy our park every year at a vulnerable time due to our wet winters?
Calderdale Council, give some thought to the walkers, both in the park and on the footpaths.
Many people come to visit our beautiful area to walk, and local people too should be encouraged to walk out and enjoy our countryside.
J. Robinson,
Peel Cottage Road,
Todmorden.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Halifax
Thursday 23 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: West
Comments
There are 5 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Richard Carter
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 09:13 AMThe original letter-writer is totally correct. The moorland paths around here have been ruined by mountain-bike tyre-ruts. Why do people feel the need to 'conquer' the moors on their ridiculous bikes, rather than go out on foot and actually enjoy them?
Izakbar
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 02:27 PMWow. So much hatred. As a cyclist (and car driver, and walker), I see many many angry car drivers, bus drivers (especially through todmorden!) and walkers. Very few grumpy cyclists (although I have seen some). Most people are actually polite and smile when they come together. I do generally find that attitudes are reciprocal - so if you give out a negative hateful attitude, it will be returned. Likewise, if you are polite and smile - say hello, etc.. it is usually returned. Might be worth considering this in future walks :) BTW - Cyclists ARE Taxpayers.. so are paying for the same things you are ;) Oh yes footpaths - they are for walking on, cyclists should not cycle on them. If you see lots of cyclists on what you consider as footpaths, you might want to check the OS maps as they are probably bridalways (some of which were made for pack-horses after the Napoleonic war iirc). Canal towpaths were also made for horses - not humans (the towpaths around Todmorden and area are actually part of a national cycle route (Route 66)) Carl (actually living in Todmorden, not Walsden ;) )
DaveA
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 10:07 AMMaybe it's as well that we introduce Mr Vandeman before people start taking him seriously. http:www.berkeleyside.com20100603bicycle-opponent-arrested-for-assaulting-cyclist I believe he was later found guilty and sentenced to the equivalent of community service. I don't think we need his input given the way he's acted in his own country. In answer to J.Robinson's points about trail damage; all trail users cause erosion to the paths they travel along especially at this time of year unless they are able to hover over the puddles and soft ground. There are plenty of good examples of walker erosion in the Lakes; Stickle Gill is a good example. So path traffic causes erosion is probably a better statement and the only answer is to better maintain those paths to handle the traffic the receive. The towpath is a shared use path you know? Can you really tell whether walkers or bikers are eroding it? Rudeness and bad manners are rarely the result of choice of transport, I'm sure there are plenty of grumpy walkers out there too. Some people are just incapable of being happy outdoors it seems. Calderdale is lucky to have such a varied and high quality rights of way network that attracts both walkers and mountain bikers to visit and support the local economy. I'd like to think there's enough out there for us all to share. No local paths have been "destroyed" in the 25 years I've been riding here.
DavidHuntsman
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 07:41 AMhttp:evergreenmtb.orgphpshow_page.php?page_id=32
Mike Vandeman
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 03:24 AMWhy would you expect mountain bikers to be different from those in all other parts of the world?! Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1994: http:mjvande.nfshost.commtb10.htm . It's dishonest of mountain bikers to say that they don't have access to trails closed to bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else -- ON FOOT! Why isn't that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of walking.... A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that science supports that view. Of course, it's not true. To settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see http:mjvande.nfshost.comscb7.htm ). I found that of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions. Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless. Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and other trail users out of the area, and, worst of all, teaches kids that the rough treatment of nature is okay (it's NOT!). What's good about THAT? For more information: http:mjvande.nfshost.commtbfaq.htm .
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.