Help save off-road biking!

[ihampson]

Hi, this is a post for uk riders to help save the future of greenlaning and off road biking in general. However if any rider from any country or riding style has a similar story that needs some help or support please feel free to post. Hopefully we can all help each other safeguard the future of our sport.
 
The uk government are altering rights of way, and access laws which will result in the loss of a majority of previously used lanes. Uk biking has already been hit hard and places to ride are few and far between as tracks close down due to unfair attitudes and misconceptions towards our chosen hobby. 
I have just signed this E-petition - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Suspend-NERC/#detail   and am sad to see that there are only approx 2500 signitures. It is only open to sign untill 17th april and we need to make our voice heard, a lack of response to this, or any other petition, can be more damaging than no petition at all. it gives fire to the argument that bikers are a minority and lessens the impact of our opposition.

I intend to make everyone i know aware of this petition as i only stumbled on it by chance doing a google search. What i ask of everyone is that you please sign the petition (its only open to uk residents though) and make EVERY biker we know aware of it. If anybody has contact with uk riders/garages/dealers etc could you please tell them aswell. A lack of places to ride will affect the whole off road scene, not just the riders. Less newcomers to the sport and people giving it up due to nowhere to ride, will mean less talent and the racing suffers as riders retire and nobody is there to take their place. less riders mean less demand for parts, clothing etc and shops will start to close down creating a downward spiral that would be near impossible to recover from. A fact im sure the uk government are well aware of, and hoping for.

Please, please, please sign this petition, i for one will be very gratefull and promise to lend my upmost support to anyone with a similar dilema and i hope everyone else would do the same. If we work together and make our voices heard we can stop our sport, hobby and passion from being railroaded into the dirt!

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Ian Hampson

[KXcam22]

Being from Canada where I can ride almost anywhere, I can only imagine the suffering UK riders must go throught to dirt ride in the UK.  I salute your efforts. Keep it up. Cam.

[ihampson]

Cheers cam, It`s frustrating to say the least. The general attitude in the uk  seems to be down on biking due to the actions of some people that tear up parks or nearly run people over walking their dog and so on. Obviously this type of behaviour is totally unnacceptable but it is not the machine commiting the crime, it`s the person who is operating it and every aspect of society has people that refuse to follow the rules.  Our quick fix society would rather take away the enjoyment of the majority than solve the root issues behind the problem.

In most towns in the uk there are disused open spaces ideally suited to offroading. They are far enough away from houses that noise wont be an issue and are of no special importance (just old mine land or quarrys stuff like that), Yet if you get seen by the police you are liable to penalty points on your driving license even though you are not on the road! Also your bike is confiscated and crushed, you can get charged with driving with no insurance or mot and on the website it even threatens possible imprisonment and a UNLIMITED fine!!!!!

A bit harsh dont ya think? 

Especially when you are allowed to ride the same land on a horse that can still go at a good speed, trample a walker, crap everywhere and are completely unpredictable and just as dangerous. If a horse bolts - pressing the kill switch wont save ya and god help anyone in its path!
Btw our local council has just spent tens of thousands of pounds landscaping a path for the horse riders that the bikers have used for as long as i can remember. Bikers are now banned, special gates have been erected to allow the horses through but bikes (supposedly) cant get over and a road crossing with raised buttons for the lights. I have only seen about 4 -5 horses use the new path - bikers were on it alot more but dont get any public funding to have a designated place to ride and planning permission to build private ones generally get refused. 

Sorry i`m going on a bit. I would go and let off some steam on a ride but, y`know the score!