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Surrey* hates mountain bikers too: horse riders object to new trail at Leith Hill

*Well, some people in Surrey

 

They don't just dislike road cycling in Surrey. Objections to people having fun on bikes have kept a new mountain bike trail closed at Leith Hill while Surrey County Council waits for a formal complaint from local equestrians.

The British Horse Society said the track, which has been built on National Trust land, is too close to existing bridleways and the potential combination of horses and cyclists could be fatal.

Bob Milton, from the society, told the BBC that the path was illegal and that the authority had not carried out adequate consultation.

He said: “It has been constructed, it impedes access and it is on a common.”

He said there was clear guidance from the planning inspectorate that had not been followed.

Penny Tyson-Davies, BHS bridleways officer for Mole Valley, told Martha Terry of Horse and Hound that there had been no input rom equestrians into the building of the mountain bike trail.

“If they had consulted the BHS, they would have been told that a fast off-road cycle track alongside and crossing bridleways is out of order. Mountain bikes whizzing in and out of trees, jumping ramps above horses’ heads, around an established sunken horse track, is an accident waiting to happen.”

In a statement, Surrey County Council said it was waiting for Mr Milton to confirm whether he wanted it to investigate his complaint.

It added: “Should he decide to take the matter to the planning inspectorate we will co-operate fully with any inquiry.

“In the meantime we have made a request to the landowners for the trail to remain closed for the duration of any investigation.”

Julie Rand, from the national cycling charity CTC, said: “There are bridleways and tracks all over Surrey that are quite happily co-existing at the moment without too much anguish and they respect each other.

“People are anticipating problems that may not actually arise.”

Sam Bayley, National Trust head ranger, told Horse and Hound that dedicated tracks for mountain bikers will improve safety, because cyclists have been “creating unauthorised trails at Leith Hill following and crossing many bridleways”.

“We aim to balance the needs of everyone,” he said. “The design will ensure cyclists naturally slow down at crossing points by appropriate turns and signage.”

Rob Fairbanks, of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Board said: “It is not feasible to ban biking in one of the most popular areas in England. We want to work with the BHS to educate cyclists about the priority that needs to be given to horse riders, so we can all share the Surrey Hills.”

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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46 comments

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Strangertothelight | 9 years ago
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The world would be a better place if people just chill out, realise that life shouldn't be taken so seriously and learn to share with each other. If people stay courteous and friendly then there should never be a problem.

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massspike | 10 years ago
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Cyclists probably need a bit of information about the proper way to ride around horses. My wife is a bit of a equine psychologist so I have been made aware of their dislike of cyclists. I regularly see group rides pass horses without giving warning and space and the horse starts as a result.

My daughter competes and I ride out to her events. I even walk the bike in to the farm so as not to spook the competitors...the horses with my bike and the riders with my lycra  3

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DaveE128 | 10 years ago
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This is all rather bizarre. MTBers are just as legally entitled to use public bridleways as horse riders. So what's the problem with an MTB trail running near a bridleway?

One things that's baffled me for ages: Horses can be trained to charge into battle with bullets whizzing past them. Why aren't horses properly trained to deal with the "scary" things they will encounter on roads and bridleways? That said, I know they usually aren't, so I give them a lot of room and slow right down. Riders seem to be in two camps - those that appreciate your consideration, and those that still look down their nose at you like they are appalled that you even exist!

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farrell | 10 years ago
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I've said it before and I'll say it again;

Cyclists get more respect on the continent. They also eat horses over there. So I'd recommend all cyclists carry one of these at all times:
http://www.russums-shop.co.uk/images/products/zoom/1361802984-44480800.jpg

The other upside to doing this, other than taking away the shite hobby of wannabe gentry, inbred toffs and weak parents is that snacking on horses mid-ride will reduce the number of gel wrappers being dropped.

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duc888 | 10 years ago
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If you can afford a horse you can afford a field to put it in, and leave it there.  1

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MKultra | 10 years ago
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We get horses on the chase and there is never a problem. This is because horses are mental skittish things that are dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle and we know better than to spook them. Give them space, make your self heard politely when approaching them, if it all looks dodgy and is if the horse is unhappy then simply don't go near it. Anyone doing otherwise is angling to get them self removed from the gene pool, which would be doing the species a favour IMHO.

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Simmo72 | 10 years ago
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Horse riding involves a dumb prey animal......and a horse

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JeevesBath | 10 years ago
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If horse riders are so concerned about sharing space with cyclists, how come so many of them deliberately use a certain section of the Bristol to Bath cycle path by Emersons Green that actually has a sign at the entrance saying "No horseriding"? The evidence is in small brown piles all over the tarmac surface....  14

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Shades replied to JeevesBath | 10 years ago
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JeevesBath wrote:

If horse riders are so concerned about sharing space with cyclists, how come so many of them deliberately use a certain section of the Bristol to Bath cycle path by Emersons Green that actually has a sign at the entrance saying "No horseriding"? The evidence is in small brown piles all over the tarmac surface....  14

First thing that came into my mind when I read this story. Not too bad in the summer when you can see the piles although, according to environmental health, manure isn't a hazard (unlike dog poo).
As mentioned earlier there are 'nobbers' in every group, but I do wonder why you get glared at by horseriders (on road and off road) and you haven't done anything wrong. Probably the same ones that try and mow you down with a horsebox. If there's one way to make a bridleway 'un-cycleable', send a load of horses down it.

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bikebot | 10 years ago
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It's been a few years since I rode around Leith Hill so perhaps things have changed, but I can't imagine why anyone would complain about mountain bikes when there were motorcross bikers inventing routes.

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700c | 10 years ago
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Road CC trying to sensationalise a story of 'hate' between road user groups again? Well done.

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Grubbythumb replied to 700c | 10 years ago
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700c wrote:

Road CC trying to sensationalise a story of 'hate' between road user groups again? Well done.

And ably fuelled by many of the posts above.

As a car driving, 4 x 4 owning, horse trailer pulling, motorcycling, horse riding, cyclist, it is great to know that there is no 'them and us' attitude between road users, and that it is just a storm being whipped up by the press.

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workhard replied to Grubbythumb | 10 years ago
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Grubbythumb wrote:
700c wrote:

Road CC trying to sensationalise a story of 'hate' between road user groups again? Well done.

And ably fuelled by many of the posts above.

As a car driving, 4 x 4 owning, horse trailer pulling, motorcycling, horse riding, cyclist, it is great to know that there is no 'them and us' attitude between road users, and that it is just a storm being whipped up by the press.

serious question...

do you do all those things in the surrey hills?

and I mean the surrey hills aonb in surrey england not surry hills sydney or somewhere else with a superabundance of motherhood and apple pie.

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Grubbythumb replied to workhard | 10 years ago
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workhard wrote:

serious question...

do you do all those things in the surrey hills?

and I mean the surrey hills aonb in surrey england not surry hills sydney or somewhere else with a superabundance of motherhood and apple pie.

I don't do any of those things in Surrey. In fact, I'm not certain I have ever visited the county.

Why do you ask? As I am pretty sure the bigotry and misinformed Clarksonesque comments made towards horse riders throughout this thread are not confined to only those who live or ride in Surrey.

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Al__S | 10 years ago
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If you speak to the more sensible horse riders, you'll get familiar tales of close passes, being honked at, yells to do with "road tax" etc. They do have issues with cyclists- after all, we do approach from behind almost silently- but generally the main issues they have on the road are the same that we have.

Obviously the horsey types kicking up a stink here are arses, but they're not all bad!

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bazzargh replied to Al__S | 10 years ago
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Al__S wrote:

(horse riders) do have issues with cyclists- after all, we do approach from behind almost silently

I'm guessing you know, but don't do that. Say hello, so the horse knows you're there, from far enough away that you won't startle it.

For more (fairly obvious) stuff on how to behave around horses... http://www.bhs.org.uk/~/media/BHS/Files/PDF%20Documents/Safety%20leaflet...

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Neil753 | 10 years ago
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Maybe one solution might be a voluntary agreement, through which opposing interests restrict their activities to alternate weekends.

Nothing enforcible, of course, but any "understanding" could dramatically reduce the current conflict in popular areas.

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don simon fbpe | 10 years ago
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Quote:

Mountain bikes whizzing in and out of trees, jumping ramps above horses’ heads, around an established sunken horse track, is an accident waiting to happen.

I think I must be doing it wrong then...  17

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lolol | 10 years ago
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Its happened more than once on a club run, a car pulling a horse box with a driver spouting abuse about being held up, "%*?! bloody cyclists!" Beggars belief!

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northstar replied to lolol | 10 years ago
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lolol wrote:

Its happened more than once on a club run, a car pulling a horse box with a driver spouting abuse about being held up, "%*?! bloody cyclists!" Beggars belief!

Are horse box "drivers" the new audi...

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Beefy replied to lolol | 10 years ago
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lolol wrote:

Its happened more than once on a club run, a car pulling a horse box with a driver spouting abuse about being held up, "%*?! bloody cyclists!" Beggars belief!

The same person will ride along and expect absolute consideration from all road users including cyclist. I was riding on a single width road in Lancashire then two horse rider came up towards me two a breast the road, they had no intention of moving si I was forced on to the mud verge. Really felt very tempted to shock the horse but had I and it would have been an evil cyclist story.

What I really don't get is that drivers seem very happy to slow down for horse riders but won't offer the same consideration to cyclists? I really don't know why?

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Beefy replied to lolol | 10 years ago
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lolol wrote:

Its happened more than once on a club run, a car pulling a horse box with a driver spouting abuse about being held up, "%*?! bloody cyclists!" Beggars belief!

The same person will ride along and expect absolute consideration from all road users including cyclist. I was riding on a single width road in Lancashire then two horse rider came up towards me two a breast the road, they had no intention of moving si I was forced on to the mud verge. Really felt very tempted to shock the horse but had I and it would have been an evil cyclist story.

What I really don't get is that drivers seem very happy to slow down for horse riders but won't offer the same consideration to cyclists? I really don't know why?

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MrGear | 10 years ago
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I quite like horses... they are delicious.

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joemmo | 10 years ago
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Crumbs. When I used to inhabit and pedal in that part of the world there were no issues with road cycling, trundling up Box Hill, MTBing or horses that I encountered - although I did steer clear of Leith Hill on a weekend unless I needed cake from the tower cafe. Better riding to be had on Pitch Hill and Holmbury anyway.

But Surrey now sounds like the embodiment of overpopulated, over-entitled NIMBYist HELL. Good luck to you all.

EDIT: just looked at map of the area again and came over all nostalgic...

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workhard | 10 years ago
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Some Surrey Hills mtb-ers are the living embodiment of "nobbers". Some Surrey Hills equestrians are the living embodiment of "nobbers".

Most people from each group, and I know a couple of folk with a foot in both camps, are perfectly lovely, perfectly reasonable people.

One can only conclude that some people are "nobbers" regardless of their hobbies and will always seek to disadvantage others in order to protect their own interests.

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Yorkshie Whippet | 10 years ago
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Did you know that the horse is the most unfortunately animal in the world?
It's the only one that occasionally has two aresholes!

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Mr Agreeable | 10 years ago
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There's a long history of naughty trail construction in the Surrey Hills, buffoons having mass-start mate's races on the bridleway up to Leith Hill Tower and other such outrages to common decency. But there's also a long record of mountain bikers being responsible, working with landowners and putting in lots of graft to keep everyone happy.

Seems like the horsey brigade are just picking on an easy target here. Hope the NT have the good sense to tell them to do one.

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jmaccelari | 10 years ago
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I am very deferential around all animals - horses, dogs, cats, bunnies, whatever... I have to assume that I am more intelligent than them and it is up to me to ensure there is no collision.

So to me, the 'tip-toeing' around horses is because I know that I am responsible for not spooking the animal. I can't put that responsibility on the horse.

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nowasps replied to jmaccelari | 10 years ago
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jmaccelari wrote:

I am very deferential around all animals - horses, dogs, cats, bunnies, whatever... We have to assume that we are more intelligent than them and it is up to us to ensure there is no collision.

Big call, that.  4

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Shep73 replied to jmaccelari | 10 years ago
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jmaccelari wrote:

I am very deferential around all animals - horses, dogs, cats, bunnies, whatever... I have to assume that I am more intelligent than them and it is up to me to ensure there is no collision.

So to me, the 'tip-toeing' around horses is because I know that I am responsible for not spooking the animal. I can't put that responsibility on the horse.

Have to agree, most horse riders I have come across have been polite and very grateful when we make the effort to slow down, that said I agree with the comment that it's a different matter when some are in the 4x4's towing a trailer and don't bother slowing down. Still I'm inclined to let it go as most of the horse riders I see are women and plenty are pleasing on eye.

The biggest issue around here is the dog walkers, they are far worse than the horse riders.

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