Depending on where you live, you’ll have a plethora of locations to head out with your mountain bike. But not everywhere is rife with mountain bike trails, and let’s face it, many of the tracks found within the perimeters of a trail centre may not have the challenge or thrill that more advanced riders are looking for. That’s when we all head towards those ‘hidden gem’ trails that aren’t actually legal. A study led by Paul’s Cycles suggests that the lack of legal but more challenging trails is the root cause of illegal or ‘off-route’ riding in England.
In the study, Paul’s Cycles reckons that infrastructure limitations could push riders to head for illegal trails, as they hunt for tracks that suit their skill. The company has gone as far as to rank counties across the country for their ‘trail richness’, based on how many trails they contain that are labelled as ‘hard’ using AllTrails.
It has found that the 12 counties (including Tyne and Wear, Herefordshire and Bedfordshire) that have the fewest trails account for 18.8% of England’s land area, while containing 3.4% of the country’s ‘hard’ trails. To compare, the top-ranking counties hold over 60% of the trails, while only being 9% larger in land area. It adds that 78% of England’s Right of Way network is inaccessible to cyclists at the moment.
As such, the study has found that 98% of mountain bikers have ridden illegal trails, with 74% of them heading to off-piste tracks during most rides.
“Illegal mountain biking isn’t driven by bad behaviour; it’s driven by a lack of suitable infrastructure. Riders aren’t actively looking to break rules; they’re looking for progression, challenge and flow. In many parts of the country, that simply doesn’t exist within official trail networks.” Paul’s Cycles’ Managing Director, Tom Thornley, states.
James Allsop, who runs Peak and Moor Mountain Bike Guiding, adds, “As a professional, I don’t promote or condone riding unsanctioned trails, but I do offer guidance. The current rights-of-way system is archaic and broken, as exclusion is often based on historical usage rather than modern suitability.
“In the Peak District, we see many suitable, sustainable natural trails that are illegal to ride, while some legal trails are often eroded or overcrowded. We need a system that spreads this impact more fairly.”
He continues, “Naturally, that leads to the creation and use of unofficial trails. If we want to reduce off-route riding, the solution isn’t enforcement; it’s investment. Build better, more progressive trail systems locally, and riders will use them.”
Do you usually head for unsanctioned, illegal, or off-route trails on the regular? Let us know why in the comments.
