[Run BMC]

Living in a rural area provides some great riding experiences, but the one thing I really hate at this time of year is the amount mud deposited on the roads from tractors. Its bad enough in the wet when it becomes a mud bath, but if allowed to dry the deposits are potential hazards to anything on two wheels (I’ve almost come a cropper on more than one occasion).  A quick Google reveals that under the Highways Act 1980 it is an offence for farmers (or anyone else for that matter) to deposit mud and other things on the highway (S148), which could result in prosecution and a fine.   Given that this is a regular occurrence where I live, the tractors clearly aren’t being cleaned properly as they should before taking to public roads, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin with regards raising it with someone.  Anyone else ever had this problem?

 

Topic

[brooksby]

Organon wrote:

In recent days I’ve noticed that it seems like someone has been spreading a fine sludge of brown organic matter all over the roads. It is annoyingly slippy and effecting my cornering speeds. The suspicious matter seems to be made up of the broken down parts of brown, red and yellow plates of plant like material. It especially seems to have been spread around many local tree trunks, but I haven’t seen anyone loitering under trees so I can’t tell who is doing it. 

I do hate how someone appears to go along and pile all of the leaves up, so they take up half of the footway or cycle path, but then can’t bring themselves to actually take the leaves away! 

[mdavidford]

On my recent rides it’s been

On my recent rides it’s been less farmers causing issues and more those working on the gazillions of new housing developments springing up. I have some sympathy for the former, as it’s not always going to be feasible to clean down tractors every time they leave a field, but it ought to be a default part of any planning application that the developer make provision for cleaning down any vehicles before they leave the site, with hefty fines for failing to do so.

[Organon]

In recent days I’ve noticed

In recent days I’ve noticed that it seems like someone has been spreading a fine sludge of brown organic matter all over the roads. It is annoyingly slippy and effecting my cornering speeds. The suspicious matter seems to be made up of the broken down parts of brown, red and yellow plates of plant like material. It especially seems to have been spread around many local tree trunks, but I haven’t seen anyone loitering under trees so I can’t tell who is doing it. 

[Kapelmuur]

This isn’t a new problem, I

This isn’t a new problem, I remember about 60 years ago my Dad complaining about mud from rural Shropshire roads spoiling the paintwork of his new Ford Anglia and saying that farmers were legally obliged to clean up.

I mentioned this to a school friend whose father was a farmer and he said that as his father and the Chief Constable were members of the same hunt he doubted whether the police would be interested.

[hobbeldehoy]

What a joy it must be to live

What a joy it must be to live in the dry conditions of Spain or South of France where you can cycle on clean roads and not need to strip the bike down to get all the mud and grit out of the gears and sprockets all the time. And of course you have a choice of using the dangerous main roads with heavy traffic or taking the quiet option of farm roads with all the mud, gravel and potholes.

[zero_trooper]

To answer the OP’s original

To answer the OP’s original question(s):

Depositing mud on the road is an offence.

Report it to the police and emphasise the danger to road users.

[bikeman01]

Anyone who lives anywhere

It’s not really about keeping the bike clean is it, it’s about the dangerously slippy road. And it’s not just bikes, I’ve seen a couple of cars come a cropper.

Anyone who lives anywhere near the HS2 route is by now getting pretty used to the field access point roads being covered in mud for 400 metres in every direction.

HS2 contractors don’t give a shit so don’t expect the farmers to either.

UK laws are made to be broken.. apparently

[srchar]

Htc wrote:

Or…. just people going about their business trying to make a living. It’s the countryside, get over it.

Farmers don’t get an out simply because they’re farmers.  Oh you were maimed when you got knocked off your bike by a dump truck? Just people going about their business trying to make a living.  It’s the city, get over it.

[Simon E]

Soil is mostly glacial till

Soil is mostly glacial till (clay) around here. There is usually a trail of mud from a field entrance where vehicles have repeatedly gone in and out, as they have done recently while harvesting maize (probably the worst crop for mud and soil) or drilling winter crops.  It may dry into a broad ridge but sometimes it stays damp and then it’s really slippery.

The farmers leave it to let the rain to wash the mud away but the smaller, winding roads and lanes have much less traffic than A or B roads so it takes much longer for it to clear. These roads are not wide enough for me to change line to avoid the worst bits.

And it’s not just mud carried from fields. The wide track of modern tractors (and trailers) means that they chew up the soft verges, which ends up on the road.

If I was concerned about getting my bike muddy I would hardly ride it at all in the winter!

[kil0ran]

Awavey wrote:

Awavey wrote:

Its interesting so many people have different interpretations of what constitutes ‘mud on the roads’. In East Anglia what you tend to get from now till spring is by field entrances farm vehicles drag big clods of ploughed mud onto the road which slowly get compressed by the weight of their and other passing vehicles into these small mounds, and you’ll be left with lots of these rock hard lumps of mud in your path,the earth is very clay rich in this part of the world,so it dries very solid. on two wheels they are like riding over washboard, easily enough to unbalance you if you catch the wrong angle/speed or were unsigned and invariably you cant pick a safe route and slalom through it because you always hit them just as some idiot in a 4×4 Chelsea tractor close passes you. FWIW I do think it can be a serious hazard for bike riders,its got nothing to do with getting your bike muddy

Ah, interesting perspective on the problem, thanks. New Forest/Cranborne Chase mud isn’t like that – sandy/chalky soil mostly around here, and hills mean that roads get washed clean naturally after a few days hours.

[Run BMC]

Awavey wrote:

Awavey wrote:

Its interesting so many people have different interpretations of what constitutes ‘mud on the roads’. In East Anglia what you tend to get from now till spring is by field entrances farm vehicles drag big clods of ploughed mud onto the road which slowly get compressed by the weight of their and other passing vehicles into these small mounds, and you’ll be left with lots of these rock hard lumps of mud in your path,the earth is very clay rich in this part of the world,so it dries very solid. on two wheels they are like riding over washboard, easily enough to unbalance you if you catch the wrong angle/speed or were unsigned and invariably you cant pick a safe route and slalom through it because you always hit them just as some idiot in a 4×4 Chelsea tractor close passes you. FWIW I do think it can be a serious hazard for bike riders,its got nothing to do with getting your bike muddy

 

Sounds like we have the same soil type – that’s exactly how I’d describe it.  No fun at all!

[Awavey]

Its interesting so many
Its interesting so many people have different interpretations of what constitutes ‘mud on the roads’. In East Anglia what you tend to get from now till spring is by field entrances farm vehicles drag big clods of ploughed mud onto the road which slowly get compressed by the weight of their and other passing vehicles into these small mounds, and you’ll be left with lots of these rock hard lumps of mud in your path,the earth is very clay rich in this part of the world,so it dries very solid.

on two wheels they are like riding over washboard, easily enough to unbalance you if you catch the wrong angle/speed or were unsigned and invariably you cant pick a safe route and slalom through it because you always hit them just as some idiot in a 4×4 Chelsea tractor close passes you.

FWIW I do think it can be a serious hazard for bike riders,its got nothing to do with getting your bike muddy

[Simon E]

Htc wrote:

Yeah, we all know that it’s an offence. Most farmers actually do regular road cleaning themselves. Doesn’t mean that the road is always going to be clear of mud or that’s in completely avoidable. Get over yourself.

”Most farmers do regular road cleaning”??? F**k off, you’re having a laugh. A few do but the vast majority certainly do not.

And to dismiss what most of us to be real concern about safety that way is unhelpful and sadly typical of the “That’s country life, live with it, townie” mentality of many selfish farmers and contractors.

West Mercia Police issue a press release every year reminding farmers of their responsibility to other road users, describing leaving mud on roads as “reckless and irresponsible”. They don’t do that for no reason.

I’d expect most councils to offer a method of reporting it. Shropshire council has a portal where you can report potholes, mud etc.

[Run BMC]

mattsccm wrote:

Rear in mind that there is no legal requirement to have a chap with a shovel and broom following bthe tractor to have an instant clean up. This means that there may be mud on the road.  It is allowed.

Naturally all sensible people ride and drive to the conditions so if you have a problem you were not.  Just slow down or even get off and walk. 

To my mind the agrioculural community has a far greater right to be on the roads, muck and all than a bunch of selfish cyclists out for a jolly. I include myself here. 

Its the country side. I assume that those complaining are also moaning about those who leave glass on the road, or diesel or phone masts that screw the country side. Not just one of the above but all of them at the same time.

 

 

I think that mattsccm thought I was complaining that the roads are dirty or something…   

[mattsccm]

Rear in mind that there is no

Rear in mind that there is no legal requirement to have a chap with a shovel and broom following bthe tractor to have an instant clean up. This means that there may be mud on the road.  It is allowed.

Naturally all sensible people ride and drive to the conditions so if you have a problem you were not.  Just slow down or even get off and walk. 

To my mind the agrioculural community has a far greater right to be on the roads, muck and all than a bunch of selfish cyclists out for a jolly. I include myself here. 

Its the country side. I assume that those complaining are also moaning about those who leave glass on the road, or diesel or phone masts that screw the country side. Not just one of the above but all of them at the same time.

 

[Author]

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