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Forum > All General Talk > MTBO on Bridleways ... Discuss!
Emily Benham Oct 29th 2010, 4:39pm |
Its common knowledge that as cyclists we are not allowed to race on bridleways. Here are the rules: 'A person who promotes or takes part in a race or trial of speed on a public way between cycles is guilty of an offence, unless the race or trial— (2)The Secretary of State may by regulations authorise, or provide for authorising, for the purposes of subsection (1) above, the holding on a public way other than a bridleway— [F1(6)In this section “public way” means, in England and Wales, a highway, and in Scotland, a public road but does not include a footpath.]' OK. Reading this, we are not allowed to race on a bridleway. Trailquests and Adventure Races get around this rule but allowing score courses, and the Merida series by putting results in alphabetical order. A recent MTBO event on Woodbury common saw half of the area being unusable due to the bridleways which effectively disected the area, losing the top and bottom sections of the map (which were perhaps some of the best areas). What if, MTBO events started putting results in alaphabetical order, calling the event a 'challenge' or 'adventure'. The emphasis of the sport is on route choice, we rarely race head-to-head with other athletes. To my mind, a trial of speed would mean athletes are racing along the same preset route. We have a preset course, but how you get there is completely individual. Any thoughts? |
John Tiffany Oct 29th 2010, 5:37pm |
A grey area which could open up a can of worms for score events and such like. |
Karen Blackburn Oct 31st 2010, 3:57pm |
To use a different metaphor – “Don’t poke the wasps nest with a stick” At present, I think MBO Score is fairly well accepted in the countryside – largely thanks to careful preparation by most organisers. Even if we do have to downplay it as “a bit like a treasure hunt” which is my usual explanation to horse riders and walkers. I don’t do many MBO point to point events, but my limited experience is that it does result in a lot of riders following the same route and catching others resulting in head to head racing. It may not be the intention, but to the general public that looks like racing. And they don’t care in what order you publish the results. In Britain at present, MBO Score seems to be much more popular than MBO point to point, so please don’t ruin the sport for the majority of us. |
Lucy Harris Nov 1st 2010, 3:26pm |
Somebody should inform the people I spoke to about some permissions last year of the rules - they suggested we would only be allowed to race on the bridleways as we were on bikes...... |
Alan Hartley Nov 2nd 2010, 3:55pm |
I think we should put Emily's suggestion in context. She is not talking about having MTBO events down farm tracks in the Peak District, but to open up areas withing forests etc which have bridleways which are probably only distinguishable from other tracks on a map. She is also talking about a low key event on Woodbury Common not the British Champs. Obviously I wouldn't like the score events to disappear, and of course caution is required. To say people race head to head on an MTBO and not on a score is simply not true. Many score courses have loops which all riders do one way or the other and probably with significantly less track choice in between. The last score event I did I was head to head with other fast riders for about 2 of the 3 hours. Of course while I was riding fast prudence toward the general public was given as it would be on score, MTBO, adventure race or recreational riding. I would suggest we should have a level of event in the calendar which is MTBO informal. Go further than just publishing results in alpha order, and don't publish results at all. Sensitivity to which areas these are on must be given, but this is true of score events also - without ever seeing a BMBO organiser's risk assessment I don't know if something could be formalised on here for linear events with bridleways. Orienteering is not a sport one can easily go and practise on one's own. Making low key MTBO events easier to organise would be a boon for our sport so that we can practise more often. The Polaris is an interesting point to bring up as they will be having a Merida style event alongside next year - there were flyers around at the OMM this weekend advertising as such. Now to be known as OMBM (Original Mountain Bike Marathon). Also something I always find confusing is that Adventure Racing gets around competing on bridleways by saying it's about points, not a race, when the word race is in the title! Last edited Nov 2nd 2010, 3:57pm by Alan Hartley |
Karen Blackburn Nov 2nd 2010, 5:05pm |
I have always understood that if the winner is determined by elapsed time, it's a race. |
John Tiffany Nov 2nd 2010, 5:43pm |
Karen is quite right. It is illegal to race on a bridleway in the UK (except Scotland where they are a recent addition and I am not sure there). We all know that Meridas are a race at the front but they try to cover this by not having results giving position, just individual times. We did much the same on score events by calling them Trailquests and have got away with it by generally behaving ourselves. Last edited Nov 2nd 2010, 5:44pm by John Tiffany |
Alan Hartley Nov 2nd 2010, 6:37pm |
The sort of areas Emily is talking about cannot be used by neutralising sections, these are areas where for whatever historic reason basically every track is a bridleway. I would argue that by using your logic, if you don't have results then you cannot have a winner, determined by points or time or any other way, therefore you don't have a race. There's not even a need to have official timing for an informal event (or training event if you prefer). I wouldn't believe an incomplete leak of a possible idea for the future of the FC sensationalised in a newspaper for the purposes of selling copies. Either way, FC have always bought and sold land this is part of sensible management of forests. |
Jennifer Mason Sep 4th 2013, 7:52pm |
"F1(6)In this section “public way” means, in England and Wales, a highway..." I have been led to understand that a highway includes public roads and all other public rights of way. (I am a member of a parish council, and this issue came up with regard to a proposed control order for dogs.) Unless I was mis-informed by the county highways department, this would mean that it would be an offence to race bicycles on footpaths, bridleways, or restricted byways, etc., irrespective of whether or not the landowner's permission had been obtained. I'm a bit confused as to how MTBO (as opposed to MTBO Score) fits in with the law. |
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