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Egrets way

On 18 Dec 2019 at 1:25pm Nevillman wrote:

I see in the District news that �250,000 will part fund the construction of 1.5 km of cycleway alongside the river Ouse known as the Egrets way project. Just like to point out that people have been cycling along here for years anyway and that it will do nothing to help the many cyclists who travel between Lewes and Newhaven. It is nothing like a direct route and will not be suitable for road bikes. Why can't this money be spent on a proper cycle path between the two towns instead of another leisure cycle route when we already have the South downs way and hundreds of miles of bridleway locally? The road to Newhaven is on the route between London and Paris and is very dangerous for bikes. Very few of them will use the Egrets way.

On 18 Dec 2019 at 2:39pm David Stanley wrote:

Have cycled it many times although I know it's illegal. Nobody minds as far as I can tell. It would be very expensive to create a new route and the landowners are difficult to persuade I hear. I wouldn't dream of cycling on the C7 now. It's a death trap for cyclists as motorists have no patience at all as far as I can tell....as a motorist and cyclist.

On 18 Dec 2019 at 4:51pm Sleeveless wrote:

David Stanley - I mind. I walk that route on a regular basis and the increasing use of cycles (which you rightly say is illegal) contributes to erosion and rutting of the footpath.

On 19 Dec 2019 at 10:30am Nevillman wrote:

If you wish you have a right to object to a bike on a footpath but I dispute that bikes cause erosion and rutting. If a bike cycles through a puddle or wet ground on mud it will leave a track but this will disappear with the next rain or dry spell. There will be no permanent mark left.
Rather than get upset by bikes try to see them as other people who are enjoying the same under used path as yourself in their own way. I would be very surprised if they did not slow down and treat you with consideration. The alternative for them is the c7 which as has been pointed out is a death trap which is increasingly unlikely to be improved because of the Egrets way.

On 19 Dec 2019 at 12:43pm ar10642 wrote:

Not technically illegal, it's a civil thing. Trespass against the landowner.

On 19 Dec 2019 at 1:54pm Tommy wrote:

@David and Sleeveless - which bits are illegal to cycle on?

On 19 Dec 2019 at 3:31pm Sleeveless wrote:

Tommy, I stand corrected. I have always understood it to be illegal to cycle on a footpath however, ar10642 correctly points out that it is in fact a trespass against the landowner. The footpath runs from Lewes to Newhaven so I meant for the entire length. (I don�t believe any of it is bridleway).

On 19 Dec 2019 at 4:18pm ar10642 wrote:

The only bit of bridleway (bizarrely) is from Rodmell to the river. Not sure what the status of the bits they've converted is, might be permissive use from the landowner? Their site doesn't really say.