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Offham to Landport Byway

On 11 Dec 2018 at 7:34pm Ferret wrote:

In the absence of the usual inane posts on this forum, I thought that I might make a sensible comment. I'm very pleased that the byway has been closed to vehicles as it is horribly churned up in winter, but surprised that the notices at each end prohibit "mountain bikes". ESCC's website seems to say motorbikes and bicycles are excluded from the prohibition (see link). I cannot understand why bicycles would be banned as they do no more damage to paths than walkers. I've contacted ESCC for clarification.

Check it out here »

On 11 Dec 2018 at 11:13pm wanderer wrote:

Has it been physically blocked now?
Last time I went down there as there was only a sign.

On 11 Dec 2018 at 11:57pm Ferret wrote:

At the Offham end there's a steel gate barrier (blocking cars but with room for walkers and riders to get past. I rode past on my bike (a hybrid, not a mountain bike) without really reading the notice. At the other end it's just a couple of posts. I passed a couple with a dog, and the man said something which I didn't really catch, but in retrospect was probably "No bikes, mate!". I took a longer look at the second sign where I saw that it said no "mountain bikes". It's a stupid rule, as bikes do no harm to paths, whereas horses ruin them.

On 12 Dec 2018 at 7:23am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:

Maybe their thinking is that as there are more bikes ridden than horses, the sum of the damage done by allowing bikes would be greater.

On 12 Dec 2018 at 10:20am Ferret wrote:

ESCC have replied to my query this morning. Apparently the signs were not put up by them, and it is still okay for bikes (and others) to use the byway, as long as they keep to the path. The signs are meant to keep bikes out of the SSSI off the path. So "no bikes, mate" was wrong, but understandably so.

On 12 Dec 2018 at 10:26am wanderer wrote:

Good atlast it's been done, getting fed up with the Sunday green lane drivers tearing up the area.

On 12 Dec 2018 at 12:02pm Bert wrote:

"Keep bikes out of the SSSI off the path" in plain English Please.

On 12 Dec 2018 at 12:12pm Ferret wrote:

SSSI means "Site of Special Scientific Interest", and applies to the land on either side of the path. The signs were erected by Natural England, not by ESCC, and do not prohibit bikes from using the path, but do prohibit bikers from riding off the path.