Well that's a change of view in the last 24 hours: it is never too late to come on-side with the way ahead for Green Lanes, among all of the other issues that have cropped up.

Unfortunately, regarding the "we are all riders together theme", this does not stack up against some of the opinions expressed to date - but this thread is not unique in that regard!

BTW
"The trouble with common sense is that it is none too common".

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Dave

With regard to Green-Lanes, local authorities (county, town, district, borough and parish councils) are charged with looking after these environmental issues:



The UK government has now empowered these local goverment departments with enforcement powers which before were normally performed by central government departments (Home Office etc..).

It is now possible for local authorities to act as quasi-police in respect of parking, environmental health and highway matters. Local councils now possess powers that were usually the remit of MI5 (Security Service), such as monitoring telephone conversations and obtaining subscriber records from the telephone providers. This is quite worrying for a so called free and democratic country.

These local authorities are controlled by elected councellors who are supposed to do what the local people want (who voted them into their appointment). Unfortunetely this doesn't always happen as you guys are finding out. The councils are staffed by politically correct wooly minded liberals with more interest in pleasing central govenment than acting on behalf of the local people whom they are supposed to serve and represent.

Since 1997 the local government changes in the UK have been enormous (some including myself would say disasterous)! Our servants now look upon themselves as our MASTERS! This is the reason why you guys are getting nowhere. These morons think they are above the law and make decisions which benefit themselves and their mates. It's all about getting "Brownie Points" so they can climb the slippery ladder to ultimate power. Sod the local people, "I want my new Range Rover"!

Nothing is going to change soon because most local governments are obssessed with GREEN ENVIRONMENT issues and RECYCLING! This is the reason why Green Lanes take a back seat. You guys are the ENEMY and no one is likely to rock the boat all the while all these green policies are generating huge amounts of extra revenue.

It's all about personal enrichment.



My advice - Get rid of you're offroaders and get a road bike... You need to adapt to the circumstances. There are simply NOT enough of you to change anything... This is what Caminando and myself were telling you... The alternative is to waste your time making a pointless stand and finding an early grave through stress!

Sorry to get so political here but it had to be said. It will be interesting to learn if any of you chaps have a different slant on things... Or am I just paranoid?

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Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

I do have a road bike but don't use it very much at all. I do more miles off-tarmac than on. Trail riding doesn't give me any stress at all; completely the opposite. Even when we have a day full of problems; drowned bikes, snapped chains, punctures, etc it still is the best fun you can have per pound spent. I will continue to enjoy it responsibly for as long as I can.

...I don’t think your being paranoid. But, I can’t see many people from this site in the UK getting road bikes just because green lanes are such an issue.

I’ve just come from 100+ hp road bikes, and if you’d told me this time last year I’d be having this much fun on a sub 50hp bike, I’d of laughed in your face. Having sooo much fun…… I’m not about to get back on a road bike, I love my new bike, more smiles per hour than miles per hour.

What gets me is people say we can’t sustain green lanes. The west has just landed an unmanned space craft on MARS – we can do that, but can’t grade a few tracks?

I live on the Isle of Wight, it would cost next to nothing for a ‘small’ cross island network. I’m sure if it was policed properly for example, only open for the dry months in the year, with, maybe a tariff for riding it, I’d buy a pass card or whatever.

Depending were you live in the UK – some have access to dirt, some don’t. So it looks like I’m off to Wales for my holidays, or maybe Mongolia for a few weeks.

Shaun