Motoring Discussion > Off road motorbiking - where? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Runfer D'Hills Replies: 15
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 12:13 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Runfer D'Hills
I feel a bit of a fraud asking about this as I don't have a motorbike or indeed a bike licence !

However, I am just curious enough to want to know a bit more about off road motorbiking. I've done a fair bit of it over the years in countries where the attitude to such technicalities as licences and access are rather more relaxed than I'd imagine they are here.

I do seem to remember occasionally encountering trailie bikers in Scottish forests when I lived there, but on reflection I don't think I've ever seen any this side of the border when I've been out and about on my mountain bike. I seem to think the Scottish legal attitudes to trespass ( if that's the right word? ) are a bit more easy going than in England and Wales? I guess someone will know ?

Anyway, not that I'm putting up a case in support or condemnation of the rights or wrongs of any of it but I'm just curious to know where one would go in the UK supposing one had an off road bike and wanted to use it off road? Are there specialist facilities etc?

I suppose there's a very small part of what remains of my functioning brain cells which is starting to plan for the day when pedalling up and down mountains under my own steam might start to become a little too challenging !

Maybe such facilities don't exist of course. I seem to remember there being quite a lot of controversy about people "green laning" in 4x4s a while back.

Must first get around to taking a bike test I suppose, that may be fairly fundamental to the development of any future strategy !

;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Fri 25 Oct 13 at 12:15
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 13:10 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - helicopter
Northumberland ......

www.youtube.com/watch?v=16chO8aCJ3Q
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 13:31 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - -
I'd have thought proper Green Lanes, so maybe a read up the various 4x4 forums would provide some options.

The massive increase in 4x4 ownership and subesquent land abuse by people unused to the country has closed many though.

Its that Terminator Helmet, nearly the weekend and you're dreading your muckers reactions..:-)
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 13:30 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - TheManWithNoName
If you want to keep bicycling, check out electricmountainbikes.com and check out the Montagu Paratrooper.
Looks pretty good to me. There's a video clip too.
Last edited by: TheManWithNoName on Fri 25 Oct 13 at 13:31
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 15:18 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Runfer D'Hills
Cheers nameless one ! Hopefully though I'll be able to keep going under my own steam for a few years yet.

@ GB yeah, that's kind of what I thought re the green lanes and in truth there's a part of me which doesn't want to be responsible for unnecessary damage to the countryside.

I suppose I was mainly wondering if there were places where it wasn't seen as antisocial and even encouraged as with pedal powered off roading.

Just a very slight itch forming re a motorbike but a suspicion that I'd maybe prefer dirt tracks to roads.

Dunno. Might just be a notion.
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 17:15 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - -
Re pay and play, well there are some well run facilities for 4x4 owners to let their hair down, no doubt similar applies with off road motorcycling, not aware the two mix though, i've never seen bikes where the 4x4's play.

If non of the regular bikers here don't come up with any suggestions, and it probably is specialist (its years since i went offroading), it might be worth a perusal or even a post asking the questions on a trial bikers forum.

Agree with the green laning thing, it can be very destructive.
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 17:33 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Robin O'Reliant
I worked as a Park Ranger back in the early eighties, riding a Suzuki TS185 round bridleways and various off road locations with the specific purpose of apprehending and reporting off roaders for prosecution. Trail bikers are an unwelcome nuisance as far as most authorities are concerned. Excessive noise, dangerous riding and the fact that at least half the bikes were stolen made them far more trouble than they were worth.

You'd be lucky to find anywhere to ride unless you took it up as a sport and had the use of dedicated facilities.
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 17:38 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - R.P.
Funnily enough I was thinking about this last weekend - I know of one green lane in the Ogwen Valley, I was thinking of taking the little GS down there for a play once I pick it up and the weather's right. Did some Googling in work - there are plenty of Green Lanes around here mentioned on a Land Rover forum. You have to be pretty sure of your facts lest the fundamentalists from the Nazional Park take you out.
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 17:50 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - bathtub tom
Do it properly: www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk/
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 18:38 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Ted

I've done some greenlaning when I had a more suitable bike. There are plenty of RUPPs on the Pennine fringes East of Hayfield in Derbyshire You can get across to Chapel en le Frith and beyond.

I see no problem using proper green lanes if the bike and rider are legal. They are a public road, after all. Most walkers in our area favour further East, or South... Kinder or the White Peak. OS maps are good to see where.

Ted.
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New Fri 25 Oct 13 19:08 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Runfer D'Hills
Ok thanks all. Sounds like it's a quick way of being even more hated than being a cyclist ! Oh well, it was just thought.

They don't like "fun" much here do they? Unless of course it involves shoving ten pints down your neck and vomiting it back in the street every weekend or standing on the terraces screaming foul mouthed abuse at the necessarily segregated supporters of the opposing side of overpaid ball kickers. That kind of fun is ok apparently.

Anything else needs banning it seems.

;-)
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New Sat 26 Oct 13 08:04 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Bigtee
Trail bikes use the woods around here many can be heard on a weekend.

Moto cross no idea but you could simply ask the dealers who sell them what they suggest.

As a kid my moto cross bike we used a old railway line the track long since gone back then was great with banking hills on either side but the houses started coming then they complained it all stopped.

4x4 place up near us at Tong Village.
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New Sat 26 Oct 13 12:32 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - helicopter
I remember walking on the South Downs Way on a peaceful Sunday and being irritated by three lads overtaking us at speed on their noisy off road bikes and disappearing into the distance........

Some while later we came across them , one of them sweating mightily in his leathers as he pushed his steed with a flat tyre and buckled rear wheel back towards whence he had come .

The pathway is very steep in parts with no breakdown assistance up there and the nearest road access for help to reach him around two miles away...

I have to admit I was not sympathetic ........


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New Sat 26 Oct 13 12:47 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Robin O'Reliant
As much as I enjoyed riding off road all day and being paid for it I'm of the opinion that tyres belong on tarmac (bicycles accepted). Off roading attracts too many irresponsible idiots who cause nothing but danger and annoyance for everyone else, and anyone who lives within earshot of land where bikers do there stuff will have their weekends ruined by the noise of yobs screaming round on unsilenced bikes.
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New Sun 27 Oct 13 18:52 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Harleyman
This might answer the original question as well as anything.

www.trf.org.uk/
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New Sun 27 Oct 13 22:02 
 Off road motorbiking - where? - Runfer D'Hills
Thanks Harleyman !
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