Local riders may remember this thread from some time ago:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/southern-riders-want-more-trails-to-ride-read-on-and-sign-petition

Things have progressed and there is a new website explaining all:

http://hampshiretrailwatch.co.uk/

Please note that the next meeting will be held on Monday 6th September at Alice Holt Forest, starting at 6.30 pm

This is obviously an opportunity to get involved and we can all benefit. So … sign up for the e-mail update and come along.

If you can't make it but have ideas/suggestions to make, feel free to e-mail (address in profile) as I am intending to take an active role in this.

Things won't happen without your input so, please, get involved. 🙂

Check out the pics for some glorious Hampshire/Surrey countryside accompanied by some stunning models. 😉

Nice one CG.

It's not loading on my crappy work PC and it's a bit small on the iPhone, so I'll have a read tonight.

(Feeling slightly smug about all my pics on the site though 😉 )

And good pics they are too Pete. 😀 That was such a great day, our third attempt at that route and we were rewarded with some fine weather also.

Yes indeedy!

Kate's been having a good trawl through my Flickr site, it has to be said. 🙂

i ride alot if these trails normaly on my own as i have no friends 🙁

Poor parkesie! Come along to the meeting, share your local knowledge and make some friends. 8)

might just have to 🙂 excuse for a night ride

Excellent parkesie!

One aspect I'm particularly keen to see riders get involved in is trail maintenance. Having bitterly complained on here about some Hampshire trail sanitisation, we will now have the opportunity to ensure that the character of a trail is not lost.

Can I sign a petition against Hampshire trail watch? There are plenty of bridleways and track out there, if you cant be bothered to pick up an OS map and go exploring then stay at home, or drive to one of the nicely signposted trail centers in less populated areas of the country.

Are you adversely affected by it Green ?

So, playing devil's advocate… you're advocating that we pay 20 quid a year to join a group that may or may not have any effect on the state of a bunch of bridleways, but object to paying 20 quid to the Crown Estate to ride the network of trails at Swinley… 😉

>Can I sign a petition against Hampshire trail watch?

Well there isn't one so "no" would be the answer I guess. You could always start one yourself though and try to get likeminded grumps people to sign up.

😉

Green – yes, I see what you are saying but there are many folk who do not have the time or inclination to study a map and take a chance of finding some good tracks.

We all are pressed for time, we are all affected by rising fuel costs so this will enable people to use local trails rather than drive to trail centres.

Some routes, devised by local riders, will be waymarked so they can have a good ride without consulting a map every 100 metres. Is this not a good thing?

Opinions welcomed!

Edit: gotta disappear but back later. Keep the replies coming. 🙂

Be nice to keep those bridle ways open and passable though wouldnt it. Not over grown blocked with builders rubbish or sign posts removed.
And whats wrong with signing a route that uses bridleways and byways for those just out for a ride not a wanting to carry a map and compass and go looking for the best bits all day.

Not really to be honest, although I do live close by and ride in that area. My concern is why do we always have to keep encouraging people to ride on an already over populated trail network? Publishing trail names and creating new maps etc causes additional traffic on the trails, leads to errosion and conflict with other users, just look at swinley and surrey hills, and now even the areas over towards Aldershot.

Not really to be honest, although I do live close by and ride in that area. My concern is why do we always have to keep encouraging people to ride on an already over populated trail network?

NIMBY.

Yeah probably a bit NIMBY, I do agree with a lot of the stuff on the Trailwatch constitution page, and wouldnt want to really sign a petition against a group of volunteers who are trying to improve riding in their area, its just the "Increase Awareness" bit that I dont agree with –

A.To maintain a complete map of the existing network derived from the current RoW map
B.Make available, trail guides and practical recommendations suitable for varying levels of cycle user
C.Explore and document, new and innovative trail routes

Got to say I'm with green here, we live in an area with more trails than most and thats before you start counting the cheeky ones. Also my favorite legit trail round here is at present has an covered with brambles, stingers and bracken then runs down a completely trashed gully with nice roots and drops for about 1/2 a mile, please dont come and attempt to clear the entrance, maintain it thinking your helping the community.

If Green is genuine about discouraging more people from riding in the area – are you going to start by not riding it yourself?

The answer lies in good behaviour and management, not exclusion or discouragement.

I'm not saying we should exclude or discourage anyone, just not encourage them 😉

Doesn't follow at all for me. I'm lucky enough to have been born slap in the middle of some great countryside – but it isn't mine. Come and enjoy it one and all, but be considerate and responsible.

Good luck with it C_G.

Great pictures of the Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire countryside 😉

Jason, shush! I knew where the pics were from as I took them, but nobody else need know! 😉 😀

Thanks to those who have e-mailed offering help, much appreciated but still more needed as there's quite a large area to cover.

Some good feedback and we do need to have both positive and negative, and it will ALL obviously be taken on board. But the fact is that the system works differently now and we have to adapt. I personally think we are very lucky to have the Forestry Commission at Alice Holt being pro mountain biking.

As regards trail maintenance, I have stated I do not want to see trail sanitisation and reckon mtb'ers are pretty much in agreement about how much pruning/trimming needs to be done. We can all get involved in looking after our local patch.

The comment about an overpopulated network, I disagree. I have pretty good trail knowledge in Hampshire and find that at weekends I can still have many Rights of Way to myself. Reckon you will find Swinley Forest overpopulated though. 😉

Jason: it's Kate who's behind this but I just have the thick skin to deal with the STW'ers. 😉

Of course, you're absolutely correct about where the pics were taken so am waiting to be strung up on the Gibbet. 😆

Edit: thepurist – stop being a trouble-maker. 😉

We actually did a Hampshire/Wiltshire/Berkshire loop on Sunday, and passed through the first photo on your website.

Cracking weather too.

Green – why not come along to the meeting on 6th September? I think as a local you should put your point of view across.

b r – good timing I would say! Nothing like wet chalk on a Bank Holiday weekend. 😯

I'll try and make it along to the meeting.

(Although I'll hopefully have done Kielder 100 and 700 miles of driving at the weekend, so my only contribution might be some snoring)

Dave – we need your input at the meeting so you might need to bring some Red Bull to stay awake! A 100 mile ride for you is nothing anyway. 😉

glenp – Member
Doesn't follow at all for me. I'm lucky enough to have been born slap in the middle of some great countryside – but it isn't mine. Come and enjoy it one and all, but be considerate and responsible.

+1

A wee update on this:

£2 local rider membership – for this you will receive an adhesive sticker, one day's free parking, one free bacon bap from the Cafe, one free inner tube from the bike shop. 8)

Yep, that's right, £2. Bargaintastic. 😀 Just fill in your details on the website or apply in person at Alice Holt.

Monday 6th September at Alice Holt, starting at 6.30 pm. Hampshire Trailwatch meeting. All welcome.

This will start from the Cafe if weather is reasonable otherwise it will be held in the Education Centre.

Now I know that there are a lot of riders in both the Hampshire and Surrey areas so it would be brilliant if you could come along and get involved.

Just to reassure people that this will not consist of committees, countless meetings, pointless administration. We are all busy and want to ride our bikes so it will be up to you how much you put into it. I promise that you will not get beaten with a stick. 😯

Just a little bumpity bump and do hope that lots of you can make the meeting tomorrow. 🙂

Did indulge in a bacon bap after a very soggy little ride today and it was delicious!

I'm going to come and ride the trails there, and leave empty crisp packets and drinks cans all over the place.

I'm from the big city, so I can't help it.

Might dump an old fridge there as well. Burn a few old tyres.

Elf – you're sounding stressed. Do tell Auntie C_G what's wrong.

If you're wanting a personal guided tour of Swinley Forest, you only have to ask. 😉

Nah, just being deliberately obtuse in response to this selfishness:

I'm not saying we should exclude or discourage anyone, just not encourage them

If it's too overpopulated, Green, may I suggest you go and ride one of the nicely signposted trail centres in other parts of the country? 😉

Well, some 'terminology' has to be included that will appeal to the FC, as it were. Just being PC surely? 🙄

What you are doing sounds excellent, hope the meeting goes well tomorrow. I don't think I would be averse to contributing a measly £2 for improving trails if it was my area. In fact its not to far from me anyhow, so I might just join anyhow 😉 Anything that improves access to the countryside has to be good in my view, and getting cyclists to lead in improvements to bridleways seems to be a no brainer really

Good job so far, and good luck!

Zukemonster – thank you. 🙂

I guess we all need to accept that rights of way may not be maintained in the way that we would like them to be. However, by getting involved and thus proving that mountain bikers are responsible, can only be a good thing.

Just bumping this up again for the afternoon folk. 🙂

Sorry, not going to make this now as we are still sorting out the aftermath of our Kielder trip.

Kate said there's going to be regular meetings – when is the next one?