A ‘local’ went mental about the 20-30 that ride down his plot of land that he calls his own (just above the turning circle).

In over a decade of riding I’ve never come anyone as unstable, rude, aggressive or threatening as this lad. He looks like the train station ghost on the 80’s flick Ghost is the best way of describing him.

Whereabouts exactly Hora?
Colden clough side or across the canal on the Stubbins Wharf side?

Don’t ride with the Wednesday nighters myself (I lack the requisite Ggggnnnnarrrrr 😀 ), but would love to know which bit to avoid.

who is it? ill run him over

Fox and Goose Inn? There. I was off the bike, calm and considerate. He claimed all mountainbikers were lawbreakers, destroying the land, you name it. He was NOT a walker but a local nutter. Walkers aren’t unhinged.

They’ve just had a beer festival on, with some very strong ales on tap.
Beer victim?

Didn’t even know you could ride behind the Fox & Goose, I’ll have to give it a go!

To be fair, I think I’d be pretty hacked off if 20-30 bikes were bombing down my land. That’s a BIG group!

Agree with mojo. Groups that big aren’t the best idea in the world. Hardly surprising it p*sses folk off.

To be fair, I think I’d be pretty hacked off if 20-30 bikes were bombing down my land. That’s a BIG group!

I’d open a cake stall….

Oh I agree. However who is it hurting if its a night ride? He’s probably the same bloke who laid the trap that had Podge OTB.

What trap had been left? Does this kind of behaviour get reported, investigated etc or is it an unavoidable hazard to live with/look out for?

Hora mentions a “local” but doesn’t put “20-30” in quotes. Big group for a Wednesday night ride that, not that I ride with either big groups, or night rides any more :-/

Not sure if you mean the bit that is right behind the F&G but if so that isn’t “land” belonging someone but a track wide enough in places to drive a landy.

To be fair 30 people in Hebden is never a good idea, in fact 30 people riding any natural trail is a bit daft really!

Moral of the story is don’t over populate the trails.

Brant I’d guess this isn’t the Wed night group you’re thinking of. For a start there was no mention of knitting;-)

on this post anyone done the stanbury route recently? if you go towards the top withins house on the top of the hill theres a sign before it on the path saying no mountainbikers must of been some complaints? i just carried on what they guna do lol

I can understand why people are pi$$ed off as most of the riding in Mytholm is done on FPs, I ride the same routes and regularly there are delicately placed boulders in the middle of routes etc.

In their infinate wisdom they have turned smooth boring FPs into boulder strewn rock gardens with drops offs 😆

This the fella?

This the fella?

Aaah, he’s from Todmorden then.

About 20 pensioners rode up past mine towards Norland Moor on wednesday eve. Bet it was these badasses.

Teadrinker YEP. Two medium-sized (lovely) black dogs. If you guys ever have the pleasure.

not the Onion thrower fp then? 🙂

Not guilty your honour! We were in Bingley on weds! Must have been the Beaujolais faction but there’s only about six of them! Onion thrower footpath got ruined ages ago by someone putting stiles on it! Made me chuckle though cos I was the bloke who had the onions thrown at me.

ahh only did onion thrower once wi Lee,cant remeber where it is now.

This lad kept on blocking and throewing himself at me like a ragdoll. Shouting that he pays his taxes (I wound him up by asking if he was born/from the area). He flipped at me saying ‘then its not your land/claim to it!

hmmm you could have done with some onions to hand Hora!

Onion thrower is on the other side of Hebden. We hardly ever ride behind the Fox and Goose so it won’t be us anyway. Hora you should have said ‘Get off my train’ to him!

Yorkshire Pudding, we have one called Geoff on Harden Moor, your lucky you didn’t meet him last Wed!

The ‘get off my train’ analogy is perfect for these saddo’s..

As for riding with 30 people, surely with that many folks faffing and adjusting stuff you’d never get anywhere !!

He struck me as the type who is rarely right but runs rampant through the garden of righteousness regardless. He was revelling in having a go.

those type seem to be multiplying

He struck me as the type who is rarely right but runs rampant through the garden of righteousness regardless

he’s an stw regular then, that narrows the field.

Hora – Did he actually say it was on a wednesday night or is that your addition? As Yorkshire Pudd says above it can’t be the usual HB group, cos they don’t ride that particular area much and there ain’t ever 20 or more riders out!!

Are we talking about XXX? Mint trail but the last few times I’ve ridden it, its been made loads more fun by the piles of rocks/branches laid over the trail.

Never ridden it on a Wednesday night or in a big group though.

Right, we’ve got to sort this out.

Tonight, I’m going to carry 30 T shirts up to the top of the relevant trail.
I’m then going to ride down and back up 30 times, changing my shirt when appropriate to give the impression of a large group of riders.
I may try a comedy moustache/beard combo on occasion as well, just to make sure I’m not rumbled.

Will report back with more info, if I survive.

He was firm on the ‘Wednesday’ bit. I think the 20-30 was an exaggeration for effect as he was screaming at that point about the damage being done. I pointed out that it was a ratty/almost overgrown (hard to spot) path after you turn hard right along the wire fencing. He wasn’t interested in my opinion. I had no chance but to talk/engage him though as he was thoroughly blocking my way and pushing against me to make his point.

Never come across anyone like that at all. Never had an argument with anyone on foot. Any comment to a group I’ve been in I’ve stayed mute and carried on. A few weeks ago I was pulling a mediumish (what seemed to be) a tree that was completely blocking a footpath at Win Hill. A female walker mentioned that it was good I was doing a public service but should I be there? I stayed quite and went on my way. She had a right to tell me off even if it was 9.30am on a Sunday morning effectively in the middle of nowhere.

DBW I don’t know the name of it but it comes out at the side of the pale/newish build houses/at the back garden and spits you out abruptly onto the road/pavement across the bus stop/shelter. If you don’t turn hard right suddenly you end up popping out next to the pub.

My point is he was really pushing for a reaction- a physical reaction. I think he wants someone to lamp him so hes actually got something to act upon. It wouldn’t surprise me if hes already written to or been in contact with the council or Police chewing their ears off.

Just a warning- if you see him be patient and don’t rise to him. He really wants you to. Yes you have a reasonable argument about ‘self defence’ however it’d look bad if he said ‘I was minding my own business walking up there, cyclist aggressively just missed my dogs and attacked me’.

When the reality could be different.

Just watch out and be patient. He wont let you passed no matter what. I had to say ‘I am going to walk around you along the very end of this stoney/loose drop, you are not going to push me over it or push into me are you?’. (He didn’t).

i know where you mean now, it comes out here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en-GB&q=hebden+bridge&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Hebden+Bridge,+Calderdale,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&t=h&layer=c&cbll=53.742304,-2.023285&panoid=eZaRQ0QPs4y1hiEKP1BXFA&cbp=12,356.09,,0,4.71&ll=53.742215,-2.023351&spn=0,0.001719&z=19

I thought from your first post you’d bumped into this guy in the pub, didn’t realise you had met him on the trail itself. We don’t ride that much maybe twice a year tops, I can’t see how he can own it and I’ve never met any dog walkers on it. He probably saw some lights coming down the hillside in winter and your the first cyclist he’s managed to bump into on the trail that he can vent his anger on!

Bingo!

if your on a legal trail then it shouldnt matter if your in a small group or a large group, you have as much right to be there as the next person, I was out with the single track group in the peaks on sun and whilst it was a large group they were as far as I could see not riding stupid fast near walkers and when we did pass walkers every one that was near said hello etc, all very polite

the countryside is there for us all to use not just those that shout loudest,

rant over

Looks like that’s also the exit from Midgets Pit.
Was it right at the botton (last 100yds) or further up, where he ambushed you?

Further up- before the sharp left turn onto the last path to the road.

I may be pointing out the obvious but it is a footpath. Whether or not he owns it is another thing…

but runs rampant through the garden of righteousness

Does he post on here?