The Cut Gate campaign [read more here] is going great guns. Since it kicked off down in London back in November, the Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million appeal has reached over £200,000. That is a massive achievement for the campaign overall – thank you, thank you thank you to everyone who has put money […]
The Domino Effect
The best way to persuade someone that you can do something is simply prove to them that you have done it before. There’s no real argument against solid, recorded evidence. And there’s no reason why that principle shouldn’t apply in mountain biking here in the Peak District. The trouble is, while we might have one […]
Advocacy and Responsible Riding
Sometimes it seems to be an impossible balancing act, championing the rights of mountain bikers and pushing for increased responsibility versus the push back from other interested parties when they challenge us for being irresponsible mountain bikers who tear up the landscape. Whatever we say, as an advocacy group, we will irritate someone, whether that […]
The Mountain Bike ‘Advocacy Files’
We’ve joined forces with Ride Sheffield and Keeper of the Peak to produce “The Advocacy Files”, a collection of some of the finest examples of mountain bike advocacy work in the UK. We all know how great the mountain biking community is. Sadly, we still suffer from the misconception that we ‘churn up the paths’* […]
Cut Gate Path: Collaboration, Consideration, Conservation, Action?
Back in November we told you about the conversations Peak District MTB are having about Cut Gate alongside Ride Sheffield. Well things have moved on a bit and now, with the backing of the Peak District National Park Authority, Sheffield City Council, The Outdoor City and the support of Keeper of the Peak as well […]
“You’re just a nuisance”
In a scene which I’m sure many of you will recognise, the walker stated quite loudly to his wife “Look, he’s taken no notice of the signs either. They shouldn’t be on here”. I could have ignored it and ridden on only to vent my frustration online later after a grumpy ride, but it was […]
Some thoughts on Open Access in England
This weekend was the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Pennine Way. As part of a varied programme of celebratory activities Edale Village Hall hosted a talk entitled “The Spirit of Kinder”. In April 1932 over 400 people held a mass trespass over Kinder Scout that is credited as being hugely important in the […]