Gravel riders beware ....

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I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
Apart from the tacks it all Sounds like interesting trail features to me, afterall it is a natural track and not some engineered trail centre course so you take it as you find it!
 
OP
OP
ozboz

ozboz

Guru
Location
Richmond ,Surrey
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Gravel riders get up to all sorts of things in all sorts of places , perhaps I should posted trail / off road riders , if I was to be riding tracks around that area I’d like to be aware of these things take it on board ,
 
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Drago

Legendary Member
It disappoints me somewhat that the dibble don't actually take this more seriously. At the very least this sort of thing should be treated as an attempt at a S18 wounding, and seizing wires etc for possible DNA recovery attempts. Simply removing the obstacles and trotting out the usual platitudes for publication in the local chipwrapper isn't good enough.
 

Dec66

A gentlemanly pootler, these days
Location
West Wickham
This bit gets me:

"Derbyshire Police said no official complaints had been made but said there have been previous incidents where tacks were placed on roads in and around some villages.

"Anyone acting in this manner is putting people at serious risk of injury and, potentially, even death. It is not just cyclists that could be affected - horses and their riders, walkers and other trail users could all be hurt," the force said"

As if to say, injuring horses, their riders, and walkers is bad, but injuring cyclists is in some way understandable.

I'm sure it's not what they meant (I hope it's not what they meant), but I wish they would bloody well learn how to choose their words more carefully.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
You're over-sensitive and paranoid. There's no implication in that statement that cyclists are of lesser importance than horse riders or walkers. It's this kind of over-sensitivity that perpetuates the image of cyclists as whining, entitled and patronising towards anybody who doesn't share their own enlightened views.
 

lane

Veteran
This bit gets me:

"Derbyshire Police said no official complaints had been made but said there have been previous incidents where tacks were placed on roads in and around some villages.

"Anyone acting in this manner is putting people at serious risk of injury and, potentially, even death. It is not just cyclists that could be affected - horses and their riders, walkers and other trail users could all be hurt," the force said"

As if to say, injuring horses, their riders, and walkers is bad, but injuring cyclists is in some way understandable.

I'm sure it's not what they meant (I hope it's not what they meant), but I wish they would bloody well learn how to choose their words more carefully.

I live in Derbyshire and as far as I can tell the police only take seriously murder, sexual assults and rape, armed robbery, possibly serious muggings and assults, stabbings. seem to have a good track record and quick response to these issues but anything else don't hold your breath.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
There seems to be a climate of blaming the Police. My neighbour is a recently-retired PC who went over to the private sector for better money, office hours and no fear of being attacked. He says that in the entire borough of Blackburn with Darwen if 20 officers report for duty, half will usually be assigned to permanent duties like guarding premises or prisoners in hospital leaving the other half to cover the entire connurbation. On a Friday or a Saturday night that stretches them to breaking point but by later in the night they will be sitting bored in their cars hoping for a job to come up. With that kind of irregularity of supply and demand and no slack in the system, is it any wonder the Police can only concentrate on the most serious crimes?
 

lane

Veteran
I did say in my post they were effective and quick at dealing with the most serious crimes. I just think it unlikely they will put many resources into this i particular issue from my experience.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
There seems to be a climate of blaming the Police. My neighbour is a recently-retired PC who went over to the private sector for better money, office hours and no fear of being attacked. He says that in the entire borough of Blackburn with Darwen if 20 officers report for duty, half will usually be assigned to permanent duties like guarding premises or prisoners in hospital leaving the other half to cover the entire connurbation. On a Friday or a Saturday night that stretches them to breaking point but by later in the night they will be sitting bored in their cars hoping for a job to come up. With that kind of irregularity of supply and demand and no slack in the system, is it any wonder the Police can only concentrate on the most serious crimes?

Being a retired sergeant I don't blame the police officers one little bit. The ultimate blame lies with a government that slashes budgets while simultaneously permitting the Peter Principle to flourish within police management structures, and the dire guidance issued by the College of Policing. The entire internet doesn't have the bandwidth to tell you what I think of the latter.
 

Justinitus

Warning: May Contain Pie
Location
Wiltshire
It disappoints me somewhat that the dibble don't actually take this more seriously. At the very least this sort of thing should be treated as an attempt at a S18 wounding, and seizing wires etc for possible DNA recovery attempts. Simply removing the obstacles and trotting out the usual platitudes for publication in the local chipwrapper isn't good enough.

I’m pretty sure they’ll only be interested if someone gets injured.

There is a very quiet, narrow lane on one of my local routes. There’s a farmer who runs a silver wire just above handlebar height across the lane when he’s moving cows from a field on one side of the lane to another opposite. And then just leaves it there. Problem is it’s grey galvanised - same colour as the tarmac - and you can’t see it, especially in the sun with shades on. Nearly came a cropper once.

Tried to locate which farmer it was but no luck so rang 101. Police handler was very concerned as initially he thought I’d been injured but when I clarified I hadn’t but it was a really close call - he lost all interest, despite me explaining what a danger it was.

Next day, same time same thing and still couldn’t find the farmer. So I rode home, cut up some bright coloured rags into strips and went back and tied them across the wire to warn others.

Next day, wire was back up and the strips of rag had been removed. I gave up. Police could have sorted that with a quick word but will only obviously take action when some poor soul ends up in A&E.
 
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Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
Being a retired sergeant I don't blame the police officers one little bit. The ultimate blame lies with a government that slashes budgets while simultaneously permitting the Peter Principle to flourish within police management structures, and the dire guidance issued by the College of Policing. The entire internet doesn't have the bandwidth to tell you what I think of the latter.
The problem with these "pranks" is that they lead to serious offenses. I had, in the neighborhood where I work in private security, some incidents of damage to cars, followed by some breaking and entering, followed by a hold-up of a sandwich shop and a standoff with the police. Don't know if it's all related, but attitudes about enforcement impact further outcomes. And I don't mean putting people in jail. In many cases, jail is better than the home life some of these people have. Better to make them go out and clean and clear the trail, clean the restrooms, and pick up litter under supervision. Especially if it's just some AOWG who decides he's going to take a swipe at them there liberal/conservative/native/foreign/ noisy/quiet cyclists.
 

Jody

Stubborn git
As if to say, injuring horses, their riders, and walkers is bad, but injuring cyclists is in some way understandable.

I'm sure it's not what they meant (I hope it's not what they meant), but I wish they would bloody well learn how to choose their words more carefully.

They are pointing out that the type of trap used can potentially injure all users and not just the ones they are targeting.

Apart from the tacks it all Sounds like interesting trail features to me,

Not sure a plank of wood buried and disguised with 200 up facing nails is an interesting trail feature. There was a similar case a couple of years ago in Clumber Park where a runner trod on a buried plank and got a rusty 6 inch nail through his foot. That was another trap out to stop or injure cyclists.
 
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