mea00csf

It’s a private road so technically there’s no public right of way except for pedestrians. As it’s privately owned, I would assume that the owners can do as they please and therefore can drive on it if they wish.

There may be an agreement between whoever improved the path (presume sustrans?) and the private owners that vehicles can’t be driven on it so may be worth reporting to sustrans if its being damaged, but the knackered road they can prob do as they please. Problem with reporting is they could get petty and block cyclists from using altogether unless there was an agreement in place when the path was improved that it was on the condition cyclists were allowed.

For what it’s worth, if it’s the track i think it is and is the Sustrans 544, i’d be extremely sceptical that he could close a Sustrans route at a whim. The Design Manual gives the order of preference Sustrans acquire routes, freehold, leasehold and licence. (https://www.sustrans.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/files/Route-Design-Resources/14_Land_Legal_and_Planning_09_12_14.pdf)

I would suspect that there is some licence or leasehold in place for a set term, they would then have to prove that the terms have been broken to close it. I doubt a couple irresponsible/inconsiderate cyclists would be enough to do this, at least, i’d hope that’s the case!

I’m sorry but I agree with the second post and that most of this is in your imagination. I very much doubt that someone “chased” you just for beeping at them.

As far as fuel economy, you’ll get held up at roundabouts, traffic lights, turnings, bends in the road, by queues of cars, so the couple of cyclists really isn’t an issue.

I’ve got to be honest, if you feel pressure on the roads round here, you really are being too sensitive. Round Harwell, i’ve been HUGELY impressed by the room the vast majority of drivers give cyclists and how long they will wait to overtake. I also drive between Harwell and the Canoe Club in Abingdon and the cyclists just aren’t a problem as once you overtake, you only get stuck behind cars and miss perhaps one round of the traffic lights at the right turn into Abingdon, no big deal.

I also agree with the person who said that the roads are for everyone. I think it’s good for Harbug to make people aware of the alternative routes, but shouldn’t be telling anyone that they have to use them or making people feel that they shouldn’t use the road if that’s their choice. You talk about “ungrateful” cyclists who refuse to use routes, however, these routes just aren’t suitable for all. The route between Didcot and Upton is used by a LOT of people, not just cyclists and in my opinion strong cyclists on road bikes are far better suited to being on the road where there are clear rules and responsibilities, cycling at 30km/h+ on these sorts of shared routes isn’t appropriate and is an argument against a quite a lot of the “cycling” infrastructure put in. It’s only suitable for people who occasionally cycle and are pootling along. A shared use path with cyclist and pedestrians in the same space is just dangerous and frustrating if you cycle regularly and for many cyclists, 25km/h+ is just pootling along.

“gets the bikes away form the angry roads”, “I just wonder about people cycling on the road when they do not have to.” These are the kind of statements and sort of attitude that people should be working to stamp out, not advocate IMHO.

If you go on google maps, Alden Farm Livery and stables on Hollow Way is flooded. You couldn’t carry on along Hollow Way heading south unless your happy cycling through mini lakes at least ankle deep and quite long. I cut down to Prospect Farm, where everything got worse and had to jump a muddy drainage ditch, so don’t know whether if you carry on along Hollow Way it would get worse or better, but i’m avoiding the area tomorrow!