Mountain bikers are a scourge wherever they are found

"Phil W Lee" wrote in message ...
[...]

RAF Air/Sea Rescue reports that hikers account for 50% of their call
outs. This means they outnumber all other calls for emergency aid put
together.After hiking accidents there are accidents at sea, swimming accidents,
surfing accidents, motor accidents and equestrian accidents.
Mountian bike accidents were too small a number to be statistically
significant.

You can’t go by what any single agency is reporting. After all, that could be highly skewed for any number of reasons. But it in no way subtracts from my central point the mountain biking on hiking trails is sui generis dangerous. You are doing something that trails were not designed for.
[...]

Yes, even public footpaths in England and Wales (formerly closed to
cyclists) are increasingly having cycle access granted (either
permissive, or by being upgraded to bridleways, over which cyclists
have a right-of-way). Some are even being surfaced to a high standard
so that they can be used easily by road cyclists (which benefits
pedestrians as well, as they can then be used in ordinary footwear
without risk of slipping or having to change at the destination).

Once a footpath is paved it is no longer a hiking trail. It has essentially become a bike trail. A paved trail is not of much interest for a hiker although it may serve for those who simply want a bit of exercise. In any event, there is never any excuse for permitting bikes on true hiking trails.

Mountain bikers are barbarians and have no right to be on any trail used by hikers – unless they want to get off their god damn ****ing bikes and walk like everyone else. When they crash and injure themselves, I rejoice! If and when they manage to kill themselves, I say good riddance to bad rubbish! Death to mountain biking!

“Tread softly! All the earth is holy ground.�
~ Christina Rossetti (Psalm 24),
from "A Later Life: A Double Sonnet of Sonnets"

Mountain bikes have wheels. Wheels are for roads.

Trails are for walking. What’s the matter? Can’t walk?

Ed Dolan the Great
aka
Saint Edward the Great