Re:
Not read through the whole thread [sorry] but...
Last weekend I took our pup for a walk to a place I used to ride regularly with mates - some on here
- and found that a lot of our routes had very purposefully been fenced and gated off, with a fair few 'no cycles' signs...
With the passage of 20 years without my presence I don't know why this might be, but the same thing [with fences] has happened in the local parks too to prevent / limit access by users.
I'm fairly certain the parks [ie. fencing off play areas, fencing in pools, grading pools so there's no steps etc] have been done to reduce liability for councils. Our council is particularly ardent [I have lived in areas with different councils] in their efforts to minimise any possible claim for personal injury on their land.
Maybe closing off access to bikes is a result of the same thinking?
One of the reasons I'm looking at a possible change of venue for ICONOCLASSIC is the hoops I have to jump through for the council, who's legal department is utterly unprepared to budge on the simplest of items lest it voids their insurance - and I mean really insignificant, common sense items...
I suspect this is unfortunately an area which councils are increasingly bearing down on in order to minimise their liability...
When we used to ride back in the day things really weren't an issue, but with the massive increase in users [of all mediums] of public spaces the resultantly varied notions of respect and responsibility are a possible cause.
Whilst we might not be running round on 8 inch suspension demons, jumping over walkers and being a general menace, it doesn't necessarily follow that other cyclist aren't - the usual story of blanket banning being easier than selective monitoring.
That being said, horse riders are still allowed full access on the same trails it seemed from my visit last weekend...
Remember the MBA article from '91 or so when police officers in Marin County were closing trails and using speed guns - we're just 30 years behind is all...