I've never been an advocate of riding country footpath, not for any legal reasons but more because they throw up unexpected obstacles 
Yesterday I was aimlessly riding and came across a section of byway I hadn’t ridden for at least 20 years, I remembered they had built a bypass around a local village and i was curious to know what they had done with the rights of way. It turns out they just drove the bypass straight over it
left with two choices, go back the way I came or try the nearby footpath (a small part of the macmillan way) against my better judgment I chose the footpath.
the first field had no sign of a path but I could just make out a break in the hedge on the opposite side, the field recently had cattle in it so it was rough riding with the typical cattle related obstacles (some quite fresh under a crusty top ) The break in the hedge turned out to be a “kissing gate” https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=kissing+gate&safe=off&client=safari&hl=en-gb&sxsrf=ALeKk03QsBivUnO6u5qiEk71o-ZBoR8PXA:1590913572499&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj0q-3y1t3pAhUOURUIHcAEBwQQ_AUoAXoECBAQAw&biw=1173&bih=743&dpr=2
I don’t like to be beaten and found that if I stand the bike in its back wheel I can push it into the gate just far enough to get through, simples.
The second kissing gate took me to a one plank wide bridge over a stream into a wooded area, the walking the bike on the back wheel method that got me through the gates also got me over the bridge, the Wood was to overgrown to ride but I could make out the path so I pushed on.
The wood stopped abruptly as I came to another kissing gate and the new bypass I mentioned earlier, there was a tunnel under the new road but first I had the gate to negotiate, this was a nice new gate but slightly smaller than the previous gates and no only did I have to stand the bike vertically on its back wheel I also had to lower the seat post Two more gates later and I’m now quite efficient at getting through kissing gates
I’ll soon be in the clear I think as I can see rooftops over the hedges, I see just one last gate In the distance so it’ll be soon over (famous last words)
that last gate was preceded by a style, the gap between style and gate was less than the length of my bike the hottest part of the day and I was cream cracker’d.
I took 5 minutes to consider my options, go back the way I came or figure out how to get my 24kg bike past this obstacle. I walked on to the end of the field to be sure this really was the last gate before field striping my bike, battery out, seatpost out and wheels off.
The bike went through the gate no problem one pice at a time
.The last gate
At 58 with arthritis in my knees, bulging discs in my back and a reconstructed left elbow, I starting to think I’m too old for this.
Never again will I venture down a unknown FOOTPATH
Yesterday I was aimlessly riding and came across a section of byway I hadn’t ridden for at least 20 years, I remembered they had built a bypass around a local village and i was curious to know what they had done with the rights of way. It turns out they just drove the bypass straight over it
left with two choices, go back the way I came or try the nearby footpath (a small part of the macmillan way) against my better judgment I chose the footpath.
the first field had no sign of a path but I could just make out a break in the hedge on the opposite side, the field recently had cattle in it so it was rough riding with the typical cattle related obstacles (some quite fresh under a crusty top
) The break in the hedge turned out to be a “kissing gate” https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=kissing+gate&safe=off&client=safari&hl=en-gb&sxsrf=ALeKk03QsBivUnO6u5qiEk71o-ZBoR8PXA:1590913572499&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj0q-3y1t3pAhUOURUIHcAEBwQQ_AUoAXoECBAQAw&biw=1173&bih=743&dpr=2I don’t like to be beaten and found that if I stand the bike in its back wheel I can push it into the gate just far enough to get through, simples.
The second kissing gate took me to a one plank wide bridge over a stream into a wooded area, the walking the bike on the back wheel method that got me through the gates also got me over the bridge, the Wood was to overgrown to ride but I could make out the path so I pushed on.
The wood stopped abruptly as I came to another kissing gate and the new bypass I mentioned earlier, there was a tunnel under the new road but first I had the gate to negotiate, this was a nice new gate but slightly smaller than the previous gates and no only did I have to stand the bike vertically on its back wheel I also had to lower the seat post
Two more gates later and I’m now quite efficient at getting through kissing gatesI’ll soon be in the clear I think as I can see rooftops over the hedges, I see just one last gate In the distance so it’ll be soon over (famous last words)
that last gate was preceded by a style, the gap between style and gate was less than the length of my bike
the hottest part of the day and I was cream cracker’d.I took 5 minutes to consider my options, go back the way I came or figure out how to get my 24kg bike past this obstacle. I walked on to the end of the field to be sure this really was the last gate before field striping my bike, battery out, seatpost out and wheels off.
The bike went through the gate no problem one pice at a time
.The last gate
At 58 with arthritis in my knees, bulging discs in my back and a reconstructed left elbow, I starting to think I’m too old for this.
Never again will I venture down a unknown FOOTPATH
