Riders and drivers have enjoyed an uneasy relationship with other countryside lovers, but recent problems have provoked a police backlash. Hugh Cleary rides the green lanes of North Yorkshire and, as he explains, bikers have every right to enjoy their hobby in peace…

MY family and I have, over the past 35 years or so, taken many happy holidays in the beautiful North York Moors, travelling out from our friends’ holiday home in Scarborough, bed and breakfast and caravanning.

We love walking around the Dalby forest areas and visiting the local holiday attractions.

Our sons are grown up now and since I have recently retired, I am planning to return to the area for more trips from my home in Stockport, but these will probably be to ride some of the green lanes and back roads on my trail-type motorcycle.

I am a member of the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF), a national motorcycle club set up to help motorcyclists enjoy the countryside without causing a nuisance.

As a group, we fully support the police and Forestry Commission in their crackdown on reported anti-social behaviour by thoughtless motorcyclists.

We do not condone such activities and we will happily work with the authorities to bring such people to task.

However, not all motorcyclists are badly behaved, rude and selfish and the vast majority ride fully road legal, MOT certificated, taxed and insured motorcycles on public roads.

Britain’s green lanes are normally referred to as Byways Open To All Traffic (or Boats for short).

They are, in fact, roads and they are open to normal traffic, although since in the main they are not covered in tarmac, specialised motor vehicles are used.

We, the motorised users, are perfectly happy to share these roads with other like-minded countryside users – birdwatchers, ramblers, mountain bikers and horse riders – bearing in mind that these routes are classified as roads.

I understand that there are legal routes in the forest, but that they may show on maps as unclassified country roads. Perhaps the Forestry Commission might sign them as “public roads” and then put “No Vehicle” signs on the various tracks that lead off them? I think that one misunderstanding stems from the fact that the surface of these roads often look like footpaths. Therefore, other users seem to think that motorised users should not be using them. However, really the shoe is on the other foot. You would not walk down the middle of the M1.

It is my experience that the majority of countryside users are tolerant of each other’s needs and act accordingly, but as is typical of all groups in society, no single group has a monopoly on common sense or stupidity.

We all know there are some people on bikes and 4X4s the rest of the motorised users would be better off without – they do us no favours whatsoever.

Equally, there are folk in other groups – both vehicular and non-vehicular – who do their peers no favours either.

In my view, we should all work together to protect our multi-cultural differences – be they as individuals or groups.

We should all counter those who would do harm to our shared environment or to restrict or remove our rights to go about our lawful past-times, whether that is directly and deliberately or inadvertently. Let us not forget that our current rights have been hard won, going back to the Tolpuddle Martyrs and those who pursued the mass trespass on Kinder Scout.

If we start to attack any one group because of the wrongs committed by a few, then we need to take a long hard honest look at our own behaviour.

OUR great country and democratic society has been built upon tolerance coupled with restraint. Those few who break society’s conventions will continue to do so irrespective of the behaviour of the honest majority. We need to find ways to educate such people and then, if they continue to disregard us, they should be brought to justice as appropriate.

The green lane motorised users have only a relatively small portion of the land to use. If that should be removed, then I fear that more unauthorised use will become apparent.

It is often forgotten that the motorised user groups do help to fund the local economies. We buy food, refreshments, fuel and take accommodation in the areas.

Some of our people are involved in other aspects of country life too, helping out as volunteer park rangers, National Trust volunteers, transport providers in extreme weather conditions and even to Mountain Rescue activities.

If you see a motorcyclist, do remember to return a smile and say hello. We are not from another planet.

We are wearing helmets not to hide us from view, but to protect our eyes and faces from injury by branches and insects.

Our clothing and boots are to protect us from rocks and gravel surfaces should we come off – not to make us look menacing. Remember that we are very happy to help direct lost or confused travellers and that much of our local knowledge has been built up from rambling as well.

Finally, may I ask that you please try to follow a balanced view that not all motorcyclists are badly behaved, just as not all teenagers are thugs.