Coastal path detouring

[Lawrie9]

Here is my bike on the Cornish coastal path at a place called High Cliff about 4 miles north of Boscastle. If you have a lightweight bike without paniers that you can easily throw over stiles it is quite nice to detour along the cliff paths and coastal paths in the UK. It was very quiet here with not a soul at High Cliff but was heaving with tourists at Boscastle.

[diapason0]

Thet's one of my favourite spots on that coast. Nice bike too!

[ChrisButch]

If you have a lightweight bike without paniers that you can easily throw over stiles it is quite nice to detour along the cliff paths and coastal paths in the UK..

Nice, but illegal: since, with the exception of a few short stretches classified as bridlepath, the South West Coast Path is over Public Footpaths, and thus there is no legal access for bikes. As it happens, most of the SWCP is unrideable anyawy, even on a mountain bike (though there are some who try, as is evident from the wheeltracks one not infrequently sees in the mud).

[theflyingspanner]

Nice, but illegal:

- er, no. Let's not keep perpetrating the myth that cycling on a public footpath is a criminal offence. It's a trespass against the landowner, who would have to sue in the civil court.

[Russcoles]

This bit is next to a road:

B3301 from Hayle to Porthreath, quite a nice ride and legal

[ChrisButch]

Nice, but illegal:

- er, no. Let's not keep perpetrating the myth that cycling on a public footpath is a criminal offence. It's a trespass against the landowner, who would have to sue in the civil court.

I freely admit I'm being pedantic here, but I'm correct in using the term 'illegal', even though there's no criminal offence and any recourse to the law would be a civil matter. There is no legal right of way, and a trespass is thus ilegal.

[Ronaldo]

Nice, but illegal:

- er, no. Let's not keep perpetrating the myth that cycling on a public footpath is a criminal offence. It's a trespass against the landowner, who would have to sue in the civil court.

It would be illegal if there was a local authority traffic regulation order on that path.