[Members] Fw: IMBA Update 26. May 06

[Rab]

IMBA Update 26.  May 06Chaps,

Here's the latest update from IMBA.

Rab
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Colin Palmer 
To: IMBA - Affiliates 
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 4:28 PM
Subject: IMBA Update 26. May 06


Hello Again

Office Closure
The IMBA office will be closed from May 19th to May 31st inclusive, while your scribe is pedaling around the Hebrides.
I will have the laptop and mobile - but communications will be creaky, and anything urgent should be routed via other committee members - see Contacts in About IMBA-UK on the website.

RUPP's are Dead - Long Live Restricted Byways.
Restricted byways were first introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and the relevant provisions  took effect on 2 May in order to dovetail with the commencement of parts of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act. All RUPP's are now Restricted byways which can be used by pedestrians, horse-riders, cyclists, and carriage drivers. In addition, cyclists can now claim new Restricted Byways following 20 years of unchallenged use.  DEFRA press release at http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=198687&NewsAreaID=2&H
User ID =878,793,894,857,782,868,865,845,786,674,677,767,684,762,718,674,708,683,706,718,674

When is a Vehicle not a Vehicle?
Perhaps when it is a bike....
The law regards the bike as a vehicle, and IMBA is constantly chiding Local Authorities for issuing orders 
to restrict vehicular access, when they actually mean MOTORISED vehicular access. Unfortunately such wrongly worded notices cause a lot of confusion and aggravation as they appear to reduce routes available to cyclists.  
So it is of particular concern when the well regarded Lake District National Park issues a widely distributed but inaccurate letter stating that 31 routes in the N Park 'have now had their vehicular rights extinguished'.
This mistake is a result of a clause in NERC which is thought to extinguish motorised rights over highways which are on both the definitive and highways maps - and even includes some bridleways!
So keep a watchful eye for similarly wrong statements in your own Local Authority areas and contact IMBA if you spot any.

Whistler Conference gets Closer
The IMBA conference in British Columbia runs from 20th to 24th June, and we understand that a number of Brits are flying out to attend. However, we do not have an "official" delegate, so would be pleased to hear if any members have booked to attend - or know anyone outside of IMBA who is going.

IMBA Publishes New Trailbuilders Guide
There are many areas both in and out of the forest which would make great venues for new mtb trails or sites.
But how do you go about changing an idea into some brand new singletrack?
IMBA¹s latest 20 page booklet ³Getting Started² does just that. 
Written by Chase Trails guru Stuart Tite the booklet provides easy to follow information on how to establish and manage a trailbuilding group, the process of getting permissions, insurance and funding, right the way through to maintenance considerations once the trail is open.
Available free as a pdf download to IMBA members, and £5.00 to non members from the shop at www.imba-uk.com

New Members Handbook
The Members Handbook has been revised and will be sent to all new members on joining.
Copies for current members can be downloaded from "About IMBA-UK" on the IMBA-UK website, or by contacting the IMBA office for a printed copy.

Towpath Trembles
British Waterways is asking cyclists to help make the waterways network safer by using Visitor Incident Report Forms to report any incident, accident or Onear miss¹, including anti-social behaviour on the towpath network. This information allows British Waterways to address areas of concern and present data to third parties to encourage assistance in tackling problems, particularly where anti-social behaviour plays a part.
The form can be submitted electronically from www.britishwaterways.co.uk/incidents  

Snowdon Bridleway Agreement
This voluntary agreement was negotiated around a decade ago to minimise conflict between walkers and cyclists on the Snowdon bridleways and is an excellent example of good practice by the mountainbiking community.
Cyclists are asked to avoid using the bridleways between 10am and 5pm between 1st May and 30th September.
During 2005, 1073 cyclists and 72,183 walkers used the Llanberis Path on Snowdon with nearly 900 cyclists complying with the code - a result which has been welcomed by both the National Park and the local community.
Further details on cycling within the National Park can be found under Recreation at www.eryri-npa.gov.uk. 

Mtb Injuries Escalate in Scotland
The popularity of Scotland as an mtb destination is bringing with it a noticeable increase in injuries.
Typically, Borders General Hospital treats around ten mtb casualties every weekend out of the 250,000 mountainbikers riding at Glentress last year. Injuries range from serious lacerations to major fractures and head and spinal injuries, with a similar pattern noted at Fort William's Belford Hospital.
The Forestry Commission have already accepted the need to reduce the potential for injuries and are conducting a two year review with the aim of developing best practice for adoption thoughout the UK.
IMBA is also engaged in safety issues through its Trail Assessment process, but stresses that the solution is not to reduce the level of challenge, but rather to make sure that riders are fully aware of the skill level reguired to ride any particular route.

Call for Desktop Publishing Skills
Anyone out there prepared to produce a new full colour IMBA publicity flyer and poster?
Offers of help to imba at branchline.demon.co.uk

Colin Palmer
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