Bikes and Woods

There have been a couple of unfortunate accidents involving mountain bikes in Ashton Hill Woods recently. The first a thirty something man flew off a jump made by local teenagers (I can cut anything down if it hasn't got leaves on 'cos it's dead - in February!). His handlebars made a mess of his liver and he spent 5 days in intensive care. He and his companion had difficulty explaining where they were and the emergency services had an impossible task to aid them until a local with 'knowledge' gave them assistance. I have taken part in a risk sport for years and spent my share being looked after by our wonderful health service for my sins. I have not yet injured someone and left them on the floor while pursuing my sport. This happened a week or so ago when a biker ran into a lady walking through the woods. He, again a thirty something riding, as they do with head down in determined manner along a winding but fairly level track - originally made by deer but expanded by walkers and now cyclists - knocked the lady into a patch of nettles, his handlebars catching her in the chest. He was completely unsympathetic and swore at her leaving her on the ground to recover as best she could. A good thing that she was not in fact as badly injured as his fellow cyclist who has been aided by all. The speed with which he abandoned her did not allow him to know that he left her with severe abdominal bruising and a nettle rash down her back. There are many considerate mountain bikers in the woods, the Bristol Mountain Bike Club do a great job and train consideration into their members but there seems to be a core of thirty something bikers who visit the woods and are rude and aggressive. They have no consideration for any other user of the woods, human or other wild life which needs to be addressed before someone gets killed. To that end I am meeting up with the Forestry Commission who are at the moment appearing to take a very relaxed attitude to the accidents that have happened on their patch.