I READ your article and noted the comments by Cllr David Harrison about mass cycle events in the New Forest.

I am surprised that he is saying something should be done, he is a NFDC District Councillor, a Hampshire County Councillor and a member of the National Park Authority - he should be doing something himself, being the best placed person to do it.

When I was raising money for the hospital I tried to resurrect the old Daisy Run but found taking a large group of motor cyclists on a slow trundle through the forest was made impossible by the police and requirements for safety plans, checking bikes to see they were legal, plus we had to have marshals riding with the bikes and declare our route.

All this with having to pay for police outriders made the Daisy Run impractical.

Luckily we were able to use the grounds of Beaulieu and we had a motorcycle day but we still had to liaise with the police and carry out a complete safety review of the routs to and from the event. 

If the cycles were treated in the same way as motorcycles and the organisers were put through the same rigours as group motorcyclists the mass cycle events could be more controlled.

READER LETTER: Cyclists are welcome in the New Forest >>>

When did we last see a bell on a racing bike in these events and I believe an adequate warning of approach is a legal requirement even for a cycle. 
Let’s use the law to at least make sure the bikes are fully road legal and the routes are safe plus they will not endanger other road users.

I appreciate cycling is fun but facing a lot of cyclists riding backside in the air, head down en-masse right across the road heading for you at about maximum speed is no fun and not safe.

Cllr Allan Glass, Holbury and North Blackfield, Conservative.