Here is a map of approved cycling routes in the New Forest.

I lived in the forest for a year before I found out about the cycling fines! I just never realised that not all gravel tracks are allowed for cycling. I think a lot of it is common sense though. I never, ever cycle on mud or cross the heaths anyway.

I think a lot more could be done for cyclists though, not just on the tracks but on the roads. For example, there are several ‘pinch points’ on the roads around Burley, I have come close to being hit by motorists who just fly through, missing me by inches. I really hope they redesign these pinch points. Maybe allowing cyclists to ride on the outside while cars can pass through on the inside. It is only a matter of time before someone gets killed.

A lot of people have “slow down for horses” scrawled on their cars, but not many make the same allowance for cyclists. I don’t understand this at all. It defies logic, as does the speed some people drive through the forest.

For the record, I approached the Naked Man Tree from Burley, along the “Old Burley Road” walking the last bit till it meets the the A35, you need to lift your bike over two gates to cross the road. Be very careful crossing the road, it is a very fast road.