Green Lanes - how dirty should you get??

[MudSurfer]

It's official - I have reached the age where I am a full on grumpy old man! Today, on my way home from work I saw a Suzi pulling up to a junction, from a road that I know leads to two local lanes. This little zook was PLASTERED in mud - top to bottom.

Now, it's drying up round here, I know both of those lanes really well, one isn't muddy much and the other, the legal bit, isn't too bad, but there are some big ruts along the far end.....but nothing you could get THAT dirty in.

So - I assume either this person arrived at the lane already covered in mud, has been driving way too fast along the lane, or has been off piste and making a right blummin mess - as I've caught a few people doing recently!

So - how dirty should you get laning with a sub 10 mph speed limit????

[gwh200]

Depends on a few things apart from going illegal andy. We recently went laning round kent and as i have no mudflaps and my tyres stick out a bit, mine was plastered from top to bottom..and we went very slow.The tyres just flung loads of mud everywhere

[MudSurfer]

Depends on a few things apart from going illegal andy. We recently went laning round kent and as i have no mudflaps and my tyres stick out a bit, mine was plastered from top to bottom..and we went very slow.The tyres just flung loads of mud everywhere

Tis a good point you make, oh dudelike one......this little zook did have muds on.....so maybe - but this thing was covered - all over, not just tyre spray, it was like it had been dunked...

[gwh200]

Tis a good point you make, oh dudelike one......this little zook did have muds on.....so maybe - but this thing was covered - all over, not just tyre spray, it was like it had been dunked...

Yup...thats the effect i get.Think back to the first big wales we did...the poomobile was absolutely covered in (sheep) poo..the only bit that was uncovered was where the wipers cleared the screen.....its not difficult...and couple that with the fact i washed it in 2006...and not since...

[Bibs]

Hmmm that's difficult. Mine (used) to be very muddy an the last green lane we did couldn't have got it that muddy. Was just due to the fact I never washed it. Bit harsh to judge unless it looks fresh or you caught them at it. But I do get what you mean.

[da SLUG man]

So - how dirty should you get laning with a sub 10 mph speed limit????

there's a speed limit??
thought with no street lights or posted limit, the speed would be 60??

[NEZ]

what speed limit?
i always get completely covered, its part of the fun seeing the neighbours faces when i get home lol.

seriously though, is there a speed limit?

[Apache]

I dont think there's a speed limit as such, but there is a (or several, depending who you talk to) code of conduct.

As green lanes are under threat of closure pretty much constantly due to pressure from the likes of the Ramblers Association, NIMBYs and the like, any kind of behaviour that draws attention to 4x4s using the lanes is probably negative.

Things that would draw negative attention probably include :-

...driving lanes too quickly. A dog walker's idea of too quickly will probably differ from yours remember.

...driving in such a way as to destroy the surface of the lane with ruts etc - which is the usual way you would end up covered in mud on a typical green lane. This is a dead cert way of getting a lane closed. It only needs gentle pressure from ramblers on the land owner - he probably doesn't want us there anyway and is just looking for an excuse.

I know I'll probably sound a bit of an old fuddy-duddy (and I dont think I've ever used that phrase before! ) but what is the obsession with wanting people to see your truck muddy? Do you think they're impressed, or even care? Or is is some sort of way of justifying ownership of a 4x4 to the public? ("look at me! I really do use it offroad" type of thing). Remember, you really dont NEED to justify it! Mine, like Bibs' is just dirty cos I cant be ar5ed washing it

Personally, I like to go greenlaning because I like being out there in the countryside with a likeminded bunch of folk. I have only had the truck covered in mud once or twice, back when I first started. Since then, I might get mud on the lower door panels etc, but thats about it. I figure mud on the roof indicates you were probably damaging the lane you were driving. There are exceptions - Salisbury Plain will do that whatever time of year and whatever your driving style, it seems but driving the typical south wales lanes, to get caked in mud, you'd have to be driving off piste or in such a way as to draw very negative attention.

Sorry if this comes across a bit preachy - I'm sure most people (me included) have transgressed if only out of innocent ignorance of what can happen. If you really must have mud on your roof and water in your footwells, pay & play is the place to do it.

[NEZ]

i enjoy the green lanes, some near me are a real challenge and you have to get muddy to pass them.

i always respect the lanes and the other users whoever and whatever they are doing there as indeed i respect most things.

they are an important part of our countryside and i beleive they should be enjoyed by anyone who wishes to use them, within reason.
i do not speed my way along but in some instances a little hast is needed to avoid getting stuck - as has happened!

keep things within reason and enjoy them i say and if you get muddy - great!

its not an obsession nor to show off, it personally gives me a great satisfaction that i have had a good day out and had a good challenge.

if i wanted a tranquil drive in the country i would not be green laning.

when i get home my truck is always washed, polished, touched up, repaired and even has the chassis and underside regulary painted and every so often has a paintwork and fabric protector applied.

i love my truck but i love using it even more.

[thecaretaker]

well now bio just picked up his truck and we went offroad and this is how dirty you should get it

[surfenstein]

actually the thing with the tyres,now if your tyres stick out of the arches by say a few inches then your gonna get covered no matter what,as apache said the plains is an awsome place to get covered in mud,when bio and i go out we usually keep well under the 30mph limit. we do,do the odd occassional puddle bomb run as many of you will remember the german village on the plains.here you can get completly covered in mud in a matter of a few seconds.keeping to the limit and without being an idiot.

but.the thing i like the most is coming off of the plains and onto tarmac,this is when the mud flings everywhere as it is removed from the tyre cleats,it covers you and anything in front of and behind you as well as the oncoming traffic.nothing you can do about it except perhaps fit bigger arches.