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A brief Guide to
Green Laneing
The term Green Lane or Green Road describes any un-surfaced country
way. You should check with the relevant council to establish what rights
exist.
Byway - shown on OS maps as a 'Byway
Open to All Traffic' or BOAT.
Vehicles must comply with all driving regulations applicable to ordinary
road traffic.
Road Used as a Public Path (RUPP),
a Bridleway or a Footpath, under the terms of the Wildlife & Country
side Act 1981.
Does not always have vehicular rights of way but is always a bridleway
and a footpath as well.
RUPP's and BOAT's are public highways - vehicles will need to be taxed
and insured and seat belts must be worn where applicable.
Right of Way - The 'right of way'
is the legally protected right of a member of the public to pass and
repass along a defined route across private land.
Bridleway - for the use of horse
and bicycle riders and pedestrians only.
Footpath - pedestrians only
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Hill climbing
When you tackle a hillclimb that's any sort of challenge It's usually
best in low range. By using 2nd or 3rd low range you have lower gears
available if needed. If you run out of gears on a hillclimb, you may
have to back down to the bottom of the hill and start again. Most 5-speed
gearboxes allow vehicles to travel up to 20 mph in low range, so you
don't have to be swapping between low and high range as you travel between
climbs
Descending hills
Before descending a hill always make sure you have selected low range.
You should always avoid braking whilst descending to avoid locking up
the wheels, causing a slide. Engine braking slows the vehicle without
causing wheel lockup.
Diesel vehicles are generally better for hill ascents and descents as
they usually have better low rpm torque for climbing the hill and higher
engine compression for descending.
Often hills get steeper the further you go down, so its best to be in
1st low from the beginning rather than having to try and change gear
halfway down. When changing down a gear while descending, it is best
to be feathering the brakes as you depress the clutch, as otherwise
the vehicle freewheels while the clutch is depressed and picks up speed.
It is far better to be in too low a gear and travel down slowly rather
than be in too high a gear and have a potentially dangerous situation
arise.
Hill Stall Recovery
A very common occurrence on hill climbs is the stalling of the vehicle
when the hill becomes too steep. When this occurs, you will be left
in gear with the engine switched on but stalled. To recover from this
situation you should perform a Hill Stall Recovery, rather than just
fire up the engine. This is accomplished by:
· Switch the (stalled) engine off and place your foot firmly
on the brake.
· Depress the clutch and select reverse gear in low range.
· Take your foot off the clutch then slowly take your foot off
the brake. The vehicle is now in reverse gear with the stalled engine
stopping it from rolling down the hill.
· After checking the track behind is clear, start the engine
and keep your feet off all pedals.
· The starter motor will start to drive the vehicle backwards
as the engine begins to fire.
This will result in a smooth downhill progression while starting the
engine and ensuring you have been in gear at all times. If you simply
start the engine and then select reverse gear, it will result in a fast
jerky takeoff and being out of gear during some stage of the takeoff.
The Hill Stall Recovery does not apply to automatic vehicles as they
should never stall, just lose forward drive when the hill becomes too
steep for the gear its in. When this occurs, simply place your foot
on the brake while restarting the engine, select the appropriate gear
and gently take your foot off the brake.
Vehicle Rollover
Hills should always be tackled straight up or down and sideway slopes
avoided like the plague. A vehicle has to be at an extreme angle for
it to roll head to tail, whereas a sideways roll can occur at much more
modest angles. The way your luggage is packed has a pronounced affect
on the angle a vehicle will roll sideways. You should avoid placing
containers of extra fuel and water on the roof of your vehicle, as this
will significantly decrease the angle at which a rollover is possible.
This occurs because the extra weight on the top of a vehicle increases
the 'centre of gravity'. Heavy gear should always be packed low inside
the vehicle while only lightweight gear should be placed on roof racks.
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