Firstly, keep riding! If one person rides on a footpath, that's known as an "easy target". A bit like trying to ride solo through central London. If it's you, you'll get verbal (and possibly physical) abuse from absolutely every miserable sod out there. Not nice, not productive.
However, if lots of people ride on footpaths, anyone keen on doling out verbal will very soon get a sore throat, so to speak. This is a similar idea to the world-famous "Critical Mass" movement - get 500 bike riders all together in central London, San Francisco, or any major city and they can take control of the streets for a couple of hours; for once it's the car drivers who have to wait.
Effectively then, we need a countryside critical mass - on a muddy trail, would this be a "critical mess"? (sorry...)
Riding is the easy bit - and we're already enjoying doing it. Better still is to let other people know why you're riding. Firstly, for some background information, the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill is currently available from the Stationery Office (tel. 0870 600 5522) for £7.30, or can be found at:
www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199900/cmbills/078/2000078.htm
To comment on this Bill and add your voice, the Cyclists' Touring Club will be putting the case for cycling to the Government - call their Campaigns & Policies Department on 01483 417 217 to offer your support, or email campaigns@ctc.org.uk. Alternatively, write directly to the Government at:
Wildlife & Countryside Division,
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions,
Eland House,
Bressenden Place,
London,
SW1E 5DU
or email the DETR about access issues on access@detr.gov.uk.
The above mentioned Wildlife and Countryside Division section of the DETR has its own web pages.
Here's an interesting point: From past experience, if an MP gets just half a dozen letters of similar points of view on one subject, this is counted as "very significant" - probably because most people are too apathetic to write to their MP for any reason whatsoever. So stand up and be counted - write to the DETR and the CTC in support of greater access. It can only help.