ARE we really now a nation in love with cycling after all?

At the time of the 2012 Olympics Britain appeared to have gone for all things on two wheels after success on the track and even in the Tour de France.

Huge crowds gathered to cheer on cycling heroes as shops and biking events cashed in on the popularity of the pastime.

Now that love affair appears to be on the wane, at least as far as some residents in the New Forest are concerned.

As this paper reports today, this weekend sees the first Wiggle cycling event in the New Forest where 2,000 riders will take part over two days.

Already protest groups have erected signs asking for people to be vigilant and record problems, records that will no doubt be used in evidence to, we must suspect, attempt to prevent future cycling events from taking place.

Not everyone agrees that the cycling events are the scourge others claim them to be. But it is obvious strength of feeling runs deep.

What started as a rebirth of a national pastime is emerging as a major source of friction.