TWO big cycling events in the New Forest have passed off peacefully.

Perhaps that fact might help lower the temperature of the debate about cycling in the district.

Regular mass cycling events can be a real challenge for the area, but nobody benefits when anti-cycling sentiment is allowed to kill off good ideas like the recent ‘Boris bikes’ proposal.

And while large numbers of bikes can damage the Forest’s fragile environment, ever-increasing car use is a much bigger threat.

Moderate people on all sides need to keep talking for the sake of the Forest.