The popular sport of mountain biking is getting bigger and bigger on the Isle of Man. The 'End to End' race now attracts up to 1,000 competitors in an arduous race the length of the Island. The tyres of these bikes also cut through the heather where they stray off the tracks and into the soft earth of the green ways, and are adding to the damage being done by off-road motor bikes. This sport should be confined to harder tracks such as forestry roads which have a much harder surface.