Forum menu
I think it just goes to prove that most people who would cycle don’t due to fear of traffic*. I’ve seen pensioners, families, young kids, all riding around thanks to the empty roads. It’s nice til you get ‘stuck behind them’ on yer bike.. 😆
*Although it’d be a very different picture if the weather was shite.
Road is great around Cheltenham Gloucestershire off-road riding is to busy getting up to the top of the Cotswolds bridleways are to narrow once away from the back of Cheltenham is great nice and quiet so quiet today and so dry when you think how muddy its been.
Mountain biking for me involves a train down to the Surrey Hills so that’s right out. Fortunately I have a delightful road bike that I enjoy riding (although with friends would be better), and the closure of Richmond Park has forced me to find some new ‘reasonable length’ (whatever that is) loops which as been pretty fun actually. Especially with the now glorious weather and the super quiet roads.
I’ve seen pensioners, families, young kids, all riding around thanks to the empty roads
I think that’s partly it. But more likely because they can’t just drive/ferry around in cars and they are bored. Whichever is more responsible, it’s kind of sad to think that it takes forced lockdown to achieve a better (if temporary) environment 🙁
How are people riding in tights and coats in this weather?!!
I walked to the shop this morning and it was already quite warm, I was in t-shirt & jeans.
Saw several cyclists heading up the road - one in tights, a softshell style jacket and thick bright yellow gloves.
I was slightly too warm in armwarmers yesterday evening, how the hell he was managing in a softshell was beyond me!
Long false flat downhill road section on the way home. Could see a mile or so in both directions. No cars.
So, I started to slalom, like a piste cruising carver, across the whole road. Joyous!
Until I realised I had a slow puncture on the front wheel and it all went a little wobbly!
Stopped. Fixed it. Rode home in time for tea and medals.
And light enhancing lenses in their glasses, it’s too bright for me with black iridium polarised lenses
Prizm Road FTW, Houns!
Long false flat downhill road section on the way home. Could see a mile or so in both directions. No cars.
I've ridden Cat & Fiddle road a couple of times this week - it's got long sightlines right down the hill and there is absolutely nothing on it. Amazing. All around the air is just filled with the calls of curlew and lapwing, the air smells clean and fresh and you can use the whole road to carve the corners. Stunning.
Still night riding. Spending daylight hours with the family. But the tasks near me are busy in the daylight as they're mostly footpaths. But after dark they're deserted, and very fun
I live in London suburbs, Ben using my rigid MTB. Lovely and dry at the moment
I rode into work this morning, my usual commute of a shade over 20 miles from Northampton to Madison in Milton Keynes. OK I left at 6.30am so it was never going to be busy but I was passed by 6 cars on the whole ride. It was the most relaxed commute ever.
I've yet to step outside the front door today, even to feed the fish in the garage, but our flat has been sweltering once again (like yesterday) since ~1100... There's no way I'd want to be out in this "midday sun" for more than ~30mins if doing much above z2 power!
Best time by far is just after sunrise, but I somehow slept in until gone 0900 today, so I'm now deliberating whether to pop out now before take away chippy delivery at ~1830 or pop out at ~1915.
But compared to non-lockdown, even the local A roads are deserted around rush hours.
How are people riding in tights and coats in this weather?!!
Non regular cyclists have seen how "cyclists" look in their newspapers etc & come on they've spent £99 on the bike from Tesco so the budget for clothing is small so think a big wind catching high viz jacket, full length Ron hills, big gloves & an I'll fitting helmet that didn't look good in the 90s is the ideal thing to ride in.
I was out riding before 7am this morning in an effort to avoid as many people as possible but still encountered 3 separate dog walkers with multiple dogs off the lead, despite the grassy areas being festooned with these.
Quite how you retrieve your dog when he won't come back from another owners dog without being inside 2m if the other person is a mystery. Apparently though it's ok because "I always let them off" 🙄
It might be a good time for roadies but for me it sucks since I tend to ride up and down the TPT which is constantly heaving like a bank holiday. Because I've been unemployed and/or in higher education the last few years I generally experience few people on the TPT during weekdays which is when I tend to ride.
Went for a ride today. Had to use the roads as the canal paths we’re having. Complete reversal to normality.
Two completely unnecessary close passes on my way out today; an X5 and some sort of Ferarri. Both the sort of cars you'd think would give a wide bearth to protect their paintwork. If the Fezza had been any closer I'd have hit his wing mirror with my knee!
Then I got called a cheat while overtaking an old giffer on a touring bike who had apparently "done 45 miles already and I'm going to be out all day". It was on the flat and I was doing 18mph, so it was all me at that point.
Where the hell do you live then?
New Forest. Still just as many cars as ever (at 08:00 in the morning) and more cars in the dog walking car parks than usual although a few now have their gates closed so the obvious thing for people to do is see that and then park on the verge nearby or better still directly in front of the gate!
This morning I went for a longer ride and went through 5 small towns and they were a lot quieter than normal. I am missing the gravel roads now though so may have to use them tomorrow morning and just put up with dogs getting in my way.
18mph on the flat? There must have been quite a headwind?
I've just had oe of the most surreal and eerie rides I've ever done. It's a stunning Easter Saturday, lovely weather. I rode through the Peak District honeypot areas of Tideswell, Hope and Castleton. There was NO-ONE around. No cars parked along the verges, nothing open, no traffic along the road. Castleton and up to the caverns is normally absolutely solid, in fact I'd never normally ride through there on an Easter weekend.
This was like some sort of post-apocalyptic scenario but with nicer scenery.
It's fairly quiet on the lanes and trails around my part of Hampshire. Probably more cyclists, runners and walkers than drivers, which is nice. I'm not sure what the deal is with all the families wobbling about without wearing helmets or Dad with a kid on the back wearing a too-large helmet half-cocked over one eye. Presumably they won't be hitting 40mph on the hills and are just taking their chances with drivers. Each to their own.
I’ve ridden every single day for about three weeks!! Never ever got anywhere near that before. Lucky I can ride from home, pretty much entirely off-road but not having the wash myself or my bike after every ride ride makes it miles easier to get out for that hour or two. Plus all the trails are dry, dusty and running great and there’s hardly anyone else around, I’m bloody loving it. Ive not missed riding with others too much yet, but that’s prob because it’s so much fun atm? the only negative part is not being able to finish at pub.
Made me realise how many people have bikes stashed away in garages that under normal circumstances never get any use.
Good time to buff-up and build, trails that is.
Made me realise how many people have bikes stashed away in garages that under normal circumstances never get any use.
The number of very unused looking, very expensive and not-seen-before on my local trails is high!
I’ve just had oe of the most surreal and eerie rides I’ve ever done. It’s a stunning Easter Saturday, lovely weather. I rode through the Peak District honeypot areas of Tideswell, Hope and Castleton.
Same here, road bike to Llangollen. Would normally be a nightmare on a bank holiday weekend, but there were more Police than other people. On the way back I rode on the A5 which is normally and incredibly busy major route.
The lack of traffic is great where I live, been taking my lad cycling the lanes of South Staffordshire a fair bit. Just trying to make Lemonade from the Lemons, gonna expand the time/distance tomorrow. Seeing some folk on bikes that have obviously dragged it kicking and screaming from the back of the shed. 🙂
Dunno, I think the speed limits have been removed locally. Also people risk blind overtakes approaching corners as there is a reduced chance of a car coming , but there is still a chance
Police patrolling beaches locally , usual amount of people driving their mutt to the beach for a walk. Then meeting their family there.
Guy popped into the shop with a flat tyre, I lent him a pump. He was out for an all day ride , around 80 miles Reading - Winchester - Andover - Reading , hardly in keeping with local exercise.
Police stopped my colleague on his commute , A272 on a Triumph speed triple so they are clamping down on Guy Martin wanabees out razzing on empty roads
I think this could start s fitness and cycling turning point in this country after lockdown. L ooks like so many are trying regular walking jogging and cycling for the first time
Been doing mostly road loops out north of Chichester into the downs and it's been absolutely glorious. I mean it's usually fairly quiet on the lane but there's a stillness now that's lovely. Definitely some shitty driving though. Not many cars out but the ones that are seem to be taking the piss.
Haven't had my mtb out as local trails aren't that good for it and prefer cx bike for them. But the local trails are busier than ever with walkers, runners and cyclists, which is really good to see.
The road riding is great at the moment.
Main roads and roads in the towns are the quietest I've ever seen them, but for me I would say that the country roads were quieter during foot and mouth crisis than they are now.
But I am not complaining at all. Enjoying the riding while it is like this.
quietest day of the lockdown by far today for cars, passed just twice today in 40 mins.
I've barely ridden in the past year for a number of reasons. This situation has allowed me to explore the local bridleways that go across the golf course. Now I know the route I don't feel bad about riding there when the golfers return. One stretch in particular is about 50% dusty single track, it's not very far to do an out and back in half hour or so and there are bits of it I currently can't ride up and bits I ride really slow down. Just being able to ride that over and over is great for me to get back in shape and learn to ride some of the more technical bits.
It’s sod’s law is what it is. Have never wanted so much to pack overnight kit in a saddlebag and go riding daily half-centuries for a weeks airbnb. By the time that is available again them there motor-vehicles will be back with a vengeance 🙄
But I am not complaining at all. Enjoying the riding while it is like this.
+1 this. Taken to 8-9pm spins around the block seems much safer away from walkers and the odd lone angsty car-warrior
I’ve yet to step outside the front door today, even to feed the fish in the garage,
Odd......, 😁
New Forest.
Why am I not surprised to hear that the residents of that uniquely mean-spirited part of England have decided they can still drive when they want?
Is it just me or is there a lot more bird life around now? I know it's spring and all that but riding up Goyt Valley this morning was wall-to-wall birdsong. Up on the moors there's curlew, lapwing, skylarks. Seem to be loads more pheasants as well - maybe because they're not being run over as much?
More pheasants just chillin' on the roads in West Lancs.
More deer knocking about at Rivington.
And more butterflies everywhere.
Sat in a track round the field edges on the way back from shopping. Watched 2 hares running like wazzocks across a freshly ploughed field.
And yesterday evening I’m pretty sure I saw the local Peregrines for the first time this year.
I’ve yet to step outside the front door today, even to feed the fish in the garage,
Odd……, 😁
I did wonder at that...
Caught on 4lb test
I would imagine a few weeks of much reduced traffic will do the badger population some good. The deer in my local forest will probably benefit too.
It's been a great opportunity to get my youngest's interest in cycling reinvigorated.
Age 11 she did 54m last week - typically going out for 8-12miles a day, cross country, cycle paths etc
12miles on roads today for her - lovely to see kids getting the chance to ride on main roads with very little traffic on.
Soo many kids out on bikes ATM, it's been great to see.
My local MTB'ing is a bit dull but the gravel bike's been getting plenty of use.
It's brilliant for wildlife last week I had an urban fox run across in front of me at 2pm. Birdsong to listen to and deer visible when out on the lanes.
Only downer is overtaking the slower cyclists and maintaining safe distancing. The need to be over on the wrong side of the road for around 50 or 60m is unsettling and it can be a bit of a wait for a suitable section of clear road to appear.