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Just come back from a 30k mixed surface ride from my door. Purposely chosen to include no honeypots,farms or gates,Stiles etc.
Left at 7.45.
Everytime a vehicle of any description passed I pulled in just in case they were health worker farmer etc going to work and I was only passed by about 5.
One other cyclist going the other way but 4 or 5 joggers. This is what bothers me as they are exhaling forcefully and 2m just isn't enough. You can almost feel the breath hanging in the air and likewise though I wasnt riding hard mine would have been as well. So I will try 5 in the morning next time and if there are still joggers then I will stop and just use Zwift.
Shame as the blossom is amazing - typical its shaping up to be a gorgeous spring.
I can see it all going a little bit anti cyclist out there over the next few days.
The wording of that Police Tweet is so utterly irresponsible that it should be removed immediately. The plebs of our society act without thought without the approval of the police, imagine how some of them will behave once they see passive aggressive wording from the ****ing coppers of all people.
Whoever is responsible for it should have the social media duties removed from their remit.
I'm considering setting up the turbo outside and just doing some Zwifting in the garden.
The rules are non-essential travel is forbidden. It’s clear and simple.
Obviously it isn't, otherwise there'd be no discussion.
Non essential travel is banned BUT recreational cycling is also explicitly allowed - hence the confusion.
I can see it all going a little bit anti cyclist out there over the next few days.
The wording of that Police Tweet is so utterly irresponsible that it should be removed immediately. The plebs of our society act without thought without the approval of the police, imagine how some of them will behave once they see passive aggressive wording from the **** coppers of all people.
certainly on the facebook posts I've seen, there are some that feel the police are backing their attitude toward cyclists and posting tweets like the derbyshire one to justify their vitriol.
Out with the dog this morning for her walk, volume of traffic on the roads is seemingly stabilising now & it's fairly quiet out there. Not even that many runners of dog walkers out. I expect the volume of runners will drop off sharply as if they are new to it, they will be broken by now!
Couple of hours work left then heading out on the bikes this afternoon for a 50km loop around the back lanes of Hampshire. Fortunately within 10 minutes we can be away from civilisation & barely see any cars anyway, so looking forward to a peaceful ride in the afternoon sun 🙂
Back up at the local over the weekend for some digging & riding. Haven't worked out the logistics of getting tools up there with me & a bike though...
Out with the dog this morning for her walk...
Couple of hours work left then heading out on the bikes this afternoon
Not really a can of worms, it’s one form of exercise a day, not walk the dog, go for a cycle later. Dog walking doesn’t fall into any other exceptions to remaining indoors. Digging trails also isn’t an allowable form of exercise.
depends entirely on where you live I suppose. I can be in the middle of nowhere* right from my door and won't see anyone, I could (I haven't) ride for hours and it really wouldn't be an issue. I can think of routes here that mean I would need to touch anything, no rules broken. My GF o the other hand lives in Chorlton, there's a green space by the river Mersey that's open and literally hundreds of houses back onto it, and it's rammed nearly all time like a busy sunny Sunday, again no rules broken. I feel for the folk living in Chorlton, it must be pretty conflicting, and I wouldn't want to have to worry about it.
It's imperfect, as blunt instruments are wont to be, trying to interpret it down to minutiae is probs. for the birds. What you justify to yourself about what's "right" depends entirely, I'd have thought, on whether you feel part of society, or separate from it. never has the rule "don't be a dick" been more useful
* as much as one can be in England
And the assertion that you can ‘drive a couple of miles to get away from people’ is self justifying cobblers.
I dont think so and whilst I havent used my car for anything other than the weekly shop in the last week or so, I think expecting people in busy cuties to effectively increase there risk by exercising in busy places is daft when they can drive a few miles to somewhere quiet. Its all very well middleclasstrackworld wanting the empty places to its self but why should those less fortunate be made to suffer? I cant rationalise this and a load of people saying yeah but rules doesnt help.
Did you not mean to post that on a Daily Wail comments page..?
ethnic minorities
Welsh, Inuit, Inca? Do tell (actually don’t bother)
There was a triathlete and 12hr TT specialist who posted a 200 mile training ride around Norfolk on Strava the other day, he got a right load of stick for it.
Again, technically it's by the rules - he was on his own, didn't stop anywhere to mingle or spread germs but The Interwebz is not happy.
Digging trails also isn’t an allowable form of exercise.
oi grandad, allotment No!
Again, technically it’s by the rules
if his normal training ride was 24hrs and he was "minimising" perhaps :/
Point is, these groups are not being dispersed, probably due to the police being afraid of either being attacked or accused of racism.
Obviously it isn’t, otherwise there’d be no discussion.
Non essential travel is banned BUT recreational cycling is also explicitly allowed
It really is obvious, unless you are a bit dense. You can travel to work, medical and get food. That seems simple enough.
Exercise is walk, run or cycle.
That's only two lots of three, that must be within the capacity of creatures that can walk upright?
My post above makes little sense now that the one it referred to has been deleted,btw.
certainly on the facebook posts I’ve seen, there are some that feel the police are backing their attitude toward cyclists and posting tweets like the derbyshire one to justify their vitriol.
Derbyshire Constabulary have always been a bit passive anti-cyclist. If you report a close pass to Cheshire Police, they will actually take it seriously. Derbyshire just shrug metaphorically and forget about it.
Plus the tweet in question was specifically by Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit rather than on the main Derbyshire Constabulary, they seem to have gone a bit rogue and started making up laws off their own bat.
I'm off out for a pootle on the road bike. From my door. On my own. Fair enough, innit? I'm getting proper cabin fever
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49703459063_54f4eabbbf_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49703459063_54f4eabbbf_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2iJ8dJK ]Ride on your own[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/14162682@N00/ ]bin lid[/url], on Flickr
I'm hearing that tighter restrictions are on the way. If you want to ride your bike, do it now (within the rules obvs) before the checkpoints go up and the fines start being issued.
It really is obvious, unless you are a bit dense. You can travel to work, medical and get food. That seems simple enough.
Exercise is walk, run or cycle.
That’s only two lots of three, that must be within the capacity of creatures that can walk upright?
No need to be a dick, that's the last thing we need currently.
Non essential travel is banned BUT recreational cycling is also explicitly allowed – hence the confusion.
How confusing can it be though.
You can go out and get some exercise.
You can only travel for essential reasons.
Exercise somewhere else =/= essential
Walk, run and cycle are given as examples of exercise. It's not a limitation.
The law doesn't even limit the number of exercises you are allowed each day.
We went out yesterday evening: 20km around the local lanes, never more than 5km from the house. That was my first outdoor ride since 14th March. We saw six cyclists and two runners, that's more than the number of roadside properties we passed.
My "normal" ride on road would be 100-120km but doing that in the current situation is being a dick.
Have to say, as a staunch off-road kind of guy I normally hate riding on the roads, but the complete lack of cars has made it genuinely enjoyable. I'm in the middle of nowhere anyway, so riding road from the door is the only real option. A roads that would normally be a complete no go could even be classed as almost pleasant!
It’s not all about you. Centuries of disease control says that quarantine works in terms of protecting a population.
I didn't say it was about me but I'm offering up a different perspective from a different part of the country where the local police aren't being as draconian. Besides, I'm staying within the rules by only going out for a run with my dog from my home along towpaths and trails.
What I have encountered are a few elderly and infirm people out on the towpath who really don't appear to understand the term "self isolation" particularly for vulnerable groups. One woman who was about a mile from closest habitation, clasped a hankie over her face as I passed with a look of horror like I was an axe-murderer FFS.
I’m hearing that tighter restrictions are on the way. If you want to ride your bike, do it now (within the rules obvs) before the checkpoints go up and the fines start being issued.
Richmond Park have just banned cycling as well. With cars banned, the number of people cycling in the park has gone beyond tipping point, social distancing can't be maintained so - all banned.
The exception is NHS staff cycling to work who have to show their pass to gate staff and ride through, not do laps.
This was posted on the FRA forums. Obviously aimed at runners but the general points hold.
Advice/plea to Fell Runners: tread carefully.
Now more than ever is the time to think about others and yourself. We can all help save lives by thinking and being considerate. Running is important for many of us, especially now the UK is in lock-down. This is our chance as a community to show leadership, compassion and maintain and build our reputation as responsible outdoor users.
Many of us are already working overtime in the NHS and other key roles across the country. We ask you please to read and follow this advice:
Run for sanity not peak performance - there are no races in the near future.
• Maintain base,
• Let those injuries recover,
• Do that strength and conditioning work you’ve always put off!
• Keep in touch! We’ll all miss seeing our club-mates, well most of them, social media makes keeping in touch easier than ever, but the phones still work and not everyone is online.
Don’t be a casualty - the NHS is busy and mountain rescue and other emergency services are too.
• Now more than ever – do not run if you feel at all unwell. Headache, sore throat, persistent dry cough, temperature of 38 or above and loss of smell/taste are all documented symptoms of C19.
• Don’t go for long and/or strenuous runs – injury or heart attacks are best avoided!
• Avoid running on terrain where you may injure yourself (think about walking it) – Mountain rescue may not be coming to get you!
Kit Check - You are on your own.
• Take full FRA kit as a minimum
• Take enough food and drink; the café is shut, the pub is too
Infection – keep your distance, and keep your hands clean
• Avoid other people outdoors where possible, go early or late in the day to avoid the crowds
• Keep your distance if you meet others out there.
• Think about gates, styles and anything else that people had their hands on. Imagine everything you touch is covered in pink paint! How do you prevent transferring it to other surfaces and users? How do you keep it off the rest of your stuff – keys, jacket, shoes, front door – wear gloves you can throw away or wash when you get home.
Route planning
• We love running but its non-essential: run from home
• As always, let someone know your route and when to expect you back. By text/phone if you live alone.
We all love the fells but the current situation means we all need to act differently. Other European countries have banned mountain sports and imposed 2km limits for all activities. Please let’s all be sensible and keep the access we still have. One news story about a ‘reckless fell runner needing rescuing’ could be the end for now.
On Tuesday's mtb ride I was given a friendly wave from the 3 police officers in one of those riot vans.
I did the ride backwards meaning all my usual 'whoo hoo' descents were climbed and all the boring climbs were descended, it made for a safer trip.
Unfortunately I've made the decision to stay indoors.
To get to any quiet rides I need to go along one of the 2 canals that run by our house. As this is no longer allowed (even though a neighbour said today they were very busy) its in everyone's interest that we don't use the narrow tow paths.
Also I'm beginning to see boy racer types ragging their cars around, full of lads laughing and thinking the whole thing is a joke. 2 lads parked on a no through quiet lane and left their rubbish strewn on the pavement. They were confronted by 3 people and just drove off.
These are the types that would easily knock one off a bike.
Also hearing motorbikes racing along a local road at around 5pm, this has been every morning for the past week.
There have been some lovely people though (mostly mtbers), who are out riding on their own, staying way from others by giving wide gaps.
Derbyshire police just had to say that groups of cyclists gunning it down Snake Pass about an inch away from each other is clearly contravening social distancing and leave it at that.
The 'lycra clad' thing was unprofessional and who ever did it should be reprimanded. Police should not show prejudice in any regard.
Really, though, all it has done is confirm that, yep, there are a lot of utter strokers on Twitter. Something that was already very apparent.
You can go out and get some exercise.
You can only travel for essential reasons.
Exercise somewhere else =/= essential
Until I read this post I'd concluded that driving for exercise was within the rules. (I don't need to do so, but I thought I could.) In fact you're right, it's blatantly not.
Thanks.
they were talking about this a bit on R2 today, also mentioned the fact that whilst towpaths/bridleways accessible without driving might seem a good idea, they might not be (depending on where you are) as potentially could be narrow & quite busy therefore impossible to keep distance.Until I read this post I’d concluded that driving for exercise was within the rules. (I don’t need to do so, but I thought I could.) In fact you’re right, it’s blatantly not.
and reporting the following on thier live feed
Note the government is still not explicitly outlawing driving somewhere but is obviously trying to discourage people from making unnecessary journeys.
The guidance now says:
stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible – do not travel unnecessarily
you should only go outside alone or with members of your own household
keep at least 2 metres apart from anyone outside your household at all times
gatherings of more than two in parks or other public spaces have been banned and the police will enforce this
if you have a garden, make use of the space for exercise and fresh air
take hygiene precautions when you are outside, and wash your hands as soon as you are back indoors
though i can't find it on the gov site
though i can’t find in on the gov site
As has been said a few times, it is the mixed messages that are causing confusion. It is more or less the same thing being said but in different ways. You'd have thought after the huge success of "Get Brexit Done" they'd have the measure of a simple message repeated ad infinitum.
Derbyshire police can’t know how far those people idendiied on the drone footage have travelled.
No but they could, and did, check registrations of cars parked at Curbar Gap. They were not all locals.
It really is obvious, unless you are a bit dense...
No need to be a dick, that’s the last thing we need currently.
Well said Molgrips, but not sure it was necessary as he pretty much self pwned himself by calling people dense for not understanding rules then getting them wrong himself 🙂
yep now waiting to be stopped by a copper and asked "do you have a garden", "yes officer". "Well then you should be exercising there".
Thoughts on how long is long enough..... I have various quiet back road loops from home, my favourite is roughly circular and 24 hilly miles, currently taking me about 1hr 45, as very unfit after a long layoff. I reckon any longer is maybe pushing the guidelines a bit ?
I am however seeming friends on Strava knocking out 40 to 70 miles a day, every day, from their homes, and getting loads of Kudos...
What’s enough and what’s too much in current environment, time or distance ?
The trouble is, if you think going to Mamm Torr* for a nice ride/walk is a good idea on Saturday to make a nice change from being stuck inside all week, maybe you're under the impression your plan is novel, and you can get some good photos of you self isolating for instagram.
You can also bet that a significant proportion of Greater Manchester and Sheffield* have had the same idea. Probably a much bigger proportion that would on a normal weekend too as everyone is stuck inside, not just you.
*Insert beauty spot and local metropolitan area of choice.
Peaslake / London
Swinely / Bracknell
Afan / Bristol
Clent / Birmingham
Llandegla / Mersyside
Grafham / Huntingdon
Pentlands / Edinbrough
Strava knocking out 40 to 70 miles a day, every day,
this why we can't have nice things and probably why france canned cycling.
No but they could, and did, check registrations of cars parked at Curbar Gap. They were not all locals.
They identified one family who came from Ipswich!
What’s enough and what’s too much in current environment, time or distance ?
To me I'd say an hour of anything is enough to keep your fitness. Any more is training and excessive.
Strava knocking out 40 to 70 miles a day, every day,
Be fec king great if the police demanded Strava hand over their data!! 🙂
The other thing that concerns me on these busy footpaths is all those hands touching the stiles. The virus can last for hours or days and hundreds of people - from different parts of the country - will be touching the same stile in a busy part of the country. Spreading it even more.
Just been for a road ride up Whinlatter (on my own from my house before anyone starts!).
Two cars parked up by the visitor centre - someone had stuck a Stay Home sign under the windscreen wiper of one.
Still smiling about the irony of someone driving up to Whinlatter to put a stay home sign on a car...
What’s enough and what’s too much in current environment, time or distance ?
I still don't see what the risk is of being out and about on main roads. Other than the perception, but then it makes no odds if people see you out 1km from your house or 30km since most of them don't know where you live.
I expect the volume of runners will drop off sharply as if they are new to it, they will be broken by now!
Hopefully some of the amateur cyclists too! They will be wrecked after a couple of sessions.
Seriously though I've seen runners out on the TPT some of whom look like this is teh first time in years they've taken a run. Many look like they are about to have a heart attack.
I'm going out on my bike after dark tonight to avoid all the idiots.