Was thinking of a ride at the weekend. But the stuff round here is truly tedious.
How wrong is it to ride an hour and a half there, then .....
Ok. Even as I type this I know the response.
Perhaps not.
I've done a couple of 3-4 hour rides, but always carefully chosen to minimise gates and only on wide trails where I can avoid people (or there's no-one around). Given the lack of specification on how long is too long, I've made my own decisions based on transmission risk.
Sounds like you need a gravel bike.
Personally - I wouldn't do it as it's not in the spirit of what's being asked. Saying that, I wound't be outraged at the idea of someone riding their bike alone for good few hours either.
It really depends how many people you could affect.
If your riding an hour and a half along deserted roads and will have contact with no one at all, then I can’t see the harm.
If you pass through several villages to do this, then you could easily (and unknowingly) pass the virus on to dozens if not hundreds of people.
You have already pretty much guessed the rest of this thread.
It’s a pandemic, not a holiday.
It really depends how many people you could affect
Outside, riding past people at speed?
Probably hardly anyone/no one. The WHO for contact tracing purposes only deem those you have been in contact with for less than 1m distance for a period of 15mins.
I'm still doing 3/4 hrs rides to keep fit. In the guidelines from the government there is no hour limit that people keep banging on about, its come from some MPs own views (Michael Gove as an example, but his comment did say "1hr for most people" meaning he accepts others will need more) rather than the actual documented guidance or law.
Just be sensible and try not to do anything that puts you at a higher risk than you're normally comfortable with on your ride such as riding along the M25 or 700ft gap jumps.
7 miles, I think getting your normal distance in is silly.... we’re in a pandemic!
(Michael Gove as an example, but his comment did say “1hr for most people” meaning he accepts others will need more) rather than the actual documented guidance or law.
I think the whole time limit that Gove made up was just based on what he himself would consider a workout
The nice thing about road riding is that you really don't come near anyone and you don't have to touch anything.
Was thinking of a ride at the weekend. But the stuff round here is truly tedious.
Riding doesn’t have to be exciting to count as exercise. Do you want to exercise or have a nice time? Only one of those answers is a valid reason to go out.
3+ hours for me ( but not every day). Thats a gravel ride from my door. My usual routes modified to minimise the number of people I pass
Riding doesn’t have to be exciting to count as exercise. Do you want to exercise or have a nice time?
Exercise isn't only about getting the heart rate going and moving a few muscles, or we'd be restricted to our houses, jumping up and down in front of the TV like a scene from 1984. There are also mental health benefits. Advice from our Governments, their advisors and health professionals is that we should undertake exercise to help us with the stress of the current situation (and, indeed, of live in general). If that mental health benefit is significantly enhanced by getting in a few miles away from home, then bloody well go for it.
Road riding around north wales picking back roads its pretty deserted... I'm no risk to anyone... as no legal time constraints or distances in place how would the proposed fine work if you refused to pay and ended up in court? Police locally are flagging down riders to quiz them and mention the hour limit but this seems arbitrary! Coast path is full of dubious characters smoking cannabis and swigging lager whilst exercising... Rhyl s particularly lovely 🙄
Exercise isn’t only about getting the heart rate going and moving a few muscles, or we’d be restricted to our houses, jumping up and down in front of the TV like a scene from 1984.
The more people start going further away from home, for longer, the sooner that will happen.
The more you are out and about, the higher the risks.
1.5 to 2hrs for me at the moment, usually 15 mile-ish and out early doors to avoid people best I can. Luckily theres loads of good stuff on the doorstep!
I totally agree, the longer you are outside the higher risk you’re being to yourself AND OTHERS! Think about others! ......just as a sobering thought for everyone....my lass works in ICU and so far they have had 70 people in ICU....all died, not a single one survived it! So maybe think about how important those miles really are to you? Is keeping your fitness up really worth the risk!!!
I'm still working doing 15 to 25 mile a day
Friday may ho wild n do 40. No more than 13m from home..
I'm currently using the Singlspeed MTB on the road, means I don't have to go as far to get the same workout. Plus it's easy to hop off a cycle path if there's a chance of meeting people.
The nice thing about road riding is that you really don’t come near anyone and you don’t have to touch anything.
Unless you’re the dick that flew past me yesterday. Residential street round the corner from my house, I was sitting on my bike, one foot on the kerb watching the other half pootle along the grass and I felt the wind as he brushed past my shoulder. It’s not a narrow road and there was no one else around, it wouldn’t have hurt him to move over a bit.
I've got a couple of variations now on a 25 mile, quiet roads loop that I'm quite enjoying...
The problem isn't really with people going for a quiet spin in generally deserted locations, it's the dickheads who pick an obvious location like a park or a towpath at midday. and then get all surprised that all the other mouth breathers have done the exact same thing...
I barely see a soul on my rides, I'm going out either late or early and picking roads that I know won't be busy. It's really not that hard to plan.
But I can see more restrictions happening next week once the scumbag contingent go nuts over the bank holiday weekend, and my sort of rides will doubtless be ruled out.
When it happens I will of course comply, turbo and treadmill are already setup in the garage...
I totally agree, the longer you are outside the higher risk you’re being to yourself AND OTHERS! Think about others!
I am, that is exactly what I am thinking about all the time.
Simply being outside does not spread the virus. You have to actually interact with people. The 'don't go out' message is aimed at stopping people doing what they normally do when they go out and congregating in certain places like shops or beaches or local beauty spots etc. I am not transmitting the virus if I am road riding away from people. That's why it's still allowed.
There's far more risk at the supermarket or when post gets delivered. Pretty much everything in the supermarket has been handled by several people - even if you wear gloves you are likely to handle it when you get home. Unpacking food is quite tricky without risking contamination.
The slippery slope fallacy doing some more heavy lifting I see.
To say that someone going for a road ride on their own for a couple of hours will result in widespread disregard for the lockdown, cavorting in the streets an orgies in London parks isn't very logically sound.
We need to stop cyclists running red lights because if we don't we'll have anarchy and murders.
Ooh, do we reckon this'll get to 40+ pages like the [URL= https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/lock-down-can-i-ride-my-bike-in-the-countryside/ ]exact same thread on the subject last week [/URL]?!
Normally go miles out of may way to stay off road, but at the moment I take the road to avoid other humans (people actually choose to do this for fun!?)so I guess my distance has gone down a bit per average ride? I’ve been going out at about 5pm for 2 hours, always under 10 miles, but that’s just because I’m dicking about in the woods. Im optimising my most human free routes too. Have seen but not a soul a fair few rides now, even at that time!
Ooh, do we reckon this’ll get to 40+ pages like the exact same thread on the subject last week ?!
I was feeling the strong sense of deja vu.
Watching Strava most clubmates seem to have settled into the routine of a 1-2h ride every day, so for the fast guys that's 35-40 miles, for everyone else ~30. Just long enough to run your glycogen down a bit, feel like you've done a ride and earn some cake.
The risks of an incident are very small with dry roads, no traffic, daylight. And if you avoid anywhere "nice" then you'll probably see less people than walking to the post box.
The risk of transmitting the virus is practically zero.
Just avoid honeypots. If you're think "I fancy a ride around...........", pick somewhere else because someone with less imagination has already thought of doing that ride.
Watching Strava most clubmates seem to have settled into the routine of a 1-2h ride every day, so for the fast guys that’s 35-40 miles, for everyone else ~30. Just long enough to run your glycogen down a bit, feel like you’ve done a ride and earn some cake.
Same here, there's a lot of 20-40 mile rides suddenly appearing!
I've managed two rides of just over 60 miles when I've "left" work at 4pm and been able to get straight out but most of mine are evening spins of 2hrs max on the CX.
Like you say, choosing time of day and route with a bit of care means you see hardly anyone.
7 miles, I think getting your normal distance in is silly…. we’re in a pandemic!
So how do you plan on policing that everyone does 7 miles?
Just doing about an hour with my son. Probably no more than 9miles or so and no further than 3 miles from home. Just a bit of fun time outside - good for the head. Sod fitness. That can happen later.
Just doing an hour and a half on my days when I'm not working, out early to avoid the crowds. If I'm feeling restless or want to burn off more energy I'll do a turbo session.
Still bike commuting 4 days a week so counting that as my daily exercise.
Judging by the already busy roads and the queues at the supermarkets this morning already I'd say were due a poor long weekend for people obeying the rules so further restrictions may be in the horizon.
I went out on Friday evening for 3½ hours. Risked less contact than if I'd gone out for an hour on Saturday afternoon. Mostly on quiet roads and wide paths but did a couple of fun descents. I mountain bike because it's fun and keeps me fit. Both are equally important to me. I'm self employed and can't afford to spanner myself anyway so I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of what I consider to be risky normally. There are some really fun trails close by but I've been avoiding those as they have the potential of being a bit of a honey pot and I certainly won't be going down to the Tweed Valley for the foreseeable.
Based on last nights performance I got 3 miles from my door and promptly fell off in to a stream. Badly gashed my forearm and whacked my knee and chin too. The amount of swearing I did at myself was truly exemplary.
So on that basis I think about 2.5 miles is my limit from now on...
I went out on Friday evening for 3½ hours. Risked less contact than if I’d gone out for an hour on Saturday afternoon
Going out for an hour on Friday would have been even less risk.
For me at the minute its up and out the house by 6.30, a quick hour off-road doing about 7 miles and back for 7.30ish. See the odd dog walker and other rider from afar but as people have mentioned, sticking to the moors where I can see people from hundreds of metres away and take other routes around them.
Over the Easter weekend I might try and squeeze in a couple of extra miles each time but will still be getting back early doors...
Going out for an hour on Friday would have been even less risk.
And we're back to moral virtue wars or whatever it was called on the other thread.
My rides shorter and therefore safer.
My rides even shorter, you're being a dick.
No you're a dick too, I only did a HITT session, I was knackered in 5 minutes.
Pfffft, I rode on the turbo, you're all dicks.
Pffftttt, HITT and turbo risks a heart attack, keep it Z2 and below or I'm telling my mum/Boris.
Pfffffffffttttttttttt, I just meditated and used the zen like state to imagine* going for a ride, you're all so.......like......iresponsible... ........maannnnnnnnn.
*it was all going well until I imagined yohandome in a skinsuit and had to be medically administered mind-bleach putting a strain on our NHS, should have just gone for a ride.
Going out for an hour on Friday would have been even less risk.
Right but isn't it just pointless sacrifice? The risk is tiny when road riding, so why sacrifice your mental wellbeing unnecessarily? I mean yes, far more people have it worse, but if I were one of those people who couldn't get out at all I'm not sure making others suffer without reason would make me feel better.
And if you avoid anywhere “nice” then you’ll probably see less people than walking to the post box.
Yep. Walking around my local park or even streets I get far closer to more people than on a 3hr road ride.
Thisisnotaspoon spot on x1000
PURITY SPIRAL
Im alternating between a 5k run or a 20 mile road ride a few times a week. In rural Cheshire so lanes are very quiet and always switch sides of the road for others out there. Our biggest risk point by far is the Mrs trips to Aldi that she insists on doing once a week.
We're lucky in that we are in a rural location and even without "lockdown" we can ride on and off-road with very little chance of meeting anyone.
We went out for a couple of hours last night on MTBs. We were passed by one e-bike and one roadie on the road and met one MTB on a cheeky bit of track. That was it. Nothing technical, no trying for Strava PBs or anything like that just a nice evening out. Maximum distance from the house was probably 3km and we did 18km total.
I do appreciate that for those who live in towns and cities doing the above is unlikely or even impossible without at least a short drive - maybe follow a "if it takes longer to drive there and back than the ride itself, then it's too far" rule? As with a lot of things - if you have to ask then it's probably wrong.
A lot of people seem to be mistaking "guidelines" for "rules".
Restrap have a competition on - you've to plan a route (road or legal off-road) with as much ascent as possible inside a distance of 80km without using the same climb twice. I managed 2100m from the front door and don't go more than 6km from home. I also worked out an MTB one on the Helvellyn bridleways with 4500m of climbing - ouch!
Just avoid honeypots. If you’re think “I fancy a ride around………..”, pick somewhere else because someone with less imagination has already thought of doing that ride.
One of my local spots is usually reasonably quiet, definitely not a honeypot, and you can choose routes to avoid people. Went up the other weekend (first weekend of lockdown maybe) and it was busier than I've seen it in years. It was as though some dormant memory in every dog owners mind for a 5 mile radius was triggered that the moor was a nice place to walk. Hence car parks full etc. Turned around and headed back for the woods.
I’m running round the neighbourhood stark bollock naked - nobody has come within 50ft of me!
We've a small country lane near our house, a small 5-6km loop and also a 11km up to middle of nowhere.
For the past 6 years we've walked, cycled and run up there. I'm lucky to see one other person on every other trip, usually one of the farmer's or estate cottage residents up there.
This morning's run at 7.30am I saw two families on the way out and a further 6 walkers or runners on the way back.
Yesterday's cycle ride down the lane saw two families and two individuals on bikes.
Never even thought about the contagion risk seriously, simply not enough contact with people or surfaces, but I've never ever had precognition of my big offs and never considered I was doing anything risky when they happened. Hence I'm limiting my exposure to incident by limiting the time I'm out, and bumbling more than usual. There's a balance, and I don't think cracking out 120Km on the rivet is it... but YMMV
You should only go as far away from your house as you can crawl back with two broken legs and/or other major injuries. This will vary with terrain obviously, but is an excellent rule of thumb.
When crawling, you should still proctice social distancing unless assisted by others from your household.
Finally, if this does happen to you, be sure not to mention it on social media 🙂
Riding doesn’t have to be exciting to count as exercise. Do you want to exercise or have a nice time?
Having a nice time is pretty important mentally. There is a huge rise in domestic violence, not sure about suicide, but you can't pretend there's no mental health component behind even the domestic violence.
Having said that, I'm doing what I can to restrict ride times, I think there's a certain amount of not doing that local mega loop you've worked out just because it doesn't technically break the rules. Part of the reason is that you're bound to meet people. But I guess you've got to look like you're following the spirit too. Most of my rides are not that popular areas anyway, but I've avoided one ride because the path I use to access it is like Buchannan street with the number of people that suddenly need to go out for a walk.
A statement by Scottish Ministers on what exercising rights of access responsibly under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 means during the COVID-19 emergency.
Stay local – please do not travel in your car to take exercise; please make use of the paths, open spaces and quiet roads in your own local area
https://www.gov.scot/publications/ministerial-statement-on-access-rights-during-covid-19/
Forest of Dean cops are saying they'll be hanging out at Cannop cycle centre this weekend looking to execute infringers on the spot. Or words to that effect.
So now that’s common knowledge every one will park at Parkend instead.
One thing I think needs to be covered is if you do go out make sure your bikes working even more than normal. I live in London so its road rides only and am ensuring I have all the normal things I would take on a mountain bike ride as I can't just hop on a train if the worst happens.
Probably. I certainly won't be politely reining in my biggest dog if I see groups above Mallards. They'll be getting their legs chewed off.
We are just going out for 3 hrs and planning routes that keep us away from people. Last weekend we saw about a dozen, of which over half were in the first miles getting out of the suburbs. To minimise risk we was our riding gloves after each ride with the rest of the kit. I certainly spent more time near people yesterday in 10 minutes in the supermarket than on the whole ride
PURITY SPIRAL
Stop correcting me, you're not better than me.
So far it's been fuss-free to get an hour or two in the sunshine away from home. Tuesday I had to deviate from the plan as another chap was on the same schedule as me and I caught him once, turned off shortly afterwards and saw him again a bit later but eased off to avoid catching him again and went a different way at the next junction. Otherwise it's just been me and my thoughts, though we're all saying morning or afternoon more readily as we pass on opposite sides of the road.
So, in a combined whataboutery and purity spiral top trumps I give you https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-52221688
Box Hill closed for the W/e - given everything I think it’s understandable:
So, in a combined whataboutery and purity spiral top trumps I give you> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-52221688
If you want to be really depressed, look at the comments for that article (sorted lowest rating first).
Living in a city I can happily say it's perfectly possible to go for a ride without driving. Just takes imagination
@northernsoul, Jesus H Christ! Some of those comments are nuts. Although some of them are also actually right on the money having a subtle dig at the dumb-dumbs in charge...
"Why should anyone take this virus seriously when we've been told all it takes to get better if you have it is "strength of character"? (as Raab said about Boris)."
...but seems some people have rated them low because his followers cant have the mighty BoJo and his mates, I mean Party, being criticised!
Exercise isn’t only about getting the heart rate going and moving a few muscles, or we’d be restricted to our houses, jumping up and down in front of the TV like a scene from 1984. There are also mental health benefits.
I believe unreservedly in living responsibly, and considering others - especially in the midst of this pandemic. I have to say, however, that @scotroutes has it bang on here. If I wasn't getting out on the roads (while still respecting the social-distancing rules), and doing decently=long rides, I would be obsessing about the best ways to take my own life and not sleeping, then having to visit my GP and putting a massive drain on the national sertraline stock. And I don't say that lightly.
I've taken to going out super early, first light, stealth mode, and doing short hilly loops. Good interval training! I am concerned about get abuse from ignorant vigilantes, luckily they seem to like a lie in.
I shall make a special effort to come out and tell you to get a f*****g move on. You may not remember shouting that at me, it was about 16 years ago at the Sidlaws.
Been riding early doors or at night, all from the doorstep as live in countryside, 15-20 off road miles, no gnarr or playing strava wars!
Last Sunday I was late out, like 11am , amount of cars parked in my local woods and then folk out on the trails (dog walkers, folk from local town probs). I normally see 5 people tops, must have counted 30 last Sunday 🙁
6am start tomorrow!
Tuesday I had to deviate from the plan as another chap was on the same schedule as me and I caught him once, turned off shortly afterwards and saw him again a bit later but eased off to avoid catching him again and went a different way at the next junction.
Thats what I'm like on any ride - not just during the lock down. Can't bear company on a ride in any circumstances!
I am only just returning to riding after a long medical layoff so gentle solo road rides from home of an hour or so are just right for me. I have been surprised and disappointed at some of the 80 mile or 4 hour rides some of my acquaintances, both physical, and on Strava, have been popping out these last few weeks, given the clear government and BC guidance to keep it short and local. Regular riders, semi and pro riders and brand ambassadors.
However I have been fairly unanimously shot down for calling these out as poor behaviour so have decided just to ignore it now. I guess it’s maybe a bit of a goldfish bowl situation so I’m not gonna be judgemental, as fundamentally I have no right to do so.
given the clear government and BC guidance to keep it short and local.
Go on then, show us that clear Government guidance.
Iainc. +1. I’ve unfollowed several people on Strava as it just winds me up (7 hour road rides!).
Have followed Danny Hart instead..
I’ve unfollowed several people on Strava as it just winds me up (7 hour road rides!).
I'm sure they'll get over it.
I'm reframing people's irritation at lots of people being out as, you know, maybe not being such a bad thing. In the short term, it might make stop them spiralling into low mood and/or depression and make them better able to cope with the lockdown and whatever's on the other side.
And in the longer term, maybe for some of them it'll stick. They'll carry on getting outside - walking, running, biking, abusing people etc - and become healthier, happier and less of a burden on the NHS. One of the more terrifying things I've learned recently isn't so much that 70% of hospitalised coronavirus patients are overweight, obese or clinically obese, but that this actually roughly reflects the state of the population as a whole.
Wouldn't it be great if one of the longer term outcomes of this were that we ended up with a healthier population?
Hey, I can dream.
Meanwhile, as I'm at the tail-end of something that's very probably been Covid-19, but might have just been altitude sickness brought on by living in the Peak District, I've not ridden for three weeks or so - and that, it turned out, wasn't my brightest ever move - but when I'm back on the bike, I'll mostly be riding hilly back lanes relatively close to home.
I genuinely don't care what others do as long as they stay two metres away from me. I can't change it. And I mostly have faith in people's ability to decide what works for them within the strictures of common sense and mental health.
If you want to run laps around your backyard and that makes you feel safe and responsible that's fine, but raging about other people having different ideas of what works is pointless and probably stressful too.
You are not the police or the government, or the Ministry of Truth, and you do not have mystical powers allowing you to control the actions of others, you are just another human being living in weird times where we should be looking after each other, not telling people what to do.
Sorry about that, it went slightly ranty at the end, particularly the painfully ironic bit where I was telling people not to tell people what to do 🙂
Where did the hour thing come from. Was it just that short clip of Gove being stopped in the street?
There was a massive rant on a local facebook group last night after people were asked to stop riding through a local village because they were spreading the virus. The hour thing was bought up quite a lot.
Where did the hour thing come from. Was it just that short clip of Gove being stopped in the street?
That. And some since deleted police tweet.
My nomination for idiocy goes to the folk who moored up their houseboat on the canal side near here, then blocked off the tow-path with random junk and stuck a sign up asking people not to come within two meters of their boat. I bet they'd have mined the path if they could.
Where did the hour thing come from. Was it just that short clip of Gove being stopped in the street?
Yup, plus he caveated that an 1hr is fine for most people, as in the vast majority of people who hardly/dont exercise normally.
The official lines from the government does not mention any restriction at all, however if people are choosing to do an hour thats up to them. What gets me is that those people also expect others to do the same and tout it like its the law and are trying to socially shame them for doing so, as we can see by some of the responses on these threads.
I genuinely don’t care what others do as long as they stay two metres away from me. I can’t change it. And I mostly have faith in people’s ability to decide what works for them within the strictures of common sense and mental health
Same for me, this was posted on the other thread, it's worth putting up again. It struck a particular chord with me as it fits perfectly with my lifelong mantra.
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Yeah, I love that graphic. It's aimed at kids, but makes pretty much universal sense. Plus everyone knows that foxes are dead clever.
The other thing I try to keep in mind is that people are understandably scared. Mostly we don't have to deal with the risk of something that might actually randomly kill us, so I try to cut folk some slack when they say or do odd things - unless they block off the canal tow-path obviously (as above).
Whilst I'm keeping my rides to under 2 hrs, that's mainly due to fact that last year my immune system ruined itself by putting in longer rides.
Last 2 hr ride I passed 2 other people. I passed about 10 when out with dog yesterday so I know which one of those presents most risk.
How does it go again, oh yeah "no ones going to notice a few mountain bikers riding for a few hours in the countryside" or was it "a few mountain bikers riding for 4hrs isn't going to have any effect on the lock down rules".
Crossed over Chapel Lane running up to Ranmore this morning and couldnt believe the number of roadies out. To be fair, most of them were on their own so I doubt they were doing any more harm than me going for a quick spin through the woods.
Went for a gravel ride from home a couple of weeks ago. Normally empty route was surprisingly busy with families, joggers and dog walkers. Returned home after less than 5 miles and haven't been riding since. Unless going out late evening or at crack of sparrow fart, doubt I'll be riding again any time soon. If I do, it will be within walking distance of home, I'd hate to require outside assistance.
PE with Joe is a poor substitute but will do for now. This is a pandemic, not a holiday. Those carrying on regardless are obviously grown ups with their own views but bigger rides don't sit with the official 'keep it local' advice and pose a risk of third party contact. Stay safe folks.
BadlyWiredDog
Same near me. Some boat moored up and has flooded the tow path turning it into a quagmire. Now takes longer to pass the boat than if it was dry. Breaching rule one in so many ways.
Ironically enough, the bank on the other side of the canal is empty, so if they are that worried, why not park up there away from the towpath?
I live in a terraced house and the front door opens directly onto the pavement - there’s not even a door step. So when I’m sat down watching TV, I’m about 1m away from all those walking up and down outside. Funnily enough, I don’t see the need to build some sort of moat around the front door, or create other temporary barricades. Nor do any of my neighbours, or anyone living on the surrounding streets in similar terraces. But then we’re not entitled canal boat dwellers.
Rant over.