Purity spiral still here!
to go with the expanding knobs ?
thisisnotaspoon..... not only the best username, but clearly a gifted cultural commentator and comedian. Thanks I needed that laugh. Beaut.
Edit
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/angry-dog-walker-takes-pic-18075766
A group of "mountain bikers".
No, that's a group of kids on bikes, which just happen to be mountain bike (shaped) bicycles.
But of course we will all get tarred with the same brush.
Well I'm in the dog house.
Apparently I have "taken the piss" quite how I am still unclear on.
Last week I did a couple of 1hr 30m ish /25 mile loops no issues or comments, today I did 1hr 50mins and 28 miles and the boss has gone ballistic over it. She's in full "pandemic shaming" mode, running through every potentially disastrous scenario.
And Apparently one of my cycling mates hasn't been out for the last fortnight (strava says otherwise) so clearly the mum's WhatsApp group is flooded with disinformation too.
Gove has a lot to answer for, this 1hr max toss has become gospel... I did the worst thing possible, pointed out that the official advice lacks distance or time limits, and then suggested she shouldn't take exercise advice from the Sun.
So I'm a condescending mansplainer on top of being a virus spreading bastard...
Well I’m in the dog house.
Now a good time to start looking at that new patio?
the boss has gone ballistic over it. She’s in full “pandemic shaming” mode, running through every potentially disastrous scenario.
Is this your work boss or your wife ?
Wife, so the only boss whose opinion matters (I think my work boss would accept that statement).
Here in Germany there is no restriction on time but in our state they have introduced the 15km rule which means you aren't allowed to ride more than a 15km radius from your house.They have police checking people around the hotspots (there are a lot of lakes with bike lanes surrounding the city) to make sure people are keeping to the rules. I have found road riding to be much easier for social distancing as the forrest singletrack also around the city is litterally teeming with people and it can be quite difficult to keep 2m apart when you meet someone coiming the other way. Usually I wouldn't meet anyone on a typical weekend MTB ride.
I also don't see a problem with riding for longer if you don't come into contact with other people. It's doesn't spread in the same way as foot and mouth for instance. Incidentally I was listening to a German virologist on the TV last week who had been doing experiments in one of the worst hit villages in Germany on how the virus spreads and he found that even in a house where the entire household had had the virus and they found a lot of RNA on the surfaces they weren't able to make cultures from the samples in the lab, indicating that viruses were no longer active. Which means that picking up the virus from surfaces might not be such a large vector of spead as previously thought.
The key here is loops, in my view. Not far as never more than a couple of clicks from the house. Road loop (1/3 of which is closed to cars) so not gnar, and definitely no car.
Stealth is also good - I ride at first light - 0615 in Scotland at the moment, and only see the odd farmer.
The same can be applied to the XC bike I have found a couple of steep fireroad loops.
The key here is loops, in my view.
Yep. For amusement purposes, the route of our local Flandrian-style sportive, the Ronde van Chinley is around 50km or so with 1500 metres of climbing and never more than 10km or less from the start point. Various other back lane combinations are available all mostly steep up or down.
suggested she shouldn’t take exercise advice from the Sun
Why are you married to someone who takes any sort of advice from The Sun?
Why are you married to someone who takes any sort of advice from The Sun?
I wasn't being literal, more illustrating that she's a bit susceptible to the tabloid 'Gossipy crap sold as facts' thing, it's inducing extra anxiety and worry in an already high-strung woman... My comment didn't go down well.
Although she has been know to line Murdoch's pockets on occasion, mostly due to habit, her Dad used to buy the scum. I normally mutter something withering about her meeja choices just so she knows I disapprove.
Nobody is perfect, but I can't imagine binning a whole marriage over something as trifling as newspaper choice.
Use your bike to get out and get some exercise. Don’t spend the day sending it in the woods, or traversing the countryside ticking off tourist landmarks. Both are ace. Both are more than nipping out local for some short exercise.
Everyone is in a different situation to the next though to a certain degree.
I went out the other day for 2hrs and rode through Chatsworth - stopped to take some photos. I encountered possibly 4 people all route - stopped, got off my bike and dragged it into the edge if there wasn't enough room in the path and let walkers go past with more than enough distance between us. Didn't touch any gates, or anything in fact. Didn't take any risks in my riding style/pace
I have a beautiful park 5 minutes walk along a path from my house. If I'd gone for a 30 minute walk around there, I'd have encountered far more people
I wasn’t being literal … I can’t imagine binning a whole marriage over something as trifling as newspaper choice.
Uh… perhaps I wasn't being literal either 😉
That said, if my missus started reading—well, frankly any of the papers—I'd have to at least start asking myself some fairly searching questions about where I'd failed to see the signs prior to tying the knot. She used Facebook for a while but that's all sorted now 🙂
@cookeaa my missus did the same just over a week ago, though admittedly my rides have been between 1.5-3hrs from the door - it got even worse when the Dutch/Belgium study with the infographic came out. Part of it stems from a missunderstading of exactly how/where i ride - arguments of "an old granny might step in front of you", or "a jogger will come past you on a path" etc etc - i tried to entertain with some facts which made the argument worse, so agreed to 2 weeks off.
cue after 1.5 weeks, she's gone out for a run and said she needed that and i should go out later when it's less busy on the bike.... go figure.. So later i shall be doing just that..hurrah.
My Mrs is suffering with major anxiety over the whole thing, but doesn't mind me going out for a couple of hours on the bike most days 🤷
@cookeaa my missus did the same just over a week ago, though admittedly my rides have been between 1.5-3hrs from the door – it got even worse when the Dutch/Belgium study with the infographic came out. Part of it stems from a missunderstading of exactly how/where i ride – arguments of “an old granny might step in front of you”, or “a jogger will come past you on a path” etc etc – i tried to entertain with some facts which made the argument worse, so agreed to 2 weeks off.
Sounds very familiar. But I've said I'm not quitting riding unless and until the government changes the requirement.
I've been quite reasonable/proportionate going out for a ~1.5hr rides every couple of days (yesterdays was admittedly 20mins longer), on quiet, local, rural roads, not tow-paths or woodland or parks, specifically to avoid crossing paths with the mobile infected.
She's clearly sat and fretted her way through every bullshit FB argument going, she even suggested I go and ride round the local park (in the middle of a built up urban area).
I think the issue is perception of risk and the metric by which she measures it.
It's apparently "too much" for me to ride a bicycle for more than an hour or to a point more than about 3 miles from home, these are arbitrary measurements she's apparently obtained from "Government guidance" (social media/imagination).
So she's sort of judging risk exposure by time and/or distance, so there is a form of logic, but she does not seem to consider the actual environment I'd be exercising in.
She said she's happier with the idea of me riding loops round and round the local park for an hour every day rather than a rural 1.5 hours every couple of days. mainly because I'd be closer to home, which sort of misses the primary goal of achieving some regular activity while maintaining social distancing.
She's come up with all sorts of scenarios; She's got imaginary RTAs, on now almost deserted roads, and mechanicals/punctures necessitating her driving to fetch me thereby risking us both getting CV19... She has NEVER been summoned to come and get me.
I'm not saying these things are impossible but based on the last decade or so the probability is lower than some git coughing on me as I ride circles round the park.
She acknowledged that I "need" a ride every so often for physical and mental health and to keep me well adjusted (the later of which was sort of knackered by being bawled at the second I get home and again at 01:30 when she couldn't sleep)...
I might reduce my next loop to sub 20 miles as a bit of a concession, but I'm not orbiting the effing park like some sort of dickhead...
Christ I could do with a ride now...
I’m in the luxurious position that Mrs Lunge works for the NHS so is still at work, she’s also not on Strava so has no idea if I’m out for 30 mins once a day or 2 hours twice a day.
I’m not limiting myself to a time or distance, I’m just trying to be careful about where I go and what I do.
Ran for 3 hours on Saturday - didn’t see a soul. Lambs a plenty, but no people.
Cycled (Gravel) for 2.5 hours on Sunday, and saw maybe 8 people, all of them on the Fosse Way.
2 hours of running today - saw 2 walkers, 2 horse riders and a cyclist.
I try to stay local (<30km) and try to stay out of villages/towns, etc.
thisisnotaspoon….. not only the best username, but clearly a gifted cultural commentator and comedian. Thanks I needed that laugh. Beaut.
Makes a change from "you're not such a c**t in real life" and "I always pictured you as much older".
I got a nice few dh lines & a blue trail over the back wall in the woods. Steep and a minute to access. I have not been riding them as of late. It is tempting. Trailforks ridelogs showing it is busy. Folks even releasing edits on youtube.
I have a an Olympic/hammer strength home gym and that has been my main thing along with few 400m sprints EOD through an open field. I have held off biking for 4 weeks now. Sucks.
I think the issue is perception of risk and the metric by which she measures it.
Humans are inherently more than a bit shit and irrational at this.
Humans who voluntarily consume newspapers and social media are off-the-scale shit at it.
I think some people are getting bored being stuck at home so are going out for longer rides. Not huge mountain epics, but seeing some big road rides popping up again on Strava. It’s not breaking rules, or even guidance, as no car, not far from home, not gnarly, but they are 5-8 hour rides. Don’t know if these are actually a bad thing ? Keeps people's minds in the right place and if they are not touching stuff, coughing or spluttering, is it really so bad ? Yes, maybe a bit of an increased risk of an emergency services call out if they are unlucky to have a bad tumble, but is that really a statistic when roads generally so empty ?
Makes a change from “you’re not such a c**t in real life”
Fake news......no one's ever said that.
Apparently some young bloke was out on the hills & broke his leg pretty badly requiring the MR, an ambulance crew & a hazardous area response team. Now that’s a lot of folks to haul one casualty off the hill - some of those are volunteers too...
Please guys - have a think about what you’re doing & ask yourself if it can wait? If it can....then cool your jets & shred later. Stay home.
Here’s the link from the FB post I saw - not a huge amount of detail:
Please guys – have a think about what you’re doing & ask yourself if it can wait? If it can….then cool your jets & shred later. Stay home.
Or you could think it through, ride carefully and make choices that keep you personally safe and minimise any risk of catching or passing on infection. It's not a binary choice between riding or staying home.
As per Bez's post above, people's risk assessment has gone a bit wonky 🙂
As per Bez’s post above, people’s risk assessment has gone a bit wonky
I agree completely - but if you’re not sure....😉
I agree completely – but if you’re not sure….😉
Yeah totally. I think people should do what makes them feel safe. I have mates who've imposed a 2km perimeter around their home for exercise - they're shooting anyone who comes within it - which doesn't make much sense to me, but it's their choice.
Anyway, here's hoping the lad who broke his leg on Ilkley Moor heals up quickly. At least he's given the virtual ambulance chasing vultures at Grough something to write about 😉
Edit: I mostly go by don't spread, don't crash, try not to annoy people, stay off social media 😉
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One of the local villages has gone full Royston Vasey
Edit FFS why is it get harder to post a image that works https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/ridiculous-sign-trying-stop-cyclists-18084476
It's because you've linked to the page that the image is on NOT the image. Also if it's a google image it's really awkward to get the image's link but that's Google's doing not this site.
Was up round the hills above Cardiff earlier and the unofficial DH trials above Tongwynlais have been getting a lot of use. Some have jumps that go across the bridleway if you hit them fast enough and people have obviously been doing exactly that judging by the tyre marks. Only a matter of time before someone spanners themselves up there. Mind you I saw plenty of cars that had been driven then parked in the entrances to the now closed car parks so seemingly everyone is ignoring the rules now. Even saw a car with a Bristol City Council Resident's parking permit that an old couple were exiting with their dog. Made a comment about them being a long way from home and was told to '**** off'!
I'm only up that area as the park and paths a mile from home are full enough to make it really hard to keep distance without stopping every 20-30 seconds. Doing a longer ride (2 hrs as opposed to 45 mins) means I see far less people and have a lot more space to use for distancing purposes. Also men's so come back refreshed and relaxed rather than frustrated and wanting to devour a pack of crisps that I don't have!
Or you could think it through, ride carefully and make choices that keep you personally safe and minimise any risk of catching or passing on infection. It’s not a binary choice between riding or staying home.
Exactly this.
I’m only up that area as the park and paths a mile from home are full enough to make it really hard to keep distance without stopping every 20-30 seconds.
So exactly the same as everyone else who's decided to drive there?
I usually like to try to play devil's advocate and see if I can find some sliver of justification for why people might not be total bellends even in extremists.
But I am drawing a blank with that sign.
So exactly the same as everyone else who’s decided to drive there?
I'd assume that he/she had ridden out, from the rest of the post.
So you may want to wind your neck in a bit.
But I am drawing a blank with that sign.
Luckily it seems like a lone idiot (locally, I'm sure there are plenty more nationally) and the parish council are against the sign writer and have asked for it to be taken down
It wasn't there when I rode through today.
Lots of local cyclists have put it on their route so I expect it had the opposite affect to the desired
Lots of local cyclists have put it on their route so I expect it had the opposite affect to the desired
road.cc were compiling a list sent in by readers of home-made anti-cycling signs (seems to be mostly down south in the Kent/Surrey villages), lots of people on the forum saying they'll be altering their route and waving at all the villagers.
😅
I’d assume that he/she had ridden out, from the rest of the post.
Doesn't say whether they did or they didn't, only that they were there because the local paths were busy, which to me implied they'd driven to avoid them.
And I didn't actually accuse them of driving. Just pointing out the gap in the logic that you can't really go on a ride somewhere popular, then moan about others being/riding there. So wind your own neck in 😉
I wouldn't ride/drive down to Peaslake from Reading and complain that it was busy, I already know it's going to be busy, so I avoid it!
Rode from my front door to clear that up. Also the way it's laid out is a small valley with a road up the middle, woods either side. The cars were parked at the car park on the north side, I was riding up the bridleway on the south side. No-one on my side, the other side busy with walkers. The side full of walkers is officially closed and has signs to that effect, doesn't stop them driving there, parking all over the entrance of a closed car park then walking in a woods that is closed. Passed a total of 3 other people once I'd left the streets behind all on a trail that is mostly doubletrack. If I had gone to the woods a mile away I'd have passed that number in 30 seconds and every 30 seconds on average it's that busy! I've deliberately chosen a route that limits how many people I see and allows space to be given if I do see anyone.
I've tried staying as close as possible but it's always that busy I don't go out so going an extra 2-3 miles to somewhere that is very quiet is the better option. If that also gets busy I just won't go out. I'm not out every day, just my days off from work. Without these rides my anxiety and other mental health issues would be horrible. I'm also using the turbo trainer a lot to help keep my fitness up and as a way to expend energy that I usually expend by going on big all day rides. As an asthmatic I need to keep my fitness up otherwise I get very wheezy.
Trying to do the right thing but I'm obviously not.
Not seen this being linked on here
- it's basically advice to the police about what is considered acceptable or not should they stop someone.
Seems like doing more than an hour of exercise is ok if it really is exercise, is the level of exercise that you usually do, and that you haven't driven a long way to do it.
Seems pretty sensible to me. It is loose, but it would have to be, and I don't see how they could capture the spirit of not taking the piss much better...