I live about half an hour drive from hamsterley forest trail centre in Durham but haven’t been due to lockdown saying don’t travel and stay local.
Sick of riding back and forward along the bridal way that runs past our house, which is always packed with dog walkers (no beef with them - I would just rather be riding somewhere else and not getting in each other’s way)
There’s a couple of picnic areas and car parks along this bridal way and the car parks are full of cars which means the dog walkers aren’t local, they’re travelling for their exercise.
Is anyone taking their bikes places? What’s local anyway? Am I being stupid for sticking to the rules by the letter or is everyone at the stage where they are bending them now?
The letter of the law allows you to travel. The vague wording of the guidance tells you to stay local without defining local. It's up to you really. I wouldn't, but I wouldn't get upset if someone else did, as long as they socially distance. If you do feel bad about it things will be opening up soon anyway if you can hang on a bit longet
I went to Yair during the last one, ten miles away and my closest, but only ever rode there and back.
Inners/Golfie are about sixteen miles away, went to Golfie once, was horrified how busy it was, and decided to stick to Yair as I never see anyone even when there isn't a plague on.
Glentess is twenty miles away and I haven't been in over a year.
Not an hour, 15 mins and 6-7 miles.
Nope. Getting bored riding locally but still doing so and mixing it up with the roadie too. Not been to a trail centre since Dec. All my biking mates being good boys too and our Weds night ride is only ever a max of 2 until told otherwise.
Still sticking with the 'ride from the doorstep' rule too, partially 'cos the vans full of work gear though TBH. Lucky to have loads of good stuff local though.
Cool - glad it’s not just me going mad. Nearly there anyway!
Nothing good local so I’m out on the road bike until it’s acceptable to travel when I’ll be hitting FoD at every opportunity.
I'd really love a drive out to Leeds Urban Bike Park but, while it's easy to get to, it's a different county and I can't really see that as justifiable.
😥
Rightly or wrongly, for me i have started to travel to the next nearest riding spot (lucky can do a fair bit of riding from the front door in the local country park wood land but it’s a lot bizzier than normal with people traveling from outside the area so technically safer for me to no ride local). I also view it that I travel 25 mile away for work (to make someone else profit) go traveling to nearest riding spot for house hunting (which I am actually doing) and Dominic ****ing Cummins
Not a trail centre but I'm about 20 mins drive from Staveley - haven't been up there as I've heard they are asking people not to travel in to the lakes.
I feel like it would probably be ok tbh but I've just been riding my gravel bike from the house and exploring a few bits of BW on it.
Grizedale is the nearest trail centre but that defo feels too far.
Yes, as there is nothing in the legislation to prevent you driving any distance for exercise. Trailcentres are rammed currently due to bikeparks being closed.
Quick mention that Scottish travel rules are different to England so some of the comments in here don't apply to anyone above the border re travel
Daveylad - what trail centres are rammed? Quite disappointing to hear. I guess if car parks are open and the owners have left the pay and display machines in them people will go...
@andrewh Yair was chocca this morning. I usually get there before 0900 and it's usually empty. Today pretty much full and 10 bikes leaving as we got ready. Looks like lockdown is over.
I haven't until Saturday just gone, it's a 14 mile/20 minute drive to Whinlatter for me.
Given folk are allowed to meet one on one from Monday and the infection rate has dropped considerably I thought a bit of exercise/headspace away from the front door would be ok.
Whinlatter was very quiet for a Saturday, probably helped by the North side being closed due to felling.
So to the OP, I would just head out if I were you.
I usually ride the 20km to the North Downs for a big day out. Not even been doing that, just local loops round Richmond and Bushy Parks.
By god it’s flat...
Not ridden anything except from the door since late November despite cwmcarn being a 25 mins drive away and me being desperate to ride there. Welsh rules are different too meaning they are actively patrolling and fining people who travel out of their local area. I could incorporate a visit to other places with my caring trips to my parents house, they've even suggested me taking a bike up there a few times, but again it's nottheright thing to do so I haven't.
I'd feel a proper moron driving there with the bike in show anyway, lead by example and all that. When we are allowed to travel further away (looks like next week they'll announce it) I'll be hitting as many places as I can though while trying to avoid the crowds before the Easter break.
West of Scotland central belt here and all rides from home. 40 mile road loop today and was stunned at the number of big roady groups out. A few solo riders, a couple of pairs, many 3-5 and a load at 6 plus, along with a few club runs with 15 plus riders.
Hard to see how with that as regular behaviour , combined with the football shambles, we will be relaxing lockdown by Easter.
Drive to Hamsterley if you want to. Loads of vans at weekends lining the roads up by the Downhill Descent car park.
Its up to you to define local. So if you keep well away from others you are not putting yourself or anyone at risk. Go an have a ride.
Thats basically 1 year in lockdown and i have been to 2 trail centres in all that time. I am blessed to have amazing local trails but I do yearn for something different and the local trails are mobbed.
I drove the 25 minutues to Dalby last week, just the once. Felt guilty - havent done it since - I'll just wait. Was rammed full of groups (not all of them were bikers)
I've ridden from home since the last lockdown started, but drove to Inners yesterday to meet a pal.
We're both local though, within 10 miles - just wanted a Golfie day.
Many, many big groups at the Golfie, but Inners car park was only 1/4 full.
Hard to see how with that as regular behaviour , combined with the football shambles, we will be relaxing lockdown by Easter.
I think the risks of spreading covid while outside are pretty much vanishingly small if you are maintaining distance most of the time. I think the main reason to avoid travel is obviously things like sharing cars, but also use of petrol stations/public toilets etc.
No as the nearest ones to me are in Wales.
Even when things open up again I will be staying out of cafes and toilets at these places.
Of course though anyone can go to a trail centre at the minute so long as you video it and publish on YouTube
Nobody here lives near Cannock Chase then? That would get the STW collective twitching 😛
I've been riding there loads, it's very local so lucky enough I can ride there pretty much off road. Every weekend it's packed. Every car park and lay-by is over run with cars. Utter carnage.
Yair was chocca this morning.
We were there Saturday avo. It's only a four mile ride to get there for us.
Only saw one other bike but a few small groups of walkers on the SUW.
No. I live 45-50 minute drive from Hamsterley. I don't class that as local from an exercise point of view. I also think that injuries are more likely at a trail centre than on a local cycle path and part of the "stay safe" thing is to avoid hospital visits.
I live a twenty minute drive from Leeds Urban Bike Park and used to go 2 or 3 times a month. I've not been once in since the whole 'stay local' thing started. I can't wait to go back. I'll wait though until I'm allowed to go and the advice changes.
First day out in a bout 9 months I went to the Peaks last Monday. It's about a hour away, drove there by myself, rode by myself, and met (on the trail) about 10 other folk either walking in pairs singly or similar went home by myself, stopped nowhere.
Still feeling a bit uneasy about it (although, bloody hell it was nice)
I think the risks of spreading covid while outside are pretty much vanishingly small if you are maintaining distance most of the time.
Distance doesn't seem to matter. There was a paper looking at CV during the Black Lives Matter marches in the states, CV-19 dropped even though you had 1000s in marches standing right next to each other.
Does appear to be very hard to transmit outdoors.
I would 100% drive to a local trail centre. Go at non-peak times, stay socially distant, don't meet up, don't stop for fuel on the way etc. I don't see any issue with this whatsoever.
The Scottish guidance is travel within your local authority or 5 miles across a boundary but use the nearest place where you can conduct your exercise in a safe way away from crowded areas
My local trail centre is about 7 miles away and within the same local authority area. I've driven to it a couple of times. I take the view that as I'm mountain biking and this is nearest place with dedicated mountain bike trails then I'm well within the guidance. People are also driving to walk their dogs which would seem to be less in the spirit of the guidance
If its within the rules then I don't have any issue with people driving to a trail centre.
Does appear to be very hard to transmit outdoors.
Lets hope so, as Glasgow had its own outdoor super spreader event at the weekend.
@singlespeedstu to be fair apart from the larger group it was all pairs including the walkers. By the time we got back there were some pretty abandoned vehicles. We've been riding local but mates head is minced and something different on a sunny day was definitely needed.
Quite a few, including the ninja rock stackers had ridden over from gala.
been to leeds bike park once during lockdown (2 weekends ago), its rammed with cars double parked, glad to be out of there by 1030am.
definately missing the dark peaks, cant wait to be riding over that way soon.
the kids have been a digging around the hudderfield area, some of the new jumplines look like a mini digger has been into dig it, meltham & back of the ICI.
whats the thoughts on catching a direct train to hebden bridge, the train will be dead. and its 25-35 min journey, tempted for Saturday to meet a mate..
I live 20 mins from Hamsterley and have been the last 2 weekends. Just myself and my son. In for 8.30 and out again at 10.30, no risky trails just keeping it sensible.
Lots of groups larger than 2 which is a bit naughty I suppose. Car parks empty at 8.30 then at 10.30 about as full as they used to get on a weekend before all the madness kicked off.
Been riding there 20 years and I now feel in a very small minority as a non e biker. Definitely feel that the demographic in the forest has changed.
Only did the official trails but all running nice.
Distance doesn’t seem to matter. There was a paper looking at CV during the Black Lives Matter marches in the states, CV-19 dropped even though you had 1000s in marches standing right next to each other.
Does appear to be very hard to transmit outdoors.
I do agree with you, although I'm not sure BLM is the best example to use.
Transmission outdoors does seem to require a lot more close contact than you'd expect, or some particularly bad luck. Gate latches and shared facilities would seem to be the most obvious mode of transmission - I take my gloves off and sanitise hands before eating if I've been through a few gates.
I'm pretty risk averse, and while I've ridden from the doorstep, I can't see much wrong with driving from Durham to Hamsterley to avoid milling about (and to get a parking space).
I'd probably drive 30 mins to Hamsterley if I were in your place OP, but as it is I'm driving 15 mins to the local hill - and picking my time and parking spot wisely.
My "local" trail centres are about an hour away, Gisburn one way and Llandegla another, so I haven't been to those. Or the other, better, places I could drive for an hour to (S Lakes, Peak, Hebden).
Nobody here lives near Cannock Chase then? That would get the STW collective twitching 😛
I’ve been riding there loads, it’s very local so lucky enough I can ride there pretty much off road. Every weekend it’s packed. Every car park and lay-by is over run with cars. Utter carnage.
I live close to Swinley so it's a similar experience - this year weekends have been heaving with walkers and bikes, probably more so than in a normal summer. I don't pass any of the official car parks when I ride in but the roads I use would normally have a handful of cars parked on them, now it's nose to tail.
Last local away ride when I took the car was Chopwell 02 Jan. Car park was totally rammed with knakas parking all over the place. Apart from when I had to isolate as the wife had bat AIDS, then I had to isolate as I had bat AIDS it's all been from the door.
Luckily there's some good trails within riding distance. I could even ride to Chopwell in 40 minutes from the door, but you know. Knakas.
Go at non-peak times, stay socially distant, don’t meet up, don’t stop for fuel on the way etc. I don’t see any issue with this whatsoever.
By doing it regularly you will have to stop for fuel at some point. 🙂 I would agree though in the grand scheme of things it's pretty harmless, even though I've been avoiding it anyway.
Some of these replies about trail centres being rammed are annoying.
In the first lockdown, a local and very popular 'beauty' spot closed its car parks - the result being that apart from a few local walkers, runners and cyclists using the through-road it was pretty much dead. The last 2 lockdowns have seen the rangers/owners of the park open all the car parks - financially motivated no doubt - and low and behold the place has been rammed...crazily so like the height of a normal summer. I know people need to get fresh air and a change of scene but opening car parks anywhere is an obvious green light to rock up! Surely the advice/instruction from the Govt should have been to keep things locked down ie keep things shut, then you wouldn't have everyman and literally his dog out and about, making some places like this park a thronging mass of people - some of which have no concept of awareness, respect or social distancing - a far more likely place to catch bloody Covid.
I was more suggesting not stopping for fuel en-route at a different station to the one you would normally use. I mean, unless all your food is delivered, you will still need to travel by car and occasionally refuel.
I know people need to get fresh air and a change of scene but opening car parks anywhere is an obvious green light to rock up! Surely the advice/instruction from the Govt should have been to keep things locked down
Dunno if there has been advice from Gov't on local beauty spot car parks, but I'd argue strongly that they should be open.
Risk of Covid transmission outdoors is tiny and it's really good for people's wellbeing to go for a walk in the country park or wherever.
