Come on guys have a little sense. Just ride local or not at all. Don’t drive to places like innerliethen with your mates in the van for a ride.
Two things will happen, locals will phone the police and when they turn up and you’re not there but your van is. They will phone the number on the van.
Lots of calls over the weekend folk reporting activity and lots of on duty officers having to sit in cars waiting to turn back people who’s God given right it is to do what they want.

Retards.

Retards.

This. Very much this.

seems to be retards everywhere, i noticed a car parked up with a bike rack near my local woods the other day, had a look at strava last night, to see how many people are using my local woods, quite a few guys have actually ridden togeather..

these idiots are most likely to be the highly contagious ones..
setting my turbo trainer up in the garage.

On FB there were a group of w@nkerz at Brecfa – got a flaming I think, I hope.

Some people are just self-centred, arrogant sh1theadz. I’m sadly counting my own blood in that group – who despite my protests think they know better than HM Gov. Utterly unfingforgiveable.

According to local police. People have been good at letting them know. But as you can imagine these folk already are not best pleased with cyclists and take some pleasure in reporting “law” breaking.

I allowed a debate on this on our club’s FB page, it seemed to do the job and although it descended into name calling, at least it let those know who were thinking of heading away to ride the weekend before. It must be a small minority that’s still driving to ride.*

*I really hope.

^^^^ 😀

on duty officers having to sit in cars waiting

Retards

I see what you did there….. Or should I say

Je vois ce que tu as fait la.

It also demonstrates a massive lack of imagination.

I spent an hour on a mixture of Strava heat maps and Google maps and stitched together a 10 mile loop of empty semi urban off road that I can ride from my door.

The most gnarly thing on it is a flight of steps but it’s dirt under my tyres on really quiet trails

I allowed a debate on this on our club’s FB page, it seemed to do the job and although it descended into name calling, at least it let those know who were thinking of heading away to ride the weekend before. It must be a small minority that’s still driving to ride.*

*I really hope.

I think I still have access as I used to be a member, need to have a look!

While I know it’s not allowed and am therefore not doing it, I’m still confused by the ban on driving to exercise. If I drive somewhere remote (not a car park, obviously) and ride a deserted loop, surely that’s better than what I am doing, which is riding loops from home where I pass a lot more people (doing the same).

Sorry, this has probably been covered lots of times, but I’ve generally been avoiding Covid threads and am reluctant to dip into any of them now.

Trails are closed so shouldn’t be there anyway even if local.

If I drive somewhere remote (not a car park, obviously) and ride a deserted loop, surely that’s better than what I am doing, which is riding loops from home where I pass a lot more people (doing the same).

This is undoubtedly the case for many people, walking or cycling – but the rules need to be broad and produce the best result across the population.

I think they’re working well and it seems churlish to pick holes in them (not you in particular).

Thanks @chakaping I think you’re right. Although I probably could drive and not increase the risk, allowing people to drive in general probably would. So, yes, broad rules are probably what we need at this time, so I’ll stick to them.

I did a loop yesterday, mostly offroad, from my house west of dundee to some of the tamer forest trails 5 miles away making sure to avoid the more popular areas. I usually would drive here to play on the rougher stuff but I agree with the rules and………..the 3 nearby car parks were packed! More cars than I normally see (close to 30 cars) and people turning up and having to leave as there was no where to go. People standing around chatting, hugging, shaking hands.

To put the icing on the moron cake many of the bikers were turning up in individual cars (i.e. not living together) and then putting on their finest tuppaware and full face lids to attack the gnarlier trails before fist bumps at the bottom! I recognised some of them and know that they live near to the trails so they could have ridden.

The selfish stupidity of people just beggars belief……………..

I think I still have access as I used to be a member, need to have a look!

Unfortunately it got a bit personal, so in the end the thread was deleted. People had got a good feel for the general view on things though!

It’s not just the chances of you contacting other people in your neighbourhood.

Factor in that during the drive you could come into contact with people outwith your area (e.g. petrol stations) or put a strain on the emergency services (if you’re involved in a crash).
And if something goes wrong on your remote ride, then recovering you will be a bigger strain on the emergency services too.

philjunior
Member
I think I still have access as I used to be a member, need to have a look!

Unfortunately it got a bit personal, so in the end the thread was deleted. People had got a good feel for the general view on things though!

Posted 1 minute ago
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^^^^ we did all have a virtual hug and make up though 😀

If I drive somewhere remote (not a car park, obviously) and ride a deserted loop, surely that’s better than what I am doing, which is riding loops from home where I pass a lot more people (doing the same).

Because you’ve been told not to do that by the Government maybe!

If I drive somewhere remote (not a car park, obviously) and ride a deserted loop, surely that’s better than what I am doing, which is riding loops from home where I pass a lot more people (doing the same).

The trouble is, if you think somewhere will be nice and quiet and deserted. So do probably a proportional* number of other people.

I was out for a ride earlier (from my door, on the road, 1h5min as i stopped to take a phonecall, touched nothing other than my bike). Biggest group of people I passed was about 10 cars all parked up next to a gate. They probably all thought they would drive to “their” quiet woods to walk the dog** away from other people. And end up all opening the same gates, probably passing each other etc.

I live on the edge of a fair sized housing estate (small village with several massive new developments tacked on). Cycling through it it’s still pretty quiet even with the recent increase in joggers etc.

I’ve been avoiding the bridleway out of the village, not because it’s gnarr, it’s better surfaced than a lot of sustrans paths, but because I suspect that it’s the nearest “quiet woods” to a lot of people, and consequently probably unusually busy at the mmoment.

*10 people in your local woods, 10,000 on Bournemouth beach in March.

**or doggers are getting desperate and enjoy the added element of excitement of getting cough both breaking lock down and with their pants down.

I did a loop yesterday, mostly offroad, from my house west of dundee to some of the tamer forest trails 5 miles away making sure to avoid the more popular areas. I usually would drive here to play on the rougher stuff but I agree with the rules and………..the 3 nearby car parks were packed! More cars than I normally see (close to 30 cars) and people turning up and having to leave as there was no where to go. People standing around chatting, hugging, shaking hands.

To put the icing on the moron cake many of the bikers were turning up in individual cars (i.e. not living together) and then putting on their finest tuppaware and full face lids to attack the gnarlier trails before fist bumps at the bottom! I recognised some of them and know that they live near to the trails so they could have ridden.

The selfish stupidity of people just beggars belief……………..

F’kin hell, and here’s me feeling guilty about riding a mile and half to our local woods to pootle around the fire roads for a bit.  Spotted quite a few dog walkers cars parked up on the edge of the woods.  Sadly, the ignorance and selfishness of some people just doesn’t surprise me any more.

Just went for a short road ride around the city for an hour. Roads very quiet. However I did witness a bunch of guys playing basketball and another bunch playing football. My route took me on a road through a big country park. Car park rammed. Paths clogged with people.

strava last night, to see how many people are using my local woods, quite a few guys have actually ridden togeather

Out of interest how do you do this ?
I know about flybys but that’s only if you were out yourself – is there a way of seeing strava traffic for a given time?

If I drive somewhere remote (not a car park, obviously) and ride a deserted loop, surely that’s better than what I am doing

If people are given the message it’s OK to drive somewhere we will be back to the situation we had the weekend before last on Snowdon, in the Peak and Lakes.

There have been loads of calls about this sort of stuff. Mostly well meant I’m sure. Including “There are lots of people in the park breaking the lockdown, it’s very busy. Can you be quick please as I want to walk my dog”.

“There are lots of people in the park breaking the lockdown, it’s very busy. Can you be quick please as I want to walk my dog”.

If only there was some way of having folk spread out to quieter areas.

Out of interest how do you do this ?
I know about flybys but that’s only if you were out yourself – is there a way of seeing strava traffic for a given time?

You could work it out from the daily segment logs, looking at the persons ride and seeing who they rode with.

Coming up next… Everyone with a christian name starting with C, L or R is allowed to exercise away from home between 0800 and 1000 on Tuesdays. 😉

If only there was some way of having the virus spread out to quieter areas.

If only there was some way of having folk spread out to quieter areas.

I know, but no one has thought of one yet.

Because you’ve been told not to do that by the Government maybe!

Whilst I’ve been trying to comply with the guidance, I don’t think “the Government says so” is adequate reason to do anything, and questioning the government should always be encouraged in any country. In the UK, thankfully, it is, and whilst the response to this crisis has been unprecedented, it has been more reasoned and less authoritarian than many other countries.

I don’t think you are grasping the current situation.

The police have powers to intervene and fine people, so this isn’t just a case of advice. Everybody should be sucking it up and doing what they can.

It isn’t just the government that is giving this statement but the medical and scientific (hello) community.

Does no one get the irony of local haunts being busier than usual while the population is off work? How many running, walking and dog owner forums are discussing the same issue? It’s like people driving in rush hour traffic complaining about other people driving in rush hour traffic.

Our family walks from home consciously avoid car parks, public parks and known dog walking areas. Scenery ain’t great but the solitude is.

Our family walks from home consciously avoid car parks, public parks and known dog walking areas. Scenery ain’t great but the solitude is.

Hmm, sounds good, maybe I could drive over and have a…….er, oh hang on😉