So like many, I look forward to the weekend so I can get out on my bike. I run a village shop so I’m working most days (12hr days 6days a week at the mo) and my bike time is my time off.

However, I’ve had a massive increase in trade this week, villagers and locals working from home come in who I’d only usually see on a weekend are coming in daily. Many visitors from further a field too, they to the village for a country side walk, which it’s well known for. So I’ve prob been in contact with several hundreds of different individuals in the shop over the course of the last couple days alone.

On top of that to meet the demand I’ve been picking up extra stock – the places where I pick up stock have also had a massive surge in customers, so my chances of picking something up there and getting Ill (not just covid-19) are dramatically increased, and thus spread into my local comunity through me.

Living in the countryside I could normally ride for miles without seeing anyone, trails are literally meters from my door. But in the last few days the rural persuits activities in the area have also increased. There were more visitors in the village yesterday than actually live here.

So, I feel the best way I can help protect my local community. I’m not going out for a ride.

I’m a ‘special case’ though 😁. If you do go out for a ride, please go somewhere where fewer people are. Not a trail centre. Don’t do the shop/cafe stop. Even though it may seem like over kill, do try to keep 2m away from others you meet. And do have some fun on my behalf.

Yep, a car park just down the road from me in New Forest is usually half full at the weekend as good for walks in numerous directions. This weekend the car park is full with cars flowing out and just parking on grass by side of road. Never seen so many people going out for walks in the forest.

I am still riding as much as normal though as I am out by 07:30 in the morning and the people out for a walk are not that keen…

Working today, but riding and dog walking is going to be rarely used routes from now on or odd hours.

+1, Just cancelled usual ride with mate in a popular spot whilst wearing cycle gear at 6.30 am and shifting to on own and odd hours less popular route. For my family and for the wider cycling community. Being in a school with 1500+ people until Saturday and several mass staff meetings does make you out of touch.

Op, it’s a truly impossible situation as you are providing a vital service but it sounds far more likely people will catch something from you whilst you do your day job than when on a bike. Given you think your chance of being infected is high (and it probably is, you’ll only know if you are now in a couple of weeks), what do you do when a 70+ year old comes into your shop?

Up here in rural Speyside it’s actually a good bit quieter, I put this down to less whisky tourists of which a high percentage are European and especially Scandinavian. With the travel bans they can no longer reach here.
I’m in Aberlour and while there’s good riding from my door we’re thankfully overlooked as folks tend to head for the nearby Cairngorms instead. I could count on my fingers how many folk I meet on the trails I use during the year. I can usually tell who’s been out by the tyre tracks that have been left too.
The pictures I’ve seen of folks out in parks down south is truly scary though, that certainly isn’t social distancing.

far more likely people will catch something from you whilst you do your day job than when on a bike

Completely agree, I’ve made changes to the buisness so that risks are reduced. No more visiting wholesale, I’ve engaged with 4 new suppliers to facilitate this with delivery only. Changes in the shop too, free gloves to customers to shop in, door is always open so you don’t touch the handle, wireless card transactions etc.
But I feel going out on the bike at the Mo, when lots of people have shifted from the towns to the country side would just add me into the mix there too.

Being in a school with 1500+ people until Saturday and several mass staff meetings does make you out of touch.

We lost our students Thursday. But I was in a room with 30 staff Friday. We have 3000 students in 1 building. I think the schools needed to have gone to home working a week earlier. If only to clarify the message. I saw loads of teenagers sat in a large tight group on a skate ramp yesterday. They shouldn’t be doing that. But the day before they were legally obliged to attend a school of over 1000 students

I’ll go for walk this morning with my wife some where quiet. Then I’ll have a sub 1 hour road spin this afternoon. A slight niggle with my hip will make it easier to limit my riding

I’m in Aberlour and while there’s good riding from my door we’re thankfully overlooked as folks tend to head for the nearby Cairngorms instead.

True dat. As I wrote elsewhere, I went out late yesterday for a bivvy and got back earlier this morning. Only saw 6 folk in total and 4 of them within a few metres of Aviemore itself. It’s still possible to find isolation even here if you know where to look and avoid the busier times of day.

I went out after dark for a South downs pootle yesterday and didn’t see anyone at all.

I’m staying away in the day.

Going by FB posts, Surrey Hills was rammed yesterday apparently. Not just riders. Walkers in big groups hugging each other. Walking Bottom car park the usual crammed social meet. Despite requests to only go two at a time into the village shop and keep distance, not queue outside, apparently the opposite was happening.

I went elsewhere but loads of people out. As said, not just riders. Was good to see a lot of families with their kids riding though.

I think with everything else shut and everyone thinking exercise in the country is good and socially distant, it’s ended up making the countryside a gathering point which is what the government are trying to shut down.

I don’t want to lose the ability to ride as it’s a lifeline for me, even just pootle about. However at this rate we’re going to get a full ban. We’re paralleling Italy for infections and death rate, just a couple weeks behind. They’ve banned riding and now just banned all outdoor activity.

At present though I’d say no gnar, think about less popular places to go for a walk or ride or keep it local.

I’m putting outdoor riding on hold. I used up my NHS credit exactly 2 years ago. At a rough estimate 100 people helped put me back together. Least I can do is relieve a tiny amount of pressure.

Just called off a bike ride with a mate. He had been thinking the same thing. We were only going to ride on the road to reduce the risk of a minor injury and stay out of A&E, not that that risk was high to start with. I’ll still be going for a road ride in a bit as there are load of quiet lanes around me. Going to be doing that a lot for a while.

Delamere Forest, 5 mins from home for me, is always busy on a weekend but…..yesterday was something else….I have never, in all my 54 years, seen it as busy – car parks overflowing and large groups of walkers…..obviously i can’t say too much as I was there too to witness it but I was absolutely gobsmacked by the numbers of people….

@monkeyboyjc Make sure your door handles and plates are brass. The virus can only manage 4 hours before it is de-activated on this metal. If you’re very flush copper works too. Our Victorian forbears got it right accidentally when they made hospital door furniture brass.

The door to the shop is open so no touching, but cleaning routine has increased three fold, unfortunately freezer doors arn’t brass……

What you say is spot on but how can you really avoid people in your job i am on holiday this week went out for a ride in Wiltshire quiet in some places on the canal but way busier in certain places i work for Royal Mail not shutting us down i collect mail two businesses i go to have closed down and people working from home but last week had to use door handles to get into buildings you just cant win and on delivery they can put item on door ring bell then stand back and see if anyone comes to the door if not leave a card but you can sign them yourself so no one else touches the scanner crazy and scary times.

I’ll still be going for a road ride in a bit as there are load of quiet lanes around me. Going to be doing that a lot for a while.

I’m just about to the same

Lots of groups of unrelated male riders in the FoD today. Some boneheads were even doing an unofficial Parkrun at Mallards Pike yesterday.

Thousands more people are going to die in a fairly short time unless we can convince people that socialising is bad, bad, bad.

No-one’s saying don’t go out, but going out in non-cohabiting groups is selfish and stupid. It’s going to kill your parents, grandparents and vulnerable youngsters.

Watch the stuff from Italy, you can’t say we weren’t warned.

no matter how isolated your ride is, going about it is “normalizing” activity.

Just saw a mate saying the golfie had lots of groups riding there. So groups in a high risk area riding high risk trails. That’s not too helpful.

It was like a bank holliday in Snowdownia Yesterday, car parks rammed
Taken from the BBC Web site,

Snowdonia National Park has said yesterday’s scenes were “unprecedented”.

Chief executive of the Snowdonia National Park Authority Emyr Williams said: “The area has been overwhelmed with visitors.

“More worrying still is the significant crowding on the mountain summits and trails making it impossible to maintain effective social distancing.”

The park said: “If no further steps are taken we will need to take drastic measures to protect the communities and health services in north Wales, such as shutting down car parks and trails.”

Still riding at the moment, though consciously taking it steady. Cut Gate was quiet on Friday, and my local ride this am was no busier than usual, just a couple of dog walkers. I imagine the usual places will be rammed though – the fact it is Mother’s Day and the first really nice day of the year will add to it I’m sure!

no matter how isolated your ride is, going about it is “normalizing” activity.

Haha ha ha ha. Ha. In the absence of any good arguments, this is a belter.

Mrs notlocal and I are currently enduring 14 days of isolation. We both have temperatures of 38°+ but with no other symptoms. As paramedics, we’ve been told to stay at home until the 14 days end, or until symptoms appear, at which point the countdown resets.
We’ve heard from friends that Ballater campsite is heaving with caravaners and campers self isolating. As a result they’ve increased the population, and subsequently, the demand on local provisions which were already thin on the ground due to selfish idiots panic buying everything in sight.
Our house backs onto the old railway line path and has never been so busy as it has this weekend.

I enjoyed a ride yesterday and a walk today.

I live on one of the main roads out of Sheffield in to the Peak District. Last but one house then open countryside and I’m astonished and appalled at the constant stream of cars that were heading out there this morning.

Families, pensioners, groups of yoofs, convertibles out for a spin. You name it.

The concept of limiting non essential travel clearly has a different definition for some people. In fact quite a few people. Surely the only way to control this is the same way the likes of France are now dealing with it. Fines for leaving your home. It depresses me just how many **** morons there are in this country.

Busy with riders on the A6 this morning. Mostly solo, a few pairs and some of them were keeping apart. A few groups of 4, but cruising carefully.

Turned back into the village and a close pack of 6-7 club riders came through on a mission. I’ll not name the club, but they weren’t representing cycling very well

Haha ha ha ha. Ha. In the absence of any good arguments, this is a belter.

fair enough, just go about your business, you’re not the problem…. oh hang on perhaps….

It is annoying that people are taking the p1ss. I use a bike as transport as well as for fun. I will be fed up if cycling is outlawed due to the way recreational cyclists and walkers are behaving. It was bank holiday level busy here yesterday. Car parks full. Felt weird to be inundated with people all of a sudden.

There is a rumour that the police have asked people in Tenby to get off the beach.

It is annoying that people are taking the p1ss.

anyone out on a bike or walking for pleasure, in the current climate, is “taking the piss” and the sooner we realise the sooner we will get through this.

People need to remember that the official government advice in Friday’s press conference was that a walk or ride within the social distancing guidelines was good for mental and physical well being.

Ok. I guess I’m lucky but with a massive forest out the back door and chuff all people I’ll carry on with a bit of jogging until the official advice changes.

The bit I’m struggling with is
“No unnecessary travel”

To get to the hills it’s usually bike on the car job, this would be classed as unnecessary wouldn’t it?

that the official government advice

ffs, italy, spain, france ….. and i imagine they all thought allowing cycling would be a good idea…

Look I understand it, I would love to be out, I love riding a bike with a passion off road on road I don’t care just to be on a bike and the weather is stunning. We called off of pre breakfast walk, we’ve had our son leave stuff ooutside and were not going to hug our grand daughter the wife is heart broken but she gets it. You might be entitled to ride I know I am but I’m not.

OK Klunk, seeing as how you are the expert, what danger is there in a solo ride from your door, not seeing anyone?

I get that not everyone will follow the guidance (which is presumably why other countries are in lockdown) but how can you object to those that do?

NHS advice is also that you can leave the house to exercise even if you’re self isolating due to having symptoms, so long as you stay 2m away from other people.

OK Klunk, seeing as how you are the expert, what danger is there in a solo ride from your door, not seeing anyone?

there’s none but that’s not the point is it, we should perhaps arrange a group ride all 2 meters apart through london. See how that goes down, you know just to rub it in cos we can :/

Klunk, it is my point. Also, a video of Scotland Chief Medical Officer saying bike rides in small groups is fine.

Important words from Deputy Chief Medical Officer. Riding bikes in small groups, with 2m spacing is absolutely fine and to be encouraged.

Posted by Hart's Cyclery on Friday, March 20, 2020

doing anything in small groups is fine, I sure pubs would love to open @ 5 people per hour or restaurants or cafes. but it’s not a luxury the have.