Will you continue cycling as normal during coronavirus?

kevin_stephens

I’m keeping to no more than 2 hours every other day, the intervening day being my turn for dog walking. I take the view that shorter more intense rides give me good exercise/training without venturing too far from home or taking the piss

ugo.santalucia

The Government approach is eminently sensible and restricting outdoor exercise any further won't help slowing the spread of the disease. There will inevitably be a question asked about clogging A & E with all those broken bones and all that nonsense, but I hope they will realise that stopping people from carrying on with their healthy active lifestyle will only result in other health issues which will clog GP practices instead.

So far, thumbs up for Bojo...

d00d4h

Boris has always been pro-cycling. It is good that he is continuing to specifically state that cycling is OK.

*by pro-cycling I don't mean that he was a pro cyclist.... that wouldn't be a pretty sight in the pro peleton

neeb

The stated reasons for stopping cycling completely in Italy, Spain and France are puzzling. My guess is that it's just a way to slightly reduce acute demands on the emergency services during the absolute height of the crisis. While injured cyclists might be a very small proportion of non-virus related A&E admissions, it's easy to prevent those injuries by stopping cycling, while it's a lot more difficult to prevent other acute injuries and health issues that have less predictable causes. Well, you could ban home DIY I suppose, but how on earth would you enforce it?

Wouldn't be surpised if we're not allowed to cycle for a week or two during the peak of the crisis when the NHS is pushed beyond breaking point (likely in a couple of weeks time). I certainly wouldn't want to come off the bike at that time..

darkhairedlord

neeb said:

The stated reasons for stopping cycling completely in Italy, Spain and France are puzzling. My guess is that it's just a way to slightly reduce acute demands on the emergency services during the absolute height of the crisis. While injured cyclists might be a very small proportion of non-virus related A&E admissions, it's easy to prevent those injuries by stopping cycling, while it's a lot more difficult to prevent other acute injuries and health issues that have less predictable causes. Well, you could ban home DIY I suppose, but how on earth would you enforce it?

Wouldn't be surpised if we're not allowed to cycle for a week or two during the peak of the crisis when the NHS is pushed beyond breaking point (likely in a couple of weeks time). I certainly wouldn't want to come off the bike at that time..

whats good for goose etc, stops all the what-aboutery if they ban cycling.

twotoebenny

Edit wrong thread

amrushton

Not stopping people driving though are they? Was out this am and witnessed a road accident which involved the air ambulance. Also nothing to stop you doing 2 things and going to a shop 50km away. Exercise and essentials

gavinbay

I'm in the Southern French Alps and this past ten days has been truly crazy.

We opted to stay here as we thought it would be better than the UK for numerous reasons.

We fully expected the closure of the ski station we live in, Serre Chevalier and that did not bother us as we ski tour and we were looking forward to touring up the pistes of the closed resort, however after two days, the PGHM (Mountain Police Rescue Service) banned that on the basis of it being a high risk activity, though that was / is debatable.

Then a week ago containment was introduced, so out with the bike and for a few days some truly excellent cycling on nigh on deserted roads and then the French Cycling Federation in their wisdom declared that cycling should also not be allowed for fear of people having accidents and being a drain on medical resources, and still interesting to note that theoretically it's not illegal as it only came from the FCF and that's the trouble here in that there is a lot that is not clear though I no longer am seeing any cyclists going up to the Lautaret which is 16km from where I live.

And now today's latest is that we are restricted to one km radius of where we live and only allowed out for an hour, so if we go out we have to sign our attestation with our address and what time we left home.

So for me it's the turbo in the garage, or hiking up the back behind us, where we can go without anyone seeing us but I would not chance cycling on the road as there are Police around, and in France there are three types, the Mountain, the Local and the National and whilst I'd think a few would maybe ignore us just can't take the chance.

Anyway we're keeping a a blog of what we're up to should you be bored.

I for one can't see cycling being restricted in the UK as it is here

fenix

amrushton said:

Not stopping people driving though are they? Was out this am and witnessed a road accident which involved the air ambulance. Also nothing to stop you doing 2 things and going to a shop 50km away. Exercise and essentials

They're not stopping cycling either are they ? (yet)

How would they police your motoring and shopping distances ? It's not like we've loads of police.

We are relying on the public not being idiots. I'm not very confident based on our past record.

First.Aspect

So what do we make of Mike Ashley? Fashion trainers are essential, and he's whacked 15% on the price of home trainers. Has he pitched it about right do we think?

lochindaal

amrushton said:

Not stopping people driving though are they? Was out this am and witnessed a road accident which involved the air ambulance. Also nothing to stop you doing 2 things and going to a shop 50km away. Exercise and essentials

why do people keep looking for workarounds?

Longshot

First.Aspect said:

So what do we make of Mike Ashley? Fashion trainers are essential, and he's whacked 15% on the price of home trainers. Has he pitched it about right do we think?

MA is a shark and acting true to form. Having said that, he's made a commercial decision and it's now up to us whether or not we buy his stuff so, personally, I'll avoid his outlets for the foreseeable.

ugo.santalucia

One easy way to relieve pressure on the NHS could be (God forbids) to stop or at the very least limit the sale of alcohol, maybe? Surely more hospital admissions for alcohol intoxication than due to cycling/running

Longshot

ugo.santalucia said:

One easy way to relieve pressure on the NHS could be (God forbids) to stop or at the very least limit the sale of alcohol, maybe? Surely more hospital admissions for alcohol intoxication than due to cycling/running

Now you're just being silly

crescent

I think for any kind of lockdown to work we need to abnormalise being outdoors. The more people that are outside just now, even if it is deemed legitimate, the more it will be accepted and feel like business as normal. I'm not Nicola Sturgeon's biggest fan but she made a comment last night that nailed it for me - "If you feel that life is just continuing as normal just now then you are doing something wrong."
Turbo for me from now on until this passes. 😕

ugo.santalucia

crescent said:

- "If you feel that life is just continuing as normal just now then you are doing something wrong."

Or maybe you are just not very social... we can't go to cafes and restaurant, which we would normally occasionally do... I am working from home, wife always does, so not a lot of change, but not exactly the same either.
Others have more friends and go to concerts and pubs and bars and feel their life is now very empty and very different, horses for courses.

It's not a competition for who does more and better, it's just about following the rules to the letter... for some it means more change than for others

crescent

lochindaal said:

why do people keep looking for workarounds?

I'm listening to some of the questions on the BBC news channel just now, with regards to what is acceptable in terms of exercise. I appreciate there is some ambiguity in last night's statement but FFS 🙄. If we ever have a pandemic that affects people with underlying common sense issues then we will be close to an extinction level event.

First.Aspect

Sturgeon just echoed UK government policy and has not done or said anything to deviate from this so far during this crisis.

Unlike last week she didn't manage to run fast enough to find a microphone first, though.

crescent

True, but it was that particular sound bite from her address that resonated with me.

mrfpb

I suspect the continuation of cycling and bike shops is preparation for fuel rationing or a clampdown on motorists.

Charlie_Croker

crescent said:

...If we ever have a pandemic that affects people with underlying common sense issues then we will be close to an extinction level event.

You don't know how right you are
and I thought there was only one in every village

neeb

First.Aspect said:

Sturgeon just echoed UK government policy and has not done or said anything to deviate from this so far during this crisis.

Unlike last week she didn't manage to run fast enough to find a microphone first, though.

She's been ahead of the UK government on both banning public events and asking non-essential shops to close, and today she's ahead on saying that all construction not directly related to immediately necessary infrastructure should cease.

thegreatdivide

mrfpb said:

I suspect the continuation of cycling and bike shops is preparation for fuel rationing or a clampdown on motorists.

Quite the opposite. It's expected that there will be a greater supply available as people restrict their movements according to the Petrol Retailers Association. The price of oil has also tanked (excuse the pun).

yellowv2

Even though I am self employed in the construction industry I agree absolutely, this is far more important than money, it’s potentially a life/death situation although hopefully the government will announce some measures to help the self employed soon.
Also agree regarding the common sense comments, it’s unbelievable that some people can’t seem to grasp the situation without having everything spelt out for them to the nth degree!

pblakeney

I'll be cycling less as I am working from home so no commuting and the project is under pressure to get deliveries out, so extra OT.
It's getting a bit galling to hear everyone either moaning about how they are bored, or about how much fun they are having. On the other hand, I have a job.....

First.Aspect

neeb said:

First.Aspect said:

Sturgeon just echoed UK government policy and has not done or said anything to deviate from this so far during this crisis.

Unlike last week she didn't manage to run fast enough to find a microphone first, though.

She's been ahead of the UK government on both banning public events and asking non-essential shops to close, and today she's ahead on saying that all construction not directly related to immediately necessary infrastructure should cease.

The mooted banning events of more than 500 people to being very shortly after a game at Murrayfield and the Old Firm game. The SFL took the decision before the government.

Stop watching BBC Scotland.

pblakeney

First.Aspect said:

The mooted banning events of more than 500 people to being very shortly after a game at Murrayfield and the Old Firm game. The SFL took the decision before the government.

????
England were happy to host Wales the day before and Celtic last played Rangers on the 29th December.

neeb

First.Aspect said:

neeb said:

First.Aspect said:

Sturgeon just echoed UK government policy and has not done or said anything to deviate from this so far during this crisis.

Unlike last week she didn't manage to run fast enough to find a microphone first, though.

She's been ahead of the UK government on both banning public events and asking non-essential shops to close, and today she's ahead on saying that all construction not directly related to immediately necessary infrastructure should cease.

The mooted banning events of more than 500 people to being very shortly after a game at Murrayfield and the Old Firm game. The SFL took the decision before the government.

Stop watching BBC Scotland.

I don't think the SFL have much influence on decisions on shop opening and construction sites..

DeVlaeminck

crescent said:

I think for any kind of lockdown to work we need to abnormalise being outdoors. .

Alternatively that might just lose public support for the restrictions. There is nothing magic about being indoors - it's about staying away from other people.

If the virus is spreading it's not the fault of lone cyclists it's packed tube carriages, queues at supermarket checkouts, the builders down the road from me who show no sign of staying 2 metres apart, the people in non essential jobs still going in etc.

crescent

I totally agree, it's the distance that's the key, rather than the environment, but if someone gets on the tube or goes to the supermarket and it's half empty then it will feel unusual and may just prompt them to reconsider how they are acting. If all appears normal then there is the risk that people will start thinking that no one else is changing so why should they? Just my opinion, though, it's a complex situation. I think it will be enforced within a few days, to be honest.