To think cycling should be banned under lockdown?

[catsarelifetome]

I just had to drive to an essential medical appointment, and come across dozens of cyclists.

Why is cycling still allowed when driving is only allowed for essential travel? Surely the 1 hour exercise should be restricted to walking? If the cyclist falls off or is hit by a car, that puts pressure on emergency services.

And yes I know a very small minority will be cycling to an essential job... but I doubt all the people I saw were doing so. Surely the rules should be the same... essential travel only.

Tbh when we were out walking our dogs at the weekend there were a large number of cyclist who came up close behind us until we moved out of their way and they definitely were not keeping the 2m rule, I would prefer walking as I think it’s easier to adjust your speed/stop and maintain the distance than it is cycling- and I do normally cycle frequently but am not at the moment

It reads like you would quite relish being the car that hit the cyclist(s), OP. Is that the impression you meant to make?

People do love the thought of banning things on Mumsnet. I sometimes think they won’t be happy until they rule the world with their endless bans.

We are not policed on how we spend our time exercising, I actually brought a bike last year and found the roads so scary that I gave it up after a few outings, I just didnt have the confidence.
Since the lockdown I've taken my bike on a few occasions as part of my 1 hour exercise, to help build confidence and for simple enjoyment. I can honestly say I'm at much less of a risk of hurting myself now than I would have been a couple of weeks ago.
I'm hoping this time will build my confidence enough to be much better on a cycle bike when things return to normal. Social distancing is almost much easier going for a ride around the streets than a walk in my local overcrowded park at the moment.

Types of exercise cant be policed, and walking around with no destination to go to isnt the best form of exercise.. and I say this as a person who both walks and cycles.

WTF is the answer always "ban it/them"?

YABU.

My DD has underlying health conditions and was already withdrawn from school even before they shut down, on medical advice.

For her mental health, I try to get her out once a day for exercise. Cycling on her bike is a great way to ensure that she doesn't really come into contact with others, and she doesn't touch anything.

We're lucky that we live rurally so lots of country lanes to cycle down without another person in sight.

Well obviously big groups of people shouldn’t be cycling together and this is already banned. Same as bbqs and picnics and house parties.

But solo cycling is fine. Allowed and indeed encouraged as a form of exercise. Mental health, physical health, cardiovascular health, healthy bmi is still very important.

We’ve just started to cycle DD and I, starting off slowly & increasing each day what we do. In a couple of weeks, I’m hoping we can cycle to the shops, so win win!

YABU, get a grip

YABVU. Cycling is a fabulous exercise be which helps reduce deaths from heart attacks. Some like me are keyworkers and cycle to work. If you can people doing their daily exercise on bikes you will be setting the NHS for problems from a lack of exercise etc

hill walking etc are excellent forms of exercise

The mountain rescue teams have actually asked people not to go hill walking.

I can’t walk very far due a serious leg problem. I’m waiting for surgery and had my pre op appt cancelled 2 weeks ago. I imagine it’ll be a long time before i can walk properly again. However i can cycle quite happily.

It's taken me a few days to realise that my normal routes of cycle paths and tracks are now full of people walking so i might as well cycle on the quiet roads. YANBU to have a downer on cyclists. what harm did they do you?

What a shock! The OP @catsarelifetome has not returned to the thread since posting it.

Light the touchpaper and run eh?

I've noticed fewer cars on the road around us but what is on the road is driving like a lunatic so for that reason I'm not cycling.

Oh FFS. I hate MAMILs as much as the next person, but seriously. Would. You. Just. Fucking. LEAVE other people alone to get on with their perfectly legal ways of staying sane through this.
I am hours away from having my internet access removed for the sake of my husband’s sanity, this site winds me up so much at the moment.

It shouldn't be banned, but I've seen a few not sticking to the 2m rule which isn't ok. I say the same thing about pedestrians and runners though.

Biscuit for you.

We are trying to prevent the spread of disease, not live in a state of oppressed miserable fat people

op did you know cycle repair shops are allowed to be open? In my part of the country in a city nearby (clue!!!) cycling is a big part of transport 7 encouraged - especially as an alternative to public (viral soup) transport

In every walk of life there are idiots.

Some cyclists are idiots, the ones who cycle on the pavement, zoom up behind you and give you a heart attack by nearly knocking you over. Or the two abreast having a convo cyclists.

I’m sure cyclists will say some drivers and walkers are idiots too.

I think it can actually be safer. With few people around I am more comfortable with seeing child out riding a bike with a sibling than I am going out for a walk on their own. Nothing is likely to happen but the slight risk is there that they could meet somebody they shouldn't.

My friend was hit by a car today while out in her bike
She cycles to work everyday (so very experienced and usually quite safe) and has been adamant she NEEDS her daily exercise- she has a garden and lives opposite the common which she never uses though- which apparently entails her cycling for a few hours each day or she will “lose her mind”

Well quite frankly she doesn’t and now she’s been hit by a car
Broken arm, smashed teeth, scraped up face and she’s covered in bruises
Driver of the car was hysterical apparently, not sure about damage to the car

COMPLETE waste of hospital time and now I am having to get her shopping as well as 2 elderly neighbours and my own family
I’m a single parent and teacher who is still at work looking after keyworker children
I’m exhausted and worried and feel that I am putting my health and my family’s life at risk for other people
Fine if they are elderly, but said friend is not and took unnecessary risks and didn’t care for the impact it has on everyone else (me!!!!!!)

I love her but she is selfish and the whole ordeal serves her right
I am really tired and I’ll probably feel less mean tomorrow and regret what I’ve written
But I’m cross

Nazi

*Oh do fuck off.

Really.

Fuck off.*

This. Selfish and entitled (OP). Let me guess, you don't cycle, no? Well, I don't drive. Don't have a car. So I'm all for banning cars and driving then. Surely, car accidents are far more dangerous/deadly and happen far more often than cycling accidents. Oh, you need to go to your 'essential medical appointment', you say? Well, that's your problem, isn't it? Walk.

I don't eat bread and don't drink milk. So let's ban that, as it's obviously not essential. Fuck all the people and kids who consume these products daily. Surely, nobody died from not having milk.

To be clear, I don't even cycle (I walk everywhere). But my brother does. He bothers no one. Doesn't cycle on pavements, cycles alone, doesn't spit left and right whilst cycling, is not a dickhead cyclist towards drivers. It's his way of exercise and what's wrong with that?

Fine the groups of people (cycling or walking) by all means. No need to penalize everybody. It's shit as it is.

I think it is brilliant to see that a there are a lot more bikes on the road now.

Britain with its hugely overweight population, polluted air and clogged up roads needs more cyclists and less cars. I hope a few people built up the cycle confidence now with the quieter roads and stick to it after Corona.