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Original poster

Bike rides

352 replies

whenskiesaregrey · 06/04/2020 22:36

So, if someone goes on a 30, 40, 50+ bike ride, what explicit reasons can I give for why they can't do it?

Just for clarity, I don't think it should happen. But when challenged, people say there is no contact, routes are quiet etc. Just wondering how to respond to this.

OP posts:
UYScuti · 08/04/2020 12:56

SciFi
I salute you✊
If only people would adhere to proper cycling etiquette it would help, a little while ago there was a horse and rider on the trail I use, I was careful to make eye contact with the rider slow right down etc but whilst I was doing this, ie while I was being very careful to give the horse a wide berth another cyclist (a man) took the opportunity to undertake me😲🤨😳

SciFiScream · 08/04/2020 13:26

I not even that into cycling as a sport. I like it as a means of travel. I tend to just pootle along enjoying the breeze.

I only became an instructor to teach at a school to help keep 8,9,10 and 11 year old safe. I'm now trained up to level 3, can instruct adults and train the trainer!

Cycling is awesome

We're also investing into an event to make wheels more affordable for the families at our school.

I'm a volunteer.

UYScuti · 08/04/2020 13:31

Indeed cycling is awesome and diverse, there is a bike for everyone from the ultimate carbon racing bike to the tandem trike with a trailer I have recently seen the most crazy and awesome unicycles, not to mention modern-day penny farthing😁

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 08/04/2020 13:49

Indeed cycling is awesome and diverse, there is a bike for everyone

If you can afford them, that is

PomBearsyummy · 08/04/2020 14:28

"If you can afford them, that is"

You can find bikes on Ebay from £50 that will get you out and about.

SciFiScream · 08/04/2020 14:31

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras where I am we have a zero waste shop that gives away bikes free.

We're hoping to organise a wheel swap event (to include scooters, skates and bikes) you won't necessarily need one to swap if we can work it out well. We're also organising a bike mechanic to come to event to maintain the bikes and plan on buying a tool kit to keep at the school for repairs.

Bike shops offers a discount to our school too.

Facebook marketplace is also great for buying bikes but we're doing everything we can to bring the cost right down within cost of the school day guidelines.

For the courses I teach we're able to borrow bikes for those who don't have them or live too far away to bring them or have special needs.

Teaching an 11 year old to ride from scratch has been the highlight of my experience. I was crying!

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 08/04/2020 14:35

You can find bikes on Ebay from £50 that will get you out and about.

Standard bikes yes. My comment was in relation to the poster saying that there is a bike for everyone - maybe there is but a standard off the peg bike, of the type that are £50 on eBay, won't be suitable for everyone. Some will need adapted bikes - which aren't £50

PomBearsyummy · 08/04/2020 14:35

"Teaching an 11 year old to ride from scratch has been the highlight of my experience. I was crying!"

Were they really that bad?

YouKnowWhoo · 08/04/2020 15:40

To the nice bike riders around horses, thank you!! It is massively appreciated! As a horse rider and a bike rider, bikes can scare the SHIT out of a horse.

They whoosh by you rapidly and zip by relatively silently and can spook a horse easily. I loved when cyclists made themselves known - best way was shouting out! Nobody gets a surprise!

jasjas1973 · 08/04/2020 16:09

Yep Some Horses don't know what a cyclist is, so a loud "Hello" lets them know you are human!

Quartz2208 · 08/04/2020 16:34

Dr Hilary on Lorraine this morning said minimise the time out - so yes really under an hour now.

We are hitting peak the more people out and the longer you are out the more likely it is to spread.

We are all suffering - every day we have to weigh up how we manage DH wanting to do a run, DD wanting to cycle with me and DS frankly needing to get some fresh air outside because we cant do it all. Notice in all of this I have to either cycle with DD or walk with DS I dont get to have my own exercise outside I have to fit it in at home

It isnt easy for anyone but it is what it is. If we just accepted it this would be over so much quicker

UYScuti · 08/04/2020 17:46

To the nice bike riders around horses, thank you!!
even if I was a belligerent type there is no way I would risk doing anything to upset a massive beast like a horse, I cant believe anyone would be anything less than uber cautious and very polite

AutumnLeavesSeptember · 08/04/2020 18:08

Why is everyone saying you're only allowed an hour's exercise now? I don't see that on the official guidelines.

SciFiScream · 08/04/2020 18:09

@PomBearsyummy

GrinGrinGrin

No, its just emotional when you take someone from being a complete non-rider to riding in only 3 hours.

It's a skill many of us take for granted and pick up younger than 11

Learning with your classmates, who can already cycle (all of them) takes guts.

Quartz2208 · 08/04/2020 19:43

@AutumnLeavesSeptember

no but it does say

These reasons are exceptions - even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

THe key word here being minimising which would be seen as what is a sensible and reasonable time to be outside. I think an hour has come from what people tend to see as being a reasonable amount of time to exercise outside in order to achieve the objective - which is be outside.

WanderingLost167 · 08/04/2020 19:46

I'm doing about 30 mins out now, but will go out longer over the weekend. One of the benefits of this lockdown will be me getting fit on a bike.

Increased fitness can only help health

browzingss · 09/04/2020 12:08

I’m a key worker on my way to work. Just came across a man cycling on the pavement, baring in mind my area’s roads are empty with lots of green areas - he should be on the road not the pavement. Was really annoying as he certainly wasn’t trying to maintain social distancing as he overtook me, nor was he mindful of others further up the pavement.

AutumnLeavesSeptember · 10/04/2020 13:03

That still doesn't limit exercise to an hour, Quartz.

tallrachel · 10/04/2020 13:14

Had a really nice 30 mile ride this morning started at 6am. Hardly a car on the roads and the closest I came to any predestian was 5 metres down a country lane. None too shabby 2 hours and 10 minutes

Quartz2208 · 10/04/2020 14:27

If this were ever taken to court (and of course it wouldnt be) then it would come down to what a reasonable person considers to be minimising it and around an hour I suspect would be it. Maybe pushing it more if you do it outside of core hours to 2

Surely its obvious in these times that we should be spending as much time as possible away from other people and safely in our home space

aut0replenish · 10/04/2020 17:08

You’re supposed to be using green spaces close to home to exercise not those 30 miles away.

daisypond · 10/04/2020 17:54

You’re supposed to be using green spaces close to home to exercise not those 30 miles away.
Poster didn’t say they were 30 miles away, they said the cycle ride was 30 miles. They could have cycled round the local park 30 times.

lljkk · 10/04/2020 18:57

I think I found guidance on NHS website that said 1 hour.
It's guidance not scripture.
If you can't be trusted to avoid getting close to people then maybe you are someone who needs an hour restriction.

tallrachel · 10/04/2020 19:31

"You’re supposed to be using green spaces close to home to exercise not those 30 miles away."

30 miles away? even if I had gone directly 30 miles away then it would have been a 60 mile bike ride.

ikeairgin · 10/04/2020 20:04

I cycle to/from work and combine my shopping/exercise and keyworking all in two trips. (There and back) Whilst not adhering to the letter of the guidance - one exercise trip a day - nor the shopping guidance - as few as possible - I am a supermarket picker and I have looked at the overall risks of catching the virus / or passing it on and the spirit of the guidance, minimise unecsessary trips. (I've also made the decision to cycle rather than use public transport as it minimises the number of people I am in contact with)
So travel to/from work is my exercise and shopping at work is minimising additional trips out - but everything for a family of four adults is carried home in my rugsac on my back so I have to shop every time I'm in work.

You can see that I am "actually" breaking the guidlines by shopping so much and by exercising twice a day - however I am actually making a common sense decision for my circumstances and level of risk. That's what we should all be doing - and we need to remember that people asess risk depending on how risk adverse or not they are so what is acceptable to one person will not be to the next.
We should be careful in minding our own side of the street and leave others to sweep theirs,