Have you been out today?

[Davef]

It does say you should spend the minimum time possible doing exercise, which being pedantic is not very long at all.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bludger]

Some (i.e. bludger) are saying that unless there is a specific law or regulation that prohibits certain activities (i.e. cycling long distances away from home) then he will continue doing it. 

50 km from home on a bicycle is not "a long way". It's a very normal leisure cycling distance.

All we are really being asked to do is seriously consider limiting our daily rides and keeping them local for a few weeks so we can help to avoid a total lockdown as those in Spain and Paris are having to endure. Is that such a hardship?

I am staying local. By doing local London routes. Such as the Windsor bun run (minus a bun).

Your assumption that the government is a benevolent nanny is as misplaced as it gets. They will crack down harder if their joke strategy of "herd immunity" starts resulting in tens of thousands of avoidable deaths in an attempt to stick the blame on someone doing a 100 km solo door to door ride. This is a government that's looking the other way on someone's kitchen being decorated FFS.

Not to mention I have specifically adjusted my behaviour to avoid my local loops i.e. The royal parks which are heaving with people at the request of official communications

[toontra]

DaveF - you're saying I'm taking things out of context.

I'm saying you're looking for loopholes to justify your actions. 

Not much common ground so I'll leave it there.

BTW I'm really not trying to shame anyone.  My motivations are quite selfish - I don't want a total ban on outside cycling so anything that can be done to help avoid that is a good thing IMO.

[S2L]

This is a government that's looking the other way on someone's kitchen being decorated FFS.

I have complained to the council that sent 4 contractors to work on a property in front of mine... they are now just 2... is that good enough?

[bludger]

Of course it isn't. The government strategy is still "herd immunity" i.e. let the illness kill off a bunch of people so that capitalism can continue as normal. Anything that would actually enable true "lockdown" i.e. A universal income would go counter to Johnson and Co's crazed obsessive market fundamentalism.

When/if PMBJ gets better I expect his behaviour to get even worse as he'll have the attitude of "I survived it, so anyone else who can't is clearly not enough of a 'fighter' like me."

[Davef]

DaveF - you're saying I'm taking things out of context.

I'm saying you're looking for loopholes to justify your actions. 

Not much common ground so I'll leave it there.

BTW I'm really not trying to shame anyone.  My motivations are quite selfish - I don't want a total ban on outside cycling so anything that can be done to help avoid that is a good thing IMO.

I am not looking for loopholes. I am carefully trying to follow the government advice. The government advice is crafted to encourage exercise at the moment. Did you read the link to the current advice ? It used to say exercise, run, cycle walk, then they added “staying local where possible”. They have now moved the bit about staying local to say travel to open greenspace to walk should be local. That is not me looking for a loophole. That is the guidance being made more precise. However this has always been about travel to the exercise, not the exercise itself. The written guidance has always just said “the minimum time”. There is a strong push to maintain exercise as it will reduce deaths both from covid and otherwise. It is important not to accidentally discourage exercise.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[S2L]

Of course it isn't. The government strategy is still "herd immunity" i.e. let the illness kill off a bunch of people so that capitalism can continue as normal. Anything that would actually enable true "lockdown" i.e. A universal income would go counter to Johnson and Co's crazed obsessive market fundamentalism.

When/if PMBJ gets better I expect his behaviour to get even worse as he'll have the attitude of "I survived it, so anyone else who can't is clearly not enough of a 'fighter' like me."

Totally off topic, but I find that some people being horrified by the concept of herd immunity are the same who keep saying there are too many people on this planet...
Personally, I don't think a vaccine will be manufactured in large enough numbers to be available to the masses any time soon, so decisions will have to be made... do you want to vaccinate the vulnerable and gamble on herd immunity for the others? Do you want to vaccinate the key workers? Will the rich have access to a vaccine privately, just like now they have access to a test privately?

[bludger]

Totally off topic, but I find that some people being horrified by the concept of herd immunity are the same who keep saying there are too many people on this planet...

Not at all - the problem isn't the "too many people on this planet." The problem is the patterns of living and consumption which crams people into squalid towns or factory complexes to eke meager livings in the informal economy, such that 'social distancing' is impossible, i.e. capitalism. This is a rotten world system - more at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/climate-change-coronavirus-linked/ and https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-covid19-business-economics-society-economics-change

The concept of HI doesn't horrify me. The idea of it as a strategy does. It's borderline Nazism, the idea that the illness will 'only' claim the 'useless eaters' and that everyone else will get it and survive and be done with it.

From the FT: https://www.ft.com/content/623a86ec-6c4c-11ea-9bca-bf503995cd6f

The acceptance that the disease would inevitably spread widely across British society — but could be managed — meant that Britain did not immediately announce tough social-distancing measures and had a limited testing regime. “Dominic [Cummings] supported the policy 100 per cent,” said one Downing Street official.

Personally, I don't think a vaccine will be manufactured in large enough numbers to be available to the masses any time soon, so decisions will have to be made... do you want to vaccinate the vulnerable and gamble on herd immunity for the others? Do you want to vaccinate the key workers? Will the rich have access to a vaccine privately, just like now they have access to a test privately?

If you don't have an FT subscription then please do get one or at least take out a trial of £1/month.

There must be a fundamental remodelling of the world political economy and our patterns of life which have led to this situation. This sickness isn't a one off disruption of the system; it is the system. It will happen again and again and again, vaccine for this current virus or none. A vaccine is a sticking plaster for our gaping wound.

We're getting away from the thread topic at this point.... I'm going out for a ride in 2 hours.

[S2L]

I am somewhat surprised nobody has yet mentioned animal welfare... the last few pandemics have all come from bad practice in handling animals... I suspect if the world turned vegan we wouldn't have to face "new viruses"... this time there might even be an economic reason to do just that, on top of the health reasons... what is the global damage of the world economy here, 10 trillions, 20 trillions?

[Phil W]

Lovely clockwise loop initially heading south in Hertfordshire this morning.  Shorts and short sleeve t shirt and cycling cap and sun glasses. It was rather nice in the sun and virtually still conditions on my recumbent.  Met four police motorcyclists oncoming in one lane. Nodded acknowledgment to each other as we passed and continued on our separate ways. First police I’ve seen since the lockdown started.  It’s hard to remember how the lanes were when flooded and muddy over winter.  Set me up well for today.

[Blodwyn Pig]

46km  'loop' today, strange really, maybe the warmer weather, but my mojo seems to have returned with a bang, Olive is no lightweight, but i find my self chasing down roadies, then have to back off once I've caught them, ( very safe distance.....)  coz I'm puffed, but my legs seem to want to keep doing it, where as lately they have ached terribly during and after a ride.  Funny I had a dream last week, and I was cycling along looking up at every one, and I was really struggling, and I couldn't work it out, then our 5 year grandson said'  get off my bike!''    Dreams  .  Anyway I believe in strange things,  and listening to yourself is one of them, So next morning I raised the saddle 6mm =/- and crikey, since then i feel like I have been flying, no more achy legs, etc. 

[zigzag]

i've replaced the chain and cassette today, so took my bike for a shakedown ride in my local area (i.e. the south). lovely weather, dry and quiet roads. contractors seem to be enjoying this quarantine too - whiffs of weed from every other van

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

8 km to do the shopping.

Back to the turbo tomorrow. Now I have done my free 25km I will need to subscribe and then I am going hilly in Yorkshire. Is Watopia California?

[perpetual dan]

A 20km loop up Firle Beacon and back. It was a lovely warm afternoon, hardly anyone about and great to get some space after staying in the last couple of days. My handlebars could go up a touch.

I’ll throw in my interpretation here too, as that seems like the done thing...
I’ve been running one to two hours as most of my exercise in the last couple of months. So, I’m reading “depending on level of fitness” and not overdoing it and so putting myself in danger as maybe two hours of ride and a bit over one of run.

For keeping distant, I’m choosing quieter spaces over busier. The south downs way is likely to be busy over the weekend, so today made more sense. That leaves the local park free for those who can’t go so far and the garden and lanes for the weekend.

Keeping my rides in a 10 - 15km radius of home and from the front door, also means that if something goes wrong I can ride gently or walk easily enough. Or, Mrs Dan in the car will know the place I’m describing and can get to me quickly if really needed. Equally, in that distance I can carry my food and water so there’s no need to go to any shops I wouldn’t normally shop in, nor to visit the few other nearby towns that might be busy.

Getting out more days than I don’t (including a walk the long way to the shops and so on) makes the not seeing people (beyond Mrs Dan and the kids) much more sustainable. So I’d encourage those that can get out to do so, in moderation. If this is a long haul, then the fewer people clamouring for things to be much more restricted now - or less restricted in a few weeks when cabin fever really bites - the better. Maybe in time we can focus on changes that support the economy over relieving boredom.

[markcjagar]

3rd 30km loop this week, out round Bradfield/Strines again, stabby climbs and sketchy descents. Tonnes of fun.

Did some COR just to see if a path dirt track I've seen was a viable alternative to the main road. It's not.

[Feanor]

Local 40k loop with Mrs F.


Lockdown Loop by Ron Lowe, on Flickr


Lockdown Loop by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

[Solocle]

32km shopping expedition. Featuring extra special, bodge edition backpack panniers.

[TimC]

8 km to do the shopping.

Back to the turbo tomorrow. Now I have done my free 25km I will need to subscribe and then I am going hilly in Yorkshire. Is Watopia California?

No, it's a totally fictional environment, located (for Strava etc purposes) in the Pacific Ocean. Of all the Zwift worlds, it has the widest variety of routes, including off-road, a facsimile of Alpe d'Huez (very realistic!) and some good flat stuff for giving it some welly. It's their best effort, and I generally prefer riding there to any of the other worlds.

[TimC]

A very short ride (16km) today to prove that my Boardman cross bike is working as intended on a set of wheels it wasn't born with. Despite its weight, it reminded me that the Sram 1x transmission is a Very Good Thing that works remarkably well. I have Di2 and Sram Red ETAP on other bikes, so I'm comparing it with very high-end stuff. It comes out very well.

[S2L]

Local 40k loop with Mrs F.


Lockdown Loop by Ron Lowe, on Flickr


Lockdown Loop by Ron Lowe, on Flickr

That must be well north, daffs are long past their best here

[hatler]

Aberdeenish I think.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

No daffs on my way back from Sainsburys 

[robgul]

Had my first ride since 5 February today - just about 10 miles . . . and I remembered to come back to the new house!  Tough on the legs but great to be out in the sunshine, and almost no traffic  - especially eerie as downtown Stratford-upon-Avon is normally an Easter hotspot for traffic and people.  The downside is that the few cars that are about seemed to just sail through junctions and turns, not expecting anyone else to be on the roads.

Rob

[orienteer]

Another short (5 mile) ride on the Moulton tandem.

Today is the 100 anniversary of Alex Moulton's birth (he passed away in 2012), so Moulton owners have been riding locally under varying lockdown restrictions worldwide in remembrance.

Reports and pics on themoultonbicycle Facebook group pages: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themoultonbicycle/

As I'm not on Facebook got a friend to submit our pic.

[spesh]

Did a sort-of lap of Portsmouth - first time out on the bike since... mumblemumblemumble... but it made a nice change from the daily one-hour walks I've been doing.