[Closed] How are we dealing with Gates

Just plan routes that avoid gates or I know can be opened with anything other than hands.

Freely admit I'm a bit paranoid about it.

Ramblers Assoc say,

Where possible, you should also:

• avoid touching gates and railings with your hands

Use leaves on the latches....natures biodegradable disposable wipe. Prefer to use rhododendron/laurel leaves as good size and stronger than you average hazel etc. Stash a few in my pocket if Im expecting gates.

Freely admit I’m a bit paranoid about it.

+ 1 ...why risk it imo particular as virus can linger a while on metal from whats been reported

I’m always wearing gloves anyway. Throw them in the wash with my clothes when I get home and give the bike a once-over with IPA.

I’m always wearing gloves anyway.

Pointless for me as I wipe sweat off my face with gloved hands, touch the handle bars and bottle etc so just as bad as using bare hands

I don't have to use many gates but I always have gloves on if I'm riding, so not a problem. I don't bother washing them though. TBH the comparative risk is miniscule.

Locally I’m acting like I’m shopping in the supermarket- don’t touch your face and wash your hands when you get in. Presume everything is infected and expect everyone else to be presuming the same?
Although when running across the parish boundary I’ve taken some hand sanitiser and done my hands before and after.

What he said (scotroutes).

But then, we don't have the crazy amount of gates that you suvverners do.

give the bike a once-over with IPA

Shocking waste of good beer.

I don’t find that gloves offer me any protection, as between touching a gate and taking my gloves off once home I am bound to have wiped off some sweat or touched my face. My local rides round the local windfarm have a few pedestrian gates, the ones with the big sprung lever, so I just pick up a decent sized bit of gravel and open it with that, then let them swing shut.

Trouble with gloves is that you just then spread the (potential) virus all over your grips/ shifter/brakes/ water bottles/face and all the other things you don't even really think about.

In not saying it's a massive risk but definitely not what I'm doing.

As a healthy adult in my 50s, who gets his news from reputable sources rather than Facebook and Twitter?

D.

(And I say that as postman in an urban area of NW England who's been opening up to 800 gates and letterboxes a day, every day, since this kicked off. As have my colleagues - c.150 in my delivery office, not one of whom has been seriously ill, despite the area being a hotspot, apparently).

But don't let that stop you pissing your pants.

Firmly in the D camp I'm afraid.

Mostly avoid them, not aware that I touch my face much whilst riding, wash hands when I get home as usual. Suppose there's probably some residual risk of picking up the virus on a glove, then carrying it to the next gate, but presume that must be fairly small.

Mostly the BW's round here are gate free, I can only actually think of one off the top of my head (3 gates in a row through some livestock fields), the rest are on the odd bit of footpath.

montgomery
Member
As a healthy adult in my 50s, who gets his news from reputable sources rather than Facebook and Twitter?

I don't. It's well documented regarding the potential of the virus to live on hard surfaces for some time.

But don’t let that stop you pissing your pants.

No your right, it's just a bit of a cold going around. I'm off to a rave tomorrow.

I'm very lucky in that I have two hands, the left opens gates the right does everything else.

I am avoiding anywhere with gates - partly because nothing locally has them!

The same way I normally do, I open them and then shut them.

Given the work environment and the demographics of the work force, I think there's a very interesting epidemiological study to be carried out in Royal Mail delivery offices, especially when a reliable antibody test becomes available.

I'm not encountering many but I can't say I'm overly worried. I'm more focused on not touching face in general. Trying to wipe my face with my sleeve. Only touching my water bottle on the body and opening it with my mouth. As soon as I get in all clothes go in the washing machine, wash my hands, then shower. I'd say the chance of catching it from a gate is pretty much zero. Certainly not the most dangerous thing I'll do that day.

Surgical antiseptic In an old sun cream spray bottle.

couple of sprays on gate latch, couple on glove  that touched gate. 10 seconds. Job done.

As soon as I get in all clothes go in the washing machine, wash my hands, then shower

By which point, you've put that virus you're worried about all over the kitchen, the washing machine, probably a couple of interior doors...

Can't be too careful. You should strip off outside, get a family member to hose you down then spray your clothes with bleach.

Firmly in the D camp, even as a New Forest rider on the odd occasion.

Sod all that process some of you are going through, just to open a gate.

Can’t be too careful. You should strip off outside, get a family member to hose you down then spray your clothes with bleach.

Or just camp out for the night and save bringing the virus home at all....

As long as you don't touch any of your orifices or food then you're good to go as far as i'm concerned.

By which point, you’ve put that virus you’re worried about all over the kitchen, the washing machine, probably a couple of interior doors…

What!? Straight into the utility room. Washing machine is already open so need to touch anything until I've washed my hands. I've also been wearing gloves. Very little chance of any transfer.

I'd agree with the last sentence, certainly.

A lot of gates in the new forest you can open with your arm if they have a bridle gate latch. Otherwise I try to use a bit of the gate that most other people wouldn't. Prob doesn't help but it makes me feel better about it.

The risk depends on the gate as well. Right out of a massive car park with hundreds of people using then take more care, gate in the middle of nowhere a bike ride away from somewhere busy the risk is obvs lower.

I'm not a virologist but I would imagine that the risk is pretty much negligible in the circumstances the op mentions. The spread in the community is likely to be low outside hotspots and by the time the sun had shone and time has passed most gate catches are pretty low risk.

I've got friends who are doctors travelling to London for work on the train dealing with Covid patients and I don't see them using gloves to open train doors or in the local shop etc.

https://flic.kr/p/2j437tx

Stop at gate cos I'm shit at bunnyhops.
Remove one glove.
Sanitise using sanitiser taped to stem.
Open gate using sanitised hand &/or unsanitised foot to push/pull as required on suitable lower portion of gate. *
Do reverse of ^^^
Sanitise hands.
Re-apply glove.

(*) Other bodily parts, IE hips/arse etc may be put into use.

HTH.

I try to use a bit of the gate that most other people wouldn’t.

Except that everyone else had the same idea.

See the public loo door handle conundrum

Just use as normal, just don’t suck your fingers straight after or pick your nose.

Wash your hands when you get home

Good points noted. Especially

1. Not pulling up the drinks nozzle. I'll use a Camelback Podium that has a twist to open. This isn't time to break a tooth either. Dentists are shut.

2. Drink and eat before riding.

3. Learn to rock a Borg headband 70's style.

4. Wear eye protection. No snot wiping. No touching face.

5. Wipe/ spray gate handle and gloves. Clean hands back in the car. Wash clothes and bike at when home.

How about small 'Shepherds hook' to poke and pull the latches clipped on the frame? Only then need to handle the 'safe' end.

Pretty much all our legal bike paths in the New Forest are through many of the enclosures. Riding on open forest is looked down upon due to the ground nesting birds, all though it's not particularly policed and all recreational forest use is relatively very low impact.

Have people also seen walker's wiping? If most people are then there is less risk to any given individual.

I carry a dedicated Gate Glove*.
So I arrive at the one gate that gives access to the trails. Slip the single Gate Glove over my riding glove and deal with the gate. Gate Glove goes back into my jersey or pack.

*a marigold with GG written on it.

This place seems to be full of weird OCD types.

JP

Elbows, sleeves, or last resort hand under the t-shirt.

Here in the FofD gates are just a reminder to local populace that they’re still under the jurisdiction of FE and serve no purpose for wildlife or livestock management.

So I open them and leave them open.

Still sending the **** shitty emails about Windows ME.

My daily routes involves two gates, neither of which serves any purpose in keeping animals or people in or out. Every day I open the latch with a stick, then insert said stick through the latch to hold it open so others don't have to touch it. The gates are sprung, so hold themselves closed anyway. Next day the stick has been removed. Always. Presumably by a member of the "Always Close the Gate" contingent.
There is another gate, again serving no purpose until the cattle return later in the summer, which the landowner helpfully ties open to save people from having to touch the gate. Except that the bailing twine he uses is regularly cut and removed, and the gate closed.
FFS.

I asked one area with lots of gates if I should prop them open. ( there is no livestock just dog walkers) They said no but next time I went through the catches has all been removed so just needed pushing open. They gates self close so no problem there.

Talk to someone , they do listen.

D.

Get on with it. In the current sunshine especially, if you're that fussed, climb over, but bollocks to avoiding routes with gates, must be shyte.

Seen quite a few signs asking people to wear gloves when opening gates. To me its all a bit pointless i'm sure gloves carry virus just as well as skin. I'm also a farmer who lives next to a bridle way with lots of gates. I'm also not going all neurotic about people opening gates on my land. Unlike some of my ranting Facebook friends

D

I’m not a virologist but I would imagine that the risk is pretty much negligible in the circumstances the op mentions. The spread in the community is likely to be low outside hotspots and by the time the sun had shone and time has passed most gate catches are pretty low risk.

Viroligists also say the risk is negligible. To get a large enough viral load from touching a gate in the middle of a forest in full sun shine is almost impossible. And that's assuming the few other people who have touched the gate in exactly the same place all have Covid19.

I live in New Forest and there are A LOT of gates.

@kerley

Viroligists also say the risk is negligible.

Genuinely not being argumentative here,could you provide a link to the info regarding this please? I'm honestly interested.

Cheers matey.

Just think about when everyone goes back to work and all those doors you have to touch. I’ve been working in a hospital all through this touching door handles constantly, again just don’t suck your fingers, pick your nose.

I live with someone from PHE.

Wear gloves (as in your normal mountain biking gloves that aren't as hard a surface as skin or metal), crack on opening gates as normal, try and not touch your face, take a little hand sanitiser with you if you want to stop and have lunch or eat food and do so after taking said gloves off. Then wash your gloves and your hands when you get home.

To get a large enough viral load from touching a gate in the middle of a forest in full sun shine is almost impossible. And that’s assuming the few other people who have touched the gate in exactly the same place all have Covid19.

This.
1. You need hundreds of viral particles in your eyes or breathing passages to be at serious risk.

2. Viruses cannot multiply unless they infect living cells. If an infected person sneezes on a gate, it's unlikely the part of the gate you touch will have enough to be a major risk to you. If you touch it, you will not pick up all the virus particles, only a fraction and they will not multiply sitting on your gloves or clothes. If you then touch your bike and other things and spread the virus particles, they are constantly being reduced in concentration, so becoming less dangerous. Unless you go around licking random surfaces, there's bugger all chance of getting infected from touching something outdoors. When you get home, if you park your bike overnight and put your gloves and clothes into the wash, your chances of infection are miniscule.

I always ride in gloves (sweaty bare hands and grips don’t work for me), but take off my glove to open the gates on my ride and hold the gate on places people are less likely to touch (where possible). Idea being ‘clean’ glove goes back on over ‘dirty’ hand. I’m always wiping sweat off my face when riding (try to use left hand if right hand opening gates) so although not ideal, at least the glove is not ‘dirty’ on the outside. Also carry some sanitizer which I do my hands with when I stop for a breather / admire the view / snack.

Genuinely not being argumentative here,could you provide a link to the info regarding this please? I’m honestly interested.

I haven't got a link, it is what various virologists have been saying over the last 2 months in interviews/appearances on TV news shows.

I’ve got my gloves on wash - rotation after each ride, along with my other kit.

2. Viruses cannot multiply unless they infect living cells. If an infected person sneezes on a gate, it’s unlikely the part of the gate you touch will have enough to be a major risk to you. If you touch it, you will not pick up all the virus particles, only a fraction and they will not multiply sitting on your gloves or clothes.

How exactly does the virus spread anywhere, then? We’re constantly being told the virus spreads by contact with surfaces so the above information is surely incorrect?

Whilst I accept that number of viral particles on a gate is probably lower than, say, the lift buttons in a hospital foyer, it’s also the ONE point that every single person passing through has touched. That could easily be hundreds of people per day on some of the gates near me.

I’m choosing to avoid them where possible, and either use an elbow for the latch or climb over. This is bearing in mind that my gloves are pretty much always covered in my own snot. It’s just as much about preventing you from being the spreader as it is about avoiding catching it yourself.

Of course this is also why the rules were about not travelling to do exercise, as local gates were for local people.

Now that anyone can travel anywhere the risk for infection has definitely increased.

I just use my T-shirt for mopping sweat, blowing nose, hand for opening gates

D.

Avoiding my usual route. Partly because of the increased traffic which I can't be bothered with, but partly because numerous people may have touched the gates in the minutes before me, and no matter how small, that does seem an unnecessary risk.

Further out in the wilds I'm not too fussed. Happy opening gates all day long knowing that there might not have been anyone through for hours. Everything I have read has suggested the virus does not last long outdoors.

Loads of gates around here but yet to touch one even riding everyday, I use a stick to lift the latch and my foot to pull/push it open.

I get that the risk is low. The gate I use is metal, in a dark shady spot. I would guess at folk using it every 5 or so minutes as it is one of a limited number of entry points.
My cycling gloves will always inevitably be wiping muck out of my eyes/face, be grabbing at the bottle, often the nozzle and generally being just like more skin. So went with the separate glove for gates as the risk of me transferring something from me to the gate seems slightly possible.

First ride out in ages yesterday. Only seeing this thread reminded me we'd not really paid any attention to the two gates we'd used.

However, glove off, open gate, sanitiser, glove on doesn't sound too difficult to do going forward.

Especially if one person holds to gate for both of us.

again just don’t suck your fingers, pick your nose.

Thanks for the advice, I've stopped sucking my fingers and started picking my nose 😉

Wear gloves (as in your normal mountain biking gloves that aren’t as hard a surface as skin or metal), crack on opening gates as normal, try and not touch your face, take a little hand sanitiser with you if you want to stop and have lunch or eat food and do so after taking said gloves off. Then wash your gloves and your hands when you get home.

CV or not, this is what you should do, so it doesn't matter what or how stuff gets on your hands when out riding. No fingers near mouth or eyes unless sanitized.

I'm fairly confident that Kerley and Hols2 are on the money here.

D. Then all kit including gloves goes straight in the washing machine when I get home (gettin' nekkid in the kitchen, whoop whoop!).

To be honest it's the same walking the dog; there are gates and the lids of dog poo bins that need to be negotiated. I just make sure I don't touch my face and wash my hands when I get home.

Firmly D and trying not to touch face etc. Viral load and all that.

Big difference with say supermarket trolley handle where in direct contact and sneezing / dribbling distance for a prolonged period.

Out of interest, how many D replies have come from people that still had to go to work through all this, work day to day with risk assessments and distancing etc. And how many gate sanitisers have been WFH in a bubble of fear?

I understand the need to be cautious if you have vulnerable family members, but I've not given the gates I've encountered a second thought. Simply wash gloves and hands after each ride.

Don't we all just bunnyhop the mo'fo's? Ahem...cough....(not that kind of cough...)

D

If the average infected person infects 0.7-0.9 other people (current R value), think how many surfaces they will have touched, other people they will have been in contact with, household members that they could have infected during the ~2 week infectious period. The chance of that ~1 infection being attributable to a gate I used, as opposed to all the other higher risk situations that they will have put themselves in (grocery shopping), seems exceptionally small to me. I apply similar logic to passing someone closely on singletrack.

[img] [/img]

How exactly does the virus spread anywhere, then?

From what I gather, the major route of transmission is having people sneezing, singing, playing musical instruments, breathing heavily, etc. in confined spaces. So church choirs, hospitals full of infected people, gyms, nightclubs, etc are deadly. Yes, it is possible to get it through touching something then rubbing your eyes, but somewhere like a supermarket with thousands of customers sneezing and coughing on things indoors is massively more risky than a gate outdoors on a sunny day. And much more risky for the staff than for the customers, too.

D but with a "Partridge train toilet"-esque technique

My new riding attire is gate friendly!

jjprestidge
Member
This place seems to be full of weird OCD types.

Tell us again how to make coffee.

D.

Chances of contracting virus from touching a gate in the countryside is so infinitesimally small i give it little cause for concern other than to push gate open / close using my foot.

Not the least bit surprised by some the anxiety stricken extreme measures taken by the full time hand wringers.

i'd been using my teeth to avoid touching it with my hands but I now see that was wrong 🙂

Serious answer, I either use a combo of elbow and foot, or use little and ring finger which are then not used for 'clean' things till I've washed my hand. I've had OCD issues for years though so this isn't anything new. In fact I now just see it has having been in pandemic training!

D

I think the risk from gates and outdoor surfaces is tiny.

But crack on with whatever precautions give you some comfort, i'm not going to be a dick about other people perceiving a higher risk when there are arseholes everywhere who are just ignoring the lockdown.

From what I gather, the major route of transmission is having people sneezing, singing, playing musical instruments, breathing heavily, etc. in confined spaces.

Exactly. And in that confined space you don't even have to be that close to people who have Covid. It is about being somewhere long enough. A person breathing in and out for 8 hours in an office is enough to provide a high enough viral load.

Worth reading this https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them

D. Big pokey up lever jobs round here. Outside forearm to open, let them swing closed.

Can't understand the special glove stuff. You get the special glove out of your bag, with your hands, put in on with you hands, use it to touch the gate, take it off with your hands and put if back in your bag? Lots of times in a ride. Can't see how that's any better than not doing it.

Even if it's in a special pocket in the bag, do you wash the bag after every ride, too? Got be better to use a leaf, clump of grass, stick, stone and chuck it after, surely?

I think he's to some extent redeemed himself, in my eyes anyway, with a very rational approach to significant philanthropy. Though he had quite a lot to redeem himself from with strangling of tech rivals through the 90s.

Sorry. Just I'm just another victim of random capitalisation. The annoying things you have to get through to get to the good stuff it's very much a D based on the fact you'd have to lick a lot of latches to acquire any sort of viral load.(actually I just wear usual gloves, rather than the half gloves I'd be in by now, but more to assuage curtain twitchers as I go past farms/worried - with or without good reason - walkers than because I think this reduces risk of spread in any meaningful way. Personal sense of risk isn't in the equation).

But crack on with whatever precautions give you some comfort, i’m not going to be a dick about other people perceiving a higher risk when there are arseholes everywhere who are just ignoring the lockdown.

Very much this, do you what you feel you need to do to keep getting out there and riding.

I’m avoiding off road completely just because there are miles more walkers about and it’s hard to avoid them. I’m enjoying road biking at the moment.

I’m struggling to get couriers and the postie to leave my front gate open so I don’t have it touch it. They all seem to instinctively close it.

From what I gather, the major route of transmission is having people sneezing, singing, playing musical instruments, breathing heavily, etc. in confined spaces.

Sort of. Those situations are high risk, but not for the reasons you say. It's from droplet spread from those coughing / sneezing individuals landing on surfaces which you then come into contact with.

Source:

TLDR: Droplets on surfaces = harmful, aerosol spread is rare.
At least that's Kool-aid published by PHE which explains why all us front-line NHS workers don't, in fact, need FFP3 masks near Covid +ve patients. Now, you may be slightly skeptical of that advice (I certainly am to an extent) but that's the official line.

Skepticism notwithstanding, even if aerosol spread is non-negligible, it's very clear that PHE believe the primary mode of spread is via surface contamination.

The armchair virologists (I am being one too I suppose) may wish to consider this before they blindly touch every surface in sight assuming they're safe.

I’m avoiding off road completely just because there are miles more walkers about and it’s hard to avoid them. I’m enjoying road biking at the moment.

It's the opposite for me - the roads round here are chocka with roadies breathing on each other! I feel like it's much easier to maintain a 2m safe distance when MTBing.