[Closed] Not far no gnar...but maybe car?

No to both.
On the bike from front door.
Bike on train to get to a trail or other cycling destination is nothing more than a piss take - likely to get attention from train staff/transport police.

Ultimately, you make your own decisions.
I wouldn’t, and indeed haven’t as I don’t feel it’s the right move at this moment in time. I feel we should be exercising from home.
But maybe that’s easy for me to say as I’m now a runner who does the odd road ride.
Your view may differ.
And as the guidance is vague then it’s not for me to tell you if you’re right or wrong.

there was an article on the BBC website a week or so ago suggesting its ok to drive to a place to exercise as long as the drive is shorter than the time you spend there, dont drive for an hour for a 10 min walk sort of thing.
ive been riding from the house but there seems to be a number of families who are driving to local beauty spots etc for a walk.
i know of other riders who are driving miles and miles to go riding, looking at their strava you would never guess anything was going on.
i guess it depends on your definition of taking the piss

there was an article on the BBC website a week or so ago suggesting its ok to drive to a place to exercise as long as the drive is shorter than the time you spend there, dont drive for an hour for a 10 min walk sort of thing.

Indeed. The message is now very blurred. Personally I would not but I do have very very pleasant exercise from the front door so I have absolutely no need. But.....when B&Q are opening and folk are taking an extra trip out to queue for a pot of dulux I’m now finding it hard to criticise what your ‘friend’ proposes.

I’m itching to go for a surf (40min drive) but resisting at the moment.

Had to go into the office today and every car park across Dartmoor had at least 2-3 cars in and some more.

If gov relax the regs 'under controlled conditions' there is likely to be a second wave; if that happens I predict a stringent lockdown.
Our testing regime is inadequate; contact tracing non-existent; police appear to be generally ok with the public's lax compliance; social distancing gets little more than lip service in most places. This invites a second wave.
Maybe the wrong thread but....there you go

My 'friend' won't come into contact with any more people. Elevation of risk could be me er I mean my friend either taking something with them, bringing it back (but no gates etc, so...) Or just looking a dick with a bike in the car

Contemplating our first drive to ride or big remote walk in the coming days.

The NPCC guidance issued a few days ago makes that point from @sailor74's post. More exercise than travel should make it reasonable.

I've not driven since 17th March and my wife has only done so for shopping. We are very much in the highly compliant category but for my boys could really use a proper, away from it all day/afternoon where they're not constantly being told to stop, wait, slow down, don't go there and can actually get some proper cardiovascular exercise.

We are in a pretty heavily populated suburban area and while we are making the best of local paths etc it's too densely populated to get decent intensive or length of exercise without going on roads that are seriously dangerous to children for extended distances. There's no safe way to cycle, walk or run and maintain 2m even at snail pace. A 25 minute drive would give us hours of riding off road with ample passing spaces for when we did encounter others.

I'm genuinely torn because there's a lot of bad feeling around this issue but ultimately I'm not convinced that a sedate drive to a remote spot and a ride that is scoped to avoid passing residential areas is any worse risk than having to try and negotiate a narrow suburban road with people on both pavements and close passes.

(normalising not really very essential travel)

PS I think my friends proposed actions are way less risky than visiting a supermarket

Brackets were in response to my own post by the way

PS I think my friends proposed actions are way less risky than visiting a supermarket

Your friend may be right, but then he may need to visit a supermarket to get food.

PS I think my friends proposed actions are way less risky than visiting a supermarket

ah, but that’s where I start to disagree unless you are planning on not eating for the week and doing it instead rather than in addition.

So a minor increase in risk for a whole bunch of not quite needed fun seems a good deal I suppose

@frankconway

Interesting your view on the police. Down here they seem to be making a lot of noise about compliance and I think it's generally not too bad. Although from the number of early morning motorbikers I can hear caning it and any absence of visible enforcement I can only assume that they are exempt. Many forces have been accused of being heavy handed with the law and exceeding the legislation - Cambridgeshire police I think were trying to check shopping trollies at one point to check you hadn't bought an Easter egg!

My feeling is that we should expect a squeeze/release pattern that could last well over a year. Done to balance infection rates, NHS burden and economic factors. If we totally tank the economy then we won't be able to pay for the care that we need to provide and other social and health issues will be the result.

So a minor increase in risk for a whole bunch of not quite needed fun seems a good deal I suppose

Risk to who?

garage-dweller, I'm in Lincoln and police have been conspicuous by their absence.
I agree there needs be a balancing act between relaxing regs and economic damage but....support by German gov is 60% of GDP, UK at c14%.
This will force a partial re-shaping of the UK economy; it is not sustainable to believe wealth and a strong economy results from coffee shops, retail generally, cheap clothes and off-shored supply chains.
That's before the Brexit chaos begins to impact on the economy.
Again, probably the wrong thread.

Risk to who?

Well by degrees of separation, the entire population of the world and probably baby robins too.

In reality, the probably of the risk turning into an issue, will be very slightly raised for my friend himself and to those who may unwisely have also felt the need to risk their health and venture out into the same patch of Moorland at around the same time

Would you pass other places appropriate for your 'exercise' on the way to wherever you are going to 'exercise'?

I suspect that's the 'don't be a dick' test you need to apply here...

Frankconway totally agree with all that (including the need for an economic reshape). There's going to be a ruddy great hangover at the end of this for everyone and it's going to take even more sorting out than whether the op (or me) uses his car or not to go for a ride! (Poor attempt to get back on topic 😁 )

Seeing as the government can't seem to grow a pair and actually give proper guidance it's people can do what ever they ****ing want as long as you can justify it yourself!

Me, I'm sticking to 'from my door' stuff but I can't moan at anyone else as the guidance says the op's friend is allowed to drive....

You are allowed to drive to exercise so no issues there. Its just the distance. Personally I'd say an hour is too far. I actually wouldn't drive at all but that is as much down to personal circumstances. The local riding is ok for an exercise loop. I've got some very nice riding about 45 mins away, which is still a bit far, if it was 25 mins I'd probably be over there every so often.

As it seems to get mentioned when we do this thread, the "don't be a dick" rule applies to being judgemental as well. By all means get angry at the people driving dangerously, or having house parties, or blatantly breaking the rules. Give a little slack to those who are trying to social distance but interpret the rules slightly differently to you

I thought the wording of it was you could drive to walk but not to cycle

Driving an hour (40 or 50miles?) is clearly too far. I don't think the risks are that great and as the lockdown will start to be relaxed in a month this trip would be far less risky than what would be allowed in a months time but it is still a 40/50 miles drive to go for a ride so a non starter.

I am lucky though in that I always ride straight from door as I am off road within 100 metres and my bike has only been in a car once in the last 20 years and that was when my chain snapped 10 miles from home and I got picked up.

I get home from work each day where my key work adds a certain level of risk of exposure and I use my one exercise period to walk the dog.

The normal dog walks from the door we're fine in the past, but now when the sun is shining, people think that the allotted exercise is mandatory. It's getting more busy with people who don't normally use the area. Signs are going up telling people not to feed the horses, those were never needed before.

I'm sure we all miss riding our bikes, or riding them where we want to, but how critical to your existence is that? We could all make our ride for the vague, contradictory "rules" that have been published?

Are you intelligent enough to understand the principle of lockdown? Are you aware that while people are being allowed some hope, to think that we're getting on top of this, pop up morgues are still being planned and set up in major cities?

Is your ride a need or a want?

First rule, don't be a dick.
As a wise man once said to me "zip up your man suit princess".

I'm sticking to door riding, but I'm lucky that I can be off road after about 30 mins of mostly quiet roads. It is a LOT busier than it was before, but not much can be done about that.

If I was going to drive it'd be an hour to the Moors, and while the riding would be better (and it'd probably be quieter) I can't really justify that to myself.

Everyone's situation is different though.

The rules in Wales have now been "clarified"...you can't drive any significant distance to exercise, and cycling must be "within a reasonable walking distance from your home". Depending on your definition of reasonable, that means v short rides!

that means v short rides!

Or laps, or wiggly rides. You can still get some decent miles in without being miles from your door.

Seeing as the government can’t seem to grow a pair and actually give proper guidance it’s people can do what ever they **** want as long as you can justify it yourself!

This. The message has become so woolly and confused that no-one really knows what is allowed / acceptable.

The ridiculous 1hr thing (not actually a thing at all), locals making up their own NIMBY little minds as to what they think it should be, landowners using it as an excuse to close public rights of way, some people dobbing in their neighbours for perceived infractions and others doing whatever the hell they want!

The police can't enforce it anymore partly because public confidence in them is at an all time low after the stupid OTT stuff about checking shopping baskets for "non-essentials" and using drones to film & shame walkers, partly because they don't have the resources and partly because there are now so many loopholes in the guidance that basically anyone can justify almost anything.

It's noticeable around here (northern Peak District) how busy it's becoming. A lot of car parks are closed and for the first couple of weeks everything was deserted. There are now cars parked along verges, in some of the car parks (barriers pulled aside) and walkers out and about - usually them one side and a dog on an extendable lead on the other. 🙄

The fact you're asking on here, presumably hoping for support is either a good troll or a sign that you're hoping it'll be deemed OK while deep down accepting that it probably isn't. A car with a family and bikes loaded in/on it is a pretty big marker that you're off on a jolly day out though and, certainly seen out of context, it will fail the "don't be a dick" rule.

If you do it why not anyone else and before you know it everyone and there dog will be out and places will be full inviting a second wave. All in this together the trails will still be there when its all done with. Not to mention if you breakdown have an accident on route you will be causing unnecessary contact with someone who has to sort you out

I thought the wording of it was you could drive to walk but not to cycle

The general public has had no such wording. What you are referring to is the guide to police that was leaked. The official advice is still from your door

But the guidance we have been given has been pretty clear that we are only allowed out of our houses for work that can’t be done from home, some exercise and food shopping. So if B&Q is now open for buying paint and whatnot and these whispers from leaked documents not intended for us are flying about and taken as the ‘new rules’ it’s all so bloody vague it’s basically a free for all.

Trouble is if lots of people decide that's OK to do how quickly do those areas and car parks fill up? That's what has happened at a beauty spot near us, it's at least 3 miles from the nearest village, twice I've cycled past and the car park has been rammed. It's such a small area of woodland with man made walks so social distancing is going to be pretty difficult.

Would you pass other places appropriate for your ‘exercise’ on the way to wherever you are going to ‘exercise’?

I suspect that’s the ‘don’t be a dick’ test you need to apply here…

I'm going with this.

It seems entirely proportionate to travel a short distance in order to get to somewhere less packed than a local street, towpath etc. and take some exercise with less chance of breaking the 2 metre rule. Driving for an hour isn't just doing that and isn't what was meant.

Has anyone thought that maybe the "wooliness" of the rules especially after the Police guidance being "leaked" is actually the Government carefully stage managing a slow end to the lock-down?

Has anyone thought that maybe the “wooliness” of the rules especially after the Police guidance being “leaked” is actually the Government carefully stage managing a slow end to the lock-down?

No. Restrictions will last longer than they are leading us to believe. They'll not be shorter. I think they want a degree of disobedience simply so the curve doesn't go too flat. As a numbers game, I can see why. I just don't want my number to be part of that game.

I don’t think you’re being a dick at all, and it’s a perfectly reasonable question, given the actual guidance that’s out there, and the fact that lockdown seems to be an increasingly indistinct concept. However I would say it’s probably best avoided if you can, but if you really live in a city centre location and have no decent trails nearby then maybe it’s ok. But you’re going to feel a right **** if you come off and need medical attention.

As a numbers game i can see why....

Ehh??

in Wales there’s less ambiguity (apart from a confusion between national and Welsh rules) it’s basically no to driving unless you’re disabled or have autism. Also you’re meant to remain within walking distance of home at all times to avoid being left stranded. Actually now I’ve said that there’s still plenty of dicks online sharing more strict versions they’ve ‘interpreted’ for us all.

That said, I live in a City Suburb, trails and paths in every direction are busy all day, everyday to ride to the quiet spots takes 45 mins, that’s 45 mins of constantly trying for 2m but occasionally failing. If I drive to the quiet spots it takes 5 mins and I won’t come close to another soul.

Has anyone thought that maybe the “wooliness” of the rules especially after the Police guidance being “leaked” is actually the Government carefully stage managing a slow end to the lock-down?

I think it would be a good way to manage a relaxing of the lock down, so no, this isn't a government plan.

But you’re going to feel a right **** if you come off and need medical attention.

Frankly, and it varies from place to place I guess. A&E admissions are currently down 50% nationally. The NHS is actually asking people to make use of A&E if they need to.

Also with the cancellation of all non-urgent clinics and surgeries our local (huge) hospital which is also our main Covid centre has more spare beds than any any time in memory, last count there were about 200 spare beds. That was before the massive 2000 bed field hospital opened in Town.

I’m not saying that justification to be a dick about it, but after a month of near endless budget and a huge effort from the NHS, Military and construction contractors the NHS at least here has never had so much spare capacity.

Seeing as the government can’t seem to grow a pair and actually give proper guidance it’s people can do what ever they **** want as long as you can justify it yourself!

The government are ultimately responsible for confusion surrounding the restrictions. However, as far as I'm aware, their advice is still to stay at home and avoid All non-essential travel.

The NPCC guidelines were issued to police forces and not to the general public. It is not government advice, and just because you are likely to get away with it doesn't mean you should do it.

Driving an hour to a trailcentre or whatever is clearly self-indulgent piss-taking.

Patel has made disapproving noises about non-compliance with the regs; if she's the appointed representative at today's presser I wouldn't be surprised to hear her talk about clarifying the regs and more rigorous enforcement.
Sometimes it's not a bad thing to challenge rules and regs - a Brit trait generally but, given current circumstances, why can't people just say....is my intended action within the 'spirit' of the regs even if not specifically covered?
If the answer is either no or not sure, that means don't do it.
What iffery and smart arsed questions about can I do this, surely that's ok etc are both pointless and un-necessary.

Come on people do your bit, a relaxation of the rules is only a few weeks away and a if we mess it up and end up with a second peak we're back to square 1.

The NPCC guidelines were issued to police forces and not to the general public. It is not government advice, and just because you are likely to get away with it doesn’t mean you should do it.

I agree completely, but its out there in the public domain now, which is why I think the government should just state in black and white what people can and can't do as people clearly can't work it out for themselves.

The B&Q thing is right, gov say don't just go and buy paint for doing up the kitchen. But when B&1 reopen that's exactly what will happen. Why does B&Q actually need to be open?

No, the Police guidance was provided because our ****less Government have managed a Pandemic as a political exercise and not a Pandemic. A lockdown as required would have been so politically damaging that they chose to leave it as vague as possible. Do what you want, remember though that as you ride your bike along there are 1000’s of normal people in NHS roles exposing themselves to the highest possible risk and that one person you pass could infect you and the infection chain starts again. Your choice really but as someone who has a sister who is an ICU nurse and who has been severely unwell but now back at work I think we all need to ignore the politics of this and take some personal responsibility to protect the vulnerable.

Oh look another thread, to be honest OP I don't see the purpose in this thread.

If you were looking for sign off of your plans, you'll never get it even if it's morally right someone will object to something. (this is not a view of whether I agree or not)

It's the way of the forum.

Sod it, I'm putting my board in the van and going surfing. I won't pass anywhere on the drive that's closer and surfable and once I'm there I won't be near anyone.

And if I'm going to do that, why shouldn't everyone else who hasn't been to the beach in weeks?

In previous weeks the main South Downs carpark near me has had 4 permanent vanners (there is always some regulars up there who presumably don't have houses) and 2-3 cars. After the comments about it being OK to drive for exercise, 20 cars the following day, car park half full!

To be fair the area has plenty of space for distancing as it's open grassland, but the change was very noticeable.

Sadly it looks like the two vanners staying at the next car park (including a family in a horsebox) were moved on yesterday so not sure where they have ended up. But the farmer in that area seems to be bit of a "*#£.

From North Yorks Police yesterday:

North Yorkshire Police
20 hrs ·

Ahead of the good weather expected this weekend, we are again stressing the importance of staying home and continuing the fight against COVID-19.

Sadly, over previous weekends we've seen an increase in the number of people making unnecessary journeys into and around the region. In response to the growing number of people who are choosing to ignore the Government guidance and head to the dales, moors or coast for a day trip, we are increasing our patrols and key routes will be monitored for signs of increased traffic and visitors to the area.

Over 350 fixed penalty notices have been issued since the legislation was introduced in March and nearly half of those* have been issued to non-residents who are coming into North Yorkshire, to visit an open space or beauty spot. Particularly affected is the Craven region, where 65 of the 66 notices issued have been to visitors to the area.

Speaking about the recent influx of day-trippers to North Yorkshire, Assistant Chief Constable Mike Walker said:

“Usually we welcome visitors to North Yorkshire with open arms. However, for the sake of the health and safety of both the region and the nation, we are asking you to please stay away for the time being.

“We are aware of confusion that has arisen over the guidance around travelling for exercise and can understand that many people are looking for clarity around this issue. I believe the guidance issued by the UK Government couldn’t be clearer – to stop the spread of this potentially lethal virus, to protect the most vulnerable in our communities, our loved ones and our health service – we must all stay at home.

“In short, the virus moves if people move. So the way to stop the spread is to limit our movements down to only the very essential. I do not believe a group of friends travelling from West Yorkshire to climb the Yorkshire Three Peaks is essential nor do I believe a group of people travelling into the Yorkshire Dales from Bradford for a day out is essential. Exercise can be and should be taken locally following the Government guidelines, which have not changed since the day they were issued.

“Please believe me, I understand how important exercise is to people’s mental health. However, exercise can be taken from your doorstep and there is no reasonable or justifiable need to make a 50-mile trip to the coast, putting your own safety and the safety of others at risk. Not only that, by travelling long distances into unknown areas, you increase your chances of a road traffic collision, or needing emergency or medical assistance – all of which puts a strain on resources which should be focused on fighting COVID-19. That’s why our officers will be patrolling this weekend and continuing to engage, explain and encourage the public to do the right thing. Where needed, they will resort to enforcement to protect the public.

“So, I would urge you to stop and think before you pick up your car keys and head out the door - is your journey necessary and essential? Is it for food, medication or to support a vulnerable person? If the answer is no – then stay at home.

“If we continue to stay home, this will be over all the sooner. I sincerely hope in the future, we can look back at this period and feel pride at our collective response and our own individual behaviour and the sacrifices we have made to beat this virus, rather than with regret that more could have been done to save lives.”

Chair of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, Richard Flinton, said:

“For those who still think a drive into our countryside is just the ticket on a warm spring day then our message is very clear. If you flout the national lockdown rules you may receive the ticket you didn’t want – by way of a fine. We are working really hard to educate people, but ultimately you risk a penalty and we are looking at further visibility along key routes, to drive the message home to the minority who aren’t sticking to the rules.

“Because the sun is up it doesn’t mean the virus is not every bit as deadly. Anyone can carry it, anyone can spread it and it is indiscriminate in who it hits hardest.

“Please stay at home and exercise if possible from your doorsteps, because a fine is not the only thing you risk if you don’t follow the guidance.”

@ads678 - just what do you propose all of us stuck at home do with our time? There'll be a lot of "home projects" that have been put off so now's as good a time to do them as any.

Most of those that I follow on Strava are staying close to home. Some push things, say doing an 80km ride that goes 25-30km from home, but one or two have been taking the piss - yesterday one who lives in Wales did a 200km ride from near Chester over to Bangor and back! He's a director of an industrial chemical company (they produce the base chemicals for medicines), lives out in the country so not exactly needing to ride a long way to get away from people.

The police document was only meant for internal distribution, CPOs aren't particularly happy that it's become public simply because you get a vast increase in "interpretations" of what those guidelines mean and more people then taking those as gospel and ending up taking the piss.

The Welsh 10 mile radius is interesting - I think I "might" have gone outside that area once since the lockdown started. touch and go whether I did, one loop of road was very close. That was a 64km ride without being convoluted and only using up maybe a quarter of the circle so you can get a decent length ride done close to home. Most of my rides have been within a 6km circle or so but as I've stated on other threads, I'm lucky in that I live in a rural location so have both quiet country lanes and a limited network of BWs (plus a bit of cheeky) close to home. Would be quite different if I lived in the centre of a major city.

@whitestone - i'm just saying what the government have said about buying paint.

If you have stuff at home already go for it build something. Buy essential stiff like plumbing fittings and shit, but buying garden furniture or a barbecue is not really essential is it.

I could do with relaying some slabs, but I'm not going out to buy some cement as its not essential...

Trouble is if lots of people decide that’s OK to do how quickly do those areas and car parks fill up?

Sums up my view too. If a few start it, the masses will follow. So for now, all my riding is from home.

I'm happy with the 10 mile rule. That gives me 4 Munro summits.

Has anyone thought that maybe the “wooliness” of the rules especially after the Police guidance being “leaked” is actually the Government carefully stage managing a slow end to the lock-down?

No. Partly because the Government couldn't manage a piss up in a brewery but partly because a significant minority of people are too stupid/ignorant/selfish to actually understand or abide by "lockdown".

Honestly, if half the folk around here were in Spain or Italy, they'd have been shot by now!

Why are people so desperate for the government to give and enforce strict time/distance/frequency rules? We all know what “essential travel” means, really, we don’t new laws written and applied, just use your own sense of social responsibility as regards saving the lives of others.

We all know what “essential travel” means...

Do you think? I wonder.

My car has been used for getting to work,
Shopping,
Delivering food and prescriptions to elderly parents
And
Working on My allotment, otherwise it’s been parked up at home

Walking and riding is done from my back door, although it’s only about a 20 minute ride to open country and still possible to find quieter trails as most folks seem to stick to the better known ones.

I go by the thought of “ if I have to ask if something is ok then it probably is not “
Along with the mantra “ just because you can doesn’t mean you should “

Its tough at the moment. Especially for those who do not have access to open spaces from their front door. But even if the guidance isnt that clear, the intention is. Stay home / local / essential travel only. If you need more clarification than that then you're either dumb or trying to justify how far you can push things for you're own selfishness.

I know this is all a bit "baby robbins / think of the children" but these are the times we are living in.

Tricky one. We are riding from home but the peak district is only an hour away and within the longer exercise than drive rule. I'm not sure how many more weeks we will resist for given how dull our local bridalways are

It's not tricky at all, driving for an hour to ride your bike is taking the pee. My local ride is pretty dull but tough luck, it provides me with the exercise required.

the peak district is only an hour away

How many people live “only an hour away” from the Peak District?
What if we all head there?

Tricky one. We are riding from home but the peak district is only an hour away and within the longer exercise than drive rule.

It is not a rule it’s guidance from NPCC to officers derived from CPS guidance and advice, it is quite specific in the NPCC publication that “...each case still needs to be considered on the individual facts as they present themselves...The applicable threshold is that of a ‘reasonable excuse’.”

Therefore saying you need to drive an hour to take exercise which is identical to the exercise you can take from your door, i.e cycling off road, because it is less boring may well fail the reasonable excuse test.

Got to confess, the clarity from the Welsh devolved government makes it so much easier....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52416541

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=circumference%20of%20circle%20radius%2010

You should only be riding from home, yes that’s boring and inconvenient but it’s the correct and safe option in these circumstances. I’m desperate to load the bike onto the car and head somewhere different, but I’m resisting and not giving the anti cycling brigade any fuel for their arguments. Ride from home only !!!

An ex-girlfriend has asked me to drive over to see her. She's half an hour away so as long as we "exercise" for an hour while I'm there then it's ok isn't it? I mean, I could stay at home and have a tug, but that's not as much fun. Surely getting laid counts as essential?

I'm not even riding from the door anymore, the local trails are far too busy and it's causing tension with residents and land owners. Although carparks are closed, laybys aren't and it's not uncommon to see 4 or 5 cars at each trail head. Coupled with being within half an hour reach of two towns, the trails are much, much busier than normal. (sorry for the link to fb)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222966869579073&id=1198848440

Much busier up Rivington yesterday, but almost all people who'd driven to go for a stroll.

Still seen nobody loading/unloading bikes.

That policing document really muddied the waters, and we're now in a situation where some people are taking advantage of a loophole and it's only OK because not EVERYONE is.

I'm gonna stick to riding from the house. Certainly wouldn't consider driving for an hour to ride.

I did a 40 mile road loop from home today, furthest I've ridden since lockdown, and I felt really guilty about it, despite being socially isolated the whole time.

Air ambulance took a mountain biker off Ilkley Moor today I hear. Hope (s)he heals fast.

I’m not even riding from the door anymore, the local trails are far too busy and it’s causing tension with residents and land owners.

I am, but I’m getting up at 5am to do it.

Whilst I was out walking my dog yesterday afternoon there were people sitting around by the local locks, whole families of more than one generation spread evenly across the lane I walk along, 2 groups of lads riding bikes together and I also got buzzed by a roadie. (Think I saw Tall Paul from here too but not sure).

The dog needs to be walked, so I have kind of accepted that I won’t get the place to myself but with riding, as it’s a want, rather than a need, I’ll get up early to make sure I don’t bump into anyone on my local trails (appreciate this isn’t possible for everyone). After 4 weeks and 20,000 deaths, a lot of people still don’t seem to be taking the distancing seriously which I find quite concerning, and a bit depressing.

People won't take it seriously until the Police can get enough boots on the ground to get to these locations and encourage/inform/fine people to fall in line.

They had cops on MX bikes out in our local country park recently, that must have surprised a few of the morons

On the ‘not far’ piece, I have just been looking at todays Strava feed and am a bit depressed that most rides I’m seeing are 50-100 miles of glorious Scottish sunny roads. I’m not being judgemental of it, just a bit down that folk seem to have given up on the whole thing.

Social distancing? Folk aren't even taking it seriously in the shops, despite many signs on the doors and on the floors. Again, we're worrying about the drip, drip, drip around the edges and ignoring the yawning chasm.

Colin, totally agree, my neighbour, a smart intelligent man, has today been to Aldi, to Lidl 3 times and to B&Q. He has taken his dog out for 3 walks.

My car hasn’t moved in a fortnight but will be driven tomorrow when I go to a COVID testing centre. I haven’t been in a shop for over a fortnight and have only been out for a short local road ride every few days. Wife is working (NHS key worker) and goes for a weekly shop at Morrisons.

Back from one of my usual variation loops on the bike from home in the eastern Peak near Baslow. Depressing number of cars parked up in lay-bys, families out for a stroll with the little one and endless convertibles and motorbikes ragging along the main road. I do get just deflated by the number of people who assume that either things don’t apply to them or because most people are being sensible then they can take advantage of the relative quiet of the countryside at the moment. I know it has been said countless times on here but people are generally selfish and only thing of themselves. ****ts.

Again, we’re worrying about the drip, drip, drip around the edges and ignoring the yawning chasm.

No, “we” are doing no such thing.

This is a mountain biking forum. We talk about how we’re going about getting some time in on the bike far more than what it’s like out shopping because… this is a mountain biking forum.

If you want to talk shopping, I’ve not been to any shop (accept the pharmacist for insulin for my son) for over a month.

I'll keep repeating - I'm not seeing any signs of the roads being busier, car park/laybys being used. A group of yoofs were down by the river a couple of nights ago, otherwise the outdoor rules seem to be holding around here.

kelvin - take a deep breath, exhale slowly and....relax.
'We' know this is the bike forum; btw, it's not the 'mountain biking forum'.

Today was by far the busiest I have seen it since lock down, like 3x more people than I have seen at any other time, I basically do the same loop everyday. First time I have seen large groups, I assume more than one house, out together and making it hard to keep distant as they spread over the whole path