[Closed] When will they let us drive to exercise?

Two weeks on Monday hopefully, same boat as you, used to be at FoD 2-3 times a week, can't complain too much as i still live close to Dursley and Nibley, so have that stuff, but the weather has killed a lot of the stuff here, so would be nice to go further afield again, especially FoD as you could choose a quiet area and not see many folk, i go up to the local stuff and it's ram packed with walkers these days, never seen the trails so busy.

[Pulls the pin on the grenade]

But you can drive, its not illegal to travel to exercise.

[Lobs grenade and runs]

Looking at at least 3 weeks wait here in Wales. We're now allowed to meet up to 4 others outdoors for exercise but can't travel which is a pain for me as everyone I exercise with lives in England and even the vast majority of my friends live a good 30 mins drive away. I'm hoping for April but I think you lot in England will open up for travelling well before we do here.

[Pulls the pin on the grenade]

But you can drive, its not illegal to travel to exercise.

[Lobs grenade and runs]

It is in Wales.

Larry, exactly right but have been doing the ‘right’ thing, as advised by numerous cycling bodies etc but am now starting to get a bit of ‘cabin fever’.

It is in Wales.

Given he referred to what BoJo was going to announce, one would assume that they are English.

Anyway no one cares about Wales.

exactly right but have been doing the ‘right’ thing

This is going to turn into that thread again "travelling makes no difference" "OMG by driving you are killing hundreds, let that be on your conscience!" "You're stretching local services by traveling" etc etc.

Is that this thread done with now?

Larry, your cabin fever is turning into trolling! 😅

I haven’t even driven to Ashton Court (it’s 10 miles away), trying to respect the local only rule. Yes I know I could of cycled over but enthusiasm for that has been nil.

Even on an MTB that's all of an hour (on tarmac).

Why not make a day of it and find off-road ways to it (and back).

And then suddenly you've also bought a gravel bike.

BTW how long do you actually ride for when you drive over?

@argee...I’m south of Nibley by 10 miles road ride but it’s that little bit too far to make the effort worthwhile especially when I have limited time. Can’t wait to be allowed to get back up there. Until then, gravel bike from the door it is.

If it makes you feel better if you drove over you wouldn’t be able to get parked anyway. I live locally and ride up. Sunday is just silly - lots of large groups walking dogs, hikers on the bike trails. It’s just not fun.

I ride mid-mornings on a Wednesday or Tuesday and at 9:30 it’s pretty quiet but by 11am full carpark of people in full rambling gear.

And I bet they all drove a fair way....Grrrrrrrr

I went to long ashton over Xmas with my lad, I'm not a fan of it myself but he fancied a ride there. It was horrendously busy even at 9am, don't think we will ride there again until it the world quietens down next year to head back.

Alpha1653
Full Member
@argee…I’m south of Nibley by 10 miles road ride but it’s that little bit too far to make the effort worthwhile especially when I have limited time. Can’t wait to be allowed to get back up there. Until then, gravel bike from the door it is.

There's some decent enough routes off-road to get there, but this time of year it's a proper slog to get there, lots of hills as well so you do get a bit knackered by the time you do a circular and then try and do the nibley loop!

Why not make a day of it and find off-road ways to it (and back).

For many making a day of it is a rare treat and grabbing a few hours is the best opertunity

It is in Wales.

Given he referred to what BoJo was going to announce, one would assume that they are English.

Anyway no one cares about Wales.

Seeing as the OP says they're in Bristol and travel regularly to the FOD it's a point worth making, especially as there are still people travelling to Cwmcarn, Afan and the Beacons from England to go riding and walking. Also with Wales and England sharing a border whatever Bojo announces directly affects us here, as demonstrated last time where the English-living people decided that they could come into Wales and explore as they saw fit despite us still being under restrictions. The scene is set for that to happen again this time round.

There’s some decent enough routes off-road to get there, but this time of year it’s a proper slog to get there, lots of hills as well so you do get a bit knackered by the time you do a circular and then try and do the nibley loop!

@argee: just PM’d you!

Same for me, I was at FoD once or twice a week until it wasn’t permitted, also Bristol based. I’m very lucky to have Ashton Court and some other local trails on the doorstep, I’m out on them 3-5 times a week to keep me sane.

The key with Ashton is to hit it up in the week, it’s dead at lunch time, totally empty at night at the moment and great fun with a decent helmet mounted lamp (treated myself to the MagicShine Galaxy 8000S which is insane).

The second trick is to fit XC tyres and lap it as fast as you can, as the lines are far more difficult and challenging. Run sticky trail tyres and it’s too easy to rail and slow, run fast tyres which eventually understeer and its a right laugh.

Cannot wait to get to the FoD and Quantocks again. Will be heading out for dawn to avoid the crowds, of all types. Me and the missus do that with the (endless but actually great once you’re out on them) walks too or it’s just too hectic.

Just ask Rob Warner for a lift in his Jag.

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Alpha1653
Full Member

@argee…I’m south of Nibley by 10 miles road ride but it’s that little bit too far to make the effort worthwhile especially when I have limited time. Can’t wait to be allowed to get back up there. Until then, gravel bike from the door it is.

That’s because you’re lazy 🤷‍♂️

Doubt it's laziness, just now i drive to a central point and then cycle as well, it's only about 4 or 5 miles for me, but i have the kit in the car to fix most things (spare chains, tyres, etc), remember that Nibley stuff is usually DH, so accidents happen (full first aid kit in car), plus riding 10 miles on roads with DD shorty maxxgrips isn't something i would like to do any time soon!

Summertime i will do the XC stuff on the hardtail and carry a backpack, but just now the mud up in Nibley/Dursley/etc is horrific, it's a nightmare to clean as well, i find it's the worst in the area, painswick/cranahm is less sticky and FoD mud is way easier to shed, i miss it just for the cleaning!

I'm currently thinking that it might be in the next two weeks or so in Scotland. The announcements regarding the lifting of restrictions relating to care home visits has given me some cause to be hopeful.

I haven’t even driven to Ashton Court (it’s 10 miles away), trying to respect the local only rule. Yes I know I could of cycled over but enthusiasm for that has been nil.

Your restraint is admirable to a degree but if I lived within 10 miles of Innerleithen or Peebles I would be riding there on a regular basis. I live in the Borders but not close enough to count as local.

Same boat...live south birmingham so
Cannock is closest but that’s 26 miles as the crow flies or 40 odd via the motorway. Haven’t been since before Christmas, been riding towpaths or road biking locally, I’m itching to get out on the mtb, it’s not to meet up with group rides just to ride solo that’s all I’ve done for nearly a year now.

I probably could drive or take the train but it’s not in the spirit of things and been told local police fining anyone with a car that’s not registered locally to the chase so not worth a fine even though the risk is zero as i won’t be meeting anyone and generally ride midweek when it’s quiet.

Your restraint is admirable to a degree but if I lived within 10 miles of Innerleithen or Peebles I would be riding there on a regular basis. I live in the Borders but not close enough to count as local.

So would I, but Ashton Court is useful for the city but is not all that tbh.

 

Why dont you just drive somewhere for a ride - you wont catch anything in your car and you wont catch anything riding outdoors on your own.

I don’t know about anybody else but am now hoping that Boris will announce that we can further drive afield to exercise on Monday.

I would expect the majority of us(aside from a few resident grumps) will be hoping for the same.

Shame it's not been leaked like schools and other lockdown easing, but I think it might come sooner rather than later.

I expect first they'll remove the "stay at home" clause, thus allowing days out, and later allow stays away from home.

was flicking through the early morning tv tele-sales and noticed one of them was trying to flog Miami Caribbean cruises leaving next week. If it's ok to waltz off on a cruise can't see any issue with drive to exercise.

Looks like they may not have decided yet anyway:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/20/outdoor-mixing-may-be-allowed-in-england-by-easter-reports-suggest

If it’s ok to waltz off on a cruise

Pretty sure that's not OK mate.

I'm not selling the cruise.

I’m not selling the cruise.

Eh? I didn't suggest you were.

Still, it's fine to sell them AFAIK - just not allowed to go on them.

I would expect the majority of us(aside from a few resident grumps) will be hoping for the same.

I'd be surprised. It would open up the whole 'I drove 250 miles to the Lakes, but it was for exercise' thing, unless they're going to put objective limits on it.

I don't really mind, but then I have good local riding straight from my front door and long covid, so I can't ride anyway.

What would a 'reasonable' drive to ride distance look like? 10 miles? 20? 50?

Trimix
Full Member
Why dont you just drive somewhere for a ride – you wont catch anything in your car and you wont catch anything riding outdoors on your own.

Perhaps because he's chosen to obey rule 1?

You would hope this whole thing would make people think about how far they travel for the environment, but I doubt it

What would a ‘reasonable’ drive to ride distance look like? 10 miles? 20? 50?

My personal guideline (independent of Covid) is about 90 mins max drive each way for a day out, preferably closer to an hour. But I know some people will drive three or four hours each way for a ride, which I find a bit daft, but if they're not doing any harm...

It wasn't really a problem when there was no limit on journey time to exercise last year. Just a bit of social media outrage at pictures of busy car parks in Snowdonia.

But I know some people will drive three or four hours each way for a ride, which I find a bit daft, but if they’re not doing any harm…

Have you heard of this crazy theory called Climate Change?

All of you itching to drive to ride better be prepared to see a lot of your routes destroyed by the increased footfall of the locals if my local area is anything to go by. That sinewy singletrack is now a 3 metres wide walkers motorway as people just walk further and further away from the muddy bit & make things worse. It's going to take a long time for it to recover if the masses get to go back to walking around the shopping centres again.

All of you itching to drive to ride better be prepared to see a lot of your routes destroyed by the increased footfall of the locals if my local area is anything to go by.

The Sett Valley Trail is wrecked, wrecked I tell you, by pesky local people walking along it :-/

I don't quite understand what you're trying to say btw, those trails are going to get trodden on regardless of whether you're itching to drive or not, no?

Or do you mean that locals will drive to walk, in which case they're arguably not that local? 🙂

All of you itching to drive to ride better be prepared to see a lot of your routes destroyed by the increased footfall of the locals if my local area is anything to go by.

That ship sailed a long time ago.

Have you heard of this crazy theory called Climate Change?

Do you think a lot of people would drive that far for a day's riding then?

And since climate change is unrelated to Covid (apart from potentially mitigated by the decrease in commuting), would you legislate against driving three hours for a ride?

boardmanfs18
I may be wrong but isn't at least the trail centre bit of the FoD [Cannop, Coleford GL16 7EH Gloucester England?] https://pedalabikeaway.co.uk
Mind, getting there from Bristol without passing through a bit of Wales would perhaps be a long detour. Agree with you mate, its too far to travel reasonably til they allow it.

I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to say btw, those trails are going to get trodden on regardless of whether you’re itching to drive or not, no?

I'm saying it's not worth the angst of worrying about driving all that way to ride on a thick mud motorway

The (Tory) MP of the Forest of Dean is a bit of a Lockdown sceptic. I'm sure he, and the people who chose him to represent them, will happily welcome you. 🙂

I agree with Rocketdog, and its been commented about by others near me; all the footpaths, bridaleways, permissive paths etc are all much wider, much muddier and churned up by foot fall.

Its hardly surprising though:
1) its been a wet winter
2) more people are walking beacuse there is nothing else to do
3) people cant drive to the places that are typically drier to walk so have to make do with the muddy paths whatever the weather
4) people are stepping off the paths to one side to socially distance making everything wider.

I hope that it will recover swiflty though as spring comes.

Thread diversion over - it is very frustrating not bieng allowed to drive!

I’d pay to watch people try and walk down some of the FoD off piste

Have you heard of this crazy theory called Climate Change?

Oh jeez, we're going to bang that drum now eh?

I'm sure pre Covid you'd never have driven 3 or 4 hours before, for anything, right?

Just came back from a canal towpath ride, it’s almost mtb trails....no it’s not, but I agree with the previous comments about erosion from walkers and increased footfall, the towpath from 4 miles out from the city is terrible...muddy, wet and it goes pretty far back to the fences which is new. All the mud etc has come from the sides as people step across to social distance pass etc...it was horrible out..

Honestly, the ride's got to be worth the bike cleaning, tow paths and so on are just soul destroying!

Unfortunately nearest place isn’t local so it’s towpaths or road and really didn’t fancy Road ride on a Saturday afternoon.

I’m saying it’s not worth the angst of worrying about driving all that way to ride on a thick mud motorway

Ah, okay. It's mostly rocks round here. I have to drive if I want proper mud.

I wish I hadn’t read this thread.

I never realised quite how crowded the countryside was until we were told to ‘stay at home’. When the retail parks reopen will it go back to normal?

Not driving has become quite normal. Not sure I want to go back to it and to paying for fuel. I know that once we are given freedom to travel that the places I would go to will be rammed. I am thinking of staying local for some months yet.

As per ferrals.

We've got about a square km of open space near us. It's about the only easily accessed green space without transport for about 18,000 people (last census).

It's a complete mudbath. There's harder to reach/more challenging walking/biking about 20 minutes away. Where 500m from the car park you would get much better dispersal because of the variety of routes/options and harder going.

That’s because you’re lazy 🤷‍♂️

Ha ha...lazy bit still quicker than you boyo 🤣

But no, it’s not laziness, rather if I’ve got a couple of hours to go riding, I’d rather not spend them on a bridlepath slog to the trailhead and back or crappy lanes that go in every direction other than direct to where I want to go!

I’m sure pre Covid you’d never have driven 3 or 4 hours before, for anything, right?

Not very often and never just for one days biking.

Not driving has become quite normal. Not sure I want to go back to it and to paying for fuel. I know that once we are given freedom to travel that the places I would go to will be rammed. I am thinking of staying local for some months yet.

Very much this. Between work, play and runningr ound after after kids activities we are saving about £300 a week.

I’m sure pre Covid you’d never have driven 3 or 4 hours before, for anything, right?

Not very often and never just for one days biking.

To be fair, I can do my kind of riding from home or only an hour's drive away for Cannock or Sherwood Pines, or the Peak if I want natural and gnarlier. Trips to "proper" trail centres fit in with holidays in those areas.

Very much this. Between work, play and runningr ound after after kids activities we are saving about £300 a week.

What on travel?
Or travel and other associated costs?
I do roughly 500 miles a week for work (still!) and only put in around £60 each week.

Another gem of a superiority thread on stw. Some of you just do border on ridiculous

I’m probably saving £300 a month by not commuting. Got enough local riding/running but I’m itching to go for a surf (30mile and the next county).

I could probably get away with it but...

End Outside Sports Ban - says scientist

Pretty soon I reckon...Thing is, I think as mountain bikers and as just cyclist in general, we've been pretty bloody luck really, I know right now, when conditions are always at their worst it doesn't feel like it, but I've friends in 5-a-side leagues who've not been able to pay for more then 6 months, and another who runs for a track team teams who's not been bear a stadium in nearly a year..!

. Between work, play and runningr ound after after kids activities we are saving about £300 a week.

Did you mean week? That’s like four or five full tanks of fuel; and you could lease a tesla for half that.

Link to the £150 a month Tesla please?

Link to the £150 a month Tesla please?

Did you mean week? That’s like four or five full tanks of fuel; and you could lease a tesla for half that.

The clue here is the use of the word week.

I think as mountain bikers and as just cyclist in general, we’ve been pretty bloody luck really

Yes, very lucky, and I do appreciate that. And it's really good to see so many more people out, even if they are making trails wider and ruining my Strava times.

😉

I’m probably saving £300 a month by not commuting.

I appear to be saving £300-500 per month, but my commuting costs were only about £150/month max. And I almost always took a packed lunch. And only went for drinks a couple of times a month.

Anyone else with inexplicable savings?

The clue here is the use of the word week.

Fair point, in my defence, I was reading it on my phone, while driving to my local riding spot

 

I’m sure pre Covid you’d never have driven 3 or 4 hours before, for anything, right?

My general rule (nothing to do with Covid) is that total drive time must be less than total ride time 🙂

People’s circumstances are different and so this guidance relies on people to use their common sense to determine what is and is not a reasonable distance for their outdoor exercise

Nigel Huddleston, minister for sport

I spent late December and January riding from the door and all I saw were people driving and parking up for exercise, a coffee, sledging, dog walking, kayaking and mountain biking.

I've been driving up the road to the most local decent mtb trails and smashing out some loops. It has helped me stop going out of my head. I think it is reasonable and there are places further a field I'd rather go and trails with more jeopardy that I have been avoiding.

If my local (from the front door) road ride this afternoon is anything to go by, everyone else seems to think it's fine to drive. Roads all the way around Lyme Park rammed as usual with ****wits parked on all the verges. Same in the Goyt Valley. I've not been up Mam Tor for a while but every time I have, the roads all the way around the top from the Mam Tor car park down to Blue John Caves and all the way along to the top of Winnats Pass have all been bumper to bumper parked cars.

Judging by the number of cars parked at Dartford Heath today I thought the no driving to exercise rule had already gone???????

Probably because there has never been a no drive to exercise rule, just like there has never been a time limit. 🤦‍♂️

Did you mean week? That’s like four or five full tanks of fuel; and you could lease a tesla for half that.

No, I didn't mean week, sorry, that's a monthly saving.

I agree with Rocketdog, and its been commented about by others near me; all the footpaths, bridaleways, permissive paths etc are all much wider, much muddier and churned up by foot fall.

Its hardly surprising though:
1) its been a wet winter
2) more people are walking beacuse there is nothing else to do
3) people cant drive to the places that are typically drier to walk so have to make do with the muddy paths whatever the weather
4) people are stepping off the paths to one side to socially distance making everything wider.

The mud is so bad my way that silly old people are getting stuck in the mud and having to be rescued by the fire service. I shit you not!
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/19106242.hampshire-fire-crews-rescue-women-mud-denmead/

You right no time limit or no rule of not driving for exercise but we were told to stay local, for me that’s birmingham city Center not driving to Cannock, it’s been widely publicised in papers and Facebook pages that Stafford police fining anyone driving a car thats parked at the chase that’s not registered locally, now I guess if you could prove you lived local then you could get away with it, but again as they have just said stay local it’s a grey area so to keep within the rules i stay at home no driving to Cannock to mtb, as much as I want to.

This says I can drive to get exercise.

https://www.cycling.scot/covid19-information/cycling-advice

I think I was being a dick driving to the Pentlands and meeting up with another household then going mountain biking but apparently I'd be legal to do so.

It does make you wonder what goes through people's minds at times.

The rules in England differ to the other home nations taken from British cycling (below) although it’s a grey area and the threat of fines from local police is do you risk it or not, been told police at Stile Cop Cannock today doing checks and fines again.

There is no definition of ‘local area’ within either the regulations or the guidance. The guidance advises people to avoid travelling outside of their village, town or the part of a city where they live. It also states that they can travel a short distance within their local area in order to exercise, though, again, the distance is not defined.

There is no definition of ‘local area’ within either the regulations or the guidance.

Why doesn't that surprise me? There's no definition of "essential" either. What a bunch of useless tosspots this govt are.

That's one of the few good decisions they've made IMO.

If you want to ride Cannock just park in High Town, Hednesford or somewhere else urban and ride in. When I was student we'd ride from Wolves to Cannock for a days riding and ride back...full rigid early 90s bikes are a bit different to todays mtbs!

Why doesn’t that surprise me? There’s no definition of “essential” either.

because its hard to define especially when its bills that go though quickly. Just like other forms of legislation there are terms such as "reasonably practicable" and "reasonable force" the bar ends up being set by case law. People who are going to push the rule will push the rule, but traveling to exercise outside has a tiny effect on any transmission. Trying to over define it ends up leaving as many holes or restricting people who need to travel outside what is "defined" as local.

If your concern is "rules is rules" then ok get upset. If your concern is about getting the things sorted that make the real difference to transmission then concentrate on people not having covid secure workplaces, poor social distancing nd mask wearing in super markets, pop up pubs, people not self isolating when they should (this may be due to financial reasons, or not but concentrate on this!). The extra risk of people driving to travel outside is tiny, you're into small chance of transmission if someone buys petrol a way from home, or slight chance of a car accident.

Personally I think traveling 30 min is fine say once a week to exercise outside, but that's influenced by where I live but really an hour would be fine and result in no real practical difference in transmission, which is what I am concerned about.