[Closed] Anyone driving to local trail centre

The letter of the law allows you to travel. The vague wording of the guidance tells you to stay local without defining local. It's up to you really. I wouldn't, but I wouldn't get upset if someone else did, as long as they socially distance. If you do feel bad about it things will be opening up soon anyway if you can hang on a bit longet

I went to Yair during the last one, ten miles away and my closest, but only ever rode there and back.
Inners/Golfie are about sixteen miles away, went to Golfie once, was horrified how busy it was, and decided to stick to Yair as I never see anyone even when there isn't a plague on.
Glentess is twenty miles away and I haven't been in over a year.

Not an hour, 15 mins and 6-7 miles.

Nope. Getting bored riding locally but still doing so and mixing it up with the roadie too. Not been to a trail centre since Dec. All my biking mates being good boys too and our Weds night ride is only ever a max of 2 until told otherwise.

Still sticking with the 'ride from the doorstep' rule too, partially 'cos the vans full of work gear though TBH. Lucky to have loads of good stuff local though.

Cool - glad it’s not just me going mad. Nearly there anyway!

Nothing good local so I’m out on the road bike until it’s acceptable to travel when I’ll be hitting FoD at every opportunity.

I'd really love a drive out to Leeds Urban Bike Park but, while it's easy to get to, it's a different county and I can't really see that as justifiable.

😥

Rightly or wrongly, for me i have started to travel to the next nearest riding spot (lucky can do a fair bit of riding from the front door in the local country park wood land but it’s a lot bizzier than normal with people traveling from outside the area so technically safer for me to no ride local). I also view it that I travel 25 mile away for work (to make someone else profit) go traveling to nearest riding spot for house hunting (which I am actually doing) and Dominic ****ing Cummins

Not a trail centre but I'm about 20 mins drive from Staveley - haven't been up there as I've heard they are asking people not to travel in to the lakes.

I feel like it would probably be ok tbh but I've just been riding my gravel bike from the house and exploring a few bits of BW on it.

Grizedale is the nearest trail centre but that defo feels too far.

Yes, as there is nothing in the legislation to prevent you driving any distance for exercise. Trailcentres are rammed currently due to bikeparks being closed.

Quick mention that Scottish travel rules are different to England so some of the comments in here don't apply to anyone above the border re travel

Daveylad - what trail centres are rammed? Quite disappointing to hear. I guess if car parks are open and the owners have left the pay and display machines in them people will go...

@andrewh Yair was chocca this morning. I usually get there before 0900 and it's usually empty. Today pretty much full and 10 bikes leaving as we got ready. Looks like lockdown is over.

I haven't until Saturday just gone, it's a 14 mile/20 minute drive to Whinlatter for me.

Given folk are allowed to meet one on one from Monday and the infection rate has dropped considerably I thought a bit of exercise/headspace away from the front door would be ok.

Whinlatter was very quiet for a Saturday, probably helped by the North side being closed due to felling.

So to the OP, I would just head out if I were you.

I usually ride the 20km to the North Downs for a big day out. Not even been doing that, just local loops round Richmond and Bushy Parks.

By god it’s flat...

Not ridden anything except from the door since late November despite cwmcarn being a 25 mins drive away and me being desperate to ride there. Welsh rules are different too meaning they are actively patrolling and fining people who travel out of their local area. I could incorporate a visit to other places with my caring trips to my parents house, they've even suggested me taking a bike up there a few times, but again it's nottheright thing to do so I haven't.

I'd feel a proper moron driving there with the bike in show anyway, lead by example and all that. When we are allowed to travel further away (looks like next week they'll announce it) I'll be hitting as many places as I can though while trying to avoid the crowds before the Easter break.

West of Scotland central belt here and all rides from home. 40 mile road loop today and was stunned at the number of big roady groups out. A few solo riders, a couple of pairs, many 3-5 and a load at 6 plus, along with a few club runs with 15 plus riders.

Hard to see how with that as regular behaviour , combined with the football shambles, we will be relaxing lockdown by Easter.

Drive to Hamsterley if you want to. Loads of vans at weekends lining the roads up by the Downhill Descent car park.

Its up to you to define local. So if you keep well away from others you are not putting yourself or anyone at risk. Go an have a ride.

Thats basically 1 year in lockdown and i have been to 2 trail centres in all that time. I am blessed to have amazing local trails but I do yearn for something different and the local trails are mobbed.

I drove the 25 minutues to Dalby last week, just the once. Felt guilty - havent done it since - I'll just wait. Was rammed full of groups (not all of them were bikers)

I've ridden from home since the last lockdown started, but drove to Inners yesterday to meet a pal.

We're both local though, within 10 miles - just wanted a Golfie day.

Many, many big groups at the Golfie, but Inners car park was only 1/4 full.

Hard to see how with that as regular behaviour , combined with the football shambles, we will be relaxing lockdown by Easter.

I think the risks of spreading covid while outside are pretty much vanishingly small if you are maintaining distance most of the time. I think the main reason to avoid travel is obviously things like sharing cars, but also use of petrol stations/public toilets etc.

No as the nearest ones to me are in Wales.

Even when things open up again I will be staying out of cafes and toilets at these places.

Of course though anyone can go to a trail centre at the minute so long as you video it and publish on YouTube

Nobody here lives near Cannock Chase then? That would get the STW collective twitching 😛

I've been riding there loads, it's very local so lucky enough I can ride there pretty much off road. Every weekend it's packed. Every car park and lay-by is over run with cars. Utter carnage.

Yair was chocca this morning.

We were there Saturday avo. It's only a four mile ride to get there for us.
Only saw one other bike but a few small groups of walkers on the SUW.

No. I live 45-50 minute drive from Hamsterley. I don't class that as local from an exercise point of view. I also think that injuries are more likely at a trail centre than on a local cycle path and part of the "stay safe" thing is to avoid hospital visits.

I live a twenty minute drive from Leeds Urban Bike Park and used to go 2 or 3 times a month. I've not been once in since the whole 'stay local' thing started. I can't wait to go back. I'll wait though until I'm allowed to go and the advice changes.

First day out in a bout 9 months I went to the Peaks last Monday. It's about a hour away, drove there by myself, rode by myself, and met (on the trail) about 10 other folk either walking in pairs singly or similar went home by myself, stopped nowhere.

Still feeling a bit uneasy about it (although, bloody hell it was nice)

I think the risks of spreading covid while outside are pretty much vanishingly small if you are maintaining distance most of the time.

Distance doesn't seem to matter. There was a paper looking at CV during the Black Lives Matter marches in the states, CV-19 dropped even though you had 1000s in marches standing right next to each other.

Does appear to be very hard to transmit outdoors.

I would 100% drive to a local trail centre. Go at non-peak times, stay socially distant, don't meet up, don't stop for fuel on the way etc. I don't see any issue with this whatsoever.

The Scottish guidance is travel within your local authority or 5 miles across a boundary but use the nearest place where you can conduct your exercise in a safe way away from crowded areas

My local trail centre is about 7 miles away and within the same local authority area. I've driven to it a couple of times. I take the view that as I'm mountain biking and this is nearest place with dedicated mountain bike trails then I'm well within the guidance. People are also driving to walk their dogs which would seem to be less in the spirit of the guidance

If its within the rules then I don't have any issue with people driving to a trail centre.

Does appear to be very hard to transmit outdoors.

Lets hope so, as Glasgow had its own outdoor super spreader event at the weekend.

@singlespeedstu to be fair apart from the larger group it was all pairs including the walkers. By the time we got back there were some pretty abandoned vehicles. We've been riding local but mates head is minced and something different on a sunny day was definitely needed.
Quite a few, including the ninja rock stackers had ridden over from gala.

been to leeds bike park once during lockdown (2 weekends ago), its rammed with cars double parked, glad to be out of there by 1030am.

definately missing the dark peaks, cant wait to be riding over that way soon.

the kids have been a digging around the hudderfield area, some of the new jumplines look like a mini digger has been into dig it, meltham & back of the ICI.

whats the thoughts on catching a direct train to hebden bridge, the train will be dead. and its 25-35 min journey, tempted for Saturday to meet a mate..

I live 20 mins from Hamsterley and have been the last 2 weekends. Just myself and my son. In for 8.30 and out again at 10.30, no risky trails just keeping it sensible.

Lots of groups larger than 2 which is a bit naughty I suppose. Car parks empty at 8.30 then at 10.30 about as full as they used to get on a weekend before all the madness kicked off.

Been riding there 20 years and I now feel in a very small minority as a non e biker. Definitely feel that the demographic in the forest has changed.

Only did the official trails but all running nice.

Distance doesn’t seem to matter. There was a paper looking at CV during the Black Lives Matter marches in the states, CV-19 dropped even though you had 1000s in marches standing right next to each other.

Does appear to be very hard to transmit outdoors.

I do agree with you, although I'm not sure BLM is the best example to use.

Transmission outdoors does seem to require a lot more close contact than you'd expect, or some particularly bad luck. Gate latches and shared facilities would seem to be the most obvious mode of transmission - I take my gloves off and sanitise hands before eating if I've been through a few gates.

I'm pretty risk averse, and while I've ridden from the doorstep, I can't see much wrong with driving from Durham to Hamsterley to avoid milling about (and to get a parking space).

I'd probably drive 30 mins to Hamsterley if I were in your place OP, but as it is I'm driving 15 mins to the local hill - and picking my time and parking spot wisely.

My "local" trail centres are about an hour away, Gisburn one way and Llandegla another, so I haven't been to those. Or the other, better, places I could drive for an hour to (S Lakes, Peak, Hebden).

Nobody here lives near Cannock Chase then? That would get the STW collective twitching 😛

I’ve been riding there loads, it’s very local so lucky enough I can ride there pretty much off road. Every weekend it’s packed. Every car park and lay-by is over run with cars. Utter carnage.

I live close to Swinley so it's a similar experience - this year weekends have been heaving with walkers and bikes, probably more so than in a normal summer. I don't pass any of the official car parks when I ride in but the roads I use would normally have a handful of cars parked on them, now it's nose to tail.

Last local away ride when I took the car was Chopwell 02 Jan. Car park was totally rammed with knakas parking all over the place. Apart from when I had to isolate as the wife had bat AIDS, then I had to isolate as I had bat AIDS it's all been from the door.

Luckily there's some good trails within riding distance. I could even ride to Chopwell in 40 minutes from the door, but you know. Knakas.

Go at non-peak times, stay socially distant, don’t meet up, don’t stop for fuel on the way etc. I don’t see any issue with this whatsoever.

By doing it regularly you will have to stop for fuel at some point. 🙂 I would agree though in the grand scheme of things it's pretty harmless, even though I've been avoiding it anyway.

Some of these replies about trail centres being rammed are annoying.
In the first lockdown, a local and very popular 'beauty' spot closed its car parks - the result being that apart from a few local walkers, runners and cyclists using the through-road it was pretty much dead. The last 2 lockdowns have seen the rangers/owners of the park open all the car parks - financially motivated no doubt - and low and behold the place has been rammed...crazily so like the height of a normal summer. I know people need to get fresh air and a change of scene but opening car parks anywhere is an obvious green light to rock up! Surely the advice/instruction from the Govt should have been to keep things locked down ie keep things shut, then you wouldn't have everyman and literally his dog out and about, making some places like this park a thronging mass of people - some of which have no concept of awareness, respect or social distancing - a far more likely place to catch bloody Covid.

I was more suggesting not stopping for fuel en-route at a different station to the one you would normally use. I mean, unless all your food is delivered, you will still need to travel by car and occasionally refuel.

I know people need to get fresh air and a change of scene but opening car parks anywhere is an obvious green light to rock up! Surely the advice/instruction from the Govt should have been to keep things locked down

Dunno if there has been advice from Gov't on local beauty spot car parks, but I'd argue strongly that they should be open.

Risk of Covid transmission outdoors is tiny and it's really good for people's wellbeing to go for a walk in the country park or wherever.

then you wouldn’t have everyman and literally his dog out and about,[...] – a far more likely place to catch bloody Covid.

They're open as the evidence says that it's very unlikely that you'll catch any pulmonary disease, including COVID from being outdoors. Crowds may make you feel uncomfortable, but the risk of infection is very very low

Factors contributing to the risk of SARS_COVID transmission

Surely the advice/instruction from the Govt should have been to keep things locked down ie keep things shut

But it wasn't so you can't really blame people for following government guidelines. Everywhere outside round here is busy, parks, harbourside, paths, but it isn't hard to keep 2m away, and as mentioned, outdoor transmission is very low. I'd rather have the place to myself but it is nice to see people out and about

ninja rock stackers

Just had to google this .
I can assure you that I won't be stacking any rocks to make stuff easier even though I live in Gala.🙂

I know people need the outdoors but just like this park, it's hardly surprising that if trail centre car parks are open then people will go there. Most people can still get their walk/ride/exercise in without needing to jump in the car. How many people live locally enough to a trail centre to ride there? A tiny percentage with some probably rocking up regardless of how far they've had to travel.

Its the confusion between the guidance & the law, purposely obfuscated by the govementment Im sure.
The forest of dean for example, their facebook states "The car parks and essential facilities in the Forest of Dean are open for people to exercise once-per-day, if they live locally."

It then gets all the frothers frothing as they think people who get in their car to drive there are breaking the law. they are not.

There is nothing to prevent anyone from driving here to ride their bike. If you wish to follow the guidance that fine, thats your own choice, but its not the law.

In the first lockdown, a local and very popular ‘beauty’ spot closed its car parks – the result being that apart from a few local walkers, runners and cyclists using the through-road it was pretty much dead. The last 2 lockdowns have seen the rangers/owners of the park open all the car parks – financially motivated no doubt – and low and behold the place has been rammed…crazily so like the height of a normal summer.

The Brecon Beacons National Park has been clever on this front. The large honeypot car parks that are away from any housing like the two main ones for Pen Y Fan have been shut and cordoned off with the occasional patrol and accompanying social media post to keep the hoards away and it has worked incredibly well. All of the small car parks that are close to the various villages and small towns have been kept open for locals and are also patrolled for cars registered elsewhere. If a car park becomes too popular or attracts outsiders it's shut for a while then reopened when it calms down again. Essentially they have tried to manage the numbers escaping out of the urban areas surrounding the Park but haven't excluded the locals at the same time. There are still the odd few people risking travelling into the Park but they are being caught as the local Police and rangers have got to know a lot of the local regular cars so can focus on the ones that stand out. It does help we have the regulations in Law here too, much less room for any ambiguity.

I haven’t been to a trail centre for over a year, but if I lived within 30 minutes of one I would probably go.

All this looks pretty moot compared to them Rangers fans in any event!!

I live close to Swinley so it’s a similar experience – this year weekends have been heaving with walkers and bikes, probably more so than in a normal summer. I don’t pass any of the official car parks when I ride in but the roads I use would normally have a handful of cars parked on them, now it’s nose to tail.

They double yellowed 9MR last summer and started ticketing cars parked on the grass as it got ridiculous.

I rode Swinely a few times last summer, but I can do it from home, albeit it makes a ~19-mile trail into a 50-mile ride which makes the hills less fun.

The Swinley Facebook page is weird though, it seems to attract a special kind of wannabe influencer. The kind that feels the need to post photos of themselves in Sainsbury's car park with a caption emphasizing their "local" trail center. If you're having to drive, it's not really local.

Although I've mostly given up caring about what other people do. As someone else has already pointed out, the risk of transmission in an outdoors setting seems very low. I don't think it's right. But clearly the people catching it are more likely doing so at swingers parties.

I've driven the 15 mins to QE Park (also not [i]really[/i] a trail centre) a couple of times. On a weekend it's heaving, but went straight from work one day last week and place was empty. Until I was leaving then lots of night riders began to arrive. (I say lots, probably 6 or 7 ).
I did ride from home that way yesterday (as me and my son did a lot last lockdown), but it's grim - wind always seem to be blowing in your face.

I've had one trip to Swinley between (lockdowns 1 & 2) to meet up with and ride with some mates, it was pretty rammed (as usual).

Otherwise the last year has mostly been local road bridal path loops on drop barred bikes.

I'm not sure how bothered I am about trail centres just yet TBH, once measures are lifted I can see them being utterly stuffed.

But I don't think you'd be breaking any rules/laws OP, if it's your local venue for MTBing (which counts as exercise) then I'd say crack on, moderate your risks etc (you might be a bit rusty and an A&E trip isn't ideal so avoid any huge drops/gaps etc perhaps), but a half hour drive to a trail centre seems reasonable under current circumstances...

The Brecon Beacons National Park has been clever on this front. The large honeypot car parks that are away from any housing like the two main ones for Pen Y Fan have been shut and cordoned off with the occasional patrol and accompanying social media post to keep the hoards away and it has worked incredibly well. All of the small car parks that are close to the various villages and small towns have been kept open for locals and are also patrolled for cars registered elsewhere. If a car park becomes too popular or attracts outsiders it’s shut for a while then reopened when it calms down again. Essentially they have tried to manage the numbers escaping out of the urban areas surrounding the Park but haven’t excluded the locals at the same time. There are still the odd few people risking travelling into the Park but they are being caught as the local Police and rangers have got to know a lot of the local regular cars so can focus on the ones that stand out. It does help we have the regulations in Law here too, much less room for any ambiguity.

They could do this as he Welsh lockdown rules prevented people leaving their immediate area for exercise.  No way would that approach work in England, people would just end up parking EVERYWHERE.  To be honest people still park everywhere in the countryside round my way (leicestershire), especially if they can get away with not playing for parking.

I’m not sure how bothered I am about trail centres just yet TBH, once measures are lifted I can see them being utterly stuffed.

Good point.

With the huge increase in new riders over the last year, TCs are likely to be busier than ever over the coming years - which is no bad thing, especially for the businesses associated with them which may usually be struggling.

@singlespeedstu these were being stacked in a nice deep puddle by trail fairies.

I'm a bit apprehensive about getting out and about generally as everywhere nice is likely to be heaving this spring/summer.

There's some kind of bitter irony in finally being allowed to do stuff you've been craving for over a year but having it kinda spoiled by crowds and litter and cars everywhere.

I feel the same grum. Right now hamsterley feels like it did a few years ago before it all went crazy.

I went back end of last year and I was quite saddened to see it so heaving. I know everyone being in the great outdoors is a good thing but it didn't feel like it.

The car parks were rammed, people were putting cars anywhere without thought of the damage it may cause. Most people looked miserable and horribly out of place walking along in white trainers staring at their phones. It was quite a sad experience. Litter was really bad too. I fear this is what will happen in a few weeks.

On the positive side once you rkde or walked 100M from the visitors centre or play grounds it was super quiet.

I'm also close to Swinley, tend to ride in on a Monday or Tuesday evening to avoid the crowds. It's been pretty quiet through the last couple of months. If I take the kids though I usually drive - they can ride the full blue but riding in might be a bit much at the moment. Went yesterday and the blue was busy, couple of red sections we did were much quieter.

Cannock is my go to TC, although at an hour away it isn't local so I've not been in a year, which meant a rather expensive couple of trips in late 2019 to justify the £50 Discovery pass thing I buy every year.

The lockdown and risk thing is interesting though, as when I go out locally I meet a lot more people at much closer proximity than I would riding Cannock. At least on a bike trail you are generally some distance apart, especially as I tend to go alone and venture off the trail some what.

Locally, there are no bike specific trails so often meet groups of 6 or 8 people / families all huddled together in the middle of the trail / path.

With the huge uptake in working from home over the last 12 months, the wife and I are now contemplating upping sticks to go live in the lakes when all this is done. Probably us and millions of others so prices will rocket and we'll not bother - nice thought though.

Not quite the same position as you guys on the UK, but I wouldn't have a problem driving south for 45mins to play on my bike in the alps. The only thing stopping me is the amount of snow ans and the fact I'm yet to pick up my forks and shocks from the guy who serviced them.

So glad I bought a gravel bike at the start of last year. Has opened up the massive network of forest roads south of Munich, which with the big bike were just boring, but on the gravel bike they're a place of solitude and escapism. Can easily ride 80km and only a few km will be on asphalt, and most of that isn't open to cars.

Every honey pot with a car park is rammed by lunchtime, though it's not as if there is anything else for folk to do at the moment. Just get out early / late or just go somewhere 500m away from car parks

The last 2 lockdowns have seen the rangers/owners of the park open all the car parks – financially motivated no doubt – and low and behold the place has been rammed…crazily so like the height of a normal summer. I know people need to get fresh air and a change of scene but opening car parks anywhere is an obvious green light to rock up! 

And yet the infection rates keep on coming down despite those money grabbing forest rangers and their evil plans of rammed forests and parks.

Honestly, what on earth...

these were being stacked in a nice deep puddle by trail fairies.

If I meet them I'll give them a hand.
I'm thinking of doing the same in those muddy ditches on the push up track.

you can't catch it off trees so i'd say go for it. half an hour drives fine really. With infections lowering, and the activity being outside (even the 'mass gatherings' at beaches etc last summer didnt result in any outbreaks) and limited contact, the chances of getting it are so low it would be a fluke. Just dont smash yourself up

Not been to the closest forest 30mins drive away during any of the lockdowns. I don't think it would be in the right spirit.

Am I being stupid for sticking to the rules by the letter or is everyone at the stage where they are bending them now?

I certainly feel stupid for it, everyone else having fun while I'm riding city cycle paths.

I live right by Cannock chase (3 mins on the road until my tyres hit the dirt) and went last weekend, it was carnage. I’ve never seen it so busy, I ride early doors left my house at just before 7am and there were big groups on the car park standing round chatting with their bikes. A group of 6 or 7 heading up from the bottom of the monkey to the cheeky off piste stuff, loads cars and vans in the car parks (official and roadside).

They’ve only closed stile cop officially yesterday afternoon, which is weird but understandable, it’s a small area and from clips on FB it’s been rammed over the last few weeks.

It’s a bit annoying when you’ve spent the whole winter obeying the rules and seeing others royally take the P and just carry on as normal. But hohum we’re nearly out of it now. Roll on the spring.

I ride from my door 2-3 times a week Monday to Friday, but drive between 10-20 minutes at the weekend, if I rode the stuff I do during the week, I would come into close proximity and probably conflict with the hordes of others looking to get out and about, so it makes sense to me to drive a short distance to avoid the crowds.

Plus I also travel for work and alway take my bike, so although I live in Bournemouth, so fa this year I’ve been lucky enough to pay by and ridden Haldon forest, Wharncliffe and Grenoside Woburn, and tonight QE, plus a lap of the local harbour side on arrival with a beer out the cool box.

I use the Pay at Pump or the BPme app to pay for fuel and always wear the disposable gloves.

Not a trail centre but I had a job in Dorking today, 7 or so miles from Peaslake. Had the bike with me, I finished at two, thought about if it was fair game as not local to home despite being very near.

Decided to head for home instead as I felt I might be taking the piss and my legs were feeling Sundays Ride.

Some cars/vans binned it at the M3/M25 junction. Sat for 2hours, whilst the largest number of emergency services, I've seen at an accident attended. It looked nasty.
Wish I'd gone to Peaslake.

I normally do the same as Jimmy but I've avoided it with the current lock down as things seemed a bit more serious with the new strains.

I'm just not seeing the issue some of you are seeing. groups of 5-6 out on a trail, not seeing an issue. If we're talking people standing with their arms around eachother and snogging eachother, yeah sure, but 2m isn't that big a gap and it's still quite easy to be in a group but more than 2m apart, but perception seems to be you're 'in a group' even if not really.

I took 3 kids to the woods yesterday (oooer missus), were we closer than 2m at any stage... maybe, possibly....but arguably not. All 3 of them had CV19 tests last week, i had one last week too and all of us were negative. The only people either I've seen or they see, are eachother. I feel the infection chance is virtually nil.
Considering what we were doing, there was a far greater risk of A&E from crashing than there was from CV19 infection.
But you have to draw the line sometime of what kids, adults, humans are restricting themselves from doing, the no gnar can't go on forever... can it ?

I've driven once from central Edinburgh to the Tweed Valley for a Glentress spin with my son. Would liked to have done it more, but limited it to a one off.
My justification - both going stir crazy and niggling each other during home schooling, and both needing a change of scenery and headspace. So no real justification, breaking law and guidance and I've got to admit that.
Didn't use the GT car park (busy when we left), didn't stop for food or petrol, didn't go within 10m of anyone else. Won't make a habit of it, but we both benefited from it as a one off.
Had the bikes inside the car so it wasn't super obvious, as I was worried about random checks between Edinburgh and Peebles!

Loads of fun trails round Durham all pretty much joined up by the old Railway lines used to comfortably be able to put together a fun 25 mile xc loop super easily when I lived in Spenny, heading towards Durham! Quite a lot of cheek involved but that's half the fun!

Southampton Bike Park was fairly busy this weekend. Mostly locals but also people driven in from Eastleigh, Hedge End, Salisbury, Portsmouth.

I drove to a local forest park with MTB trails 20 minutes from me at the weekend for a solo ride. It was rammed with both walkers and cyclists, but it's a huge area with everyone disappearing into the wild once they left the car park. The chances of contracting Covid were almost zero, but I nearly ran over two different groups of walkers hiking up the dedicated (and signposted) MTB trails. Luckily my DH speed is fairly pedestrian, so I was able to stop and explain, very politely, why they might want to think about walking elsewhere. They looked at me like I was speaking in tongues, so I just left them to it.

The thought of going to heaving theme park for bikes at the minute isn't an attractive one.

Even when the lockdown rules ease I don't think I'll be wanting to spend my weekend with thousands of others who are desperate to get out.

Not even from a Covid perspective, I just image in will be pretty unpleasant in popular places to begin with.

Raouligan

I live in Spenny, some great trails have gone into the woods over lockdown.

Only went to Hamsterley as my 6 year old loves the skills loop and the local trails are to spread out or too difficult. Also the local trails are a mess at the moment!

Got plenty of mates who have been happy to drive to Hamsterley, they probably vary with driving anything from 15 to 25miles to get there. And from a lot of their strava posts the place is absolutely rammed on a weekend at present.

I've stayed away and just stuck to road bike. But looking forward to going back soon. Miss riding the mtb. Only done 1 night ride this winter, whereas its normally A weekly ride

Loved the Durham trails we did, errm a couple of years ago, Raouligan, one great day out.

Me, while I don’t rise any more I walk a lot. I’ve not left my town except to collect food since the new lockdown, the furthest I’ve been since last March is 50 north to a venue. Can’t wait now to be allowed to travel again.