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There appears to be an awful lot of people driving very short distances to go to trail centres. By definition they have a bike with them.
No wonder the environment is ****ed
Have you tried riding a enduro-sled on the road? Hideous!
Doesn't even need to be an enduro bike. Any trail full sus with chunky tyres is pretty horrible on the road.
I might only be out for 2hours. Spending more than half that time riding to the place I want to ride defeats the point of going.
When Lockdown 1 ended and I ventured back to FoD I deliberately didn't go on the first official "open" day reasoning it would be absolutely heaving, instead I went on the second day and was surprised at how quiet it was. According to a couple I chatted with at the time it had been even quieter the day before. It took several weeks before the apparent numbers got anywhere near what I was expecting.
I assume that's not the case this time round? Is anyone local currently riding Mallards regularly? Is it busy?
Have you tried riding a enduro-sled on the road? Hideous
I'm assuming that's a joke about being overbiked?
Sometimes I ride my 160mm AM the 12 miles to my local or on my local xc route, just for a change. It's less fatiguing than my Hardtail I usually use.
It’s less fatiguing than my Hardtail I usually use.
what tyres are on each bike? as above, thats going to make more of a difference than any efficieny loss from suspension bobbing.
I’m assuming that’s a joke about being overbiked?
Sort of a joke at myself but I'm not really a fan of riding my Capra very far on a road. I have three young kids and very little time/energy so spending a fair chunk of it riding on roads to a trail isn't my idea of a good time. I am moving somewhere with better (but cheeky) local riding though.
the car parks are full of cars which means the dog walkers aren’t local, they’re travelling for their exercise.
There law doesn’t stop you driving, but I haven’t driven for an hour for any reason in the last three months, and only once since June.
I wouldn’t drive for an hour to ride.
As for the car parks and dog walkers. How local do you want them to stay? Who knows where they drove from. Can they drive 10 minutes? 5? Must they walk from home?
It’s less fatiguing than my Hardtail I usually use.
what tyres are on each bike? as above, thats going to make more of a difference than any efficieny loss from suspension bobbing.
The 140mm hard tail (onza jackpot)has a Chunky monkey and rock Razor
160mm full suss (Bird Aeris AM) has a Minion dhf and Spec Slaughter.
Yeah I'll get my 6 year old to ride 10 miles to Hamsterley and back again 🙄
Have you tried riding a enduro-sled on the road? Hideous!
Today. 20km out of my 35km was on the road, I generally average about 21kph on the road overall. 25kph on the flats.
I love my bike so don't care if it's slower
All the usual local trails that come of the railway paths have had so much foot traffic that the mud is totally impassible - never known anything like it. Also torn up by motorbikes and quads. Farmers are shutting off the footpaths that go through their land because of the motorbikes so making the loops etc. is gone. It’s just a bit frustrating that the rules about staying local are so vague. You read stuff in the news that people are getting fined for driving to the beach for a walk, then you hear the car park at trail centre is full every weekend. That’s why I was wondering what all the responsible people of STW were making of it?
If you have to drive to go for a bike ride, it's not local. FFS 🙁
The mud has been really bad this year with all the foot traffic - it's not bikes.
Exactly, that’s my interpretation. But why are the car parks full every weekend? Are we reading the rules wrong or are they just not being enforced anymore?
why are the car parks full every weekend? Are we reading the rules wrong or are they just not being enforced anymore?
Yeah I’ll get my 6 year old to ride 10 miles to Hamsterley and back again
Because not everyone is able to ride in. Boris was driven across London to ride his bike. There is no rule to say (in England) that you can't drive.
I can't get these quotes right.
If you have to drive to go for a bike ride, it’s not local. FFS
That's how I've been seeing it but 'You should exercise in green spaces locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area if necessary.' is very much open to interpretation.
I can't believe that was accidental - in Scotland it's much clearer.
Yeah I’ll get my 6 year old to ride 10 miles to Hamsterley
I don't know what that is but maybe move to a more rural area? or look up some bradalways and greenn lanes?
I don’t know what that is but maybe move to a more rural area?
Yeah, then you wouldn't have to drive to ride. Just drive to work, school, sports clubs, shops, doctors, etc.
If you have to drive to go for a bike ride, it’s not local. FFS 🙁
Erm, yes it can be. And it's permitted under current guidance.
I'm really struggling to understand why some people get so het up about others driving a short LOCAL distance to exercise.
I’m really struggling to understand why some people get so het up about others...
A popular hobby during lockdown is to make up your own rules then get angry when other people break them. 🙂
If you have to drive to go for a bike ride, it’s not local. FFS 🙁
i often drive 3 miles to the nearest woods with decent tracks in, can't get much more local than that.
time saved gets an extra descent in.( it would actually be a mile further if i rode to avoid the main road)
i often drive 3 miles to the nearest woods
That's what? 15-20mins on a bike. Think of it as aerobic workout? 🙂
If you have to drive to go for a bike ride, it’s not local. FFS 🙁
It's not within the law to restrict distance to travel to exercise, nor a limit in terms of time, distance of exercising or amount of times you can exercise per day.
Now as many have stated in this thread that trail centres have been rammed every weekend, so that would imply the volume of people is high in a concentrated area-ish. There have also been people stating they are riding with more than one other person and my group does too, as well as lots of others we see out and about.
What's happening with the Covid infection rate since mid Jan? That's right it's been falling just as it did last spring when people were only allowed outside and we had the same boring outcries and condemnation of people travelling and being in large groups and how those people will ruin everything.
They didn't as the summer rates were really low.
I don't know why people get so irate over people doing the least covid risk activity and if they have to travel to do it, so what.
I don’t know what that is but maybe move to a more rural area? or look up some bradalways and greenn lanes?
I'm going for an hour's ride* tomorrow, shall I hop in the car to get the 7 or 8 miles of road out of the way or shall I move house in the next 24 hours instead? 🙄
This assumption that everyone has bridleways, or green lanes, or 'gravel' routes, or 'local hills/woods' on their doorstep really gets my goat. If all you've got is short, flat, straight, swampy bridleways that can only be joined up by doing 3x the distance on 40/50/60mph roads then staying local** is kind of a crap option, especially with a 6 year old in tow.
*I'm actually not, because there's nothing within an hour's drive of home worth travelling to.
**Don't worry, even though it's rubbish, I haven't driven to ride since it was allowed over the summer. I'm not sure I've actually ridden outside this year because off-road is unrideable due to mud and on-road (which you have to do lots of on a "MTB" ride here anyway) has been less attractive now that the roads are much busier
If you have to drive to go for a bike ride, it’s not local. FFS
Two weekends ago we walked and cycled locally, along with 8k residents of Dunblane and 11k residents of Bridge of Allan, a good proportion of whom are out on the local paths and back lanes.
Or, as we did this weekend, we got in the car, parked in an empty pub car park 11 miles away and cycled 40km seeing perhaps half a dozen cyclists and a couple of walking families. It was both safer from CV19 and benefited mine and mrs_oab's mental health significantly more than last week's local activities.
As we finally start emerging from this pandemic, there's going to be a need for more and more flexibility and understanding that there isn't a clear right or wrong, that at some point we get to a place where there's more harm than protection through continued lock down, and that I need to just keep with rule no.1.
i often drive 3 miles to the nearest woods with decent tracks in, can’t get much more local than that.
time saved gets an extra descent in.
Surely by the time Irresponsible You has put your bike, helmet etc in the car then driven the 3 miles, parked, then unloaded, Responsible You would have ridden there and arrived nicely warmed up?
My local spots are all a few miles from the house. Takes about 15 mins to ride, and that's with Shorty and Assegai tyres!
i often drive 3 miles to the nearest woods with decent tracks in, can’t get much more local than that.
time saved gets an extra descent in.( it would actually be a mile further if i rode to avoid the main road)
Is it an e-bike too?
Lazy git!
It's a similar distance to my very nearest trails that are worth riding.
I could almost certainly get there faster by bike, by the time I've cocked about putting the bike in the car or van, then there's the getting crap in the vehicle from dirty kit or getting changed inside the vehicle instead.
in Scotland it’s much clearer.
Is it?
local outdoor informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running [...]. Exercise can start and finish at a place in your local authority area (or up to 5 miles from its boundary), but you should travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way
So can I drive past a patch of grass to access a park? Can I drive past a quiet park to reach another park? Should I even drive if I have pavements to walk on?
In practice most outdoors-inclined people seem to interpret this as they can travel anywhere within 5 miles of the boundary of their LA (grumble, glasgow, grumble, grumble). The regs permit this, but a literal interpretation of the guidance would be far stricter.
A case of 'the guidance is always clearer'?
As we finally start emerging from this pandemic, there’s going to be a need for more and more flexibility and understanding that there isn’t a clear right or wrong
Totally agree, but I reckon the "it's not local if you have to drive FFS" crowd are likely to be in a worse place mentally than those of us who are getting some nice, responsible outdoor activity in.
Hopefully the anxieties will melt away as the numbers continue to drop.
I assume that’s not the case this time round? Is anyone local currently riding Mallards regularly? Is it busy?
Reasonably regular, they are logging again & up until recently the wet weather meant with the heavy plant machinery in the forest it was like a war zone. The last week or so has been prime. Not massive amounts of cyclists, although I haven't looked at the car park as I come in over Yorkley & ride some lesser known trails down.
A couple of weekends where i've ridden through PBA it's either been surprisingly quiet, or absolutely rammed full of cars. Loads of big groups everywhere & a surprising number of Welsh accents & other non locals.
The air ambulance was out weekend before last after some chump from Birmingham detonated himself on GBU - big group of his mates all standing around not knowing what to do.
They are gearing up to a re-opening now, it's been weird seeing it so busy but everything shut. Tend to avoid it anyway & ride the locals trails.
but you should travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way
So if your method of exercise is MTB then travelling to a local trail centre by car (assuming its within the 5 mile outside the boundary limit) should be fine.
Similarly if I wanted to play tennis or golf I'd be comfortable with driving to the tennis or golf course.
What's less clear is why my local trail centre is full of people walking their dogs. Mine gets walked near my house.
i often drive 3 miles to the nearest woods
WTAF!? 3 miles? Seriously? As I said earlier, no wonder the environment is ****ed.
Yeah I consider myself pretty lazy and I would defo cycle 10-15 minutes to a trail even on my gnarpoon 🙂
Not been to a trail centre since before March last year, last time i rode with mates we were allowed but with social distancing but on a bike it's easy to forget that...
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.... can't wait to get back as not seen a hill for a year now. But if that's the way it's got to be, my family is NHS so will always do what is best.
I see the reality of it, only the other week she said the main people getting ICU'd now are people in their mid 30's........ and they had a spike of 30 people admitted in a day.
Unless you know the actual's you'd be forgiven into thinking that Covid is going away quickly if you follow the news
Worst case was a pregnant lady, being put on ICU.....can you imagine.
The more severe cases they're draining the patients body of blood, re-oxygenating it and putting it back.
I'm happy to wait for better times before venturing into busy places
What’s less clear is why my local trail centre is full of people walking their dogs. Mine gets walked near my house.
Maybe as you do not like riding your bike in the local park some people with dogs do not like walking their dogs in the local park either (I take my dogs 5 miles to the local woods where I can let them off the leads for a good run around)
So if your method of exercise is MTB then travelling to a local trail centre by car (assuming its within the 5 mile outside the boundary limit) should be fine.
Similarly if I wanted to play tennis or golf I’d be comfortable with driving to the tennis or golf course.
That's one interpretation. An alternative interpretation is that excercise is excercise, so if you can cycle/walk closer to your house you should do that rather than traveling. I'm not saying traveling within your LA (as I do) is against the guidance, it's just not clear to me what the guidance is really intending.
I take my dogs 5 miles to the local woods where I can let them off the leads for a good run around
Is this code for you take them somewhere you don't feel like you have to pick up their turds? 😛
Is it?
I would say it's still clearer than the English advice yeah which doesn't mention distances at all I don't think.
Hopefully the anxieties will melt away as the numbers continue to drop.
This is a very real thing IME.
Mrs_OAB has been in our local supermarket perhaps 6 times in the last year.
This week we went to B&Q (sorry) as late in the evening as we dare.
Neither of us expected the anxiety she felt - a really big response. It just felt so alien - and she had to be 'near' other people.
I think many of us will have serious mental health challenges to overcome, perhaps one's we don't even see at the moment.
That’s one interpretation. An alternative interpretation is that excercise is excercise, so if you can cycle/walk closer to your house you should do that rather than traveling. I’m not saying traveling within your LA (as I do) is against the guidance, it’s just not clear to me what the guidance is really intending.
This. You do not have the right to only do your preferred form of exercise. That would be like me saying it's windsurfing and then travelling to Thurso because that had the only decent conditions.
Having said that, if a short drive gets you to where you want to be and its quieter than places near you then crack on. We had folk from all over the region up here skiing a couple of weeks ago.
I’m the wrong side of Birmingham to go to Cannock, I miss it a lot, road biking just doesn’t do it for me, hoping March 29th local travel for exercise hopefully!
Yeah I consider myself pretty lazy and I would defo cycle 10-15 minutes to a trail even on my gnarpoon 🙂
nothing to do with being lazy, but that 10/15 minutes(x2 for both jouneys) will get an extra descent in. why ride the boring stuff when you can drive there and get more of the enjoyable riding in.
That’s one interpretation. An alternative interpretation is that excercise is excercise, so if you can cycle/walk closer to your house you should do that rather than traveling. I’m not saying traveling within your LA (as I do) is against the guidance, it’s just not clear to me what the guidance is really intending.
The fact that alternative interpretations are possible suggests that the broadest interpretation is justfied. Otherwise it would have been made tighter.
Think of it like tax regulations. If it's allowed, then you can do it - even if others may disapprove.
In England the guidance works well enough - you can drive locally, with "local" being left subjective to allow for areas of differing population density and geographic features - so clearly a drive of an hour is not local, but 30 mins might just be OK.
. why ride the boring stuff when you can drive there and get more of the enjoyable riding in.
Has the whole climate change thing just totally passed you by? Google it.
Driving three miles, WITH A BIKE IN THE BOOT just seems mental
This. You do not have the right to only do your preferred form of exercise
But we do.
Has the whole climate change thing just totally passed you by? Google it.
Driving three miles, WITH A BIKE IN THE BOOT just seems mental
Out of interest what is your annual motoring mileage (in a normal year)?
Out of interest what is your annual mileage (in a normal year)?
And how many flights do you take per year? And do you have a wood-burning stove?
Driving three miles, WITH A BIKE IN THE BOOT just seems mental
I have mine on the roof so I burn even more petrol.
Lets not try not to be too judgemental though. My local spot is only a couple of miles away. If I want to go there with my daughter I take the car because the alternative is taking a six year old onto a 70mph dual carriageway.
Options are really limited right now and most of us are playing by the rules while still trying to maintain some semblance of normality.
around 4-5000, for journeys where there is no viable alternative (long way with no trains or carrying very big and heavy things, or with people who have mobility issues, whatever) It would never occur to me to drive three miles (Actually, I did a onemile journey a few times but that was helping someone move house and there is no way we could have carried the things, but even that felt wrong)
Has the whole climate change thing just totally passed you by? Google it.
Driving three miles, WITH A BIKE IN THE BOOT just seems mental
i do about 15k miles a year, quite a bit of that for work, i don't think a few 3 mile drives is going to have much impact.
anyway i've done my bit for the enviroment, i haven't done any trackdays for a few years, can't afford that and biking.
I'm thinking of Southampton BP on Monday as it's early finish for my lad and a loosening of rules, so would be rude not to head over for a few hours with the sunshine due.