Cycling and the Coronavirus

[Blue Hills]

I've been following the coverage quite closely on live blogs on New York Times, The Guardian, CNN and the BBC and this subject has come up several times. I expect it will come up more. Reducing all non-essential contact is seen as vital to suppressing the spread of the virus. Casual chats and passing the time of day in a park is not seen as essential. Exercise and fresh air, however is.

It's a medical question though hoopdriver.
I had far far less contact than if i had actually decided to go in those two shops. I also declined to go in my local sainsburys - looked in, queues at checkouts. Decided i couldn"t be bothered.

 

[Kryton521]

So if we all go into "lock down", does that mean as a single person, I can or can't go out for a cycle ride? If I'm not sick and or french kissing all and sundry on my cycle ride???

I'll be cycling till I'm told not to! Then I'll dress all in black and cycle without lights at night!

 

[hoopdriver]

Buying food is an essential activity - idle chatter is not. Simple.

 

[matticus]

Club has asked us to not wear our club kit. Don't do the planned club run but ok to meet as friends in groups no more than 4. All because of insurance purposes. I can see a good few turning out and doing almost the same run with a cafe stop still.

I'm not surprised by this advice (in fact my club hasn't even authroised small groups!). But I'm skeptical that there are any insurance implications.

IMHO, riding in groups in the open air will have a TINY virus-spread potential. Hazards to avoid:
- shaking hands
- snot rockets
- mingling off the bikes e.g. entering shops/cafes/pubs.
Infecting high-risk people is completely different; they really need to have the sense to stay away, it just isn't a real issue.

 

[hoopdriver]

So if we all go into "lock down", does that mean as a single person, I can or can't go out for a cycle ride? If I'm not sick and or french kissing all and sundry on my cycle ride???

I'll be cycling till I'm told not to! Then I'll dress all in black and cycle without lights at night!

As far as I know, and I've been following the reportage pretty closely (I'm a journalist), you will be able to ride as long as its solo and you keep it that way.

 

[matticus]

However I read on some French forums people are stopping in case they crash and put extra pressure on a stretched health service.

this has come up on a number of (UK) facebook/twatter threads. It is nonsense - road riding is not an extreme sport.

 

[Blue Hills]

As far as I know, and I've been following the reportage pretty closely (I'm a journalist), you will be able to ride as long as its solo and you keep it that way.

With respect hoopdriver, you aren't a medical journalist are you?
We can all read media.
Have just seen on beeb official social distancing guidelines - no mention of this type of scenario.
I stress that i am not after an argument and that i see myself as socially responsible. Just looking for informed medical info.

 

[hoopdriver]

With respect hoopdriver, you aren't a medical journalist are you?
We can all read media.
Have just seen on beeb official social distancing guidelines - no mention of this type of scenario.
I stress that i am not after an argument and that i see myself as socially responsible. Just looking for informed medical info.

As a matter of fact I won awards for my health, medical coverage when I was a senior writer at Time Magazine

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Even without symptoms you may have the virus and it may be carried in the moisture in your breath. So best to avoid too close a chat. But I do say hello to cyclists or walkers passing on the other side of a lane. So about 2.4 m away based on road dimensions.

 

[nickyboy]

As far as I know, and I've been following the reportage pretty closely (I'm a journalist), you will be able to ride as long as its solo and you keep it that way.

That isn't the case in Spain and Italy though is it? All cycling is banned unless it is an integral part of an allowed outdoor activity (such as travelling to work, food shopping etc)

I think the premise is that everyone must avoid social contact at all times other than essential activities. Authorities can't differentiate between someone riding a bike to visit a friend in another town (bad idea) and riding a bike solo for exercise. So it's all banned

 

[hoopdriver]

Correct as far as Spain goes. Hadn’t heard that about Italy. In France I understand solo outdoor exercise is permitted and it is in the US as well. From what I have read of the British proposals for lockdown solo running and cycling will be permitted.

 

[Blue Hills]

As a matter of fact I won awards for my health, medical coverage when I was a senior writer at Time Magazine

Well please provide a source then.
Am on a wonky tab at mo but have managed here to paste something vickster linked to on another virus thread.
Bbc


If you are under 70 with no underlying conditions you can still be active outside as long as you stay at least two metres (three paces) away from other people. So walking the dog (or even your neighbour's dog), going for a run or going for a bike ride are all fine - provided you keep your distance.

i wont be walking my neighbours dogs. All conversations with my neighbours (layout of my kinda 60s estate encourages sociability) will be at a distance . Have had a few such brief exchanges in last few days.
apols for italics.

 

[PaulSB]

I'm not surprised by this advice (in fact my club hasn't even authroised small groups!). But I'm skeptical that there are any insurance implications.

IMHO, riding in groups in the open air will have a TINY virus-spread potential. Hazards to avoid:
- shaking hands
- snot rockets
- mingling off the bikes e.g. entering shops/cafes/pubs.
Infecting high-risk people is completely different; they really need to have the sense to stay away, it just isn't a real issue.

If @Milzy club is affiliated to British Cycling there is a real possibility of insurance implications.

Affiliated clubs, mine is one and I'm club sec, are covered by BC insurance for many eventualities. I've had to read many documents in relation to this insurance cover and frequently find reference to "advice," "advisory," "guidelines," "best practice" etc. While these are not rules I wouldn't want to see my club having to argue our position if we had ignored, for example, "best practice."

I've read nothing from BC in relation to Covid-19 and insurance cover. BC have requested affiliated clubs cancel or suspend organised activities. Ignoring this request might make an insurance claim tricky.

My club hasn't considered the issue of kit though privately I have.

 

[matticus]

If the Italians HAD banned cycling to reduce crashes overwhelming A&E, then Julliana Buhrning has found a workaround:

[COLOR=rgba(20, 23, 26, 1)]Day 10 of

[COLOR=rgba(27, 149, 224, 1)]#covid_19[/COLOR]​

[/COLOR][COLOR=rgba(20, 23, 26, 1)] quarantine. Since

[COLOR=rgba(27, 149, 224, 1)]#cycling[/COLOR]​

[/COLOR][COLOR=rgba(20, 23, 26, 1)] is officially out, I’ve moved on to my next favorite form of escapism.

[COLOR=rgba(27, 149, 224, 1)]#seakayaking[/COLOR]​

[/COLOR][COLOR=rgba(20, 23, 26, 1)] [/COLOR]​

 

[matticus]

If @Milzy club is affiliated to British Cycling there is a real possibility of insurance implications.

Affiliated clubs, mine is one and I'm club sec, are covered by BC insurance for many eventualities. I've had to read many documents in relation to this insurance cover and frequently find reference to "advice," "advisory," "guidelines," "best practice" etc. While these are not rules I wouldn't want to see my club having to argue our position if we had ignored, for example, "best practice."

I've read nothing from BC in relation to Covid-19 and insurance cover. BC have requested affiliated clubs cancel or suspend organised activities. Ignoring this request might make an insurance claim tricky.

asfarasicantell, every cycling organ' in the country has stopped group rides, so this is not a hill on which I am prepared to die (despite having read many of those docs myself over the years) :P
But for the sake of passing the time: what would be the nature of this hypothetical claim?

(as I say, it's a completely moot point now.)