Group riding

[CyberKnight]

I’m a member of 2 clubs. One has made a tentative, unofficial start to restarting club rides, sort of testing the water. The first one should have been yesterday but was cancelled due to the weather.

I’m one of the ride captains of the other club. I’ve suggested restarting but there’s no appetite amongst the riders or the other ride captains, some of whom seem frightened to death of any contact at all with any club mates.

yes im similar , ride leader they call it and they even talk of carrying hand sanitizer , i think they are being over cautious but we all have different levels of acceptable risk so im not nay-saying

[Marcus Aurelius]

I’m officially allowed to set up B.C. ‘guided rides’ from the 4th of July. I’m not going to, until there’s an effective vaccine, or the virus is proven to have burned out. B.C. are okay with that. I’m not risking the game of pass the parcel that comes with this disease. If anyone else wants to be the hero, that’s their shout.

[mjr]

My own take on group riding is that it should never be more than two abreast (https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/changes ... r-cyclists) and all these huge gangs you see out on the Fylde on Sundays are blatantly out of order.

That's a fake website run by a driver training firm. While the real www.gov.uk/highway-code advises not more than two abreast, it's not a MUST, although it's more advisible now due to social distancing.

I think that the clap trap about virus transmission in groups is academic nonsense and as other sensible contributors have said, during these times it's best to avoid groups altogether.

No, only misanthropes and fools said that.

[arnsider]

Well maybe riding no more than two abreast is not a must, by my interpretation it is. You are free to do exactly what your conscience dictates.
If you think that meeting head on, a wall of cyclists from over the crown of the road to the verge, is anything but disconcerting or alarming to other road users, then I don't think much of your logic here.
Like everyone, I've listened to and read snippets of the conflicting science over virus contagion in close quarters and the current quandry over two or one meter separation.
I would not want to be anywhere near a tightknit group of hot sweaty riders.
So if you want to pick the bones of that in a foolish and misanthropic way, go ahead. Fill your boots.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Something else occurred to me, regarding group rides, particularly where an official register of attendees is held. Should so much as one of the riders come down with the Covids, and the track and trace system goes to work, everyone else on that ride gets a 14 day ( possibly ) unpaid holiday, in isolation. That’s no going anywhere outside their home, not to exercise, to work, nor to go shopping ( not even for food ) or to visit anyone. I believe that then applies to everyone else in their household. That’s a no from me then.

[NUKe]

Surely you can attend a group ride without all being bunched in a pace line. I would have though if say six of you in group . riding in pairs with at least a car length between each of the three groups would work well with minimal risk.

[mjr]

Well maybe riding no more than two abreast is not a must, by my interpretation it is.

Then your interpretation is not based in reality.

You are free to do exactly what your conscience dictates.
If you think that meeting head on, a wall of cyclists from over the crown of the road to the verge, is anything but disconcerting or alarming to other road users, then I don't think much of your logic here.

There is a long way from three or even five abreast to "a wall of cyclists from over the crown of the road to the verge". Of course, I feel riders should keep left, especially when they cannot see oncoming traffic.

Like everyone, I've listened to and read snippets of the conflicting science over virus contagion in close quarters and the current quandry over two or one meter separation.
I would not want to be anywhere near a tightknit group of hot sweaty riders.

And again, there is a big difference between a typical relaxed tour group and "a tightknit group of hot sweaty riders".

This is really saying much more about some people's assumptions, prejudices and misconceptions than anything about group cycling.

[mjr]

Something else occurred to me, regarding group rides, particularly where an official register of attendees is held. Should so much as one of the riders come down with the Covids, and the track and trace system goes to work, everyone else on that ride gets a 14 day ( possibly ) unpaid holiday, in isolation. That’s no going anywhere outside their home, not to exercise, to work, nor to go shopping ( not even for food ) or to visit anyone. I believe that then applies to everyone else in their household. That’s a no from me then.

This applies to almost every activity, though. The only way to avoid it would be to avoid going anywhere outside your home: not to exercise, to work, nor to go shopping (not even for food) or to visit anyone.

Sadly, three widespread myths were repeated above and in reality, socially-distanced group riders would not be told to isolate because they are not close contacts (<1m OR <2m for >15m OR in a vehicle with them); isolators are eligible for sick pay or benefits; and if track-and-trace tell you to isolate, "If you live with other people, they do not need to" - please check before repeating your beliefs because inadvertent scaremongering is unhelpful.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Something else occurred to me, regarding group rides, particularly where an official register of attendees is held. Should so much as one of the riders come down with the Covids, and the track and trace system goes to work, everyone else on that ride gets a 14 day ( possibly ) unpaid holiday, in isolation. That’s no going anywhere outside their home, not to exercise, to work, nor to go shopping ( not even for food ) or to visit anyone. I believe that then applies to everyone else in their household. That’s a no from me then.

This applies to almost every activity, though. The only way to avoid it would be to avoid going anywhere outside your home: not to exercise, to work, nor to go shopping (not even for food) or to visit anyone.

Sadly, three widespread myths were repeated above and in reality, socially-distanced group riders would not be told to isolate because they are not close contacts (<1m OR <2m for >15m OR in a vehicle with them); isolators are eligible for sick pay or benefits; and if track-and-trace tell you to isolate, "If you live with other people, they do not need to" - please check before repeating your beliefs because inadvertent scaremongering is unhelpful.

You’ve made several crucial errors in that Cockamany post of yours above. The first ( of many ) errors, is that in order to be traced, by the track and trace system, there has to be an official record of who was on the group ride, so no, this does not “apply to almost every activity“, I can’t be bothered pointing out all the other errors.

[mjr]

You’ve made several crucial errors in that Cockamany post of yours above. The first ( of many ) errors, is that in order to be traced, by the track and trace system, there has to be an official record of who was on the group ride, so no, this does not “apply to almost every activity“, I can’t be bothered pointing out all the other errors.

Because there aren't any errors. Not even what you posted because if track and trace failed for any activity without official records, it would be almost useless. There are two links to the page about how T&T works in my post above - please read.

The failure to even check how to spell cockamamie is an indication of how well-checked your posts are.

[arnsider]

I'll enlarge on my moan about large groups.
I observed this one Sunday, while out with my local group and this was pre Covid 19. We had set off from the A6/Ashford road junction just south of Lancaster and our route took us via Conder Green and across the Fylde flatlands. South of Cockerham on a fairly wide bit of the B5272, a wall of cyclists came towards us as described. No problem with visibilty, but behind this wall of around fifty odd riders was a line of obviously disgruntled and impatient drivers, all tooting and tutting.
In that instance, that group were OUT OF ORDER. No ifs and or buts and they did nothing for the image of cyclists.
There are several practical objections to this sort of behavior and without boring everyone with the patently obvious reasons, the highway code advises singling out or riding maximum two abreast.
I really don't see the tedious arguments to the contrary.
Our Section has split us tourers into two or even three groups if we are in large numbers and on busy trunk roads.

[Cyril Haearn]

Large group of cyclists holds up motors, prevents speeding crime
+1!

[Oldjohnw]

Large group of cyclists holds up motors, prevents speeding crime
+1!

Of course if the large group was travelling at 12mph it would not be a speeding crime for a car to exceed that speed.