Lockdown crowds!

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
gbnz
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Joined: 13 Sep 2008, 10:38am

Lockdown crowds!

Post by gbnz »

Anyone else found that a side effect of lockdown, is that the roads are absolutely PACKED with walkers, cyclists and people on bicycles (Nb. Even when on a £1k road bike, wrapped in lycra, such individuals have a distinctive look/speed)

Had a quick look down the road yesterday and it was incredible; a 17 mile stretch of road into town, can't remember ever having seen more than 1-2 cyclists and 1-2 walkers in twelve years on that road. Yesterday? Literally legions of walkers and cyclists. And heading out of town, on a route I can't recall ever having seen a walker or cyclist on? Had to cycle a good four miles to find somewhere quiet enough to stop and feel safe enough to eat! It was incredible; even found myself passing individuals pushing prams on a 5 mile loop out of town!
Boring_Username
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Joined: 2 Mar 2017, 2:38pm

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Boring_Username »

One positive legacy of this nightmare is that many people will have acquired a taste for gentle outdoor exercise.
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Paulatic
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Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Paulatic »

gbnz wrote:Had to cycle a good four miles to find somewhere quiet enough to stop and feel safe enough to

:lol: :lol:
I thought you’d be looking for a pee stop. Never dreamt it was going to end in tea.
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fastpedaller
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Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 1:12pm
Location: Norfolk

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by fastpedaller »

Yep - our footpaths have more footfall than the high street in the local town. ironically our local National Trust parkland has had some Police visits (some FPN's issued) so we won't go there even though it's only 5 miles away (Wife doesn't cycle) for our walk. So it's walk across the footpaths and step carefully between the Farmer's crops when someone else approaches. :roll:
gbnz
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Joined: 13 Sep 2008, 10:38am

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by gbnz »

Paulatic wrote:I thought you’d be looking for a pee stop. Never dreamt it was going to end in tea.


Oh no, I'm quite happy stopping anywhere for a "pee stop", given that people keep their distance :wink: . But a fantastic rationale for a bike ride is always grabbing a cake/sandwich/pain au chocolate en route, but sitting down to eat whilst crowds are milling around during lockdown isn't great.

That said, it'll have to stop! Realized last week that missing 4-5 gym workouts a week for 8 months is starting to have an impact! I could even become quarter of a stone overweight :shock:
Billy007
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Joined: 15 Apr 2020, 8:56am

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Billy007 »

One thing's for sure a lot of places are going to get trashed and decorated with litter by ignorant chavs.
Psamathe
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Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Psamathe »

Billy007 wrote:One thing's for sure a lot of places are going to get trashed and decorated with litter by ignorant chavs.

My rural area is pretty bad for litter anyway. One road Highways have spent the last few weeks digging out roadside ditch and using the removed material to build-up the verge and it looks like a landfill tip (Red Bull cans, plastics, larger cans, crisp packets, etc.).

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mjr
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Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by mjr »

Psamathe wrote:
Billy007 wrote:One thing's for sure a lot of places are going to get trashed and decorated with litter by ignorant chavs.

My rural area is pretty bad for litter anyway. [...]

Yeah. The ignorant are still in their cars, visiting drive-through junk shops (against all advice) and decorating the verges with the debris. The increase in walkers and riders has mainly increased how many people have noticed the problem, not the amount of littering.
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Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Jdsk »

gbnz wrote:Anyone else found that a side effect of lockdown, is that the roads are absolutely PACKED with walkers, cyclists and people on bicycles (Nb. Even when on a £1k road bike, wrapped in lycra, such individuals have a distinctive look/speed)

Had a quick look down the road yesterday and it was incredible; a 17 mile stretch of road into town, can't remember ever having seen more than 1-2 cyclists and 1-2 walkers in twelve years on that road. Yesterday? Literally legions of walkers and cyclists. And heading out of town, on a route I can't recall ever having seen a walker or cyclist on? Had to cycle a good four miles to find somewhere quiet enough to stop and feel safe enough to eat! It was incredible; even found myself passing individuals pushing prams on a 5 mile loop out of town!

Out on the bikes in South Oxfordshire yesterday and today. Sunny, bright blue skies, and dry roads.

Lots of other cyclists out: mostly road bikes, mostly dedicated clothing, mostly in pairs, all wearing helmets. Near universal smiles and waves and greetings.

Lots of walkers: many with dogs, near universal smiles and greetings, a few bits of awkwardness in sharing the road.

Lots of runners: about equal number solo as in pairs. mostly dedicated clothing, mostly with sound systems.

Some motorised vehicles: no close passing, no problems except from someone reversing out of a drive who didn't make it clear whether they were going to keep moving or not.

Six hares.

Just great.

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Jdsk »

Boring_Username wrote:One positive legacy of this nightmare is that many people will have acquired a taste for gentle outdoor exercise.

Yes. And it would have been good to hear more during the outbreak about the importance of exercise.

What should we do to maintain this? Individuals, associations, local government, central government...

Jonathan
simonhill
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Location: Essex

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by simonhill »

Put aside the really serious aspects of the pandemic (death, economic woes, travel ban) what annoys me most is the litter. In particular the disposable coffee cups and lids and the brown polystyrene food boxes.

I live in a seaside area and it's great to see so many people out walking and cycling, however the consumption of takeways and coffee has resulted in piles of non degradable rubbish. There are plenty of bins but some choose not to use, others cram their rubbish in even when it's clearly full so it will soon fall out.

Add to that disposable facemasks and and you have the perfect Covid scene.
Boring_Username
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Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Boring_Username »

Jdsk wrote:
Boring_Username wrote:One positive legacy of this nightmare is that many people will have acquired a taste for gentle outdoor exercise.

Yes. And it would have been good to hear more during the outbreak about the importance of exercise.

What should we do to maintain this? Individuals, associations, local government, central government...

Jonathan


A good start would be to stop terrifying people that passing within 3 feet of another walker for 5 seconds means certain death.
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by Jdsk »

Boring_Username wrote:
Jdsk wrote:
Boring_Username wrote:One positive legacy of this nightmare is that many people will have acquired a taste for gentle outdoor exercise.

Yes. And it would have been good to hear more during the outbreak about the importance of exercise.

What should we do to maintain this? Individuals, associations, local government, central government...

A good start would be to stop terrifying people that passing within 3 feet of another walker for 5 seconds means certain death.

Is that about transmission of the virus or related to that recent discussion of shared use?

Thanks

Jonathan
peetee
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Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by peetee »

Paulatic wrote: :lol: :lol:
I thought you’d be looking for a pee stop. Never dreamt it was going to end in tea.


Did somebody call me? 8)

But seriously folks, the more walkers and cyclists on the road, the better. Hopefully it will ingrain the expectation in some of these mad motorists that there IS something round the blind bend they are approaching too fast.....We live in hope.
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Lockdown crowds!

Post by pwa »

Jdsk wrote:
Boring_Username wrote:One positive legacy of this nightmare is that many people will have acquired a taste for gentle outdoor exercise.

Yes. And it would have been good to hear more during the outbreak about the importance of exercise.

What should we do to maintain this? Individuals, associations, local government, central government...

Jonathan

A lot more people in our village now have dogs, which means (hopefully) they are now committed to exercising them. We are getting one soon, and even if we were not already keen walkers, the dog would force us to walk regularly. I have just been around the village and there are families out and about everywhere, playing on the green, walking down the lanes or whatever. I'd not describe any of them as being part of a "crowd", as they all seem to be distanced. It's good to see.
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