Cycling UK Forum

I have been following the distance guidelines and cycling and walking from my home. I live near Boxhill and today was amazed to see quite a few cars turn up with bikes on board obviously totally ignoring the requirements. The same was happening with walkers and both cyclist and walkers went of in groups. Who are these selfish idiots? I have close family on the front line and if you get a strong reaction and over 60 you will be made comfortable but not offered a ventilator and recovery will be down to you or not.

Bit of a rant but this really is serious.

I've been practicing holding my breath if cycling past a pedestrian or other cyclist. I can easily get tens of metres distance without having to breath.

Pete Owens wrote:For maximum distancing keep to the roads - and ride well away from the pavement.

There are really very few paths that are wide enough for two users to pass each other and keep 2m apart (try to imagine a path wide enough for a car to be parked in the middle of while you walk/ride either side of it)

Cars often wider, but we've plenty of cycleways that wide. I'm sorry your local cycle campaign was less effective than my precursors.

Won't be any problem tomorrow morning at 5am

whoof wrote:I've been practicing holding my breath if cycling past a pedestrian or other cyclist. I can easily get tens of metres distance without having to breath.

the problem with that for others will be taking in a deeper than normal breath afterwards, which been more powerful, then sucks in the globs of viruses hanging around on your clothing temporarily, which otherwise would have dislodged naturally into the wind moments later

I watched a cyclist yesterday coming towards me on the road - me walking on footpath. For the life of me I couldn't see any reason why, but he was cycling, albeit on a wide road, over 2 metres from the kerb with a few cars behind waiting for a chance to pass. I honestly think we should be trying to reduce our risks of been stretchered into A&E. If some carstool was driving behind him, he'd probably have tried unbalancing him on passing.

fullupandslowingdown wrote:

whoof wrote:I've been practicing holding my breath if cycling past a pedestrian or other cyclist. I can easily get tens of metres distance without having to breath.

the problem with that for others will be taking in a deeper than normal breath afterwards, which been more powerful, then sucks in the globs of viruses hanging around on your clothing temporarily, which otherwise would have dislodged naturally into the wind moments later

I watched a cyclist yesterday coming towards me on the road - me walking on footpath. For the life of me I couldn't see any reason why, but he was cycling, albeit on a wide road, over 2 metres from the kerb with a few cars behind waiting for a chance to pass. I honestly think we should be trying to reduce our risks of been stretchered into A&E. If some carstool was driving behind him, he'd probably have tried unbalancing him on passing.

Well I guess like myself, when passing a pedestrian on the footpath, he was respecting your need for 2m space...... When I was in such a situation on Friday and knew there was traffic behind I simply indicated my intention to move out and it was respected by the vehicle that was behind me ( an empty hearse as it happens).

roberts8 wrote:I have been following the distance guidelines and cycling and walking from my home. I live near Boxhill and today was amazed to see quite a few cars turn up with bikes on board obviously totally ignoring the requirements. The same was happening with walkers and both cyclist and walkers went of in groups. Who are these selfish idiots? I have close family on the front line and if you get a strong reaction and over 60 you will be made comfortable but not offered a ventilator and recovery will be down to you or not.

Bit of a rant but this really is serious.

Guess this is where many of us lucky, we live within half a mile of areas where we can walk in open space with no need for an unnecessary car journey along with it being a relatively lower populated area. Must be hell in the SE to avoid crowded areas even if obeying the rules.

Must be hell in the SE to avoid crowded areas even if obeying the rules

Can I add "parts of" to that sweeping statement. There are lots of rural areas in Essex and Kent

eileithyia wrote:Must be hell in the SE to avoid crowded areas even if obeying the rules.

[/quote]
Not difficult to tell the truth to keep your distance. Even in central london at the moment.

I did stupidly go onto a nice traffic free cycle lane yesterday which i often use and found some bearded nit coming the other way riding two abreast having a natter with a companion. In future i will stick to roads which is no problem at all at the mo. Lots of empty buses driving slower than usual.

Sweep wrote:

eileithyia wrote:Must be hell in the SE to avoid crowded areas even if obeying the rules.

Not difficult to tell the truth to keep your distance. Even in central london at the moment.

I did stupidly go onto a nice traffic free cycle lane yesterday which i often use and found some bearded nit coming the other way riding two abreast having a natter with a companion. In future i will stick to roads which is no problem at all at the mo. Lots of empty buses driving slower than usual.[/quote]

We have been making a point (even when walking) to single out and move right over to one side.... really taking my pinkle when I see others who do not bother and seem oblivious....

At the start of this outbreak we were told that you’d have to be in close proximity with someone for 15 minutes to put yourself at significant risk.
Have I missed an update on this as I’m reading a lot of posts here suggesting briefly passing someone imposes a real risk and a cause of concern.
F&M virus was air borne and the next case was usually downwind. I thought this virus was all about aerosol fall out.
I’m asking as it’s now become a real threat here. A very rural area I’d thought low risk our GP has tested positive. I doubt he would have had a consultation with anyone above 6 minutes and you’d assume he would be a compulsive hand washer. So what’s the latest?

Paulatic wrote:At the start of this outbreak we were told that you’d have to be in close proximity with someone for 15 minutes to put yourself at significant risk.
Have I missed an update on this as I’m reading a lot of posts here suggesting briefly passing someone imposes a real risk and a cause of concern.
F&M virus was air borne and the next case was usually downwind. I thought this virus was all about aerosol fall out.
I’m asking as it’s now become a real threat here. A very rural area I’d thought low risk our GP has tested positive. I doubt he would have had a consultation with anyone above 6 minutes and you’d assume he would be a compulsive hand washer. So what’s the latest?

Perhaps a patient sneezed or coughed?

Paulatic wrote:At the start of this outbreak we were told that you’d have to be in close proximity with someone for 15 minutes to put yourself at significant risk.
Have I missed an update on this as I’m reading a lot of posts here suggesting briefly passing someone imposes a real risk and a cause of concern.
F&M virus was air borne and the next case was usually downwind. I thought this virus was all about aerosol fall out.
I’m asking as it’s now become a real threat here. A very rural area I’d thought low risk our GP has tested positive. I doubt he would have had a consultation with anyone above 6 minutes and you’d assume he would be a compulsive hand washer. So what’s the latest?

Different viruses, different chemistry. FMD survives quite happily floating around in the air (a previous case in the UK was where the Channel Islands were infected from France- i.e. safe distancing would be over 20 miles). Any Coronavirus is much less transmissible than that (thank whatever deity you wish to).
Regarding time and distancing it's all a matter of playing the odds. You could be 5m away from someone who coughs just as a breeze blows up and catch it. You could give someone a hug and not catch it. There are no hard and fast rules, its just that the closer and longer you are near someone infected the greater the chance of transmission. And you can't uncatch the disease just because you're unlucky.
Personally I'm out for my daily cycle ride at the same time as I would usually be commuting. Fortunately I live in a village and can get away from pedestrians quite quickly but I always make sure I pass them as wide as I can. I'm avoiding the cycle paths where I know there is nowhere to pull off and thanking people who step aside for me. None of this may work, but I feel I've reduced the risk as much as possible, while still being able to go out.

Didn't stop an annoyed drive hitting his horn and shouting cycle path the other day (the path was shared use and had runners on it and nowhere to pull off)

fullupandslowingdown wrote:

whoof wrote:I've been practicing holding my breath if cycling past a pedestrian or other cyclist. I can easily get tens of metres distance without having to breath.

the problem with that for others will be taking in a deeper than normal breath afterwards, which been more powerful, then sucks in the globs of viruses hanging around on your clothing temporarily, which otherwise would have dislodged naturally into the wind moments later

I don't need to take a deeper breath than normal afterwards I'm sure this can be the case for some others as well, I suppose it depends on how out of breath one gets whilst cycling. in addition you have to be breathing pretty hard to suck things off your clothing as if you are a vacuum cleaner.

Paulatic wrote:At the start of this outbreak we were told that you’d have to be in close proximity with someone for 15 minutes to put yourself at significant risk.
Have I missed an update on this as I’m reading a lot of posts here suggesting briefly passing someone imposes a real risk and a cause of concern. ?

Thanks for raising this - been at the back of my mind for a while.
Have not seen any journalist raise your question.
Which again proves to me that despite frequent slagging off of joe public (trust you don't mind being lumped in that) the most relevant simple questions often come from the public.