Tag: Covid-19

Cycling in Lockdown 2

Posted on by Secretary

New restrictions have been brought in as from midnight today to help halt the spread of Covid-19. For the next four weeks, you must:

  1. Stay at home, except for specific purposes.
  2. Avoid meeting people you do not live with, except for specific purposes.
  3. Close certain businesses and venues.

The good news is that under the new restrictions cycling is still permitted for health and fitness, and it is actively encouraged for local journeys. However there are a number of rules which everyone must follow when out and about on their bikes:

  • Only cycle alone, with others in your household/support bubble, or with one person from another household. If you do ride with someone from another household, you must only ever ride as a pair.
  • Stay two metres apart from anybody not from your household/support bubble.
  • Stay at home if you:
    • are experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms;
    • are self-isolating;
    • are sharing a household /support bubble with somebody with symptoms; or
    • have been told to self-isolate after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace or a local equivalent

There are no restrictions on how far or how often you can ride, but you should ensure that you ride within your ability level and prepare accordingly, especially if riding alone.

For further information, visit the Gov.uk website.

Social Bike Rides Start Up Again

Posted on by Secretary

Our programme of social bike rides for 2020 was knocked for six when the COVID lockdown was announced. However, as restrictions are starting to be relaxed, we are finally able to start our social rides again, albeit with some restrictions in place.

British Cycling has announced that in line with government guidance, HSBC UK Ride Social activities can start from 4 July. However, all rides must comply with the relevant Government guidelines on social distancing and group size.

For now, we have to keep to a maximum of six in a group (one ride leader to five participants), and maintain social distancing of at least two metres at all times (except between members of the same household).

In line with government guidelines, masks or face coverings are not required if social distancing is
maintained; the use of face masks or coverings is a personal choice, but they should not restrict breathing.

If you are within the ‘clinically vulnerable’ group, then the advice remains that you should stay at home as much as possible and avoid contact with others outside your household.

Further information for participants can be found in Section 2 of British Cycling’s COVID-19 guidance, ‘The Way Forward‘. We would ask all ride participants to read this before booking on a ride.

We have planned rides on the first and third Saturday of each month starting on 18 July and running through to 17 October.

In previous years, we have planned rides with the option of a cake stop at a local café. However, this introduces an unnecessary risk and unless we can be certain of sitting outside, we will need to skip the cakes until the COVID risk is reduced.

As ever, all our rides are published on LetsRide, which is a free to use website run by British Cycling and we ask riders to book a place on each ride you want to attend. This lets us know to expect you and ensures that we have a manageable number of cyclists. This is even more critical now, since rides are limited to 6 people.

Please note that our rides are not aimed at complete beginners. Rides are typically 25-35 miles and while we try and go at the pace of the slowest rider and are happy to wait at the top of a hill for slower riders to catch up, we do recommend that you get a few miles under your belt before coming on your first ride so you are confident that you can do the distance and take on a hill or two.

If you have any queries or concerns, then please do contact us.

Top Tips for New Cyclists / Families During Covid-19

Posted on by Secretary

The recent good weather has encouraged many people to get out on their bikes as part of their daily exercise during the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, there has been a noticeable rise in novice cyclists and family groups, which is great to see.

We have put together some top tips to help novices stay safe and get the most from your cycling:

1. Observe Social Distancing – Providing you are not required to self-isolate because you or a member of your household is displaying symptoms of Covid-19, and providing you are not in one of the vulnerable groups who are being encouraged to stay at home, then there is no reason to stop cycling, providing you follow government guidance on social distancing and keep at least 2m away from other people.

2. Stick to Roads and Designated Cycle Routes – Novice cyclists are often tempted to ride on the pavement, but this only permitted when it has been converted to a cycleway and is clearly signed for use by cyclists as well as pedestrians. Riding on narrow pavements is not only illegal, but it also makes it difficult to maintain social distancing from other users.

The good news is that there are lots of dedicated cycle routes across West Berkshire, and with so many people staying at home, there is much less traffic about and so conditions are much better for cycling on the road. With a bit of planning, cyclists are often able to avoid busy main roads.

West Berkshire Council’s website includes details of local cycle network maps, while online journey planners such as Cycle Streets allow you to select a quiet option for your cycling journey, avoiding busy main roads where possible.

3. Avoid Busy Areas and Narrow Routes – Although tempting because they are traffic-free, the canal towpaths and public rights of way may be busier than usual during lock-down, due to increased numbers of people walking, running or cycling for their daily exercise.

This is particularly true for routes in and around the main urban areas. These routes are often narrow, making it difficult to pass others while maintaining social distancing.  Where possible, try to avoid narrower paths that are likely to be busy, or time your ride when these routes are likely to be quieter.

4. Think About Your Positioning on the Road – When cycling on the road, try not to hug the kerb. There are often bits of debris towards the edge of the carriageway, while sunken drain covers represent a particular hazard for cyclists.

This also helps to make you visible to other road users and encourages safe overtaking. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s not as scary as it sounds!

5. Keep Your Kids in Front of You – When cycling with children, it is always best to ride with them in front of you. That way you can see what they are doing and issue instructions as necessary.  Position yourself so you are slightly further from the kerb than they are – this forces drivers out wider when overtaking your group.

6. Be Aware of What’s Around You – Be aware of the traffic around you. Don’t cycle with headphones – it is important to be able to hear approaching vehicles.

Look out for other road users who may not have noticed you – pedestrians about to cross the road, children playing, dogs not on leads / on long leads, drivers on the phone, etc. Also, check ahead for potholes, puddles, parked cars, junctions and other hazards.  

Being alert to potential problems helps you avoid having to swerve, brake sharply or make sudden manoeuvres.

7. Make Your Intentions Clear – Always give other road users a clear idea of what you plan to do. Check behind, then signal, giving plenty of notice before making your manoeuvre. Only make the manoeuvre when it is safe to do so.

If you’re nervous about checking behind and/or taking one hand off the handlebars to signal, it’s a good idea to practise this in a safe, traffic-free environment.

8. Make Eye Contact – Try to make eye contact with other road users, particularly at junctions, side roads and on roundabouts.

Making eye contact can help you work out if the driver has seen you or not. If you don’t see any reaction, then assume they haven’t seen you and be ready to brake or steer as necessary.

9. Don’t Undertake a Lorry or a Bus – Many larger vehicles have large blind-spots on their passenger side, which means if you are cycling on their left, the driver may not have seen you in their mirrors and may make a manoeuvre that puts you at serious risk.

If you have a large vehicle on your right, or if you are approaching one from the rear, always assess the situation carefully.  Never assume that the driver has seen you. If in doubt, then hang back and remain behind the vehicle.

10. Keep Out of the Door Zone – When approaching a parked vehicle, check behind to make sure it’s safe to move out before passing it, keeping at least a door’s width away in case someone opens a door unexpectedly.