National cycle tracks How safe are they now

[Caad Alak]

Hi to all fellow cyclists.As a road bike cyclist,I tend to ride the paths of the national cycle route.Mainly the path that takes me from clydebank to luss,next to Loch Lomond.I jst dont feel safe to risk riding on roads if I cant help it.Because of this virus, my question is,how safe is it to ride on the cycle paths, as these are not very wide and I will be passing other riders at a close distance.Also the riders passing me from the other direction.Am I being paranoid or is this a concern.Thanks

 

[Globalti]

You're being paranoid. Everybody has been locked down now for two months so your chances of being coughed at or gobbed on by somebody who doesn't realise they're carrying CV are vanishingly small.

On the other hand if you finished the ride then went clubbing or to a cheese-rolling match your statistical chances would increase a lot.

We are not being told much now about how CV is transmitted, I suspect because it's politically embarrassing: you don't catch it in one brief unfortunate encounter but from repeated exposures if you happen to live or work in a care home or you are from a disadvantaged ethnic minority living in crowded conditions and doing a public-facing job or you are one of the 61% of British people who are now obese with associated health problems thanks to being fed a diet of crap manufactured by megacorps with MPs and other influential people as shareholders and directors.

....and breathe!

 

[MontyVeda]

I don't think you are being paranoid... since the outbreak I've been avoiding them too, but the roads that run in the same directions have been relatively quiet so I've been enjoying those instead.

That said, I don't think passing other cyclists presents a major risk... I'm probably much more at risk at work.

 

[OldShep]

Paranoid A brief pass in an open space chance of taking in enough virus will virtually nil. Taking someone’s wheel for 30 minutes will give a different result mind you.

 

[fossyant]

It's fine, you aren't touching anything. Just try and avoid touching stiles, gates or fences with your hands as much as you can. I ride tracks, NCN, canal (even narrower) bridleways and so on and there has been no issue. I would advise on a bell as this alerts folk that you are coming. As much as I hate bells, I fitted one last year and it's invaluable for giving plenty of warning. Folk have been great, and have stepped right out of the way. Only issue is dopey dog owners, but that's the same in normal times. I get whole families covering the trail left to right, so the bell soon shifts the. Not sure what they think when I do a little 'ting' and a thundering MTB comes past.

I'm tending to use the 'horse' route at various gates rather than the stile where I can, jump off bike, hop over one or two logs, then off, rather than squeeze through. I have one gate I can't avoid, but so far I've been OK. All my clothing straight into the wash as per usual, me washed, bike washed. Nothing that I don't do anyway.

supermarkets are the worst places. I'm being very careful which shops I go in.

 

[fossyant]

Something that's also been mentioned, it's not always easy passing pedestrians on the pavement when you are in the road, and giving 2 metres - that's often the white line, not always possible.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Hi to all fellow cyclists.As a road bike cyclist,I tend to ride the paths of the national cycle route.Mainly the path that takes me from clydebank to luss,next to Loch Lomond.I jst dont feel safe to risk riding on roads if I cant help it.Because of this virus, my question is,how safe is it to ride on the cycle paths, as these are not very wide and I will be passing other riders at a close distance.Also the riders passing me from the other direction.Am I being paranoid or is this a concern.Thanks

The SARS-CoV-2 virons are not carried / transmitted on aerosols ( tiny droplets in breath) very far at all, they are too large. The primary transmission modes are coughs, sneezes, spitting, etc. and touch transmission, so unless everyone is coughing, sneezing, spitting, and snot rocketing, and you’re not right up against their faces, you’ve not got too much to be concerned about on that front. I’d be more concerned about being wiped out by novice cyclist, dogs, errant children on scooters, and the like, and opening any gates that require you to touch them might be a slight concern. In fact, I have been avoiding the shared paths, parks, and NCNs as much as possible, because I believe it’s actually less risky to ride on the roads now. How long that continues is debatable though.

 

[Sniper68]

I actually feel safer out on the roads.I had C-19 a few weeks ago(99% sure) and I caught it at home!
Everyone has different views but personally I think the chances of getting infected now,as opposed to 4-6 weeks ago are getting slimmer by the day....that's if you haven't already had it without symptoms.Just be sensible and pass others as safely as possible.

 

[sleuthey]

I do about 50 50 road/path. Had one collision on each. The path collision was a fortnight ago when I was overtaking a little boy on a scooter and he pulled from the side to the middle of the path at the wrong moment. He burst out crying of shoulder pain and his dad gave him a right bollocking poor kid! Kept the footage in case there is any comeback

So for overall safety(me and others combined) i don’t find the paths any safer

 

[tom73]

Most stuff has been covered already. Just follow good basic hand washing before and after a ride and if you think its not safe to pass hold back and wait.
I would say if your on a canal path with narrow boats. Remember they can't move about the network at the moment.
Some maybe having to isolate at the moment and are worrying about stuff as it is.
So if you can give them a bit of room they will be getting plenty of people passing up close as it is.
Not saying they are a risk more about being nice and respecting someones home. It's not they they have a garden or anything between them and all the extra footfall.

 

[Brandane]

We are not being told much now about how CV is transmitted, I suspect because it's politically embarrassing: you don't catch it in one brief unfortunate encounter but from repeated exposures if you happen to live or work in a care home or.............

Just wondering where this information came from? From a now slightly concerned care home employee!

 

[fossyant]

Also, if using paths, go early or late. Weekends are also busier.

 

[DRM]

Just wondering where this information came from? From a now slightly concerned care home employee!

I heard on good authority that the elderly have been sent into homes without being properly tested, & that it's believed that it was in a residential home in the UK in late December, the person concerned was treated for pneumonia, it's now odds on the cause was CV-19

 

[Globalti]

Er.... I thought it was public knowledge that the disease is still active in care homes?

 

[DRM]

Er.... I thought it was public knowledge that the disease is still active in care homes?

Not when I was told about it, and the fact that the person who told me has a family member who works as a carer, the whole family all came down with a lurgy that took some shifting, this was just after xmas, before our government admitted it was here, it seems it was here