Staying local

[Drago]

Please advise

You're adult enough to be out in public on your own then you dont3 need us to tell you.

Ultimately its for each individual officer to decide when they write out the ticket, and if you disagree then its for a court to decide.

A 10 mile radius from your front door gives you 314 square miles of Britain to explore, so I think youd really struggle to justify to a court being much further away from home as being 'local' for the purposes of exercise.

In addition, how can you morally justify being further away when 10 miles gives you 314 square miles in which to exercise and explore?

You don't need us you tell you what is appropriate. Make your own decision and take your own risks accordingly.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Fortunately there is a precedent. Our highly esteemed First Lord of the Treasury was reported to have been seen cycling in a park seven miles from home (link). Questions got asked and Parliament confirmed that what he had done was legal.

Conveniently, seven miles radius still gives me access to some decent local loops but unlike in the previous lockdowns I have been tutted at by people who have interpreted the guidance a bit more rigidly, which spoils the mood a bit and makes me avoid certain places.

 

[matticus]

Talking of precedents ... it's nearly a year since wise people on the internet started saying you should stay close to home unless you wanted to risk being arrested/fined. In that time, has anyone in England* been fined while cycling? There have been plenty of stories about police intervention on other sorts of leisure trips (usually involving the Derbyshire constabulary. But not always).


*Other nations are welcome to contribute: I just happen to know the English laws a bit better.

 

[PK99]

It's a matter or personal ethics.

A number of years ago, on an MBA course, a session on ethics essentially said "Don't do what the law or your professional body says you shouldn't"

The view among many on the course was that that approach was one of virtually unbridled self interest not ethics.

A better view went something along the lines: Would you be happy for close family and friends to know of your actions or a competent journalist to write of your actions in your local newspaper.

 

[nmfeb70]

Who goes to Wales anyway? England is much nicer.

You mean "much flatter?"
Our hills too testing?

 

[Oldhippy]

Didn't we do this a short while ago? As Drago say common sense and essential only.

 

[T4tomo]

was 70 pages on this subject a couple of weeks ago enough FFS

 

[Ajax Bay]

Here's the 60 page CycleChat thread! I challenge the OP to read it through.
Covid-how-local-is-local-when-cycling
Even though written in the spring, I thought this article was full of useful sense; and I commend it to the 'house'.
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-responsibly-time-pandemic-272119

I’ll do a loop so that I’m never more than 10 or 15 miles away from home

As far as 'local' is concerned, here's a useful tool, shared 'elsewhere':
https://www.mapdevelopers.com/draw-circle-tool.php

 

[matticus]

Here's the 60 page CycleChat thread! I challenge the OP to read it through.
Covid-how-local-is-local-when-cycling

You know, I'm not sure we really got to the bottom of it. I still have some questions. Is that thread still open?

 

[Ajax Bay]

If you are in England you shouldn't be coming over the border into Wales. Travel into Wales should only be done for certain reasons and cycling isn't one of them

Aiui the rules for cycling as exercise in Wales changed at the end of last month - NB this is not 'travel' it's exercise.
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/n...lsh-Cycling-Coronavirus---Covid-19-Guidance-0
Key point is that rides must start and finish from home. And then your exercise ride will be within restrictions on both sides of the border. Pretty sure that riding to work across the border is an allowed exemption as well. What is all the traffic on the Severn Bridge doing? Are all those 'travellers' breaking one rule or other?
Last time I rode into Wales I started and finished from home, riding to Brecon and Hay-on-Wye. Wasn't local mind and would definitely not satisfy the 'common sense' test November to March.

 

[gavroche]

Who goes to Wales anyway? England is much nicer.

But the people are a lot friendlier in Wales and we have proper mountains.

 

[bladesman73]

Can't cycle any real distance, but it's ok for people to drive miles away from home to work

Who goes to Wales anyway? England is much nicer.

If you like moronic drivers, busy roads and housing estates popping up everywhere, England beats any country within Europe.

 

[fossyant]

Bloody Welsh haven't let me in for 6 months. We spend most of our money in Wales. Cycling is great though !

 

[matticus]

If you like moronic drivers, busy roads and housing estates popping up everywhere, England beats any country within Europe.

The roads (and house-builders) are busy here because no-one wants to live in Wales.

 

[Oldhippy]

I would happily live in Wales.