Welsh Government says you can only cycle within walking distance of home

Almost half of it is sea where I am, and lots more is city. Surely the spirit of this is for us not to encounter anyone else nor need the NHS (though A&E is historically clear right now). For me, that's out into the countryside and a 10 mile radius is fairly restrictive. Though I will try.

Doctor Darabuka wrote:

It's worth remembering that I'm not permitted to get in my car and drive unless I have a specific, defined, pragmatic reason and destination; but I can get on my bike and go for a ride just because I want to. 

No. You can get on your bike for the same reasons as you can drive your car, +1; exercise.

I think we're both right(ish).  My point is that, on this rare occassion, cyclists are in a better position than motorists.  Those who complain about the Welsh Government constraints should put them into context by comparing them with the constraints others face.   

Maybe if there were legitimate scientific reasons to restrict cyclists in this way, people could understand it. England, which has seen the largest number of cases by far, see no reason to clamp down on those who exercise safely and responsibly, like the Welsh Government seek to do.

And any legislation that uses vague terms of 'rules of thumb' instead of talking in specifics, is obviously designed not to help the public but to catch them out. 

There's no science. Just the same attitude as 'keep out of our village'. The people coming up with these rules are same people that believe phones can cause fires at petrol stations and rub potatoes on warts. Drown witches if they weigh the same as a duck. 

But most garages still have signs up saying don't use your mobile on the forecourt...

The defined pragmatic reason for going for a bike ride is exercise. Exercise is crucial to maintain good health. Pre-existing poor health, including obesity, is the main risk factor for death from Covid 19. You're not exercising while driving a car!

I wholeheartedly agree.  My comment wasn't a plea for more driving, it's a request that rather than moaning that 100 mile rides are discouraged, we appreciate and enjoy that the freedom we have and see the restrictions on cycling in the context of the restrictions others face.

One of these activities is for exercise (permitted) the other is not

The problem with that argument is that the Welsh Government are loosening restrictions on other journeys.

More shops are being permitted to open up as a 'click & collect' service. This will inevitably lead to more journeys outside the home.

If more journeys for non essential items can be tolerated why on earth do they need to clamp down in cycling?

The new legislation is an absolute joke.

sparkimp wrote:

Sunbathing on my local Llandudno beach is low risk but clearly not a valid reason for leaving the house.

Is it 'clearly' not a valid reason, though? Taking some time to rest in a natural setting can do wonders for mental health, and we need to protect that as much, if not more than, physical health at a stressful time for many.

Quote:

It is all about minimising the time, distance from and frequency of leaving your home.

But that's the thing - it shouldn't be. That should only be an instrumental consideration in the main aim of minimising the chances of you catching or passing on the virus. Spending however much time you like outside the home, doing whatever you like, should be irrelevant, so long as you can do so without spending significant time in proximity to others.

sparkimp wrote:

Finally, I think any increased animosity to cyclists is due to seeing us indulging in a recreational activity rather than just taking essential excercise (even if it can be the same thing).  

Since there is really no way for a stranger in the street to know how far from home you have cycled or what time and distance you have covered, nor even how much exercise is your norm, that can not be the objective reason for any animosity. The "indulgence" has to be assumed, driven by the pre-existing animosity they harbour.
However I do think you are on to something. Clearly cyclist do get pleasure from their exercise, and that must grate with a section of the population who think misery is the only cure.

Kind of like the "rave bbq" of the crew of the sub, how dare they be in any way happy.  I mean they can't go back to their homes and families, they should be glum when stuck with the rest of their household, in a very confined space, with whom they live cheek by jowl.

ktache wrote:

Kind of like the "rave bbq" of the crew of the sub, how dare they be in any way happy.  I mean they can't go back to their homes and families, they should be glum when stuck with the rest of their household, in a very confined space, with whom they live cheek by jowl.

I think families could be the driving force behind the surge in bicycle sales.  Remember that book by John Cleese "Families and how to survive them"?  I haven't read it, but I'm sure it has a chapter about cycling.

I didn't get the furore over that either. Surely for the purposes of "stay at home" the entire crew qualify as a single household?

It is for these reasons that I am wearing my Rapha Riding Trousers (bought when even the sale was having a sale) and a touring style top from Decathlon.
 

Now is not the time to flaunt.

1. Why do we use the word lock down? It has been no such thing. Restriction yes. Lock down. Nope.

I just don't understand, or sympathise with those objecting. Yes a daft rule for many people but for some idiots its needed and we can't have one rule some people and another for others. So many selfish gits  are pushing the limits that lines have to be drawn. If we had ALL done exactly as was needed from day one restrictions would be less onerous.  Some people can easily do huge mile ages seeing no one. I bet I could rack up 100 and see no more than a handful out of cars. Some people don't have the space to do that . I can leave my house a hundred times a day and only my wife would know. No one else can see me walk into the woods. Some people seem to think that they should be trying to maintain normal life. Nope , you can't. Why not respect the views of the majority rather than me first. Stop picking holes in things, contribute not take, do  your bit and not just in one way. Cycling is approved for health. Not in readiness for the possible season ahead. Be nice not nasty.

Because lockdown is the general term.

Nothing has changed in England regarding restrictions. The risk from cycling any distance is minimal. As katche pointed out you could have an accident within a mile of your home and need a &e.
As long as a cyclist is self sufficient for their journey, I don't see distance makes much odds .

Technically your local grand tour winner is cycling to work. His work is cycling.

That's allowed.

Seriously though, the new legislation is a complete joke. What evidence is it based on?

When most of Europe are releasing lockdowns gradually those morons in Cardiff Bay decide to clamp down on probably the least harmful form of exercise still available.

Roll on the 2021 elections.

Fair point about the maillot jaune. No, the guidance (the bits about cycling are just that, not legislation) probably isn't evidence based, but I figure I can still have an ok ride while staying within a reasonable distance of home, so I can live with it. And I suspect they won't be actively pulling over many solo cyclists early in the morning to enquire as to their route plans.

This. Per hour, doing DIY, mowing the lawn, trimming the hedge, clearing the gutters, etc, all more likely than cycling to land you in A&E. Where is the objective justification for this knee-jerk decision?

Yeah the metric system is only a fraction of the imperial one. Base of ten is the least wholly divisible of all.

It's one and the same word in French!