[cycle.london]

Anyone else not ventured out since the lockdown started?

I started off with the best of intentions. As you probably don’t remember, we moved outside the M25 six months or so back, and I wanted to build up to cycling into the centre of London at least three times a week.

Then, when the government announced the lockdown, and my company told us all to work from home, I thought yeah, no problem. I’ll do the miles around home.

Then I went for a walk.

The first time I stepped out as a pedestrian, was terrifying. It was like there were no longer any speed limits, and no longer any limitations on how loud an exhaust could be. Quad riders – who seem to have a death wish at the best of times – now seemed to want to kill me as well. Scooter riders going along the footway on their rear wheel, shouting at me to get out of their fackin’ why.

But enough about my street.

Then there’s the anecdotal evidence here on road.cc as well as from friends and some colleagues who have ventured onto the roads.

‘It’s fucking madness, mate’.

The driving worries me less, to be honest, than the brazen aggression from drivers and motorcyclists. And if I talk back, I have the choice of a hospital bed, or a police cell.

So I’ve been doing the occasional trip out to the garage to use the trainer.

Anyone else too scared to go out?

Topic

[Daveyraveygravey]

Richard_pics wrote:

kil0ran wrote:

Quite the opposite for me – biggest month ever in April, and topped that in May. 

But, overall, I’m fitter than I’ve ever been, my bike is in better fettle than it’s ever been, and I can’t wait for the rest of the summer. 

 

Stolen these bits as my sentiments are exactly as these!

Its been pretty decent this way (East Suffolk) And i am the fittest ive ever been after doing just under a 1000 miles in April. 

It is a shame we cant keep the roads to peak Lockdown quietness however.

Down in Sussex, it has been generally better.  The roads in April were so quiet, it was like a 6 am Sunday ride all the time!  I still get close passes, but most of them are the type who are too oblivious, all they care about is not scratching the paint on their cars; they probably don’t even know there’s a global pandemic.  It’s almost back to pre lock down level now in terms of cars on the road.

[Richard_pics]

kil0ran wrote:

Quite the opposite for me – biggest month ever in April, and topped that in May. 

But, overall, I’m fitter than I’ve ever been, my bike is in better fettle than it’s ever been, and I can’t wait for the rest of the summer. 

 

Stolen these bits as my sentiments are exactly as these!

Its been pretty decent this way (East Suffolk) And i am the fittest ive ever been after doing just under a 1000 miles in April. 

It is a shame we cant keep the roads to peak Lockdown quietness however.

[hawkinspeter]

I’m with kil0ran – I’ve been

I’m with kil0ran – I’ve been doing longer, hillier rides and I’ve also been losing some weight as I used to eat lots of fruit and snacks whilst working. I was having an issue with procrastinating and taking up most of the day preparing to cycle, but I’ve tackled that by aiming to get out around 10am.

The only incident I’ve encountered was the speeding driver near Chew Valley Lake that was NMOTD 414 I think. I think the reduced traffic may have calmed the majority of drivers around Bristol but increased the speed of the dangerous ones.

Personally, I think you should make a point of getting outside for a cycle as it’s the perfect antidote to being stuck indoors. It’s okay to be scared of loud, noisy, speeding traffic (especially when they shout at you) but you don’t have to let the fear make your decisions.

[kil0ran]

Quite the opposite for me –

Quite the opposite for me – biggest month ever in April, and topped that in May. It’s been glorious around here up to the last week when the idiots have started to reappear. I’ve had a couple of blazing rows with drivers during that time including one WVM who deliberately close passed me despite the fact we were on a very wide A road with a 40 limit. And all because I’d dared take primary around a parked car.

But, overall, I’m fitter than I’ve ever been, my bike is in better fettle than it’s ever been, and I can’t wait for the rest of the summer. I think it’s helping that I tend to head out around 6.30/7.30 before rush hour. I did that last Sunday too – it took almost 9 miles for the first car to pass me.

On the flip side I’ve driven a fair bit over lockdown because I’m delivering provisions to my partner’s Mum. By the afternoon the roads are carnage. Very short fuses abound. There’s a filter lane at the top of my road where generally people will let you filter (the road is only a 40 limit) but I’ve had two near misses where people haven’t dropped back. And I’m in a tank-built Volvo 940 that would only need to look at their car funny for it to fall apart.

[Author]

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