Covid 19 and riding

[Seeker]

Cabinet office answer:
https://www.visordown.com/news/general/can-i-ride-my-motorcycle-during-coronavirus-lockdown

[Adam Ef]

The arguments this is creating on various FB groups etc it ridiculous.

[Craig380]

The arguments this is creating on various FB groups etc it ridiculous.

Same on the Reddit bike forums. Moral: don't ride like a squid, and it's fine.

[BoltonSte]

Or don't do what was happening at weekend, everyone carrying on as normal at the usual hangouts standing nice and close chatting to each other with their bacon butty and brew.

[Chris_SVS]

Heard a lot of stories yesterday of awful riding, so basically someone else posing the risk.

Bikes parked for a while I think

[Luckypants]

Do not come to North Wales and ride like a ****. Do not have an accident and take away a very scarce ICU bed. The health services in North Wales are precarious at best, the coming tsunami of coronavirus patients will most likely break it. Do not be the **** who is taking up a much needed ICU bed because you went off into the scenery.

But for the selfish idiots who may read this. If you come off your bike you will be in hospital with hundreds of coronavirus victims, so are guaranteed to catch it. As you are injured you will be compromised. You might die from it.

STAY THE **** AWAY.

This is making me angry, idiots who do not get that they will cause a huge explosion in cases in 10-14 days.

[Chris_SVS]

Ballycastle in July

https://i.imgur.com/Mlqnmxwh.jpg

Ballycastle Yesterday (many other biker haunts were the same)

https://i.imgur.com/IT0fo8xh.jpg

[Biker Biggles]

I think all this might change very soon. Like later today. I smell a new regime where none of this will be allowed probably for many months.

[Chris_SVS]

Should have stocked up on Optimates and Oximisers

[Seeker]

Should have stocked up on Optimates


when I first read that I thought it said opiates. Hmm, that'll make the months fly by...

[Sir Trev]

I went out yesterday but kept it steady and kept well away from other people (in fact I did not stop anywhere). If I'm not allowed out now for months it will not feel so bad now I've gotten out once this year. People still getting together in groups are complete f*****g idiots!

[Craig380]

Well, it seems that's it for the next 3 weeks at least. Even though I wouldn't interact with anyone on a ride (filling up at pay-at-pump etc), I don't fancy finding out exactly what powers the police have to monitor and enforce 'non-essential' travel.

[Red Herring]

Although there is nothing to stop you going for a ride, alone or with mates, as far as the risk of catching Covid-19 is concerned as has already been pointed out is it really the socially responsible thing to do? I'm not convinced the prospect of not getting an ITU bed, or sharing a hospital with loads of sick people, is suddenly going to convince me to ride more carefully, simply because I have never found either of those options particularly attractive so tend to do everything possible to avoid incidents anyhow, but I am conscious that the last thing the NHS needs right now is another patient.

Staying off my bike for a few weeks is not that big an ask in the grand scheme of things. Lets do our bit to try and help us all get through this safely?

[Chris_SVS]

I think last nights announcement was the last chance we're going to get but since I've seen nothing but "lets go out" posts in local FB groups. British Cycling have nailed club rides and races on the head, so will Cycling Ireland later today, Stand up paddleboard groups are recommending to not paddle as an issue on the water will often involve paramedics and Coastguard.

There were also questions of insurance, still valid?

[Red Herring]

I think you have to remember that Government guidelines have more than just your health in mind, they also have to try and run the country. Rather than trying to think up ways of getting around the guidelines, or even imaginative ways of staying within them, it would be far more effective if people simply understood what is behind them.

Basically if you have contact with another person, or touch something that someone else has touched, you are at risk of either catching or passing on Colvid-19. Everything you do to avoid either of those happening will help catch this bug before it kills an awful lot more people. That's the message people need to get, not "Social distancing". It doesn't matter if you are two meters or two centimetres from someone, or even two kilometres if you're the next person to use that shopping trolly.... it's the contact that spreads it. And before someone starts jumping up and down the virus isn't airborne (yet), so unless someone coughs or sneezes over you you won't get it by simply being in the same room as they are..... Staying at home and away from other people reduces the chances of contact, both directly and indirectly, it's as simple as that.

[Chris_SVS]

https://forums.sv650.org/showpost.php?p=3113314&postcount=4444

:p

[Red Herring]

Sometimes things come along and give us that extra bit of incentive to do something we might have done ages ago..... Any idea what you want to do?

[Chris_SVS]

Ride the storm with part time work via my sister, then probably drive HGV's.. Big career goal I know lol

[Red Herring]

When I was approaching the end of my career with the police I did my HGV licence. That was five years a go and I've never been short of work since. I've been lucky enough to get in with a local firm that give me casual work whenever I want it so I don't have to go through an agency. I tend to work a fair bit over winter then take the summer off to go motorcycling and sailing! Provided you're prepared to work odd, and sometimes long, hours it's a pretty stress free occupation but be warned if you have a young family it will be a serious disruption to that. One tip, go the whole hog and get your class 1 (C+E in new money). Much better job opportunities and pay, definitely worth it in the long run.

[Chris_SVS]

Yep planning C+E. I've no family or significant other(currently) to please so I can really do whatever I desire. That may mean experience via agency work, then so be it.

*Just need time, doctors are busy enough without doing medicals, don't want to send my licence to Swansea as I may not see it for months?? Training schools closing, no theory or driving tests for the forseeable.

[Sir Trev]

My mate Mike is late 50s now and took redundancy from DHL - he was a branch general manager so quite senior. He managed to wangle Class 1 training out of DHL before he left and now works when he feels like it through an agency that now know they can rely on him picking up short notice jobs in a variety of truck sizes. He loves it. Right now he can pick up as much work as he likes on food delivery runs.

[Chris_SVS]

That sounds alright to me

[Red Herring]

The only problem with part time casual HGV work is you are invariably "guesting" in someone else's cab whilst they take time off for whatever reason. It's not so much of a problem if it's only one shift but if you need to spend several days away living there it's not so easy. To get back on topic around Colvid-19 you're effectively in their home so as you can imagine at the moment I'm staying away!

[Chris_SVS]

Very true on both points