To ride or not to ride??

[CrazyFrog]

I couldn't agree more Ian. I've got to a point where I'm most reluctant to voice my real opinion on quite a few topics for fear of being lynched as an unbeliever, or put in a ducking stool and drowned. Freedom of speech seems to be dieing sadly.

As for the current situation, the baby has definitely been chucked out with the bath water imho, and my kids and probably grandkids will be paying for this for the rest of their lives.

Hey ho, it's a funny old world...

[Moto63]

Two things... firstly. I defo didn’t start this thread with any intentions of stirring up some heated debate or rants. It was simply to get a generalised view of what people were thinking about recreational riding at that point. I know things have changed since then with the lock down coming into force.
Secondly... I, like Pete couldn’t agree more with you Ian. Life is full of risks and it’s all just an odds thing. Most of the time the odds are stacked in our favour but now and again the wrong hand is dealt and the odds simply turn against us/you.
I certainly didn’t see your post as the ravings of an old man, just a few valid points put out there fairly.
Just as a foot note. When the police officer who came to interview me after my accident said about the way the whole accident had unfolded  “it’s all odds, if you’d have gone and bought a lottery ticket that day You’d have won the jackpot. You just chose to go out for a ride instead and almost paid the ultimate price”
Stay safe and well and hopefully we will all be back out riding again soon🤞🤞
Cheers, Michael

[Ian]

I have just been "repatriated" from Europe, and it sort of makes you think deeper about the crisis we are ALL in and how we look at life now. Yes indeed the list of jobs to do at home will get longer before they get shorter.  I'm sure I will have to be careful what I type as I too will either get ignored or strung up from the nearest yard arm. I just though that I would add that I think life will change now from the easy come, easy go sort of attitude of latter years. I think we will appreciate everything we hold dear just that little more. And yes I did go out for a ride for pleasure today and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

[CrazyFrog]

Good for you Ian. Although I've decided not to do so myself, I wouldn't presume to castigate anybody who has made an adult decision to do so themselves. Getting out is very important for people's mental health and so long as its done responsibly I can't see a problem.

I've already heard reports of cyclists being abused and spat at by passing cars for not 'socially isolating' though, regardless of the fact that the govt are actively promoting it for commuting, and allowing it for excersise. You may need to wear more protective gear than normal to protect you from the baying mob...

[Smithy]

Hi Gents

Some lovely, thoughtful comments just as I really expected from members of this forum. Glad to hear everyone is keeping safe and being sensible.

Pete, the car drivers out in their cars for who knows what kind of journey and spitting at cyclists are the same sort of drivers who moan about being stuck in traffic but never accept they are traffic! It doesn't take much to set off some people's sense of righteous indignation at everybody else. Sad.

Now here's one for the thinkers, just to keep us occupied. The way in which some people have sunk into a selfish world of grab what I can and to hell with you has been likened to William Golding's book Lord of the Flies. And who was Lord of the Flies? Beelzebub of course. There don't you all feel better now I've introduced a puzzle that no one else but me will be interested in!

Oh oh stir crazy is setting in.

Ian

[Moto63]

I've already heard reports of cyclists being abused and spat at by passing cars for not 'socially isolating' though, regardless of the fact that the govt are actively promoting it for commuting

Well I’ve heard it all now. They should get these drivers and never mind stringing them up to the yard arm.. they should simply just inject them with the covid virus, pop them in a locked room and if they live through it..lucky, if they die unlucky.
Rant over... 😡

[xbally]

Well,I've killed two birds with one stone today as I am classed as a key worker so have been in to work today on my XBR where I have sanitised my hands upon entry and throughout the day and kept a safe distance from the rest of the skeleton staff-I'm in my own office on another floor -. I'm even able to exit the office through the back without coming into contact with anyone. Roads are extremely quiet-even the motorways.Did hear of an associate who got stopped in her car by the police in Wolverhampton on her way to work this morning and was challenged .Very strange times indeed and it does make you question everything we previously took for granted!

[themoudie]

Here is a Spanish take on the question on a Facebook feed!

Spanish_coronavirus_motorcycle_riding_ban

Wee chuckle!

Good health, Bill

[johnr]

i had this dilema, then i booked myself an appointment to donate blood. blood donation is classed as an essential journey, so im going to go on the bike, and as the donor centre is 25 miles away, i am going to avoid the motorway and tootle up the lanes to get there. i donate platelets so cant go to a normal donor session, so i need to go to the closest blood donor suite, which for me is at lancaster hospital.
so, salve your conscience, and do a good turn to boot, donate blood! thy need it more now because of th number of folks self isolating.

www.blood.co.uk

[themoudie]

Here, here.

Bill

[Ian]

I too have a blood donation appointment. Looks like the G310 may be used for a  necessary trip 

[johnr]

i go every month (you can donate platelets much more frequently than just whole blood, the downside is that it takes longer and you have to go to the special centres to do it) so im upto over 400 donations now, i think this thursday makes it 404! hoping to get to 500 within the next 4 years!

[Ian]

I have only a mere 96 donations to date but have been delayed in getting to the century by "lack of demand" for blood 🤔

[mthee]

Hats off to all you donors 

[Smithy]

Well done guys, keep up the good work. My mum did 25 years as a blood donor and didn't fail to go every time she was supposed to.

I'm not allowed to give blood due to the cocktail of drugs I take daily but admire those of you who do.

Ian