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Sunday Times names and shames cyclists racking up miles on Strava

Newspaper flags up rides being undertaken as part of monthly mileage challenge

The Sunday Times has today named and shamed UK cyclists who have been sharing details of their rides on Strava, including one who rode an average of 100 miles a day in the past week – even though government rules on outdoor exercise undertaken during the lockdown do not specify a time or distance limit.

In its article, the newspaper singles out a challenge on Strava for cyclists to ride 1,250 kilometres (777 miles) during a calendar month, and adds that 30,000 riders in the UK have signed up to it, 100 of them averaging rides of 50 miles each day between 1-9 April.

While it acknowledges that the government has set no limit on the amount of daily exercise that should be undertaken, it highlights recent comments by cabinet minister Michael Gove.

Speaking earlier this month to the BBC’s Andrew Marr, he said: “I would have thought for most people a walk of up to an hour, a run of 30 minutes or a cycle ride of between that, depending on their level of fitness, is appropriate.”

However, there is no such stipulation in the government’s own emergency legislation, and while British Cycling and Cycling UK have both urged people to ride responsibly and limit their activities to avoid a total ban on riding being brought in, the letter of the law suggests no-one riding 100 miles or so is actually breaking it.

The article highlighted one rider on Strava who had posted – or, in the newspaper’s words. “boasted of” riding 700 miles in seven days at the start of the month, and another who had logged a ride of 162 miles lasting almost eight hours from Manchester to Shropshire.

The newspaper did accept that many riders appeared to be riding loops close to where they live, and while it did not mention Zwift, the likelihood is that many people will be riding on that or other virtual platforms from home while the lockdown continues.

The article is published on a weekend when North Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan described cyclists as a “real worry” in the current environment, although she subsequently clarified that riders in the area were not doing anything wrong, but had been “causing a bit of tension” by riding through villages.

> Cyclists ‘a real worry’ says North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner – before conceding they aren't actually doing anything wrong

The newspaper’s article today was also accompanied by a photo of cyclists riding on Box Hill in Surrey – even though it is closed to all traffic, including bicycles, for the Easter weekend.

The photo is similar to one used by siter paper The Times last week, which due to foreshortening caused by the use of a telephoto lens and shooting the cyclists head-one appeared to give the impression they were riding as a group.

> Times latest newspaper accused of trying to shame cyclists with dodgy telephoto pics

In fact, as an image shot by one of the cyclists in that very group showed, the cyclists – who were riding either alone, or with another member of their household – were spaced well apart.<ul>

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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97 comments

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kingleo | 4 years ago
0 likes

Notice that we (of any age) are at top of the list for treatment should we get infected with the coronavirus.

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nickW1 | 4 years ago
1 like

thank god for the Times in times like this narrow minded bigots who hate everything also need help and supportive articles as well I am just waiting for the journ to find a strava user who did a three hour ride  is a person of colour and who voted remain, then the average Times reader would have an orgasm of hate !!

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Rome73 replied to nickW1 | 4 years ago
3 likes

I once worked on a small project in East London to encourage Muslim women to cycle. It was actually more to do with class and deprivation as these are two of the biggest impediments to cycling in London. We received bikes from charities but also a tiny £500 grant from an EU fund and another £500 from a TfL fund. 

I often thought how the ignorant press would go apoplectic with manufactured rage if they knew the equation we were working with i.e

bicycle + Muslim + woman + EU = we want our country back (x 10) 

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keninoz | 4 years ago
2 likes

A Murdoch rag? They'll target anyone who doesn't support the fossil fuel industry by driving instead of riding or walking.

It's all part of the campaign to create an environment of polarisation between those who supprt that industry & those who do their best to minimise their emissions.

During the COVID-19 crisis, I find the best use for Murdoch publications is toilet paper.

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crazy-legs replied to keninoz | 4 years ago
9 likes

If you look at the full page spread of The Times and zoom in on the left on the facing page to that MAMIL article, there's a small column of news snippets. One of them is a paragraph about a hit & run driver who killed a female horse rider and her horse.

Presumably such an essential journey that he/she fled the scene immediately to get to their key worker job... 

No outrage. No tweets demanding that drivers (or horse riders) stay home. Bet the driver won't be "named and shamed".

But oh yeah, a cyclist rode 100 miles: HATE NOW, click here to register your hate! Post bile in our comments section here!

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brooksby replied to crazy-legs | 4 years ago
6 likes

Good lord!  You mean you think there might be some double standards at play, here?

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grumpyoldcyclist | 4 years ago
0 likes

In our business we've been fortunate to be able to work from home, using technology to keep in touch. To try to also keep active, one of the bosses set up a Strava group and asked that we post rides, walks, runs,swims, home workouts etc on it. What has become clear is the number of pepole who are out for considerably more than an hour for their walks.

Anyone know of any walking groups on Strava that would show the length of time people are out?

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Rich_cb | 4 years ago
8 likes

Legally there's not a question. There is no legal restriction on how much outdoor exercise you can do. In Wales you have to do it all in one go but in England you're not even limited to that. (Don't know Scotland/NI situation).

We've been asked by the government to minimise the time outside the house so the onus is on everybody to do so.

If you need a long ride to switch off then so be it. I've certainly benefitted from a 2 hour ride today. But I don't think many people need to do that every day.

Basically do the minimum amount you need to.

Essentially if people don't comply with the 'spirit' of the law then the government will be forced to legislate to ensure compliance.

We've actually been very fortunate compared to a lot of European countries so should be grateful for that.

Not as fortunate as the Swedish mind.

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Anglepoise replied to Rich_cb | 4 years ago
3 likes

The fear that the government will clamp down on any form of outdoor physical exercise is the reason why I've not been going out for longer than 60-70 minutes after I heard Gove suggest a time if 60 minutes for a bike ride. In the current climate cyclists should take the opportunity to do shorter higher intensity, better quality rides rather than +2hr slogs.

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TheBillder replied to Rich_cb | 4 years ago
3 likes

Increasingly I agree with this point of view. Nothing to do with the fact that I, and everyone else, is safer if I ride off into the middle of nowhere and see almost no one. But the rules / guidelines have not been framed with cyclists in mind - they are for people who would do almost anything to avoid exercise but want an excuse to leave the house.

If we cyclists are seen to be doing something different that allows us more freedom, others may think that as we are "flouting" what seem to be rules, then they might as well - hence park and beach gatherings, house parties, going to one's holiday home what one has in Fife etc.

So although I've already done some normal length rides during lockdown, I have switched to shorter, more intense but frankly duller routes that I'm going to have to do more often. At least sunset is later and I might get out after work.

Like so many other things, this is bad science on a personal level but probably better in the aggregate population of blockheads.

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FluffyKittenofT... | 4 years ago
7 likes

I don't know. This is an unprecedented situation and everyone (especially this incompetent, shambolic government) is making up the rules as they go. The newspapers seem to love having a go at cyclists above all others, but if the restrictions are supposed to be about how far you travel and how much spacing you keep from others, then cycling within the rules is going to be tricky. Also, putting your rides publicly on Strava in these times seems a bit dim.

I do, though, find it weird that there's all this discussion over how far you are allowed to travel, when long-haul passenger flights have continued to arrive regularly at UK airports, unrestricted at our end, for the entire crisis.

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eburtthebike replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 4 years ago
0 likes

Well, it isn't North Yorkshire, but it would appear the PCC from that area was right; there are villages really worried about cyclists.

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Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
2 likes

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/ridiculous-sign-try...

Nothing like fear and ignorance to bring out the worst in people.

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Hirsute replied to Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
7 likes

Someone should put a sign up on the village border " villagers do not pass this sign: keep your viruses in your own village. Stay away from the town".

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mdavidford replied to Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
2 likes

Those unhygienic cyclists, with virus in their pants...

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Sriracha replied to Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
5 likes

Ignorance is bliss. If they only knew the truth - cyclists don't wear them!

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ktache | 4 years ago
9 likes

From the (hatefilled) Guardians letters page

• As a stickler for tradition, I shall be spending part of bank holiday Monday sitting in my car on the drive, pretending I’m in a traffic jam. If it rains, so much the better.
Kevin Rushfirth
Otley, West Yorkshire

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Sriracha | 4 years ago
7 likes

A different viewpoint from the media:
"I’d also strongly argue against any bans on recreational and leisure cycling, which is so good for both physical and mental health. The rationale for these appears to be to take the strain off health services, in case a cyclist is injured and needs treatment.

This approaches the issue from the wrong way. Cycling is an inherently safe form of transport where the danger is almost all external – that is, from drivers and other motor vehicle users. If the intention really is to prevent road casualties, then the best way, surely, would be to reduce speed limits, and urge careful driving."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2020/mar/20/why-not-en...

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fpdave100 | 4 years ago
10 likes

It seems to me that its very easy as a cyclist, cycling around the empty countryside for hour up on hour, not coming into close contact with anyone, feeling safer that normal, being pretty self sufficient as far as most repairs are concerned (I've called out family to collect me once in the last 10 years!, and had one big off in the last 20 years!), that we should be able to do this.  Whats the harm?

And I was of this opinion until very recently, but my partner pointed out that if we arent seen to follow the spirit of the rules then why should anyone else.  I think a working society is often about perception (probably because lots of people arent able to think things thru logically themselves!), and i think we should do our bit so I am limiting my rides to less than 2 hours - and only 3 times a week anyway.

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mdavidford replied to fpdave100 | 4 years ago
5 likes

If someone could actually try to express the spirit of the rules, maybe we could try to work out how to be seen to be following them. Unfortunately, the government seems to be either unwilling to or incapable of doing so.

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to mdavidford | 4 years ago
2 likes

It's not that they have the wrong strategy, it's that they, just like the Trump administration, don't seem to have _any_ strategy at all. Since the start it's been very clear they have no clue what they are doing. It's been a farce.

At least the Americans have people with some power at the level of individual states and cities who can partially make up for the lack of ideas at the top.

When there's no clear direction or plan coming from the top, people are going to turn on each other in fear and confusion. So hardly surprising velociphobia is part of it.

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Rik Mayals unde... replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 4 years ago
2 likes

That's it, blame the government. There isn't a country in the world with a grip on this. It is, you don't need to be told, an unprecedented situation. Nobody knows or has experience on what to, they simply have no experience.

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Huw Watkins replied to Rik Mayals underpants | 4 years ago
5 likes

I'm afraid your assertions are not correct.

The protocols for viral pandemics were pretty much established after SARS.

Asia, by and large, has been extremely effective in combating C-19.

Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore all had their first confirmed cases before Europe but acted early and fast.  Consequently, they have all have deaths in single digits.

Test, trace, quarantine - and wear a mask to hinder passing anything on.

The West didn't follow the protocols and has paid dearly.

However, it is a myth to say we didn't know  how to address the danger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Simon E replied to Rik Mayals underpants | 4 years ago
5 likes

biker phil wrote:

That's it, blame the government. There isn't a country in the world with a grip on this. It is, you don't need to be told, an unprecedented situation. Nobody knows or has experience on what to, they simply have no experience.

Not true. There are countries where their strategy has worked better than in the UK. Those governments genuinely listened to medical experts, they didn't sit around for 2 months, didn't propose 'herd immunity' as a valid approach, they didn't make vague noises about PPE while doing nothing then make accusations about NHS staff wasting it... so yes, I'm saying that our government, which we already have seen is run by people with little or no conscience, has a great number of very serious questions they have not answered. This is partly because parliament is paused and most of the MSM is happy to give them an easy ride.

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/11/a-national-scandal-a-timeline-of-the-...

This is 43 minutes well spent IMHO if you can handle listening to proper experts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05-jbrHRmrs

Alternatively you can shove you head in the sand and shout "Bloody cyclists!"

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to Rik Mayals underpants | 4 years ago
5 likes

Except Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and Japan have all done a heck of a lot better than we have. Australia and New Zealand possibly also. We seem to be set to do worse than even most of the rest of Europe. In deaths-per-capita we are only behind Italy and Spain (would be ahead of France if we counted care-home deaths as they do), and we could yet overtake them all, unless Trump manages to take the US to the top spot.

It was clear this was coming back in late January, but the government did nothing till well into March. They didn't stock up on PPE equipment for the medical workers, didn't look into how to try to keep the economy alive, didn't get more ventilators, didn't come up with a real plan, didn't learn from what East Asian countries were doing (ignored the possibility that simple masks can help), and just sat on their arses while people bought the infection in (mostly from Italy). They seem incapable of scaling up testing, or even of coming up with any ideas for making the 'lock down' fairer in its impact.

They just hold these pointless briefings that are like some surreal comedy, where it takes a Q&A format, but the A's don't in any way relate to the Q's. The best that could be said for them is they just manage to stop short of being as much of a car-crash as Trump's efforts.

Even the US under the orange clown is doing much better than us with testing rates, largely thanks to the second tier of government over there.

They started off going with that cockamanie 'herd immunity' plan, which every expert in the world thought was crazy. Before suddenly changing tack again and since then they seem to have been blundering around with no direction at all.

Yes, I 'blame the government' - it's their _job_ to organise the response to this. Are you seriously suggesting the government has no responsibility for dealing with a collective disaster like a pandemic? What the hell are they for then?

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Sriracha replied to fpdave100 | 4 years ago
5 likes

Sure, so then there is a legitimate role for the media - to dispel such misguided perception precisely so that people can make the best of these straightened times without incurring rancour built on fear and ignorance. But instead they do the very opposite and stoke the fires.

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Hirsute replied to fpdave100 | 4 years ago
4 likes

But how does anyone know how long you have been out?
As someone posted earlier, a lot of it is simply jealousy because cyclists can carry in as normal whereas people can't go to the gym.

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demondig replied to fpdave100 | 4 years ago
1 like

Completely agree with that last bit, although it goes without saying that the newspapers are tending simply to stoke bad feeling towards cyclists in general, and to tar all of us with the same brush, just out of mean-spirited prejudice. A lot of people are making a lot of sacrifices at this time, often involving being barred from doing things where, so long as sufficiently few people do those activities at any given time, any particular person doing that activity is quite unlikely to create problems with regards to spreading the virus etc. (consider e.g. fishing) - and aspects of the reasoning wheeled out to justify being able to go for long rides commonly generalise to those cases too. Many noncyclists are therefore inevitably going to hear about cyclists going for day-long rides, traveling through places that would otherwise have fewer people passing through them etc., and feel resentment. Maybe the law doesn't explicitly block people from riding long distances, and for long stretches of time, but the fact that one is legally permitted to do something doesn't mean that one should do it: many forms of tax evasion underline that point pretty firmly.

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Simon E replied to demondig | 4 years ago
6 likes

demondig wrote:

Many noncyclists are therefore inevitably going to hear about cyclists going for day-long rides, traveling through places that would otherwise have fewer people passing through them etc., and feel resentment.

Get real! Most riders are not doing day-long rides.

With the quieter roads the people writing nasty articles (and bitching on cycling websites) could easily go for rides themselves instead of bashing cyclists.

Where are the nasty articles by people who don't have large gardens - or those who don't have any garden at all - about people with significant property who can walk some distance, have barbeques and experience other outdoor pleasures within their own grounds due to their good fortune? The people in households without cars don't get to vent in The Sunday Times about the multi-dimensional harm caused by traffic outside their door.

And let's get this in perspective. The proportion of Strava users - itself a subset of all people who cycle - doing long rides is rather small, yet the style of bitchy, blame-game journalism means that all cyclists are tarred with that brush. One cyclist I know is riding to town, doing a shift of Deliveroo-type jobs and riding home.

Incidentally, the 1,250 km strave challenge mentioned above amounts to 41.6 km (26 miles) per day. That's certainly less than 2 hours of riding for most of us.

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demondig replied to Simon E | 4 years ago
0 likes

Sure, I agree with all that. Some people are heading out for lots of long rides, though - my own Strava feed tells me that - and it's a fair question how far there are moral considerations bearing on whether they should be doing so, even while the letter of the law does perhaps permit the activities, and even though most cyclists aren't spending anything like the day in the saddle. The newpaper articles don't address these issues in any sort of reasonable manner, needless to say - they tend just to be taking pot-shots at cyclists - but they are interesting questions nonetheless.  

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