I'm not advocating taking the Beta for a spin down the high street to spice things up a bit but I for one have been cutting myself a bit slack on the biking front off late. Let's be frank at 58 there's not many miles left in the off road tank so you've got to take every chance to get out.

Normally I would ride at weekends but now I slip off at every opportunity for a play in the local area. This sounds crazy but I've got away with it probably because folk have far more to worry about than me buzzing around.

As it looks like Trials are off the agenda for the rest of my life I've got to make the best of things and the thing is not one person has complained. All sounds a bit insane but the alternative is a slow lingering death so there's nothing to lose.

 

There's many riders down here in their 60s who are still pretty good,at 58 you've got some time to go if your health and fitness allows.Youre lucky you can get out and ride without complaints,we've got nowhere 

You still have a bit to go I stopped competing at 68 ( was taking longer to get over the pains )  but use one of my off road bike to get round to take pictures  Even used a cub at the last club trial ( taking pics) 

The sole contributory factor in propagating this virus is social interaction. If you ride your bike in isolation there is absolutely no chance you will harm anyone else.  The risk you take if you break a limb and require remedial surgery is sharing an ambience with contaminated people shedding aerosolised pathogens that you will potentially breathe also. In this context you have wilfully exposed yourself and we reap what we sow as the saying goes.  There are worse things in life than someone enjoying motorcycling in a rural area and I face Covid patients every day.  No one bats an eyelid when ten thousand anarchist  protesters take to the streets of London and two months later the intensive care units are overflowing.  Bikes get a bad press at every opportunity from what I see no matter what the topic.

Maybe the risk of conntracctinng or passing on covid is low... But if something happens and you need hospital or other medical attention due to wanting to just go for a play on your trials bike you are putting an unnecessary load on the hospitals and health services... That's one of, amongst others the ACU as well as other bodies like football and things have probably stopped training sessions. 

One bad apple will give the rest of the law abiding trials enthusiasts a bad name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And yet, it's ok to cycle anywhere, 5 mile limit apparently doesn't apply ! I would think the risks of playing on a trials bike and cycling are very similar, why are we being so hard on our selves ? 

14 hours ago, b40rt said:

And yet, it's ok to cycle anywhere, 5 mile limit apparently doesn't apply ! I would think the risks of playing on a trials bike and cycling are very similar, why are we being so hard on our selves ? 

I agree, since you are far more likely to sustain an injury which requires professional medical attention should you crash on your down hill mountain bike or road racing cycle, than you would on your trials bike. 

The problem is though motorsport, in general, has a stigma for being extremely dangerous. Unfortunately trials often comes under this banner even though is a very safe motorsport. So its just easier for the government to put a blanket covering of such activities, rather than going into big debates on what can and can't be acceptable during lock down. 

An example of this is golf; you can meet another person from outside your household and go for a walk on your local golf course. But you can't go and play golf on the same course on your own or anyone else. 

I've been avoiding cycling for ages as anyone with any sense will find something with an engine ten times the fun and 100 times more fun  on the up hills, anyway that's my pop at cycling out the way. Moving on last Sunday I was invited by a "friend" actually my fish man for a socially distant spin on the 2 wheeled thing with about 27 gears none of which work very well. Had a really nice trip over the bars on what I would be reluctant to call a descent and he nearly broke his ankle with a tumble on the ice.

I'm sticking to power in the meantime even though I accidently hit a very low hanging branch on the pit bike on Saturday or maybe I meant to?

Edited January 28, 20215 yr by breagh

1 hour ago, breagh said:

I've been avoiding cycling for ages as anyone with any sense will find something with an engine ten times the fun and 100 times more fun  on the up hills, anyway that's my pop at cycling out the way. Moving on last Sunday I was invited by a "friend" actually my fish man for a socially distant spin on the 2 wheeled thing with about 27 gears none of which work very well. Had a really nice trip over the bars on what I would be reluctant to call a descent and he nearly broke his ankle with a tumble on the ice.

More practice needed ?

 

I just go out and ride trails on the Tango, with a little balance practice and tight maneuvers around trees thrown in - low risk, but helps keep my head on the right way

Lucky you. I have to trailer my wee Scorpa anywhere I can ride. 

On 2/2/2021 at 5:34 PM, Waynetod said:

Lucky you. I have to trailer my wee Scorpa anywhere I can ride. 

Luck has nothing to do with it, I literally moved house to a place where there's good motorbiking to be had

Our club president, NATC Rep and New Mexico Team manager bought a house with the most killer rocks on the property. Her husband thinks we could do a World Round there, except no parking. That has been our go to place to ride during the last year.

 I can ride in my front yard, but her place is one of the best places in the state.

Sounds like a smart woman!

Good motorcycling spaces on and off road was part of our country choice and house buying criteria, along with garage space ... there's a reason the Gasgas and Montesa factories aren't far from here, lol

But seriously, compared to living in a tiny 1 bedroom flat in South East England, our quality of life has gone through the roof even after our income more than halved.