British Cycling announced on Thursday 18 June they were lifting the suspension of some sanctioned cycling activities with immediate effect (full details can be found here). We want to share with you what this, along with other current guidance, means for FCCC’s activities:
Club Nights – gatherings of more than 6 are still prohibited so club nights will continue with the existing on-line format.
Time Trials – TTs are still suspended. Cycling Time Trials current position states “Whereas it is still not considered possible nor indeed appropriate to recommence CTT events as yet, it is anticipated that on or around 04 July the current restrictions on social distancing may be relaxed further. If this proves to be the case, Type B ‘club events can be held from 06 July 2020 and Type A events from 18 July 2020” (the full CTT statement can be found here). We will advise as soon as this is definitive.
Road Racing – Although the club do not currently have any commitments to organise races, all organised racing remains currently suspended.
Off-Road Club Rides – both social distancing and group sizes can be easily managed with our existing group of off-road participants so these will now recommence. A ride protocol covering social distancing and risks such as respiratory hygiene will be shared with riders prior to the rides.
Road Club Rides – resuming group rides on public roads presents the biggest challenge for the Club:
- The 2m social distancing rule effectively rules out riding 2-abreast on most of our local rides as it would mean one rider in the gutter and one in the centre of road, which is not safe.
- This would result in riding almost exclusively in a single line which, in view of British Cycling’s advice “we recognise that in some environments social distancing may present practical difficulties and risks and it may be safer to ride in groups of fewer than six”, means groups of less than 6.
- We do not have enough volunteer members to lead the number of rides that would result from restricted group sizes based on our usual level of participation.
- Restrictions on the size of gatherings makes it impossible for club rides to all start from the Bridge at the same normal 9.30 start time.
It is for these reasons we will not be recommencing club road rides at this stage. We are however working on how we can recommence them safely, within the relevant guidelines and advice, in anticipation of further relaxation in social distancing rules.
For this to work we will need:
- a system to allow pre-booking of spaces on club rides.
- multiple start locations and times.
- more members to step up and volunteer to lead rides.
NB. FYI prior to the pandemic we had been thinking about how we can reorganise club rides along these lines anyway (except for multiple start locations and times).
FINALLY, although formal club road rides are still suspended we encourage you all to continue to get out on your bikes and lead your own informal rides with friends, as a great many of you have been doing already, provided always that social distancing and government guidelines are strictly followed.