It’s sort of amazing to me that it’s been about a month since we got serious about this pandemic and there’s still a major split in local cycling circles about whether it’s a good idea to ride outside and how/where to ride if you do.
Mask or no mask? Are rural routes OK? Or should we stay close-to-home? How far can the virus fly in the air?
We’ve published six stories on biking and Covid-19 since March 12th and there’s still new information coming out — and even more confusion as it does. With amazing weather on tap for the weekend, it’s time to make sure you have the best info to help you make informed decisions about riding (or not).
Here’s some of the latest news and my thoughts on the situation…
The Gorge and Most of the Historic Highway are Off-Limits
Imagine you’re biking on the Historic Columbia River Highway along the Sandy River and you come upon an Oregon Parks ranger. She says you shouldn’t be biking through Corbett unless you live there. Huh? A locals-only policy? Yep. That’s the situation we heard about from reader Sarah R. last weekend. She and a friend were biking near Dabney State Recreation Area when the interaction occurred.
To be clear, there’s no “locals-only” provision in place. People are allowed to use any open public road.
I called Oregon State Parks Gorge Parks Manager Clay Courtright to ask him about this. “If anyone on my staff said don’t bicycle in Corbett,” he said. “I want to correct that. We pride ourselves on being welcoming and we don’t want to be policing folks’ recreation.”
That being said, Courtright made it very clear that they interpret Governor Kate Brown’s executive order to mean you should only recreate close to where you live. “We’re telling folks they should only be doing essential travel and we’re saying recreation areas are closed to maintain social distancing” It’s an issue of public health and parks staff capacity.
If you choose to ride far from home, consider something as mundane as using the bathroom. Courtright said they’re seeing a big uptick in human waste near recreation sites because people are pulling off and relieving themselves in nearby woods and bushes. “It puts us at risk when that happens,” Courtright explained, “Because our team has to clean it up.”
OSP spokesman Chris Havel told BikePortland that, “It would be helpful to remind people this is the time to stay close to home, as nutty as that will make us in the short term, because the usual services that accommodate travel aren’t available… No restrooms, no trash collection, maybe no drinking water. The whole point of closing parks isn’t to make travel less fun or to force people to find different ways to travel — it’s to get people to stay home.”
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Spreading Slipstream Science
News travels very fast in the age of Covid-19. When a group of Belgian and Dutch researchers said bicycle riders should leave 60 feet between other riders to avoid being infected by the virus, it caused a stir. Then Vice threw major cold water on the study, saying it wasn’t even a “study” at all.
In the end, everyone can say they’re right. The researchers are trying to share knowledge and protect public health. They are experts in how particles move in the air and — far from saying you shouldn’t bike outdoors — they’ve clarified that it’s important to stay out of another riders’ slipstream. For more on this study and the debate about it, check out this good summary just published The Oregonian.
OBRA Extends Racing Ban
The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association says they’ve decided to suspend racing through May 31st. The organization had cancelled racing for four weeks beginning March 11th and now says there won’t be any sanctioned racing until June.
Here’s more from OBRA Executive Director Chuck Kenlan:
“Some of our most beloved events, Monday PIR, the Cascade Chainbreaker, Sisters Stampede, Hammer Velo Crit and all the great racing at Alpenrose will have to be postponed or cancelled. Most of the promoters are working with their agencies and landowners to reschedule for later dates. We are posting the new dates on the calendar so keep checking it for changes. Once we hear from the most of the promoters, we will publish a list of the events and their new dates. As everyone knows, this is very fluid.”
Should We Even Ride Outside?
Every biking group in Portland seems to be debating this topic right now.
For some people it’s an easy answer: No. Stay home to stop the spread. For others, it’s an unresolved moral and ethical dilemma. There are the gung-ho types who think the virus is a joke and just want to defy authority and ride together no matter what. Then there are folks who’ve made peace with riding and have found a way forward.
Our friend on Twitter @heyitsweintraub shared a mantra that works for him: “No car. No gnar. Not far. Everything within that is fair game.” Translation: Only ride from home, don’t take chances, and stay close to home.
Since bicycling isn’t prohibited, and everyone will interpret “close to home” differently, many people are likely to ride outside as temps rise this weekend and beyond. It was one thing to hit the indoor trainer when it was grey and wet outside, but I know lots of people (myself included!) are itching to get out.
What about ethics though? “Stay home, save lives,” isn’t just a government slogan, it’s a fact. So why are so many smart and kind people deciding to go out and ride? It’s important to keep in mind that “bicycling” encompasses a vast range of things to a vast range of people. For some it’s a ride to the store or work. For others, a 80-mile ride is no big deal.
I’ve struggled with this question myself. I’ve done some riding indoors, but have also gotten out a few times. To mitigate risk factors, I’ve ridden locally at extremely off-peak times. This morning I was up at 4:09 am just so I could enjoy Sauvie Island and some climbing in the West Hills by myself. I was able to ride about 50 miles and be home before my kids even knew I was gone. I feel like I didn’t put myself or anyone else at risk by doing that ride; but I also know — even with its massive benefits to my physical and mental health — it wasn’t an “essential” trip.
I think everyone should think deeply about these questions. Talk about it with friends, read about it online, and make an informed decision. I also strongly suggest wearing a mask when you’re near others. I wear one to cover my mouth and nose until I’m into the great wide open.
Have a nice weekend everyone!
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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I am a single lady, an extrovert and ride leader, and although I’m grateful for many of the privileges I enjoy, the isolation is a big struggle for me. I haven’t had a human hug in a month.
I’m continuing to ride my bike outside (lest I lose my mind), but I am wearing a mask and only doing one on one rides with one friend (who is also single). We have avoided paths, since they’re so crowded.
I consider the Crown River Highway (near the Stark Street Bridge etc) pretty close since I can get there on my bike in just over an hour.
This is new territory for all of us and I hope everyone can be respectful of each others’ wishes and riding choices without judgement. (I’ve started unfriending people regularly on facebook for all of the judgey and hatey comments I’m seeing, there’s no room for negativity on my screen right now.
***This comment has been deleted for high levels of unwarranted meanness.***
Wow. I had to read this a few times to figure out if it was parody or not.
I had to go back and read that again for all the unconcern. Not seeing it. Maria mentioned several adjustments to her life and normal practice.
Another anonymous hatchet job on a person that many people know. Jonathan?
Thanks for the heads up. I deleted the comment.
I don’t like the term “social distancing”. There’s no need to be socially distant. You need to be PHYSICALLY distant. We can and should find alternative ways to socialize that maintain a physical separation between individuals. As luck would have it, we live in an age where this is entirely possible.
Everything we know about this virus today, and we’ve learned an awful lot since January, indicates that separation is the best way to mitigate spread. But we didn’t just start learning about viruses in January. There’s a whole field of study populated by very smart people devoted to viruses and my favorite way to keep abreast of this is by listening in to a podcast called This Week in Virology.
The outdoors provides a lot of space to keep people at a distance. I don’t see an issue with walking, jogging or bicycling outside as long as you maintain that physical separation. Even when I do ride by people on my bike like on the Springwater Trail, I am in their vicinity, still a good distance away, only a fraction of a second.
So go out and enjoy the wonderful weather but be mindful of how far away you are from people for both your sake and theirs.
My partner and I like to refer to it as a bubble of space around you, or an expanded personal bubble. We found it humorous to regard the change in practice as “space bubbling” instead of social distancing, which we agree sounds like something we don’t actually want.
I took the stay at home thing seriously for a while, until I went nuts seeing all these people enjoying the sun once it came out. I currently live near N Williams and am astounded by how many people are riding bikes so close to each other. It’s clear when there’s couples doing it, or families, or potential house mates. But then I see people who clearly aren’t in the previous categories that are riding way too close to each other IMO. (I’m obviously assuming a lot about these groups)
Anyway, I started riding again and it’s done a lot for me mentally and physically. I stay off Williams and Vancouver and other bikeways/greenways/narrow paths. I just stick to side roads to avoid as many people as possible. I’ve also been working on bringing back my trials skills which haven’t really been worked on since the late 90’s. Thanks for your coverage J.Maus
I’ve mainly been doing “urban mountain biking” by myself in the industrial areas. There are features to practice tricks on, if you look closely. You have to think like a skateboarder.
I thought about finally checking out Rocky Point this weekend, but looks like a lot of the trails there are multidirectional. Probably not a good idea.
I have a friend in Denver who told me that they have basically a “stay-in-county” order there. Seems like that would make a lot of sense here as well: there’s plenty of recreation opportunities in all of the Portland-area counties.
Saw this today from the Clackamas County Sheriff. Perfect example of why driving to sandy ridge to go mountain biking is just not a good idea right now. Frustrating to see Search and Rescue put at unnecessary risk by something like this:
At about 3:45 p.m. on Friday, April 10, we were dispatched by Clackamas 911 – CCOM to an injured mountain biker in the Sandy Ridge Trail System in Brightwood.
The teen had reportedly fallen while riding and injured his hip. He was about a mile away from the parking lot.
Our Search and Rescue Coordinators were notified and responded. Hoodland Fire and AMR’s Reach and Treat team also joined the response.
The teen was brought out on a littler and transported to an area hospital. The call was closed at 6 p.m.