Why not change the format of club rides?
Set up Strava segments and then do ITTs
Everyone keeps a 10 foot follow distance
Five foot social distance at regroup points
Could be fun
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It is a “worthy risk” to who? You? Ok, may be…you can make that call.
But what if you do get it and don’t know you have it (as many people seem to do for awhile)? And then you unknowingly pass it on to an elderly person or someone with a compromised immune system. Do you think they feel it is a “worthy risk”?
People need to stop thinking about how this virus may only impact them and think about how we, as communities, interact and take steps NOW to mitigate the transmission. The chances are overwhelming low that any of us will suffer sever effects from COVID19. But we all need to realize that our actions may impact others, for whom it could be a life or death issue.
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Both group rides cancelled this weekend for my usual club… would wager that they’ll continue to be cancelled for the foreseeable future, as I doubt things are going to be getting better not worse.
It’s probably the right call but sad 
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Folks that think things are worth the risk need to consider that they can’t make an informed decision because right now in most places (I’m in USA) we don’t actually know the risk.
I could be infected, or my mates. I don’t know. So rather than taking a risk, how about taking precaution? It’s a different perspective on how we normally think. Eg, what is best vs what I really want.
I cancelled my group ride today. We usually ride then go to breakfast. I really miss my buddies. It was the right thing to do.
This will pass and we should all do our best to not make it worse.
Best,
Mark
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I hear you.
Personally, I’m thinking about relative risk. My wife is a physician and sees 10-12 patients per day. She is more likely to bring Covid into our house than I am by going on a club ride.
My wife is in no position to quit. She is a resident physician and finishing this residency is one of the keys to our financial future.
My kid is in school and his school isn’t closing (yet). He’s in school next week and then off for spring break. Possibly spring break could be extended. We haven’t had many cases in our state so far (NM).
I’m not sure how to handle this yet. My wife quits and tries to finish residency? Probably impossible. Or she doesn’t finish. She already has a medical license in two states but not finishing could hold her back in the future.
Do I keep my kid home for two months hoping the virus abates as the weather gets warmer?
Anyway, we have larger personal decisions to consider and make. Going or not going on a club ride where the risk is low is at the bottom of my list.
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I’m living in the heart of current epicenter, and the FR gov’t has forbidden any sports activity with more than 10 ppl. On top of that, the French Tri Federation cancelled all their events and training sessions, and suggested all clubs cancel theirs, which ours did soon after.
So not only no group rides, but no swims, group runs or core sessions either. Nor social activities.
This was met with general approval - the sentiment being that ‘even if we aren’t likely to get sick we need to protect the more vulnerable.’ and is also a common refrain on this thread.
Which is laudable, but not even the whole story:
As we’ve all heard a gazillion times already, older people and/or those with pre-existing conditions will be first in line to get infected, and are more likely to die if they are. But they are not the only ones getting sick. I’m seeing more articles in the FR press quoting Paris hospital doctors saying in the past 3-4 days they’ve begun seeing 30- & 40-somethings (with no underlying conditions) arriving in the ICUs. And that was the case for China too.
[ in FR: Coronavirus : selon certains médecins, l'épidémie est plus grave que prévue - L'Express]
And while these younger folks have a better chance of full recovery, they still take up hospital resources. China’s data showed that ~5% of cases required serious interventions. That means not just available beds but also trained Drs & Nurses & equipment like respirators. And apparently these most serious cases typically stay in ICU for ~20 days, (by comparison, it’s usually only a few days for severe complications from the flu).
On top of this, there is preliminary research (not yet peer-reviewed) that indicates that unlike other CV’s like SARS, this novel CV seems more infectious at the beginning stages and even sometimes before symptoms appear.
So even if only 20% of cases need hospitalization, and only 5% become critically ill, since:
- anyone can catch CV
- CV is spread so easily, and
- it is so resource-intensive to treat the worst symptoms,
hospitals can be quickly be overwhelmed. Which is what is happening in Italy. People who normally would recover are dying simply because they no longer have the means to treat so many at one time.
So far FR hospitals are holding up, but our growth rates in confirmed cases are following an eerily similar trajectory to Italy’s, just with a 9-day lag.
(And confirmed cases represent only the tip of the iceberg.)
Hence need to flatten that growth curve. And while most of us as individuals can’t do much to improve efforts to test, case-track, or quarantine, at least we all can practice social-distancing, asap.
The sooner we social distance ourselves by scratching things like group rides, the slower this thing spreads, and the more likely Dr’s & nurses will be able treat everybody who needs it.
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This is a good point to consider. I caught pneumonia right after college and have had a slight, permanent wheeze ever since. Pneumonia is very treatable but always better to just avoid it.
Not sure if my case affects performance but it definitely freaks me out when I notice it.
I think club rides should continue but in a Time Trial fashion. 
No drafting. 12 meter rule strictly enforced.
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BTW, I’m not trying to minimize the virus or the response to the virus. We’ve only had 12 cases in our state so far and nobody has talked yet about cancelling our club rides. I’d be sad if it happened and would prefer to see alternate measures happen first like dropping pre/post ride coffee.
Everyone should go tubeless and poke a small hole. Sealant spray should help with enforcing that distance.
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So I went out today solo (as usual) and there was almost nobody on the road.
Interesting how so many roadies won’t bother going out to ride if they have to do it alone.
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Respectfully, I think the idea is that since your wife is a physician seeking patients you are higher risk and that is exactly why you should be avoiding contact with other folks. It’s less about where you might put yourself at risk and more about where you might put others at risk.
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A lot of solo riders in NorCal this week… rainout today.
Yes, our club has suspended all club rides until April 5. They acknowledge that being outdoors is healthy, so the decision was taken after much deliberation.
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People in my club are proposing adding training races because every race in the foreseeable future has been cancelled. One option that has been proposed are ITTs measured with Strava.
I still think the ride itself is low risk. What should be cancelled is hand shakes, blowing snot, pre-ride coffee, and post ride coffee or breakfast.
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Hope you guys will be OK.
I work with many MDs who see patients and have a club-mate in leadership at our local hospital. They are all ready for what is coming and absolutely pleading with people to stay out of harms way and help flatten the curve.
Maybe think about cumulative risk. Your wife’s risk of infection will be much larger than yours, but she will be doing very important work and likely saving lives. Her patients need her and her family needs her (and vice versa). In that situation, no sense increasing your family’s total risk even fractionally.
Ride the trainer and stay strong. We will all be riding outside with our pals again soon enough.
Best,
Mark
Fortunately, for us my wife is not working with the sickest of the community and not in a hospital but she does come in contact with the general public.
She just traveled so now she is under quarantine for 2 weeks so we’ll be chilling at home for the next couple of weeks and seeing how this develops.
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My wife and I went for a ride yesterday and I was surprised to see big groups on the road. All the local group rides were cancelled by the organizers, but I guess people decided to show up and ride anyway.
I’ve been suggesting to many for the past few weeks to isolate if necessary, but that isolation does not exclude being outside, and certainly does not exclude going out to ride. It’s a perfect way to reduce unnecessary contact, and maintain all of the physiological and chemical goodness that may help us all suffer less from those nasty little bits of RNA.
Maybe not so much fun if you don’t stop for coffee, but it’s spring time in the north, and autumn in the south : what’s not to like !
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USA Cycling is recommending the cancellation of all group rides and in-person club meetings.
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