Dear Club Members and local riders
We are taking the health and well-being of our members, supporters, groups and volunteers very seriously and we're following the UK Government, NHS, Public Health England and CyclingUK guidance closely.
This is a live document and was last updated Wednesday 6 January to reflect the new lock down regulations in England and Scotland.
Note that it is not possible to cover every local variation across the UK here, and you should always follow local restrictions where these are imposed.
Please note all Club rides, including all Club Member Rides, Open Group Rides, Coaching Sessions, Away Days and Trips are cancelled during the new lock down.
Cycling with a group
Regulations and guidance on meeting and exercising with people outside your own household change regularly and vary between the four nations of the UK. The advice in this article reflects the legal position as to what cyclists can and cannot do in various parts of the UK but Cycling UK reminds riders to use their own judgement when deciding whether it is sensible to ride. Group riding (with more than two people from different households) is currently not permitted anywhere in the UK: when the situation changes, please check our advice on group riding for more information. We have a separate article with tips for socially distanced riding.
Cycling with friends and family
The below guidance sets out the government rules for cycling with friends and family in each of the four nations.
Key notes
- Social distancing rules: Social distancing rules differ across the four nations of the UK. In Northern Ireland, the social distancing rule has been reduced from two metres to at least one metre. The two-metre rule remains in Scotland and Wales, however in England from 4 July, government guidance on social distancing is that if you cannot keep a two metre distance, you should reduce the risk to yourself and others by maintaining a one metre distance where possible, and taking suitable precautions.
- Localised restrictions: In certain areas of the UK, restrictions on movement and guidance around social distancing may temporarily differ from those applicable for the relevant nation. We do not intend to outline such local differences within this document, however it is important to note that localised restrictions will also apply to people cycling in those areas, not merely residents, so anyone considering cycling within an area subject to a localised restriction should consider the published advice on the relevant government’s website.
- Households: We have referred to ‘households’ within this document; however in some circumstances, people living alone can now form ‘extended households’ or ‘support bubbles’ which allow people who live alone to be considered part of another household for the purposes of the guidance. As the terminology and circumstances where this can apply differ across the four nations, we have not covered this further within this document, but that guidance may be relevant to people who live on their own and wish to form an extended household or support bubble with others they wish to cycle with.
The position across the UK is summarised in this graphic. For further details, see the country-specific sections below.
England
New restrictions were announced by the prime minister on 4 January. People must stay at home and only leave for permitted reasons, which include exercise. However, exercise must only be done either alone, with members of your household, or with one person from outside your household, while observing social distancing. There is additional guidance that exercise should also be limited to once per day, and you should stay within your local area. The definition of "local area" is unclear, but government guidance is that you should "avoid travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live". You can travel a short distance within your local area in order to exercise, but again the distance is not defined
Our data and updates are based on the latest from Cycling UK, for more details please visit their Coronavirus FAQ website here.
Best Wishes
The BucksMTB Team