Social distancing in Dystopia. Part three. Further afield.

Banstead, the racecourse, Leatherhead, Box Hill, Walton on the Hill

Friday, cold and windy, was the day for me to try a longer ride within the government guidelines, and while I was out, Cycling UK issued their guidelines, too.  I packed the Pannier with three energy drinks, three chocolate bars, spare inner tube, tyre levers, inhalers and sun glasses.  My water bottle was fresh, my phone charged.  There is no walking back from the Surrey Hills so the emergency plan for mechanical failure was to be picked up by the car.

My route is flexible but vaguely aimed for Box Hill.  Because it is a change from my usual route through Ewell and Epsom, and because it is more hilly I go across Carshalton on the Hill to Carshalton Beeches, up Pine Walk East and take the Brighton Road up to Banstead, past Pistachio’s, along the Nork Park dog run (deserted) to Tattenham Corner, parallel to the finishing straight at the racecourse and down Langley Vale.  From there I could go to Headley and Walton on the Hill but I opt to stay on course for Box Hill through Ashtead and Leatherhead, where I turn down the A24 cycle path towards the Stepping Stones pub.

There is the odd lone cyclist coming the other way and then a group of four, riding two abreast and making no effort to move aside, leaving me barely enough path on which to pass them; it is not just the odd car driver who lacks courtesy, and they are to boot in breach of the advice on social groups and distancing.  

At the Westhumble turning I decide against doing both Ranmore and Box, and use the underpass to the foot of Box Hill.  I take an energy drink and a bar at the roundabout and have a decent ride up Zigzag Road.  A few cyclists pass me on the way up, no groups of more than three but I am not stopping so I go past the National Trust area where there is an unhealthy number of walkers and stop for a sip of water a mile or so on, by The Tree.  From there it is down the Box Hill pothole lottery, which gets worse every time, through the golf course to Walton, down the hill past Tadworth, along the roller coaster past the racecourse and back to Tattenham corner, then home the way I came.

The hill up Metcalfe Avenue tells my thighs that I set out a bit too eagerly up the early hills, but by then I have had a decent ride with no social interactions.  52.05Km at 16.8Km/h, elevation gain 607m.

Social distancing in Dystopia; conclusions

The only problems were the runny nose brought about by the freezing wind, and the loo.  For the first, I had plenty of tissues but had to stop in quiet places.  For the second I had the brainwave of going before I needed to, at Pistachios, which was empty and where they have a separate disabled toilet. I could, of course, have gone behind a tree but ladies might have to think more carefully about the loo stops if they wish to maintain social distancing and cycling distances. 

Conclusions?  If you think it through and go properly prepared, exercise can safely be taken during these dystopian times on your bicycle.  Please remember that to meet the Cycling UK guidelines you ought to be alone, or with one other person who shares your house.

Over the weekend we went for walks instead of cycle rides and even though we used rarely frequented routes there were people coming the other way, few of whom seemed bothered by the social distancing advice of the government.  Cycling was safer in terms of avoiding unwanted contact.

Given that the majority of the population is not bothering with social distancing despite the rapidly accelerating fatality rate, I expect exercising in the open air will soon be prohibited; get to it while you can.  If you take a modicum of care it is both safe and socially responsible.