2021 Lockdown advice

LOCKDOWN 3 UPDATE – Ride Sheffield aren’t by any means the police or rule makers, but below is our interpretation of the guidelines around the current England lockdown rules.

The official documentation can be found here.

British Cycling have also published an FAQ, which can be found here.

While we should stay at home wherever possible, we are allowed to exercise outside with members of our own household, those we’ve formed a support bubble with, or one other person from another household.

Exercise is limited to once a day and you should remain within your local area.

Ride well within your limits, but do get out there – riding is SO good for your mental and physical health!

As before, we’re using the format of some common questions, our interpretation and some additional guidance

Can I ride with friends outside of my household?

2021 Lockdown interpretation: The guidelines state you can ride with members of your household or support bubble, or one other person.

Ride Sheffield guidance: When on Bridleways try to be aware of other trail users who perhaps are not as comfortable mixing outside of their household. Do the right thing if the trail is tight, stand aside and ‘be nice say hi’ to walkers or horse riders.

Where can I ride?

2021 Lockdown interpretation: You should not travel out of your local area to exercise. The Government’s definition of this is stated as ‘your village, town or the part of a city where you live’.

This isn’t particularly clear, but British Cycling are looking to get some clarification on this with Sport England.

Ride Sheffield guidance: Ride from home! “Your local area” is open to a wide variety of interpretations, but now’s not really the time to be pushing the boundaries! Stick to an easily achievable route from home.

If you’re within easy riding distance of Greno, Parkwood or Cannings, then by all means include these as part of a ride.

Can I ride over the border into Derbyshire?

2021 lockdown interpretation: We should all be riding within our local area.

Ride Sheffield guidance:  For many of us in Sheffield, we live close to the border and a ride may include trails that cross into Derbyshire. Now isn’t the time to be loading up the car and heading to the Hope Valley for a Peak District loop.

Can I go to the cafe after my ride?

2021 Lockdown interpretation: Cafes are only offering take away service

Ride Sheffield guidance: Bear in mind that those cafes that do open may be busy – be prepared to mask up, queue and show understanding around others. Maybe pack some good trail snacks and have a socially distanced stop and chat in the wilderness.

 We understand everyone’s interpretations can be slightly different but under our ‘be nice say hi’ mantra, now doesn’t seem the time to push the boundaries. The more we all play the game and stick to the rules, the sooner we can be planning trips out of area, and who knows maybe even abroad – that’s our 2021 goals right there!