What now?

Photo from Wednesday's cancelled London ride.

Never before in most of our lifetimes has the world changed so much, so quickly and for so many people.  For many of us, part of the structure of our lives, in the shape of group rides and other regular activities, has been rudely ripped away, almost without warning.

So, now what? Shall we live as hermits, cowering under a rock until it’s all over?  Well, yes and no.  It has to be a bit of both.


Yes, because our crucial responsibility is to stop the virus spreading.  We have to protect vulnerable people in our community, as well as ourselves.  If we catch it, or pass it on, it’s another tick on the statistics, another tightening of the pressure on the NHS.  Please follow the guidelines: wash your hands, don’t mix with other people, and if you have symptoms, isolate yourself and your household.  All of us need to do this, especially now when cases are rising faster in London.  If it sounds drastic, it’s because only our behaviour can help to stop it.


What can we do about the consequences?  Empty supermarket shelves, despite full warehouses.  Worries over food or medicines, especially if you are self-isolating.  Mother’s day and other family occasions at a distance.  Loneliness, boredom, getting unfit.  I want to offer a few suggestions, but also to ask for your ideas in the comments, on how we could help each other and stay together as a community, despite not cycling together.  Here are some ideas:

• Get in touch with your neighbours and local community.  They know which shop has eggs, soap, etc.  In my area, the local shops have stocks of most of what the supermarkets don’t, and are less crowded.  People are amazingly helpful if you need something, whether it be advice, a pint of milk or your whole weekly shop.  Talk to people.
• Be careful of overcrowded supermarkets, especially the “happy hour” for seniors which can be even busier.  It’s likely that someone in that crowd will be infected – do you really need to be close to them?
• Keep in touch with other Sou’Westers, including those local to you.  Our friendships run deep and we can offer a sympathetic ear, or maybe practical help.  Please try to make contact with a couple of other Sou’Westers and talk regularly – if we all do that, we can support each other.  I will be re-issuing the Wayfarers Contact List shortly: I will add a section sorted by postcode.
• If you need anything, if you are self-isolating or worried, please talk to a member of the committee.  We will do what we can to help, and we might ask for help from the wider club.
• Oh, and please get your news from sources you trust, for your own sanity.

If we’ve handled the important areas above, and done our bit to help others, perhaps we can have some fun too.  What about:

Food, drink and ventilator packed

• Solo rides with a picnic.  Keep it low-key and please don’t organise unofficial group rides.  There is a reason why we’re asked to ride in groups of one.  Let’s all be seen to support it.
• We would love to continue to publish stories about your rides in Sou’Wester Shorts, so please do send the editors (Dave Vine, Paul James, Simon Lambourn) a note about what you’re doing, with a photo if you can.
• Set up a regular group chats via Skype or WhatsApp.   A virtual elevenses?  Do you have any other ideas about how to stay in touch?
• Follow your friends’ rides on Strava.  Get the turbo trainer out (in the garden?). Does anyone know how to do group rides on Zwift or other apps?
• If you haven’t seen the recent CycleClips email from Cycling UK, entitled “How to keep cycling during the Coronavirus Outbreak”, I’ve posted it separately on the blog.

Do you have any other ideas, perhaps light-hearted ones, that could help us maintain the friendship and connection between us all in our [non] cycling club?  Comments welcome – just click the “comments” link below to add one.

Photo (and caption) courtesy of Nick van Cauter, Ealing Friday Riders