I started numbering my indoor rides when we began this whole ‘confinement’ business and I really never imagined that I’d be coming close to ‘Covid-19’; but there it is – I’ll probably hit it this weekend.
I have to say that it’s painful and depressing to be sitting in my office every day when the weather has been just about perfect for the past +3 weeks. It doesn’t help that everyone I know on Strava who doesn’t live in France, Spain or Italy is outside doing monster rides. Jealous? Probably.
And then I think about guys I know who are in Canada and are living this life all winter and I feel a little better. It also helps to know that I have no way of either getting contaminated with coronavirus, nor of spreading it if I have it. I tell myself that I’m being a good citizen, as they like to remind us to be in France.
All that being said, if I run out of actual races to watch on YouTube while on the trainer, and am forced to sit through another virtual one like the Tour of Flanders, I might throw caution to the wind, take my bike outdoors, and hope the gendarmes are on their lunch break.
The Vicious Cycle 
We got 10cm of snow last night. Just saying.
Good thing you like skiing!
Even though we don’t have the cycling restrictions in America, I’m with you. Sure. I’ll take a few quick urban spins with the mountain bike just to get my legs moving, but big rides won’t happen. Partly this is because I want to be responsible, but there is not the motivating factors of riding with friends, riding to a place to eat, etc. On top of that I worry about drivers being complacent on the quiet roads. Hopefully this will pass soon.
I actually ride mostly alone, other than with John and clients, so the social aspect isn’t something I miss much, but I am concerned about drivers, mainly because I don’t want to piss them off. People are kind of sensitive at the moment and I could see drivers (who are presumably not out for a drive but doing something ‘essential’) looking at cyclists ‘having fun’ as not cool.
Hope all is well with you two over there.
I’ve been training for this all my life. Almost half of my annual 20,000+kms per year are done in my basement gym watching action adventure movies, and old bike races.
I’m still torn what I’ll do when the warm weather finally arrives in Calgary. Even more frustrating is I can’t travel to my place in Arizona where the weather is in the high 20’s with nothing but sunshine. As my father used to say about any bad situation, “this too shall pass”. Be safe.
My brother Fred says the same thing, but because he has spent many years laying on the sofa – he’s ready for this!
I’m not sure I could do what you do, but if you have to you have to. Riding inside must be better than not riding at all. It is a bummer than we can’t move around and enjoy 2nd homes, but it doesn’t stop the French from trying. There have been recent cases of people sneaking over the French border into Spain at night and heading to the Costa Brava, only to be fined €600 and sent back home.
I think I might have heard Tom say that once or twice, by the way.
I think everyone should follow the rules of their governments and be mindful of the optics of their actions. There can be worse things, like actually getting COVID-19, compared to getting a good indoor workout. Well, gotta go, I have a few hours date with an indoor trainer. 🚴♂️💦💦💦
I disagree. I think governments should be mindful of the importance of exercise and the people the claim to represent.
I don’t know how you do it, man. I’d be fit to be tied!
I AM fit to be tied, Jim!
It absolutely sucks, brother. At least in Michigan it’s cold, cloudy and windy!
I have been impressed b y the regularity of your indoor riding.
There’s really little else for me to do, TP. Other than my 4 pm beer and bedtime, it’s all I look forward to.