I have been cycling for a while now and I make sure to do longer rides during weekends on weekdays I mostly run or do workouts (primarily functional), this is my schedule for the entire week.
However, since the pandemic, things have changed drastically for each and every individual on this earth. No one is spared.
As time progressed, everyone found their way to live with it. The administration has also played a crucial role in managing the pandemic.
Last year during lockdown I mostly rode on an indoor trainer and clocked a good amount of kilometers per month.
Things were just getting better and lots of cycling events were organized by various organizations until the second wave of corona hit Mumbai and many states & cities across the country.
This caused the administration to put a partial lockdown in Mumbai until 30th April 2021. (Partial lockdown means, a night curfew from 8:00 PM to morning 7:00 AM on weekdays and from Friday 8:00 PM to Monday 7:00 AM, along with lots of restrictions for various businesses, schools, and colleges.) This caused a lot of anxiety in most citizens, SOP was released and in a few days, people started following the lockdown procedure.
Here comes the second side of the coin: all the athletes, mainly cyclists and runners, were not sure whether to venture out for their early morning workouts.
I am in a couple of WhatsApp groups and members from various groups had the same question about whether to ride/run during weekends. However, everything is clearly mentioned in the SOP and the following is the list:
Imposition of Section 144 and Night Curfew
a) Section 144 to be imposed in the State.
b) From 7 AM to 8 PM on Monday to Friday, no more than 5 people move together or
gather in any public place.
c) Rest of the period (i.e. From 8:00 PM to 7:00 AM on weekdays and from 8:00 PM Friday to 7:00 AM Monday) no one to move into a public place without valid reasons or permission.
Dos
- Remember the basics, always wear a helmet and have proper head & tail lights.
- Ride Solo as far as possible, however, if you are doing longer rides then do ride in a group but don’t exceed more than 5 riders.
- Always wear a mask wherever possible. You can slide down the mask while riding but make sure your mask is on while halting or around crowded places.
- Finish your rides well before the specified time to avoid any consequences.
- Check for containment zones, the same can be obtained on the MCGM website. Click here to see containment zones
- Watch the news for all the latest updates on lockdown and follow them.
- If you are part of a cycling club, do follow the club rules. This will help the club organizers manage the club properly.
- If you have an indoor trainer, set up and start riding.
Don’ts
- Avoid rides before 7:00 AM and after 8:00 PM and follow the rules.
- Even between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM don’t ride in a bigger group as 144 is imposed throughout the day, so you can’t ride with a group of more than five.
- Most importantly NO RIDES on weekends which is from 8:00 PM Friday until 7:00 AM Monday.
- Avoid riding in containment areas.
- Don’t pass any news without verifying the same.
So to Summarise Cycling Dos and Don’ts in Lockdowns, are hard times of the pandemic, so as responsible citizens we should follow the lockdown procedure and also help fellow riders follow the same.
Let’s together win over this pandemic and create a better place to live. Let me end with a quote:
Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!
Robert Schuller