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Cycling and COVID-19 : 11 Frequently Asked Questions

Over the past months, the intrusion of the coronavirus pandemic into the world has taken lives and caused significant problems for public health. 

Throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, cyclists are among the many people wondering just what steps they need to take to protect themselves and their loved ones during this troubling time. 

While it’s true that social distancing and self-isolation are wise steps to take, you might be surprised to learn just how beneficial cycling can be at a time like this.

Disclaimer : Keep in mind that the situation and the public health authorities’ response is changing all the time. While many of the tips presented here will be sound advice no matter what, you should always refer to your local authorities for the most up-to-date information.

Meanwhile, have a look at some of cyclists’ most frequently asked questions about COVID-19.

1. Should I be Cycling Outside?

To answer this question, you first need to answer two more,

  1. Is the planned trip necessary?
  2. How are you feeling?

Current advice from most government agencies is to avoid any and all unnecessary contact in places like restaurants, bars, clubs and other social gatherings. 

For cyclists, this includes group rides and training sessions. 

Under current conditions in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, cycling for the purpose of solitary exercise is a valid reason to leave your home as long as you take care to maintain an appropriate distance and be with only one other person.

Try to keep your rides short (no epic, long rides), bring along enough food and water to avoid needing to visit cafes and shops during the ride unless really necessary.

The only group not allowed or strongly discouraged from leaving the house are those who are showing symptoms of coronavirus or who’ve undergone sustained exposure to it in another person.

2. How Can I Ride Outside Safely?

As long as you’re alone or maintain an appropriate distance (>1.5 metres) from everyone. 

One of the most basic pieces of advice health authorities are giving all over the world is to avoid people with whom you don’t come into daily contact.

When people in bunch rides sneeze, cough, spit or otherwise pass moisture around, the risk of spreading disease is increased exponentially. 

While it’s not the best time to go riding with friends, cycling can actually strengthen your defenses. Just 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise can bolster your immune system and help you fight off germs and illness.

Even though it’s fine to ride, it’s still important to maintain good safety practices. 

Just because the roads might be a little quieter doesn’t mean you should let your guard down or get careless. Continue practicing good spatial awareness and traffic behavior and make sure you’re still using reliable bike lights, a sturdy helmet, and brightly-colored clothing. 

Remember that drivers are likely to be distressed and distracted, so take no chances with staying seen and staying safe.

3. Who Can I Ride with?

As previously mentioned, it’s highly recommended that you avoid unnecessary contact with people outside of your household. 

It’s even recommended that you ride alone, if you choose to go outside. 

You should absolutely avoid latching onto any unknown bunches. 

However, if you do feel the need to cycle in a group, restrict it to just two people maximum, all of whom should share your home. The UK Department of Health and Social Care has already set this as the maximum legal size for groups taking exercise. 

In Australia, Canada and the US, public health officials have also warned against or banned gatherings larger than 100, with South Australia even restricting numbers to no more than 10. 

All of them, however, are encouraging people to keep company with no more than two others while maintaining appropriate social distancing and good hygiene. 

4. How Can I Stay Fit During the COVID-19 Period?

This is something a lot of cyclists in colder climates figured out a long time ago.

Just because you can’t go outside doesn’t mean you can’t stay in great shape. 

In fact, you can think of self isolation and stay at home as a great opportunity to maintain or even improve your flexibility and joint and core strength, and to top some training personal bests.

Yoga, calisthenic exercises such as crunches, planks, and squats, and other exercises that strengthen your core will help you stay in good condition while you’re stuck at home. 

But more than these, indoor trainers are your best bet for maintaining performance and condition indoors. 

Smart, interactive bike trainers such as the Wahoo Kickr Core or Tacx Neo 2T will allow you to realistically simulate road conditions and wind and rolling resistance, while also riding with thousands more like-minded cyclists on virtual platforms such as Zwift and Rouvy.

With a bit of work, you should have no trouble staying in good shape while under stay-at-home orders.

5. Can I Ride If My Area is Under A Lockdown?

This is a tricky one to answer, as it depends on the country you’re in or even the state, county, or city. 

So far, cycling hasn’t been explicitly banned in Australia, Canada, UK, or most U.S. states, although social distancing and limited exposure outdoors are all strongly recommended.

In fact in many locations, cycling is being encouraged as a good alternative means of transportation for essential trips. Partly because of this, air quality has improved tremendously in many cities. 

So long as you’re taking precautions, you should be okay to ride during stay-at-home conditions.

Citizens of English-speaking countries are pretty fortunate compared to cyclists in Italy or Spain, where all leisure or recreational cycling has been banned, or France, where it’s only permitted within 1km of your home and only with written permission.  

This may seem a little excessive, but public health agencies in these countries are working to combat the worst of the effects.

More importantly, if you are asked to self-isolate, that would mean no cycling outside.

6. Where Can I Find Indoor Trainers for Sale Online?

If you want to take advantage of the time to make use of a bike trainer or rollers, there are several big online retailers who still have them in stock. 

In times like this, you want to buy from a local online retailer as international shipping will be both expensive and delayed.

7. What are the Good Hygiene Practices While Cycling Outdoors?

For the most part, good COVID-19 hygiene consists of washing hands, sanitizing surfaces and avoiding forms of contact like handshakes. 

If you have friends or family afraid that sweating or being around others’ sweat could expose them to the risk of infection, you can reassure them; the COVID-19 virus cannot spread through perspiration. 

It can, however, spread through spitting, sneezing, coughing or snorting. 

Instead, consider taking along disposable tissues and a small hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes while riding, and be sure to avoid touching your face before you’ve thoroughly cleaned your hands.

In fact, one of the most effective substances for killing the coronavirus is soap and warm water. To protect yourself and others, wash your hands before heading out and immediately after returning home. 

It’s also a good idea to give your frame, and especially your handlebars and helmet, a wipe-down with a disinfectant wipe.

8. Can I Still Bike Commute If My Work Requires Me to be Physically Present?

Absolutely. 

More and more, cycling is being relied upon to allow people to make short local trips without taking the exposure risks of using public transportation, while remaining a green option that benefits your overall health. 

In major cities especially, many essential workers in sanitation, public health, infrastructure and emergency or critical services like communications are still needed at their posts. 

9. Should I Wear A Facemask if I Ride Outside?

No. 

A mask would actually interfere needlessly with your breathing. For this reason, it’s especially important to maintain a safe distance at least 1.5 meters from others.

Apart from that, public health groups like the CDC are warning people off of purchasing masks. There’s a limited stock of them available, and they’ll likely all be needed by the medical professionals fighting COVID-19. 

10. How Do National and Local Laws Affect Cycling Routes and Paths?

Apart from the restrictions already described, one of the few silver linings to the current crisis – for cyclists, is that there’s no significant effect on cycling infrastructure. 

Unless you’re planning on taking a trip down a trail that runs through a national park (which have been shut in most places), you’re good to go. 

So long as you can maintain a safe distance from others (walkers, joggers and cyclists) and you practice good hygiene and bike safety, then local and national laws shouldn’t have any effect on your ride. 

In fact, many governments are finally starting to see the value of robust cycling infrastructure. Bogota, Colombia even added and expanded existing bike lanes to relieve pressure on the city’s already-overburdened bus rapid transit system. 

In New York, temporary additional lanes have been added for cyclists in some of the busier parts of the city. 

Keep in mind that traffic laws and road courtesy are unchanged, and you can still enjoy cycle-specific paths with ease. 

At the same time, a lot of your neighbors have probably had the same thought, so don’t be surprised if bike paths and trails in your area are busier than normal. To maintain good social distancing, it might be a good time to invest in a good bike bell to alert others to your presence.

11. What Cycling Races and Events that Have Been Cancelled?

Coronavirus has rocked competitive cycling, causing many international and amateur associations to err on the side of caution and suspend or cancel many events over the coming months. 

Here are some of the professional bike races that has been either postponed or cancelled.

  • Tour of Hainan which was to be held in late January was the first. And since then, several other races in China has been cancelled such as Tour of Chongming Island (May 7 to 9), the Tour of Zhoushan Island (May 12 to 14) and the Tour of Taiyuan (May 31).
  • UAE Tour was even ended prematurely in late February with two stages left when 8 of those present were discovered to have coronavirus. 
  • All the Spring Classics races in March and April, with every event from the Dwars Door Vlaanderen to the Liege-Bastogne-Liege were indefinitely postponed. 
  • The Olympics have been rescheduled for 23 July to 8 August 2021, although the Olympic Committee has decided to keep the 2020 branding.
  • Major races in Italy such as the Milan-San Remo, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Giro d’Italia have also been postponed.
  • The biggest cycling race, the Tour de France could be postponed to a slightly later date this year.

Amateur races are no exception, with the UCI and national cycling organizers delaying meet dates and switching to virtual races, as in Israel where a Zwift competition was held to raise funds for the purchase of N95 protection masks.

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