Jul 23, 2020
As we adjust to the new normal, can we bike tour safely and responsibly during a pandemic? On this episode, I share the thoughts of fellow listeners, a bike touring organization and my personal recommendations for bike touring during COVID times.
News and housekeeping
Stay tuned for my next tour at the end of the show! Kind of a
spoiler alert since the topic is touring during COVID that I'm on
the side of "yes you can, but..."
Bike shortages and maintenance backups - a quick heads up for
those of you looking to ride that bike shops are having a tough
time keeping many types of bikes in stock and many of them are
backed up on maintenance and repairs, some for weeks. So plan
ahead!
I'm really late to the game on the Adventure Cycling Dynamo
Jenny podcast... if you've listened for any length of time to this
show, I'm a big booster of women in bike touring go check it out!
And if you never heard my chats with Jasmine Reese, Annalisa van
den Bergh, Adele Dittus, Cat Caperello-Snyder, Kerry Gross, and I
know I'm missing a ton of others, they're all in the back episodes
of the Pedalshift Project so please check those out too!
Bike Touring in COVID Times
Let's start with some baseline elements here:
I'm taking this with a US perspective where we are, frankly, a
dumpster fire compared to other parts of the world in terms of
infections. Your region and/or country may vary.
The novel coronavirus is a real threat. It is contagious,
we're unsure if getting it confers immunity, but we do know some
people can catch it and die. So even if you personally don't worry
about it, you can pass it along to people who are more vulnerable
than you. This is not the flu, it's way worse.
But, life is a series of managed risks. After all, bike
touring is a managed risk! If COVID were a purely personal risk one
would take it would be a lot different, however, the fact it's
contagious, can be passed on asymptomatically or presymptomatically
means - in my opinion - we have a responsibility to others as well
to manage the risk of spread.
I have a responsibility to my family. I have a responsibility
to the people I come in contact with - folks at grocery stores and
shops and cafes. On a bike tour, you're bringing the potential of
infection with you and may not know it.
Again, in my opinion, that means bicycle touring should be
done with more caution and with less contact than before the
outbreaks began.
What are others saying?
At this time,
Adventure Cycling Association discourages cyclists from
embarking on long-distance bike travel along the Adventure Cycling
Route Network.
We believe the bicycle travel community has a
responsibility to avoid endangering the health of small communities
and straining limited medical resources. Moreover, shelter-in-place
and quarantine orders exist at many levels of government across our
network, and availability of services is inconsistent and
unpredictable.
We can’t say for certain when it will be safe to take long
tours again, but at this time we’ve canceled our own guided tours
through September 5, and are evaluating on an ongoing basis beyond
that date.
In the meantime, Adventure Cycling is hard at work to
improve bike travel conditions, develop new routes for future
adventures, and make sure we’re ready to help you when it’s time to
hit the road once again.
Martin in OK:
For context, I live in rural northeast Oklahoma. We have a
low population density; however, many area residents are at
best inconsistent about protective behaviors. Also relevant is that
I have a family member with a mild-to-moderately compromised immune
system.
In late May I prepared a 200-mile, 4-6 day loop tour
through rural back roads. I designed the route so that campgrounds
were available every 40-60 miles and so with natural water sources
I could filter from to minimize reliance on in-town resupply stops.
Halfway through the route I had the option (and risk) of a hotel to
cool off from the heat. I ended up cancelling my plans when
Oklahoma’s COVID surge took off in June.
As I’ve considered why I canceled this tour, I realize
that the presence of COVID alters my risk assessment of other tour
variables - mostly by making my typical bail-out options
potentially unsafe for me, my family, or my helper/rescuer. For
this tour, the most likely potential problem was heat exhaustion
(95 degree highs and 65% humidity). In a COVID world, I don’t want
to cool off inside high-traffic buildings like gas stations,
especially in a region where mask-wearing is not the majority
practice. And, of course, if I get heat stroke I could end up in an
emergency room where there’s liable to be a greater presence of
coronavirus. In my mind, COVID amplifies the potential consequences
of the risks already present on a bike tour.
What does touring look like for me going forward? Probably
S24O’s and few, if any, multi-night tours. I’ve begun pinpointing
primitive, open camping locations within a 40-60 mile radius:
mostly wildlife conservation areas and designated fishing lakes.
Typically, there are no facilities or campgrounds as such, and thus
very low traffic. While I might consider a small state park, I’m
not comfortable chancing a crowded check-in lobby. With luck I can
string together a 2-night mini-tour of no-contact campsites.
As long as the riding and weather aren’t too demanding I’d be
willing to do that sort of a tour. Also, no more tours without a
family member on standby ready to pick me up if need be; no relying
on the kindness of strangers for enough aid to get me back on the
road.
It will be interesting to see where the bike touring
community lands post-COVID. I anticipate wildly different new norms
between various regions of the country.
Greg Braithwaite
What I've personally settled into is several one-day trips
that include:
- 1 stop max. at some kind of supply/food store
- Duh--Use of disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer,
masks
- No weekend overnights to avoid crowds
- Repeated trips to a destination the coast that is a
proven stealth spot--but modifying my route to get there (for me
this is often 80-120 miles round trip).
What DIDN'T work was when our CA State Parks opened and I
ASSUMED that included hiker/biker sites--It does not! It's unclear
from the website and I should have called before riding out to Half
Moon Bay from Santa Cruz. This mistake caused me to stay in a hotel
(very clean/very safe), BUT not something I'd necessarily sign up
for during COVID.
Quick plug for Greg's new YouTube channel! It's called
BIKEVIDS!
What am I recommending in the US and potentially
elsewhere?
Only tour in a responsible way. The routes are going to be
there after this.
Shorter, local, low or preferably no-contact tours.
I am avoiding all forms of public transportation for now,
including busses, trains and planes.
All of my tours are beginning and ending at home or within a
drive or drop-off/pickup
Limited resupplies, limited contact in towns
Mask up as much as possible, including when riding but
especially when others are around
Solo travel is ideal. Next best option, touring within your
bubble. Last best is touring with others, but remaining socially
distanced.
Maximum hygiene before and after contact with restrooms,
facilities, shops, stores, etc.
Camping is probably safest (lower contact, unless it's
not).
Airbnbs and hotels aren't necessarily unsafe - depends on
circumstances
Less proximity to people is most preferable
If you are showing any symptoms, bail out ASAP
A day trip loop that starts and ends at your home is fine
replacement in these times.
Are people touring in the US?
Yes, but it's hard for me to assess whether it's less, the
same or more than last year.
And, oh yeah, I'm touring. It's been really helpful for my
mental health and a nice getaway from the new normal
The next tour: GAP 4x44 Loop
Following my own recommendations:
Keeping it ocal-ish: Begins and ends 1 hour drive and pickup
from my cabin
All camping, potentially with some stealth camping to reduce
contact even more
Solo
Self contained with one resupply point midway (water
notwithstanding)
Masking, sanitizer - I'm treating my interactions so that if I
were infected that it's far less likely I'd be bringing it to
anyone and that I'm minimizing my exposure in case someone around
me is infected.
It's a tour of the GAP - a loop from Cumberland to
Connnelsville and back. What's fun is it's 4 days of averaging or
hitting 44 miles (go Orange, no I didn't plan it). So it's the GAP
4x44 Loop. Coming to the pod in August!