'I love going for a ride', how long has it been since these words were uttered from bikers around, not only the country but the world? As a pub landlord, the twice (if I'm lucky) a-week ride to the coast or Fimber Cafe have been halted for the foreseeable future. Subsequently, we have to keep it local but, what is local?
The police and government don't seem, to me, to be able to clarify this. I still go for a ride but it is truncated. I set off as most of us do, taking the well trodden route from our front door to roads that let us open the throttle and enjoy the beauty of biking. I then have to turn left, or right and on some occasions do a U-turn, constantly aware of my confinement to keep it local. I considered leaving the bike in the garage, a bike means freedom to me and all these left and rights were starting to irritate the hell out of me.
So how to get enjoyment out of keeping it local, without going mad. Most of us will jump on our bikes and go for a ride away from where we live, that's the whole point, a different view, a long ride with a tea break at a well known bikers halt, preferably from the furthest point from home. Now I keep within 5 miles of the house, surprisingly I've enjoyed this as much as I've enjoyed a long ride. A five mile radius has given me many different routes around and through the city and although the tea break and chinwag with fellow bikers is missing, I'm still going for a ride. I can still clock up to 60 to 70 miles, which is good for the bike and me. So if you're sat there waiting for the world to open up, perhaps a local ride, down streets and routes you don't usually use will help you keep going.
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