According to British Cycling we should stay local:
"What do you mean by local?
We know many of you will want to know what is meant by 'staying local'. The Government’s definition of this is stated as ‘your village, town or the part of a city where you live’.
We understand that this definition is particularly restrictive for cycling, and we are working to seek further clarification on this. We will provide a further update as soon as we are able.
In the meantime, we recommend that you follow the advice to stay local, ride well within your ability and ensure that you are self-sufficient."
I don't fancy just riding round the streets of Gedling. All that speeding traffic! Let's hope for some sensible clarification!
The advice to stay local is just guidance and not law. I don’t fancy riding around the streets of Bingham, either, though I saw someone yesterday doing hill repeats on a local hill in the village.
On the face of it, this is the most restrictive lockdown yet. To restrict people to cycling in towns makes no sense, when there are deserted country roads just a few miles away.
The chief constable of Notts was interviewed last night on the East Midlands Today Programme (8th). It is worth a view. He was asked his views on the actions of Derbys police imposing £200 fines at Foremark Reservoir (since cancelled I believe). He seemed to take a more pragmatic view and stated it was very much business as 'usual' for his constables, implying they were not mounting patrols at Notts 'beauty spots' and they were only imposing fines in the worst cases and as last resort. He continually stated the police were following the four E's approach - which the interviewer failed to get him to state. Ive looked on notts police website and cannot find a reference to the 'four e's', and can only guess he means essential, exercise, education and emergency, or perhaps as google puts it the 4 e's of safety - evaluation, education, encouragement, enforcement. Which is it ? I think we should know !!
My interpretation would be I'd be unlikely to get a police stop cycling in Notts. And agreeing with Trev - cycling around busy streets for exercise makes no sense, and could be argued as adding to congestion etc.
Crowds of people at Stoke Bardolph, Bulcote and Hoveringham today and all car perks full. It is a good job Notts Police are being more sensible.
It is good to see so many people out for a walk and some fresh air.
I also see that angling is now allowed as an exercise - difficult to go fishing "in your village, town or the part of a city where you live!.
The main thing is to keep your distance!
We passed a Police car in East Stoke today and they appeared to be stopping cars and asking questions, but they totally ignored us. We were doing the Sherwood Saturday Northern Loop and at our furthest point, we were 12 miles from home. We saw quite a few people jogging and walking on the country lanes and a few other cyclists. I think people are out exercising because there’s not much else to do.
Stopped at hoveringham carpark last week was on the bike the police were there asked them how far I can cycle its not the cycling its all the cars and people meeting here was asked how far I was cycling 25 mile that was OK with them