[webbo]

200 miles what a light weight, there’s a bloke in Flanders who’s done a 1000K ride.

[TobyD]

We can all get pretty angry and jealous understandably, if we can't do what we love doing and others seem to be managing to have a great time.

My opinion is that if anyone's genuinely having a great time at the moment, they are either in denial, or a psychopath.

I imagine most people will have developed their own coping strategies for enabling them to cope with a deeply stressful and horrible experience for more or less everyone in all seriously affected countries. It's difficult to see how 200km bike rides are a just about coping strategy, and I wonder how he finds enough food in the shops to fuel that kind of effort, perhaps that's where all the pasta in the country has gone?
Frankly I'm pretty jealous of people who are really into playstation or Xbox, or painting those figures for tabletop games. They are probably coping better!

I went for a road run at about half 7 this morning which, on Easter Sunday was pretty bloody isolated, and made me feel slightly better about working for the rest of the day. Part of me agrees with Alex that we should go full style total lockdown and potential imprisonment for anyone breaking it to get it over with, but that would be truly grim. I hope we can get through it without that sort of thing. Stay safe everyone.

[moose]

Arguments about relative risks of bouldering and cycling are this:

https://twitter.com/Michael1979/status/1249058146091401218?s=09[img

[webbo]

We can all get pretty angry and jealous understandably, if we can't do what we love doing and others seem to be managing to have a great time.

My opinion is that if anyone's genuinely having a great time at the moment, they are either in denial, or a psychopath.

I imagine most people will have developed their own coping strategies for enabling them to cope with a deeply stressful and horrible experience for more or less everyone in all seriously affected countries. Frankly I'm pretty jealous of people who are really into playstation or Xbox, or painting those figures for tabletop games. They are probably coping better!

I did 84.98 miles on my bike on Friday, I can’t say for the last 30 miles I was having a great time.

[Bonjoy]

Regards travel, lots of folk are within a short walk of a crag. If you're not then it's obviously climbing is not on.

It’s this bit that needs careful unpacking. Lots of people are within short walking distance of a crag, but what would be the effect on transmission if half of sheffield’s climbers rocked up at bell hagg?

Strawman. The effect would be much the same as half of Sheffield's cycling population going out in one big peleton. The people I had in mind live in various location's mostly other than Sheffield.

[Nike Air]

Arguments about relative risks of bouldering and cycling are this:

https://twitter.com/Michael1979/status/1249058146091401218?s=09[img

Had me in stitches. Thanks for posting that

[Bonjoy]

Jon I don't disagree with what your saying but its a bit insensitive to associate the word nazi with those saying we should stay at home. Nothing else to add as Stu is basically summing up my thoughts.

Fair enough, it was meant tongue in cheek and aimed at the more hysterical pitchfork wielding end of a general continuum I also place myself on. But you're right, a bad choice of phrase in retrospect.

[Bonjoy]

So it is very galling when cyclist come on a climbing forum and outline the sketchy justification for them treating the lockdown as a cycling bonanza.

Because nobody could possibly partake in both?

The word 'bonanza' is also a stretch; it's a bonanza in the context that you're less likely to get squished by something made of metal weighing in at around 1000kg

I could have been clearer but I don't think I implied mutual exclusivity.
It looks like a cycling bonanza when I look out at Baslow Rd, Totley.

[Bonjoy]

treating the lockdown as a cycling bonanza

I don't think (or would hope) that anybody is treating this as a cycling bonanza Jon. Rather, just thankful that there is a way of getting out of the house for an hour or so to get some fresh air.

I'm genuinely glad you're finding an enjoyable outlet Robin. Sorry about molesting your original post to make a point.

[Oldmanmatt]

Jon I don't disagree with what your saying but its a bit insensitive to associate the word nazi with those saying we should stay at home. Nothing else to add as Stu is basically summing up my thoughts.

Fair enough, it was meant tongue in cheek and aimed at the more hysterical pitchfork wielding end of a general continuum I also place myself on. But you're right, a bad choice of phrase in retrospect.

Pitchfork wielding (properly weighted) is a legitimate form of exercise, so you should be alright as long as you don’t drive to Stanage to partake.

[tomtom]

Pitchfork wielding (properly weighted) is a legitimate form of exercise, so you should be alright as long as you don’t drive to Stanage to partake.

But if carried on a bike it might cross over into jousting non?

[Oldmanmatt]

Pitchfork wielding (properly weighted) is a legitimate form of exercise, so you should be alright as long as you don’t drive to Stanage to partake.

But if carried on a bike it might cross over into jousting non?

I’m disappointed Tom.

Cycling with one hand would be irresponsible and dangerous during these difficult times.

[Stu Littlefair]

Regards travel, lots of folk are within a short walk of a crag. If you're not then it's obviously climbing is not on.

It’s this bit that needs careful unpacking. Lots of people are within short walking distance of a crag, but what would be the effect on transmission if half of sheffield’s climbers rocked up at bell hagg?

Strawman. The effect would be much the same as half of Sheffield's cycling population going out in one big peleton. The people I had in mind live in various location's mostly other than Sheffield.

Then I think you phrased it badly. A few climbers are lucky enough to be in that position. The overwhelming majority of climbers live in cities and are not. I don’t think we disagree, actually.

[tomtom]

With drop handlebars I find I can nestle the handle of the pitchfork next to the stem - and cradle the bottom (non pointy) end of the handle just above my hip wedged to my side with my elbow. Maintaining at all times two hands on the handlebars.

I’m fucked if I want to adjust my rapha while in this position though.

Carbon fibre pitchfork handle with titanium spikes of course.

[remus]

Carbon fibre pitchfork handle with titanium spikes of course.

Have you tried the aero-caps for the tip? I managed to save 2 watts when I added mine.

[tomtom]

Carbon fibre pitchfork handle with titanium spikes of course.

Have you tried the aero-caps for the tip? I managed to save 2 watts when I added mine.

Oooh... website please!!! 👏👏

[Will Hunt]

If it didn't make me angry and depressed we could have a "bringing out the worst in people" thread.

Lagers reported on Twitter that one of his neighbours made biscuits for the street. One of the neighbors anonymously reported them to the authorities. To which Gulag should they be dispatched?

We collected a prescription for one of our elderly neighbours and they made us a crumble. Now I'm struggling to pick which lamppost her corpse would hang most forebodingly from.

And yesterday our little girl fell down the steps at the front of our house which was quite a scare. Me and my wife got there seconds later to scrape her up, but it hadn't stopped our 80+ year old neighbour from vaulting the garden wall and running full pelt across the garden to get to her. It was hard to see the police attack dogs rip Barbara limb from limb, but the bitch deserved it.

[tomtom]

Start one then Will.

[petejh]

My housemate hid 15 little chocolate eggs around the house yesterday, for me to hunt out and enjoy. Delightful fun.


Under enhanced interrogation, in this case using the cage over their head and rat technique that we perfected during foot & mouth disease, they admitted to not cleaning the wrappers of the chocolate treats with a disinfectant wipe when they got home from the shop. They now realise how wrong they were.

[Oldmanmatt]

Start one then Will.

Isn’t that already what we are doing?

[Bonjoy]

Regards travel, lots of folk are within a short walk of a crag. If you're not then it's obviously climbing is not on.

It’s this bit that needs careful unpacking. Lots of people are within short walking distance of a crag, but what would be the effect on transmission if half of sheffield’s climbers rocked up at bell hagg?

Strawman. The effect would be much the same as half of Sheffield's cycling population going out in one big peleton. The people I had in mind live in various location's mostly other than Sheffield.

Then I think you phrased it badly. A few climbers are lucky enough to be in that position. The overwhelming majority of climbers live in cities and are not. I don’t think we disagree, actually.

Yeah, that's a much better way to put it. Wish I was among this lucky minority.

Part of my pointing out the exceptions to the rule and interrogating the basis for blanket restrictions, is that I fear when it does eventually come to a point where SD measures can start to be relaxed TPTB may be slow to include climbing and other relatively 'virus safe' sports if all the participants and governing bodies have enthusiastically championed the message that said sport should be stopped in the first place. Doubly so if the participants have become indoctrinated in assumptions regards social mixing and shared holds. These are not intrinsic to the sport. Most of the climbing I do at this time of year is on holds no one has pulled on, often at places where I don't see other people let alone climbers. There is a hell of a lot of random rock in the peak alone to spread out over.

[tomtom]

Start one then Will.

Isn’t that already what we are doing?

I thought it might be suitably ironic for Will to start a thread about bringing out the worst in people

[SA Chris]

Yeah fair enough, just gets a bit annoying reading people saying climbing is irresponsible when really all they’re commenting on is their own specific circumstances in the peak or a.n.other populated English area that you’re unlucky enough to live in (tongue firmly in cheek). You’re not the be-all of climbing.

Just you and me then Pete. DM me clips of your sick sends yeah?

[petejh]

Plenty of fortunate people around the UK who I think needn’t stay away from their nearby obscure and discreet and unused lump of rock just because the guidance from BMC (rightly) is ‘don’t climb’ and climbers in busier areas have (rightly) chosen to not climb.
Like bonjoy I wonder about the powers that be attitudes toward climbing and access in the future, if climbing is blanket assumed to be something frowned-upon now. Of course I’m not claiming that my primary concern is altruistically fighting for future access rights - like some Kinder mass trespass for obscure lowball boulder traverses. My primary concern is enjoying being outside in the sun keeping fit traversing around on a little local obscure bit of rock while relishing the solitude, and doing no harm to anyone in the process. But doing what I think is right in principle does also inform my behaviour.
Yes it’s a bit provocative debating the point on here but at least it’s something worth being provocative about.

[Alex-the-Alex]

Part of my pointing out the exceptions to the rule and interrogating the basis for blanket restrictions, is that I fear when it does eventually come to a point where SD measures can start to be relaxed TPTB may be slow to include climbing and other relatively 'virus safe' sports if all the participants and governing bodies have enthusiastically championed the message that said sport should be stopped in the first place. Doubly so if the participants have become indoctrinated in assumptions regards social mixing and shared holds. These are not intrinsic to the sport.

+1 this and pete

My feeling as well though much better put.

The community solidarity aspect has been a strange one. People are  happy to take in to account circumstances for running and cycling. Ie "just went for a run and barely saw a soul, but then I live on Unst". Yet the discussion in climbing has been much more based around enduring this together as many can't access crags. I liked the principle but feels like its backfired a bit in some of the reactions we've seen.

Again I'm feeling conflicted arguing the point publicly... But the discussion is good to have.