For those who stopped group rides over Covid ..
03-21-21, 12:59 AM
#76
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They were younger, local riders, and 50&over just became eligible for vaccinations here. 1+1=2.
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03-21-21, 05:46 AM
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The Shingles shots hurt worse. Now they have the one shot J&J for the really frightened. 
03-22-21, 11:17 AM
#79
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Our local cycling coalition provides insurance to group rides that covers accidents, theft, etc. along with their nominal annual membership. They have been quite reasonable about group riding guidelines, slowly ramping up restrictions along with local risk levels and health guidelines, and now the guidance is "no group riding." So people can do rides if they want, but the insurance doesn't cover us if they do.
Local health guidelines are relaxing a bit now and we expect a return to group sport in small groups soon, but that'll still probably be only back to 4 rider groups, same group every ride, etc. That may last until vaccines are further rolled out.
Local health guidelines are relaxing a bit now and we expect a return to group sport in small groups soon, but that'll still probably be only back to 4 rider groups, same group every ride, etc. That may last until vaccines are further rolled out.
03-22-21, 11:58 AM
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I co-organize a group ride in a southern city and don't intend to re-start it until we can all ride maskless. In the nice months we sometimes have 15-20 riders. I'm not interested in policing people for vaccines, masking, or distancing. I'd rather just wait until we can ride together safely again. People can and have been organizing their own rides in our absence, which I fully support, but I've chosen to keep my social circle smaller than that.
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03-22-21, 02:43 PM
#81
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You’ve described my current pattern. In fact I was on a group ride with about 15 people at the start yesterday. (There was a natural turn-back spot where out a third of the group dropped out and went back.) I have also ridden with a few of my similarly isolated over 55 neighbors throughout the pst year. Most often last summer, early in the day with masks.
I had my second shot today so will be even more confident as the weeks go by.
Good practices and the recognition of the risks, no matter how small, takes care of most of what’s necessary to be safe.
I had my second shot today so will be even more confident as the weeks go by.
Good practices and the recognition of the risks, no matter how small, takes care of most of what’s necessary to be safe.
03-22-21, 02:49 PM
#82
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Yeah, I got it before it was a pandemic (oddly). Took me months to get back to "normal" but even then my strength, VO2max, max sustainable heart rate will probably never recover to what it was. I probably would not know it if I was not in "race shape" in the summer months. But last year was not a strong year. I'm curious to see if I'm any better this season.
After I'm vaccinated... maybe.
I've taken the pandemic very seriously all along because I worked in health care and several friends are doctors, nurses, EMTs and med techs. There's no doubt about how serious this is.
Toward the end of 2020 I began to relax a bit and I'd join *one* casual group ride a month for most months from July 2020-Jan 2021. I usually wore a mask because it was a relaxed pace and I was often at the back of the group as sweep and traffic guard. I haven't done any fast roadie group rides since late 2019 when I first heard news of the pandemic. And probably won't again anyway.
But I quit doing even one casual group ride a month after January when a friend who's about 10 years younger (I'm 63) developed COVID and is suffering the "long haul" after effects. Despite being in his early 50s, he's one of the strongest local riders and owns many local KOMs. When we rode together he always had to ride a very relaxed pace -- for him -- otherwise I'd be dropped within a few miles. But now he can barely turn the cranks. I noticed recently he hadn't posted on Strava for a month -- he usually rides or does Zwift every day -- and messaged him. He's struggling.
If a guy that strong can suffer those ominous lingering after effects, I'm not taking any chances.
There's one small group of close friends I'll ride with. We're all pretty much on board with reasonable precautions.
But others I know, especially in faster road groups, still contain vehement pandemic denialists who refuse to acknowledge it's real and won't get the vaccine. And that's despite the deaths of some of their parents and grandparents from COVID. At least one is even a health care professional -- I will never understand those people denying the reality of the coronavirus. I will never ride with those folks again. I won't fuss at them on social media. I still give 'em kudos on Strava. They're okay people. I wish them well. But I won't ride in their plague rat spittle clouds again.
TBH, I probably won't miss the fast roadie groups. I've changed my goals to solo time trials anyway, and resumed running a few months ago which is already a mostly solo thing. It'll be awhile before I do even a "fun" 5k group run, though.
I've taken the pandemic very seriously all along because I worked in health care and several friends are doctors, nurses, EMTs and med techs. There's no doubt about how serious this is.
Toward the end of 2020 I began to relax a bit and I'd join *one* casual group ride a month for most months from July 2020-Jan 2021. I usually wore a mask because it was a relaxed pace and I was often at the back of the group as sweep and traffic guard. I haven't done any fast roadie group rides since late 2019 when I first heard news of the pandemic. And probably won't again anyway.
But I quit doing even one casual group ride a month after January when a friend who's about 10 years younger (I'm 63) developed COVID and is suffering the "long haul" after effects. Despite being in his early 50s, he's one of the strongest local riders and owns many local KOMs. When we rode together he always had to ride a very relaxed pace -- for him -- otherwise I'd be dropped within a few miles. But now he can barely turn the cranks. I noticed recently he hadn't posted on Strava for a month -- he usually rides or does Zwift every day -- and messaged him. He's struggling.
If a guy that strong can suffer those ominous lingering after effects, I'm not taking any chances.
There's one small group of close friends I'll ride with. We're all pretty much on board with reasonable precautions.
But others I know, especially in faster road groups, still contain vehement pandemic denialists who refuse to acknowledge it's real and won't get the vaccine. And that's despite the deaths of some of their parents and grandparents from COVID. At least one is even a health care professional -- I will never understand those people denying the reality of the coronavirus. I will never ride with those folks again. I won't fuss at them on social media. I still give 'em kudos on Strava. They're okay people. I wish them well. But I won't ride in their plague rat spittle clouds again.
TBH, I probably won't miss the fast roadie groups. I've changed my goals to solo time trials anyway, and resumed running a few months ago which is already a mostly solo thing. It'll be awhile before I do even a "fun" 5k group run, though.
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03-23-21, 02:12 PM
#83
Senior Member
So do I. My wife is a long hauler. My son-in-law is a long hauler.
It has been a full year for my wife. Two weeks ago I came downstairs for morning coffee. She looked at me and said “My head is clear.” Just like that. Her brain fog is gone. Lungs are still bad, she still tires easily. No idea if any of that comes back. But my wife and my life is back.
Maybe I just bought some sympathy there, next thing is going to be very unpopular with some. And I only want to say something positive and maybe helpful to psimet. What is being called long haul covid is identical to what has long been called viral syndrome. That does not mean “it’s just the flu”. I didn’t say that, didn’t mean that. But we are not newborn babes and don’t need to act it. It has happened before.
What is different with covid is the frequency with which viral syndrome occurs. And it gets young people, which is very unusual. And it gets people who were not all that deathly ill the first time. Everything else is the same.
Normal prognosis for viral syndrome is it gets better, very slowly, it gets better. Covid is too new to be sure of anything, it does seem to get better for many, maybe most. Son-in-law had the disease last October. Only 33 years old, he should not be having these after effects at all. In past few weeks he reports it has started to get better.
It is still bad enough. Even if you were to completely recover the time and life lost ain’t coming back. And I will tell you having your wife come back to life is worth waiting for.
What can you do? Be healthy. Get outdoors. Eat well. Take care of yourself. Don’t give up.
It has been a full year for my wife. Two weeks ago I came downstairs for morning coffee. She looked at me and said “My head is clear.” Just like that. Her brain fog is gone. Lungs are still bad, she still tires easily. No idea if any of that comes back. But my wife and my life is back.
Maybe I just bought some sympathy there, next thing is going to be very unpopular with some. And I only want to say something positive and maybe helpful to psimet. What is being called long haul covid is identical to what has long been called viral syndrome. That does not mean “it’s just the flu”. I didn’t say that, didn’t mean that. But we are not newborn babes and don’t need to act it. It has happened before.
What is different with covid is the frequency with which viral syndrome occurs. And it gets young people, which is very unusual. And it gets people who were not all that deathly ill the first time. Everything else is the same.
Normal prognosis for viral syndrome is it gets better, very slowly, it gets better. Covid is too new to be sure of anything, it does seem to get better for many, maybe most. Son-in-law had the disease last October. Only 33 years old, he should not be having these after effects at all. In past few weeks he reports it has started to get better.
It is still bad enough. Even if you were to completely recover the time and life lost ain’t coming back. And I will tell you having your wife come back to life is worth waiting for.
What can you do? Be healthy. Get outdoors. Eat well. Take care of yourself. Don’t give up.
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03-23-21, 07:21 PM
#84
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That these vaccinations have been rushed is not strictly true, hurried along, yes. COVID vaccines have been in development for many years before the pandemic, but there was never such a groundswell to push them to completion because there was no pandemic. The process was a running start, not a standing one. Anti-vaxxers pose a problem, everyone else provides the solution. Luckily, in the case of anti-vaxxers, the biggest danger they pose is to themselves.
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03-24-21, 10:31 AM
#85
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In my group of cyclists, all of us have become 50+. Funny how that happens. Vaccinated riders are popping up like daffodils. Washington's governor has just moved our state into Phase 3, which means restaurants are open at 50%, outdoor groups of up to 50 are allowed and so forth. I've thus reinstated our group rides. Our only rule will be masks on whenever off the bike. We always get all spread out anyway, so no large group worries.
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03-24-21, 11:06 AM
#86
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In my group of cyclists, all of us have become 50+. Funny how that happens. Vaccinated riders are popping up like daffodils. Washington's governor has just moved our state into Phase 3, which means restaurants are open at 50%, outdoor groups of up to 50 are allowed and so forth. I've thus reinstated our group rides. Our only rule will be masks on whenever off the bike. We always get all spread out anyway, so no large group worries.
I’m not sure restaurants ever closed maybe early on. My son in HS has been going to school since the fall and we kept him in guest room in the basement and people thought we were crazy. At least half his friends have already had it, in fact I can only think of one that hasn’t had it. There is a decent chunk of people here that are against masks and think the whole thing is political and hype. Early on some parents were getting mad at other parents of students for reporting a kid positive to the school bc they were afraid of a school shut down
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03-24-21, 01:21 PM
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It’s really interesting the different approaches and thoughts on Covid in other areas. I’ve lost several friends and a relative, so I take precautions this is the worst thing I’ve seen in my lifetime. But even the riders I know that are on what’s considered the careful spectrum here in our area of Georgia have still been doing group rides. After the rides chairs in parking lot but no one wears masks outdoors.
I’m not sure restaurants ever closed maybe early on. My son in HS has been going to school since the fall and we kept him in guest room in the basement and people thought we were crazy. At least half his friends have already had it, in fact I can only think of one that hasn’t had it. There is a decent chunk of people here that are against masks and think the whole thing is political and hype. Early on some parents were getting mad at other parents of students for reporting a kid positive to the school bc they were afraid of a school shut down
I’m not sure restaurants ever closed maybe early on. My son in HS has been going to school since the fall and we kept him in guest room in the basement and people thought we were crazy. At least half his friends have already had it, in fact I can only think of one that hasn’t had it. There is a decent chunk of people here that are against masks and think the whole thing is political and hype. Early on some parents were getting mad at other parents of students for reporting a kid positive to the school bc they were afraid of a school shut down
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03-24-21, 10:34 PM
#88
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More than interesting, I would say. In my county, our "CASE RATE PER 100,000 FOR 2-WEEK ROLLING PERIOD" is 72. Our county death rate per week is currently 4. Seattle went from having one of the highest big city infection rates in the country at the start of all this, to having one of the lowest. One hardly ever sees a person indoors or out without a mask. Everyone who can, works from home on Zoom or similar. Every employee in every establishment is masked. Everyone who enters any place of business is masked. It's actually really simple. My wife an I ate in a restaurant last week for the first time in a year. The rule is to mask when not at your table. Everyone complies. It's the culture. I know or know of only a few people who've had it, 3 dead parents. AFAIK, no one in my riding group has had it, and none of them have been doing group rides. Everyone's been very careful about who they see. We've had a "Masks mandatory past this point" sign on our door. We took it off a couple days ago now that we're vaccinated and have so far seen 2 old friends "face to face" again, as it were.
03-25-21, 08:52 AM
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i couldn’t even count the number of people I’ve known with covid but it has to be well over a hundred. Many had very few symptoms, some got sick, and a small handful were absolutely crushed.....eight passed away. That is not the culture here for sure with masks, some do but many don’t
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