social distancing

In these days of panic over COVID-19 (yes, there IS panic, not denying the real threat of the epidemic), a few of us decided that it is within the definition of "social distance" as a means of containing the spread of this new virus to go on a bike ride - after all, there doesn't need to be contact between riders, and we forwent sharing food or drink.

I didn't know until late Thursday that I would be available to do a ride today (Saturday, March 14); a large gathering place where The Excellent Wife (TEW) and I had a hot date has gone dark through the end of the month, effectively cancelling the date. So yesterday, I posted a last minute ride for today (I usually lead on Sundays, but I've got another conflict for tomorrow).

With two of these Sunday rides moved to Saturday in a row, Bob N says that pretty soon, I won't be able to call 'em Sunday rides any more. Piffle. I can call 'em anything I want to. I run the PFW website; who's gonna stop me?

Although a non-member did sign up for the ride (and probably tried to cancel; there were two emails about his signup), I had five of The Usual Suspects, which is impressive for a listing that had been up less than 24 hours prior to the ride start, especially with the fear of the virus and the admonitions to avoid possible infection.

I rode in a bit early and did an extra ten miles before the start, and five miles after, so I got in over 50 for this 36-or-so-mile route. Several of the others rode in as well. We did this route, with some pretty stiff winds as we went out. By the time we got to East Mountain Ave, we turned so the wind wasn't quite in our faces anymore, and from there until the break, the wind was more-or-less at our backs.

Pardon the quality of the pictures, which look like they may have been taken with a matchbox, but when we got to the break at Thomas Sweet, we weren't the only ones supporting the economy:

As I got those pictures, there was a certain amount of suspicion; I think the patrons thought I was gonna turn 'em in for breaking the curfew, or something.

And back. As usual, the folks who had ridden in rolled off as it was convenient for them to do (Laura OLPH had an online meeting with the Sierra Club to attend. for example), and the rest made it back to the start in good enough order. I rolled in behind to thank them for coming out, and then rode home.

I DO recommend precautions about the virus. While the infection is likely to spread, by taking precautions, we may be able to keep number of infections at any one time to a manageable level, not straining (or breaking) the healthcare resources around us. But I stopped in a supermarket on Thursday evening, and the reaction there was completely out of proportion to the real risk. I intend to remain sensible, and as informed as I can be, without succumbing to the panic that seems to accompany a steady diet of the news and media about these events. I find a certain amount of disconnecting (without doing so completely) has been good for my health.