>
> Hey CVC‘rs,
> We are all (humanity as a whole) definitely having some challenging times.
> Personally, professionally and at the community level, life has changed
> completely. But one of the things that still is a constant that we are very
> lucky to be blessed with is the ability to get out and exercise, and for
> many of us, this is riding our bicycles.
> But with this blessing comes the responsibility that all of us need to
> take seriously.
>
> One of the most important actions we can take is to continue our social
> distancing. Social distancing on a bicycle is not the same as social
> distancing on the sidewalk or in the grocery store. The distances could be
> much greater than for people walking. There are a lot of "studies" out
> there regarding safe cycling distancing so read up but understand that not
> all are scientifically factual. The best thing to do is use common sense.
>
> Other ways we may be able to help with keeping our possible respiratory
> discharge down slightly is in the wearing of a mask or a bandanna. I have
> been taking a bandanna and rolling it down upon its diagonal and wearing it
> “cowboy style” with the bottom of the bandanna tucked into the top of my
> jersey. It’s not perfect I’ll admit, and it’s definitely not going to
> filter out very much as It’s just a piece of cotton, but it may help, and
> we need all the help we can get!
As LA Mayor Garcetti put it “We want you to keep your respiratory droplets
> to yourself”
> And showing that we cyclists are taking this seriously is a very strong
> step in the direction of keeping the privilege we’ve been given of being
> able to exercise and ride outdoors.
>
> Another thing we need to be careful of is using standard start locations
> to ride from. Riding from The Landing, the Starbucks parking lot in
> Westlake, etc is probably not the hottest idea right now. It could appear
> to others, including city officials and law enforcement that we cyclist are
> congregating even though we are keeping 6 feet apart.
>
> Finally, I would be remiss in not reminding everyone that we need to be a
> bit more careful out there than usual because hospitals, medical
> facilities, and first responders need every asset they have going towards
> the fight against the COVID-19 virus and not towards patching up crash
> victims of bicycle incidents. Just take it a little easier out there for
> the time being.
> Doing everything we can to minimize the spread and flattening the
> infection curve in order to save lives is the sole reason behind many of
> these recommendations
> I know these are very tough times and many of you are going through a lot;
> some being ill, some being on the front lines as medical and first
> responding professionals and volunteers, some have lost jobs, and some have
> had to deal with the terrible reality of losing loved ones and friends. But
> if we do our best to follow a few simple guidelines, we can be good
> stewards of our sport and possibly cut one of those viral links that
> creates hardship and sadness in our families and our community.
>
> Thanks, and as always, I look forward to seeing all of you on the road and
> trail (when the trails open back up)
> Kent Koral-Conejo Valley Cyclists