The trails are a great way to stay active and healthy during these times of self-isolation. Keeping ourselves and our communities safe means making responsible choices when we ride. Here are some tips to keep your trails and community safe during COVID 19:
- Ride solo or with your family/roommates – Practice social distancing by riding solo or only with who you have been self-isolating with. Keep your distance around others on the trails, at the trailhead, and parking lots.
- Avoid busy trailheads – Find solitude and help protect your community by finding places or times to ride that do not draw a crowd. Check online to see if your local trails are still open.
- Ride within your limits – Ride smart and conservatively to minimize your risk of injury. Our healthcare system does not need the additional strain of injuries. Now is not the time to ride that new trail you’ve been eyeing up.
- Cancel group events – Group events such as rides, races, and trail development days should be canceled or postponed until self-isolation is no longer recommended by Health Canada.
- Take care of your trails – Reach out to your trail association and ask how you can help maintain the trails. With the cancelation of group trail builds and an increase in traffic on the trails, maintenance will definitely be needed. There’s always lots of work to do that can be done alone such as clearing up water drainage and picking up garbage.
- Support your local bike shop – Reach out to your local bike shop to see how you can still get your bike serviced or consider grabbing a gift card to help them financially through these tough times.
These are difficult times but together we can get through it. Enjoy your ride, stay informed and stay safe.