Isn't it nice: We can ride racing bikes! That's pretty much how you can do it Corona crisis summarize for us cyclists. Compared to other athletes who practice a team sport, we are really lucky. We are allowed to continue cycling and even with someone else. COVID-19 has messed up everything in the world and we will have to deal with the consequences for a very long time, but we can cycle. The only rule that puts a bit of a damper on my spirits is the travel ban. I would love to go back for a long weekend bikepacking Tour or for training in the Harz Mountains, but I still have to be patient.
What can I do right now and what not
Actually, that's still the case travel ban. That means: You are not allowed to leave your federal state for tourist reasons. Schleswig Holstein even had very strict entry bans that were enforced by the police. After the first few weeks, this rule was relaxed a bit for athletes, this mainly affects us cyclists. We were allowed to cycle back to Schleswig Holstein pretty quickly if we didn't stop. A bit clumsy on my part, but that's roughly how the rule works. Otherwise it would be really difficult to do long tours in Hamburg without leaving the federal state. Hamburg is quite small and you almost always leave the city-state.
Are long bike rides allowed?
Absolutely yes! Go wherever you want and come back in the evening. You can of course fill up your supplies at the petrol station or in the supermarket, but you can't have a picnic. Actually, that's acceptable, we just don't have the opportunity to stay at a campsite or in a hotel. But it could be worse.
What is gray area
Now let's get to a point that's burning under my nails. I would like to go to the Harz and two days in the mountains, unfortunately you can't book anywhere at the moment. But my sister lives nearby and I could sleep with her and use that as a base for trips.
Is this allowed? Is it touristy if I visit family?
Unfortunately I can't answer it and I think that's more likely Gray area is. Family visits are definitely allowed, as is physical activity. I tend to test that once I get free.
Training during Corona
Let's get back to the everyday training situation. To be honest, it's actually quite pleasant for us at the moment. The traffic is much more pleasant because there are far fewer cars on the road and the weather in April was just awesome.
Improved situation through home office
I'm one of those people who have been working from home for almost two months. As a result, I often got away at noon. When I'm in the office - my office is close to the Hamburg Deichtorhallen and therefore to the Veloroute - I can always get to the dike quickly, but I sometimes cycle other routes from home. Because I live in the center of Hamburg, I struggle with a lot of traffic lights and cars, but the variety is nice. I also got a new bike. A Canyon Roadlite AL 7.0. A fitness bike with an aluminum frame, Shimano 105 equipment, disc brakes and 30 tires with a light profile.
I bought this bike for gravel. The RoadLite is actually a racing bike with straight handlebars. At 10kg, the aluminum version is not a lightweight, but it doesn't have to be. I still have two SPD-SL pedals lying around, which I will screw on. In order to be able to use the bike in a relaxed manner in everyday life, I have adapter plates ordered from Rose, which are simply clicked in and provide a surface for normal shoes.
So now I've often ridden Gravel during my home office lunch break. Fewer kilometers and slower, but no less strenuous. Gravel at noon is a great alternative to dike round and I am constantly discovering great new routes that are also excellent for racing bikes.
Conclusion
I think everyone will find something new for themselves during this difficult time and manage to survive the Corona crisis as best as possible. There are even a few advantages for us cyclists: Fewer cars on the streets, cycling is healthy and strengthens the immune system and we hardly have to accept any restrictions. My hope is that the positive effects of the crisis will continue into the future. That more people prefer to exercise in the fresh air and that the infrastructure for cyclists in the big cities is improving. Even in the car-dominated city of Hamburg, there was already the first pop-up cycle path. A car lane is then closed and reserved for cyclists. There must be more of such actions, then we can perhaps take the positive Corona CO2 effect with us into the future.
Everyone get through the Corona time well and keep fit and healthy!