Video: Czech cyclist wheels over empty streets, encourages Praguers to ride alone

Recent spring weather and curve-flattening optimism have brought numerous cyclists out of hibernation in Prague, where biking across forested trails and through urban parks is a favorite pastime.

While the temptation to ditch the face-masks and organize a group ride gets stronger every day, one group of cyclists is appealing to bike enthusiasts to continue to respect the restrictions and abide by the face-mask rules, to ride alone and avoid gathering in popular spots.

“Noticing the growing number of groups of cyclists, runners, and walkers, I was disappointed to see people flaunt the rules on social distancing,” says Michael Mourecek, a former pro-cyclist and founder of Festka bike manufacturers.

Mourecek approached filmmaking friends and together they made a video that appeals to cyclists to respect the restrictions “in order for us all to be able to ride together again soon.” 

“As lovers of cycling we completely understand the temptation but we also realize how much is at stake and so we thought we should ask our community to hold out and behave responsibly,” he says.

The principal creators of the video — the director Jan Krofta, DOP Jiří Švorc, and Moureček in the role of the lone rider — filmed in locations typically teeming with hundreds, even thousands of tourists and Prague, shown completely deserted except for the solitary cyclist.

The visual impact of these images is strong and it carries a huge significance, say the creators of the video.

Czech lawmakers recently released a five-step plan to loosen the restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.