In an ideal world, the 17-year-old would be gearing up for an assault on the Oceania Road Championships in Brisbane this weekend.

But as social distancing measures become more strict with gatherings restricted to just two people, at least Barnhill can still get the miles in the legs doing what he loves.

He said training without being able to work toward a race is a mental challenge, but is confident he can build on a strong back end to last year when, and if, competitive cycling resumes.

"It's not ideal but it is what it is and hopefully there's some racing at the end of the year," he said.

"I think I would have done pretty well, I was in some pretty good form. The course suited me too, as it had a nice climb in it.

"I'd been doing a fair bit of training by myself. I knew a couple of weeks ago it (Oceania championships) was going to get cancelled.

"We had started training with some more intense, shorter stuff because the course wasn't too hilly. But once we heard it got cancelled we stopped doing the real hard training and started doing more base work for the racing at the end of the year."

Barnhill finished eighth in the under-19 division at the National Road Championships in January.

After finishing fifth overall in last September's Tour de DMZ in Korea, his first full overseas tour, Barnhill then won the final stage of New Zealand's Yunca Junior Tour of Southland.

He is confident the extended layoff from competition won't hurt his chances of salvaging something from 2020 when the final stages of the National Road Series hopefully take place.

"The end of the National Road Series will hopefully be raced, which is probably the most intensive racing in Australia," he said.

"There's some good names racing there and I'll get ready for that, then the nationals again in January hopefully."

The social distancing rules will hit cycling particularly hard, especially in the recreational, community scene where it's a social outlet for many.

But he said it won't greatly alter his training schedule.

"It is hard training when there's no racing at the end of it," he said.

"But I like being out on the bike by myself and that doesn't really bother me too much. Even when I was training previously before this all happened, I was training by myself usually.

"Riding in a bunch makes it easier but there's no specific stuff that adds to your training in a bunch, other than the fact you're riding with your mates."

Barnhill's Tasmania-based coach has given him a program to help him be ready for when cycling resumes after the coronavirus outbreak.

"I do my own thing according to the program my coach gives me," he said.

"I try to go up to Tumut at least once a week and ride some of the hills there because there's usually no one out there, which is ideal.

"Once a week I'm usually training indoors and to stay away from people I usually ride out on the quiet roads."

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