2023 Consistency Challenge

[si_c]

The idea of this challenge is to encourage consistency over the 12 months rather than forcing you to log big rides.

Rides over a certain distance will net you points, and you score cumulatively over the year with each month being subject to a cap. Rides that you use for the metric/imperial century/half century rides can be included in this challenge.

Scoring:

25miles / 40km - 1 pt
50miles / 80km - 2 pt
100miles / 160km 3pt

Rules:

1) Only 1 contributing ride per day
2) Each ride must be unbroken with no extended breaks between the start/finish (so commutes won't count, sorry).
3) You may allocate a total of 3 rides to a different month over the course of the year and the points for that ride will contribute to that month's score (this is to allow late starters to catch up). Such an allocation will still be subject to the receiving month's cap.
4) You can score no more than 10 points in a given month, you may log additional rides here, but you won't score points for them.
5) This is done on an honour system, but if you think you will be competing for a top spot then including a link to the strava/rwgps/garmin/komoot ride might be a good idea.
6) If a ride starts before midnight and ends after midnight on the last day of a month, you can choose which month you want it to apply to.

Bonus points:

1000m/3200ft climbing - 0.5pt, max 2pts per month
Logging a ride - 1pt, max 1pt per month

You can start at any point in the year by replying, and I will link your entry below, please edit your post to keep track of the rides, one line for each ride, including distance, climbing (if you want the bonus points), dates ride completed over and the month the ride will apply to if not the month of completion. Please keep a running tally of points at the top of your post.

I'll tally up the points at the end of the year and we'll have a scoreboard to see how everyone got on.

 

[si_c]

Challenge Entrants below


Joffey
Alex321
Si_C
bluenotebob

 

[Joffey]

Do Zwift rides count?

 

[si_c]

Do Zwift rides count?

Hmm. I had to think about that, the point is to encourage consistency and getting out on your bike primarily, but not everyone can all the time. That being said, it's a challenge not a competition, so yes, virtual rides can count. However when compiling the list at the end I'll tag anyone who includes virtual rides.

 

[Joffey]

I'm in. I should do enough outdoor not to need Zwift anyway 👍

 

[Alex321]

I'm in. How long is "extended" - how long can you spend in a Café stop?

I'll do it in miles, as that is what I have my Wahoo set to show me while I'm riding.

 

[si_c]

I'm in. How long is "extended" - how long can you spend in a Café stop?

I'll do it in miles, as that is what I have my Wahoo set to show me while I'm riding.

Sure, by extended I mean several hours, having a cafe stop mid-ride shouldn't be constrained by time. No reason on a longer ride you shouldn't be able to have multiple cafe stops. It's a judgement call for the rider.

 

[si_c]

I'm in as well I suppose. I'll do it in km as that's how I tend to think when riding. Although I display miles on my GPS, go figure.

 

[bluenotebob]

I'll join in the fun too .. I like the sound of re-allocating a few rides between months. Anything that takes the pressure off Dec/Jan/Feb..

What's the position re bike changes? I have a habit of going out late morning on one of my mountain bikes, coming home, grabbing a banana then going out on my road bike for a much longer ride ... and counting the overall distance done on both bikes as one ride.

I didn't understand the reference to 'logging a ride' - what does that mean and why does it qualify for a bonus point?

I also like the idea of getting a point for a 40km ride .. a lot of my rides in 2022 were between 40 and 45km.

And yes, my 'distance measure' will be kilometres.

 

[si_c]

I'll join in the fun too .. I like the sound of re-allocating a few rides between months. Anything that takes the pressure off Dec/Jan/Feb..

What's the position re bike changes? I have a habit of going out late morning on one of my mountain bikes, coming home, grabbing a banana then going out on my road bike for a much longer ride ... and counting the overall distance done on both bikes as one ride.

I didn't understand the reference to 'logging a ride' - what does that mean and why does it qualify for a bonus point?

I also like the idea of getting a point for a 40km ride .. a lot of my rides in 2022 were between 40 and 45km.

And yes, my 'distance measure' will be kilometres.

That's why I thought of allowing a few rides to be shifted. Bike changes are fine - if the Pro's can do it, I've not got a problem. Presuming of course that you don't get home, have a shower, read the paper, watch some TV and then go out again

I was trying to get a balance for this challenge, a lot of the other ones are for longer distances, not everyone wants or is able to do a 100mi ride each month, but 3 or 4 25mile rides is much more achievable, and if you go for a longer ride then you don't need to do as many short rides.

Logging a ride simply means you did a qualifying ride in that month, it's a consistency bonus, if you ride every month you get 12 additional points through the year, if you don't ride in Jan/Dec and move a ride or two around through the year, you only get 10 points.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Why isn’t 100 miles worth 4 points?

 

[si_c]

Why isn’t 100 miles worth 4 points?

I thought about that, but the objective was to encourage participants to get out and ride their bikes, if it was four points then the incentive might be towards doing fewer but longer rides instead. So you still get some recognition for the longer ride but it's weighted towards more frequent shorter rides.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Permit me to be pernickety. This may seem like I'm being negative but better to test the rules now than later.

To complete the challenge you just need to do just one ride of 40km/25mi per month. But if you want to complete it with more points you can. Is that right? In fact (because you can transfer rides), you just need to do 12 40k/25m rides over a period of 9 months at the minimum.

4) You may allocate a total of 3 rides to a different month over the course of the year and the points for that ride will contribute to that month's score (this is to allow late starters to catch up). Such an allocation will still be subject to the receiving month's cap.

So you can skip three months of the challenge and still complete it? An extreme case: You can get to September, transfer three rides, one each into Oct, Nov and Dec and put your feet up. Isn't that the opposite of consistency?
Or if you go on tour and have an excess of rides you can spread them around other months. Again, that doesn't encourage consistency, but rewards binging.

3) You must pick a distance measure at the start of the year, no swapping between km/mi.
What's the thinking behind this rule? What would the problem be if someone logged some rides in miles and some in km? Are you concerned that someone might start out on km, then fall a wee bit short on one ride (eg a 99.5 mile ride) and cheat by swapping to km because their failed ride in miles is a success in km?

40km=24.9 miles; 25 miles=40.2 km (rounded to nearest 0.1)
80km=49.7 miles; 50miles=80.5 km
160km = 99.4 miles; 100 miles = 160.9 km

Surely that's close enough to be equivalent and you don't need this rule? The fewer rules the better. Or am I missing something?
I've no idea why anyone would mix units. Most people stick to their preference. But if someone fancies doing km on even numbered days and miles on odd numbers, what's the harm?

Lastly, There's no mention in the rules that you have to get points in all 12 months at the end of the year to complete the challenge.

It actually sounds like it's intended to be competitive which isn't my thing (that's not a criticism btw, each to their own) so I think I'll stick with the vanilla challenges.

 

[Alex321]

Permit me to be pernickety. This may seem like I'm being negative but better to test the rules now than later.

<snip>

It actually sounds like it's intended to be competitive which isn't my thing (that's not a criticism btw, each to their own) so I think I'll stick with the vanilla challenges.

I think that is right. From the last line of the OP

"I'll tally up the points at the end of the year and we'll have a scoreboard to see how everyone got on."

Though I suspect quite a few will end up with the maximum of 120 points.

I think finishing with 12 points isn't really "completing" the challenge, but there is no definition of what would count as "complete".

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think finishing with 12 points isn't really "completing" the challenge, but there is no definition of what would count as "complete".

I may appear to be being deliberately obtuse here (because I am ) but if there's no definition of what would count as complete - then it's not really a challenge. If finishing with 12 points isn't completing it - what is the lower limit? 13?

And most importantly, do I get a star or other badge? And what does it look like

By being so negative and carping on I'm actually trying to be helpful and possibly improve it.

Here's where I'm coming from. Various challenges on here have been tremendously useful motivational tools for me over the years: I simply have to get out on the bike tomorrow or I'll be out of the challenge (whatever it is). The lunacy challenge waters that motivational power down a bit by allowing you to skip months and then catch up, but the overall target of 13 is enough to get you out of bed. I'm not really seeing the same motivational power in this.

Without some kind of lower limit or a pre-declared personal target (like the luncacy challenge has) or something like that it would be easy to cruise round without trying very hard, and with little chance of failing to finish, and pick up the shiny badge at the end.