The Annual Lunacy (aka "I Don't Do Winter") Challenge Chatzone

[Fiona R]

I've just realised that the shoulder on the side I fell on is also a bit sore. It looks like the shoulder saved the hip and the hip saved the shoulder!

It is a good job that I didn't have time to get a hand down to break the fall, because I'd probably have broken my wrist instead.

It sounds like a good job it all happened so quickly you couldn't instinctively react! Hope no lasting damage.

 

[ColinJ]

It sounds like a good job it all happened so quickly you couldn't instinctively react! Hope no lasting damage.

It is a beautiful day here so I feel tempted to go out on the bike, but I think I will be sensible and make do with the stroll to the shops that I did earlier. I'll give my body another day to recover from the weekend ride. It definitely takes me longer now that I am well into my 60s.

 

[StuartG]

Sorry but reading back 14 pages after my first imperial today is just beyond me. My question is what is the consensus on double-counting this with the 100k challenge? I keep my half and full metric centuries apart but did include any imperial centuries in with the 100k in previous years. Should I continue?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Sorry but reading back 14 pages after my first imperial today is just beyond me. My question is what is the consensus on double-counting this with the 100k challenge? I keep my half and full metric centuries apart but did include any imperial centuries in with the 100k in previous years. Should I continue?

Double counting is fine

 

[ColinJ]

I am keeping my 100 km rides and 50 km rides separate and am attempting to keep my 161 km (100 mile) rides separate too, but realistically it will be more a question of how many I can keep separate. I managed it in March but I doubt that it will be true for all of them!

 

[bluenotebob]

Over the last 2 or 3 years I have explored a long way S and W of here, but rarely ventured N or E. I was curious about that – perhaps it’s psychological – going N on the map means going ‘uphill’? As part of a determined effort to explore further – and to break my continuing reliance on either the V3 Voie Verte or the Nantes-to-Brest canal (which become choked at weekends and almost impassable at speed in June through August) – I plotted a rough route N from here on quiet roads that left options to go much further E if my legs were good. I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t know if they’re going for a long ride until they’ve been out for an hour or so…?

I was climbing easily – just as well, as it was a hilly day’s cycling. Up past Trémorel and up to les Treize Chênes (the furthest N that I’ve ever cycled from home) and then W through St Méen-le-Grand (birthplace of Louison Bobet, TdF champion 1953 to 1955). I followed the VD6 (an onroad Vélo Départmentale that links St Méen with Vitré on the E border of Brittany) to Muel, then up to St-Malon-sur Mel (another personal landmark – the furthest E that I’ve ever cycled from home). Then into the splendid Forêt de Paimpont and more climbing before reaching Paimpont. NW from Paimpont and onto the crest above Concoret and a breath-taking panoramic view to the N. I stopped for a few minutes just drinking in this view. Then home via a slightly loopy route that took me over the 80km mark.

I arrived home to find that a neighbour had wrapped a large wodge of chocolate cake in kitchen paper and plastic, and stuffed it behind my door handle, marked “for after your ride…”. What a nice thing to do – and very much appreciated.

My best day out on the bike this year – just over 5 hours including stops, and totalling 81.52km

 

[StuartG]

So @Supersuperleeds & @ColinJ the consensus on double counting with >100k rides is there is no consensus?

Wasn't yesterday great (at least in Kent)? Warm, sunny & no wind. Perfect for the first imperial ton of the season which is always a stretch even on a flat ride - yes there are parts of Kent that are flat!

 

[steverob]

It doesn't affect me personally because I'm not in either the metric or imperial century challenges this year, only the half century one - and as my target is 65 miles, these two challenges shouldn't really interfere with each other. But even if I was, I would certainly be okay with double counting my rides. This is such a different type of challenge to the others that I can't see any problem with using your other qualifying rides in here as well.

And after all, this challenge is meant to be about "your 13 longest rides of the year" (hopefully with all of those ending up ABOVE your original target), not "your 13 longest rides excluding certain ones that are being tallied elsewhere". I'm not knocking what @ColinJ is doing - it's cool that he wants to make his challenge that little bit tougher for himself - but I think for the rest of us, it's not mandatory to follow along.

 

[ColinJ]

So @Supersuperleeds & @ColinJ the consensus on double counting with >100k rides is there is no consensus?

I think that there IS a consensus - that it is a matter of personal choice, but not saying what the choice should be!

 

[Dogtrousers]

@StuartG entirely up to you. I try to keep mine separate but if I ever should get a month where I can only manage one imperial, I'll definitely bend my own rule and double count it.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Well that was hard. And I've just worked out that I have to do one of those roughly every 2.5 weeks between now and the end of September; mid-October at a push. Whose ^%$£% idea was this anyway @ColinJ ?

Still, it was a good opportunity to traverse the cunningly-named 'Moor Road' between the mighty metropoli of Marske and Newsham. Even for the Pennines, that's a remarkably deserted and 'out there' road: 15km of high moorland with very, very few buildings, a lot of firing range at the south end and with great views in all directions throughout due to the lack of anything whatsoever to get in the way. Not only that, but it offers a surprisingly clear view of the dreaming spires of Middlesbrough's industry, 50km to the ENE. That last 'benefit' is not remotely worth going there for, but the road itself is brilliant; highly recommended (and the 20% bit at the beginning is only about 3-400m).

I may look for an at least slightly flatter route for my next Lunacy ride though.

 

[ColinJ]

I am thinking of starting a new one next year - The Annual Leniency Challenge! Climbs over 5% would be banned, strict ascent limits per ride enforced (125 m?), and no rides over 50 km...

I agree about the frequency of long rides. I lost one today due to illness, and will almost certainly not manage the one I had planned for next weekend either, which will pile up pressure for the months to come. Still, it wouldn't be a 'challenge' if it were not challenging!

I see some very impressive rides already by several of you. I have a lot of catching up to do...

 

[ColinJ]

3,376m in 155km.

That's 21m per km. That's round about what I get if I go and do hill repeats up and down Crystal Palace (plus a few km there & back). Kills me and I never do a total of more than about 30km.

20-21 m/km is typical for up here. I did my March '50' a couple of weeks ago and it was 1,045 m in 50 km, near enough 21 m/km.

Next Sunday's Spring Into The Dales audax has 2,350 m of ascent in 115 km (20.4 m/km) and its sister event in October, Season Of Mists, has about 10% more climbing in about 10% less distance!

@Sea of vapours' ride certainly sounds like a tough one because he had upped his usual metric century by 50% and kept the hilliness.

Our joint Ribble Valley/Dales ride in June will give us some welcome respite... It still has some hills but avoids most of the big ones that we normally use. It will be a mere 14.5 m/km on that ride!

 

[Sea of vapours]

You're both right, @Dogtrousers @ColinJ : 20 or so metres per kilometre is pretty typical around here, and hill repeats would be more tiring since the point would be to try hard, whereas I was trying as little as possible since I wanted to be able to get home! In fact, the 75km middle section of that route, starting at about 50km, was the seriously arduous bit, being 2,500 ish metrres in 75km! (I'd not worked that out before doing it.) Definitely more a late summer type route than an earlly April one.

The June Ribble Valley/Dales ride will be a rather fine combination route. Definitely eaiser overall than a typical year, with some long, 'easy' bits, but not lacking a distinclty challenging upward slope.

 

[Fiona R]

Over the last 2 or 3 years I have explored a long way S and W of here, but rarely ventured N or E. I was curious about that – perhaps it’s psychological – going N on the map means going ‘uphill’? As part of a determined effort to explore further – and to break my continuing reliance on either the V3 Voie Verte or the Nantes-to-Brest canal (which become choked at weekends and almost impassable at speed in June through August) – I plotted a rough route N from here on quiet roads that left options to go much further E if my legs were good. I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t know if they’re going for a long ride until they’ve been out for an hour or so…?

I was climbing easily – just as well, as it was a hilly day’s cycling. Up past Trémorel and up to les Treize Chênes (the furthest N that I’ve ever cycled from home) and then W through St Méen-le-Grand (birthplace of Louison Bobet, TdF champion 1953 to 1955). I followed the VD6 (an onroad Vélo Départmentale that links St Méen with Vitré on the E border of Brittany) to Muel, then up to St-Malon-sur Mel (another personal landmark – the furthest E that I’ve ever cycled from home). Then into the splendid Forêt de Paimpont and more climbing before reaching Paimpont. NW from Paimpont and onto the crest above Concoret and a breath-taking panoramic view to the N. I stopped for a few minutes just drinking in this view. Then home via a slightly loopy route that took me over the 80km mark.

I arrived home to find that a neighbour had wrapped a large wodge of chocolate cake in kitchen paper and plastic, and stuffed it behind my door handle, marked “for after your ride…”. What a nice thing to do – and very much appreciated.

My best day out on the bike this year – just over 5 hours including stops, and totalling 81.52km

That is such a great example of pushing yourself, and what lunacy is about. I've found the same thing, nearly always go south/north or west from here, but rarely east, and east is lovely too. I'm so lucky to live somewhere giving so many options. Especially useful when you want to factor in wind, often so much less challenging if you battle wind first and get blown home!

I love cycling in France, we used to have a gite in Charente Maritime and the in laws had one on Normandy/Brittany borders for a few years before that. roads much quieter, very respectful drivers and our neighbours, all of them, were all lovely even though we were the second home owners renting ours out. Once we got back from a ride and Eric handed a dozen shucked oysters on a plate over the wall. Last year first year in about 20 with no French visit, wil make amends this year now we can visit any part.