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

[ColinJ]

And the winner of the 'Lunatic of the Year, 2019' competition is...

 

[lane]

Well done sounds a hard ride. Poor show with the audax organisation though. Is this something the audax powers that be should look into?

 

[Supersuperleeds]

14th one done, 219km from Leicester to York on 27th Sept to go see the road championships. Might have been a bit wet

Now updated the challenge thread and put them in order

 

[Fiona R]

And the winner of the 'Lunatic of the Year, 2019' competition is...

is/are: @Supersuperleeds @ColinJ and @Sea of vapours jointly mad as hatters

 

[lane]

Well weather looked good on Saturday and I had a bit of free time so set off around 11am to follow a new route I had devised. Route went out from Derby to Swarkstone Bridge and via Hartshorne to Ashby de la Zouch and Packington before turning eastwards and climbing into the Charnwood Forest. I was planning to stop for some food at the new Cafe at Beacon Hill Country Park at 60km but with the climbing and some other delays it was about 2.30pm by the time I reached the cafe by which time I was distinctly hungry. Anyway had a nice pastie and some fruit cake and felt lots better. Then it was downhill to Barrow upon Soar and a flat ride with tail wind thereafter until I got home having completed 98km. Also had a short stop at Sawley Marina about 10km from home to buy a drink from the shop.

My main objective devising the route was to ride something a bit hillier than my normal quite flat rides. There was 860m of climbing which although not a lot for many of you is more than I normally do. However the real bonus was that this turned out to be a cracking route scenery wise, with lots of small lanes, little villages and lovely views. Definitely one to repeat.

Got home around 5pm with about 5.5 hours of moving time and another 1 hour stopped.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

15th one done. Currently sat on the train having done 128 miles. Ride home from station will take the day over 130 miles. Too knackered to convert that into km but it should be circa 210 by the time I get home.

 

[bluenotebob]

My 14th ride just completed. It looked like the only day this week to get a decent ride in, and despite the wind being stronger than forecast and the occasional shower, it was a good day to be on the bike. I put the bike in the van and drove into Mauron. I cycled all the way down the V3 Voie Verte to Questembert - a tarmac surface and 100% traffic-free trail - and then back again (just under six hours on the bike). If I had a complaint (which seems churlish) it was that in many places the trail was ankle-deep in conkers.. but apart from that, it was a splendid day's cycling.

My first 100km+ ride this year (I don't know why it has taken me so long this year to do one), I've now passed 7000km for the year, and I've finally managed to 'relegate' a ride in this competition.

 

[ColinJ]

My 2019 cycling mojo is evaporating in step with the diminishing hours of daylight, falling temperatures, increasing amounts of rain and the general feeling that I would like to hibernate! I just want to get the final Lunacy ride under my belt then cut down to a maximum distance of ~100kms for the winter months.

I had intended to do the ride today but realised that I was tired from lack of sleep recently so decided to cut it down to a metric century for the sister challenge. In the end, I was so tired that I slept through my alarm and woke up too late to ride 100 kms in daylight unless I chose a flat, busy, and boring route. I did some bike fettling instead... At least I now have my turbo trainer bike ready for coming indoor winter exercise.

Let's hope that we get a mild, dry, sunny and wind-free day next week so I can complete my Lunacy challenge in comfort!

 

[IBarrett]

Well weather looked good on Saturday and I had a bit of free time so set off around 11am to follow a new route I had devised. Route went out from Derby to Swarkstone Bridge and via Hartshorne to Ashby de la Zouch and Packington before turning eastwards and climbing into the Charnwood Forest. I was planning to stop for some food at the new Cafe at Beacon Hill Country Park at 60km but with the climbing and some other delays it was about 2.30pm by the time I reached the cafe by which time I was distinctly hungry. Anyway had a nice pastie and some fruit cake and felt lots better. Then it was downhill to Barrow upon Soar and a flat ride with tail wind thereafter until I got home having completed 98km. Also had a short stop at Sawley Marina about 10km from home to buy a drink from the shop.

My main objective devising the route was to ride something a bit hillier than my normal quite flat rides. There was 860m of climbing which although not a lot for many of you is more than I normally do. However the real bonus was that this turned out to be a cracking route scenery wise, with lots of small lanes, little villages and lovely views. Definitely one to repeat.

Got home around 5pm with about 5.5 hours of moving time and another 1 hour stopped.

Would you mind either sharing your route or if you have one your Strava profile so I can see your ride. My Strava profile is “Ian barrett #VCB#”
I’m out at the mid point of your ride here near Ruddington so your circular ride looks interesting and one I can do from here.

 

[lane]

@IBarrett I have linked to the ride in the other lunacy thread where we record the rides

Edit here it is

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/5kWSS8nIO0

 

[Aravis]

Thirteen 200+ km rides completed and thread updated. Do I wait for my chilli pepper to be awarded, or just copy one from somewhere?

Looking back through my records, the most rides of that length I'd done in a year previously was 9, in 2016, followed by 8 in 1988 and 1990, a pretty positive outcome. If I manage to complete RRtY in the next two months the total will go up to 15. But on the other hand, with a couple of spells of illness I've only ridden on 19 days in total this year, and the stats suggest I've lost about 10% of my capacity. But apart from the time it now usually takes, making wintertime an even bigger challenge, riding 125 miles/200 km still isn't a problem, so I'm not entirely sure where this is leading.

@Cranky Knee Girl, watching you spiralling ever upwards has been wonderful, even though you're making my own decline ever more apparent. I'll forgive you though.

 

[Fiona R]

Thirteen 200+ km rides completed and thread updated. Do I wait for my chilli pepper to be awarded, or just copy one from somewhere?

Looking back through my records, the most rides of that length I'd done in a year previously was 9, in 2016, followed by 8 in 1988 and 1990, a pretty positive outcome. If I manage to complete RRtY in the next two months the total will go up to 15. But on the other hand, with a couple of spells of illness I've only ridden on 19 days in total this year, and the stats suggest I've lost about 10% of my capacity. But apart from the time it now usually takes, making wintertime an even bigger challenge, riding 125 miles/200 km still isn't a problem, so I'm not entirely sure where this is leading.

@Cranky Knee Girl, watching you spiralling ever upwards has been wonderful, even though you're making my own decline ever more apparent. I'll forgive you though.

Brilliant you. My DIY on Saturday never got off the ground, too shattered just from spin/gym and work on Friday. was laid low the previous week with a virus. i've not been ill in several years so can't complain, although I am. I feel like I am on borrowed time, with knee, back, eyesiight etc. Got to see where I can get to, see if I can achieve something. I only started cycling 5 years ago so have no glory days.

 

[Fiona R]

Ooph I'm home, my 13th lunatic ride complete.

I'm glad I left my DIY 200 unridden last Saturday, i feel so much better physically this week and the weather forecast was better. i went out yesterday solo and did the route I did back in February as an "insurance policy" for RRtY. This time the other way round so flat first half out to Clevedon, Weston super Mare (huge motorcycle racing on the beach meant right of way was closed so was relieved to escape) and all the various Somerset seaside resorts to Glastonbury for lunch. I wanted to get round in daylight so carried food and just intended to have one cafe stop. it should have been an easy hour to Cheddar but I got caught behind a herd of cows being moved in the Godney lanes and a record breaking 20 minutes for 2km. it had been quite chilly, and I had mainly missed the cloud bursts but the sun came out for Cheddar Gorge. Relatively quiet, very few cyclists seen all day. Cars OK. I pushed on over the top unusually carrying straight on and descending towards Jack and Jill Hill and Kilmersdon. Nasty kicker at Norton St Phillip and a lovely ride through the Two Tunnels and then the Bristol to Bath path at dusk. Even though I'd been snacking on almond butter and marmite rolls I was feeling quite wobbly, the lovely Warmley Waiting Room Cafe were packing up after 5 but kindly let me use the tardis (in which is the WC) and sold me a flapjack and a nice cold can of San Pelligrino which I sat on the platform consuming for 20 minutes as they all went home. I then managed to freeze my Garmin by checking I hadn't stopped it and pressed start stop in quick succession. Blinking good job I had phone recording as a back up for my DIY submission. Managed to get through Bristol before total dark and home at 6.30. Without cows, motorbikes and avoiding the Warmley stop I would have just about made my 5.30 goal.

It doesn't seem to get easier or faster!

Interestingly the same route as February, the other way round recorded 5km further but 230m less climbing.

i still have unfinished RRtY business for this year. But I'm a paid up lunatic now

 

[lane]

Well done @Cranky Knee Girl an impressive list of rides on this challenge.

 

[ColinJ]

I feel like I am on borrowed time, with knee, back, eyesiight etc. Got to see where I can get to, see if I can achieve something.

I'm sure that it won't be long now...

Ooph I'm home, my 13th lunatic ride complete.

Told you so - well done!