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

[Alex321]

Longest ride of the year so far at 51 miles, though Strava only shows 48 because I accidentally paused my Wahoo and didn't notice I hadn't succeeded in unpausing it for 3 miles I know how long it actually was because I was following a route downloaded from Komoot, and will actually have one a fe hundred yards extra because of two wrong turns noticed after a few seconds and turning back.

Beautiful day for it, with very little wind, and mostly sunny - not particularly warm though, mostly around 15C.

The route took me down into Cardiff, then out through Leckwith and Dinas Powis, going through Porthkerry Park on the outskirts of Barry - several roads I had never ridden before (or only in the other direction in one case)

 

[lazybloke]

Only need 3 more rides to hit my 61km target, but could be tricky with so much going on in life at the mo.

So absolutely zero hope of stretching to 100km, which looked a possibility earlier in the year.

 

[Alex321]

After more than 2 years since the last 50 mile ride, two in 6 days. Followed up Monday's 51 mile with a 57 mile today, up to The Bwlch from the Natymoel side, then down via Port Talbot, with a stop for coffee & cake at the Base café near the entrance t the Afan country park.

Blooming cold at the top, with a strong wind and 12C actual temperature.

Looking down over Treorchy

And down the Afan valley towards Cymmer & Port talbot

Interior of the Café

 

[Alex321]

And my third qualifying ride in 8 days

As near perfect weather as you can get for cycling, very little wind, temperature mostly comfortable. A really enjoyable ride around the coast, with a diversion through West Aberthaw, then past the quarry at East Aberthaw, which pushed the miles up to 40 (just). Stopped for coffee and cake at Café Velo in Llantwit Major. They open until 4pm now (was alwasy 3pm until recently).

My fitness has obviously got back to a decent level, given I did my first 50 miler for 2 years last Monday, then 57 on Saturday and 40 today, and I'm not feeling too knackered at all.

Ogmore castle

East Aberthaw Quarry

 

[lazybloke]

And my third qualifying ride in 8 days

Well done, an excellent commitment to lunacy!

Just don't leave your last rides too late; i was a little busy in my Christmas break back in 2023, doing lunacy rides on 17th, 26th and just scraping in on 31st to hit my target.

 

[bluenotebob]

A rare day in Brittany today – almost no wind at all. I took advantage and got a 110km ride done. Just one more ride over 105+km to do before Year-End to get me to 13 rides this year over 105km.

Took a shade under 7.5 hours (cycling by 11am and back to the van just before 6.30pm). Knackered and hungry this evening – but pleased I got this ride done. My first metric century since 28th July (August and September were horrible months).

The route was: Mauron, Ploërmel, Mi-Voie, Clavelaie, le Pré Robert, Pleucadeuc (gare), D112, Coëtdelo, le Chapeau de Roche, D149, le Chenil/Gournava, Questembert (Bel-Air), le Chenil/Gournava, Pleucadeuc (gare), la Mare, chapelle St-Barthélemy, le Gorais, Chaumusset, Mocpaix, la Landelle, la Tayée, Ploërmel, Mauron

 

[steverob]

One more Lunacy ride today to make it so that my 13th longest ride increases to 64 miles. Likelihood of me pushing that to 65 before the end of the year is pretty slim, as it would need 3 more rides and the clocks are soon to change, which normally marks the end of my long rides season.

 

[FrothNinja]

Did a multi stage qualifier on Tuesday. Quite a bit in the rain but it was cold enough to leave the waterproof on.
I was going to try and get a climbing qualifier in by doing the Nick of Pendle but the lingering lurgy effect was kicking in so I rode back along the valley bottom from Whalley to Sabden.
There was a jam in the other direction a kilometre long that ran from Whalley past Portfield towards Sabden.
In spite of being warm and dry the occupants of the tin cans looked unhappy.
Turns out someone had inverted their broom broom on the descent to Sabden from the Nick. I wouldn't have been able to get up to 40mph as per usual so I felt doubly smug taking the line of least resistance.

 

[Alex321]

Ninth qualifying ride today Doing the Bwlch from another side. I've only ever gone up (only 3 times!) from Nantymoel before, this time went up from Treorchy side, and back via Nantymoel.

Raining for most of the way up the RHondda valley, with a headwind. Winds very strong from Treorchy to Bryncethin, which actually bothered me more on the way down than the way up. On the way up, it just made it harder work, but on the way down, it made me feel a little unstable on the bike. But although it was wet and windy, it wasn't cold. Temperatures never dropped into single figures.

 

[bluenotebob]

Belated congratulations to all this year’s finishers: @Sea of vapours, @steverob , @FrothNinja, @cyberknight ... and me.

Good luck (and good weather) to the two still to finish this year’s challenge: @lazybloke and @Alex321.

@FrothNinja – you still need one more ride to get to your 2025 stretch target of 50 miles? Another long-distance commute in the rain still to do?

Although I reached my 2025 target a while ago, I’m still hopeful of getting one more ride in over 105km - but I’ve been hampered by the weather (persistently wet and windy) and the road conditions (muddy and slippery). As I’ve written elsewhere on the forum, I’m getting a new bike in a week or so which I hope will allow me to get over the line. We’ll see …

There have been some outstanding rides posted in the Challenge this year – including @lazybloke's 411km plus a couple more over 200km, and @Sea of vapours 's three 200+km rides. There’s an appropriate line in a Rosanne Cash song somewhere … “it’s a hard road but it fits your shoes” … spectacular achievements. Well done to both of you.

Anyone’s thoughts turning to 2026 yet?

I guess @cyberknight and @steverob will be returning to the MCAM challenge next year. Good luck getting your January rides in. And if you don’t succeed, then you know where we are …

It would be great if we could increase the number of entrants in next year’s challenge. I tried targeting some new (and past) Lunacy riders last Dec which resulted in a flicker of interest – a couple joined us but then they disappeared without trace. Oh, well. I’ll have another go next month and if that doesn’t work, I won’t bother again.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Thanks for the summary and congratulations. Let's hope some more interest can be stirred up for next year. Congratulations to everyone from me too.

 

[cyberknight]

ok here goes ..

Belated congratulations to all this year’s finishers: @Sea of vapours, @steverob , @FrothNinja, @cyberknight ... and me.

Good luck (and good weather) to the two still to finish this year’s challenge: @lazybloke and @Alex321.

@FrothNinja – you still need one more ride to get to your 2025 stretch target of 50 miles? Another long-distance commute in the rain still to do?

Although I reached my 2025 target a while ago, I’m still hopeful of getting one more ride in over 105km - but I’ve been hampered by the weather (persistently wet and windy) and the road conditions (muddy and slippery). As I’ve written elsewhere on the forum, I’m getting a new bike in a week or so which I hope will allow me to get over the line. We’ll see …

There have been some outstanding rides posted in the Challenge this year – including @lazybloke's 411km plus a couple more over 200km, and @Sea of vapours 's three 200+km rides. There’s an appropriate line in a Rosanne Cash song somewhere … “it’s a hard road but it fits your shoes” … spectacular achievements. Well done to both of you.

Anyone’s thoughts turning to 2026 yet?

I guess @cyberknight and @steverob will be returning to the MCAM challenge next year. Good luck getting your January rides in. And if you don’t succeed, then you know where we are …

It would be great if we could increase the number of entrants in next year’s challenge. I tried targeting some new (and past) Lunacy riders last Dec which resulted in a flicker of interest – a couple joined us but then they disappeared without trace. Oh, well. I’ll have another go next month and if that doesn’t work, I won’t bother again.

im glad i got mine done as i am not doing long rides atm, possibly for the rest of the year dependant on how the knee heals ,

 

[bluenotebob]

i am not doing long rides atm, possibly for the rest of the year dependant on how the knee heals ,

Good luck with getting back to full fitness before 1st Jan

 

[FrothNinja]

Belated congratulations to all this year’s finishers: @Sea of vapours, @steverob , @FrothNinja, @cyberknight ... and me.

Good luck (and good weather) to the two still to finish this year’s challenge: @lazybloke and @Alex321.

@FrothNinja – you still need one more ride to get to your 2025 stretch target of 50 miles? Another long-distance commute in the rain still to do?

Although I reached my 2025 target a while ago, I’m still hopeful of getting one more ride in over 105km - but I’ve been hampered by the weather (persistently wet and windy) and the road conditions (muddy and slippery). As I’ve written elsewhere on the forum, I’m getting a new bike in a week or so which I hope will allow me to get over the line. We’ll see …

There have been some outstanding rides posted in the Challenge this year – including @lazybloke's 411km plus a couple more over 200km, and @Sea of vapours 's three 200+km rides. There’s an appropriate line in a Rosanne Cash song somewhere … “it’s a hard road but it fits your shoes” … spectacular achievements. Well done to both of you.

Anyone’s thoughts turning to 2026 yet?

I guess @cyberknight and @steverob will be returning to the MCAM challenge next year. Good luck getting your January rides in. And if you don’t succeed, then you know where we are …

It would be great if we could increase the number of entrants in next year’s challenge. I tried targeting some new (and past) Lunacy riders last Dec which resulted in a flicker of interest – a couple joined us but then they disappeared without trace. Oh, well. I’ll have another go next month and if that doesn’t work, I won’t bother again.

Thanks - I suspect that continuing car issues will mean I do it, and almost certainly in the rain.
The last commute was the same length as the one that was 13th so it didn't go on any challenge.

 

[FrothNinja]

Hit my extra stretch target today. A lovely run in. Sunny, cool, and not too much hassle from the wind plus not too much crud to dodge.
Return journey - horrid. Wet, windy, poop light conditions, and slippery as anything.
Stopped at a friends about half way home for a coffee and revive.
If I replace my car it will be with something more reliable so these enforced journies will not occur which will make exceeding this years total rather tricky. Is it possible to do a reverse stretch? Mayhap call it a contraction
Hope everyone else achieves their targets is a more pleasureable way - or already has done...