Three 30-minute rides each week of the year 2026 challenge

[Jon George]

So far, this week, I've been out and achieved a qualifying ride every day (mostly 50 mins in duration and mostly East of Ipswich in the Nacton and Levington area). At least three of these would have been shorter, if it had not been for this challenge.
If previous months are any indication, I should finish off the week with a Sunday morning pottle around town that will also tick the box.

 

[bluenotebob]

I should finish off the week with a Sunday morning pottle around town that will also tick the box.

All I know of Ipswich comes from a visit to Portman Road over 50 years ago. If it's not raining tomorrow, any chance of some photos of the town?

It's good to know that the challenge is making you ride a bit further every day.

 

[Jon George]

If it's not raining tomorrow, any chance of some photos of the town?

I like a mission.

 

[FrothNinja]

W3R1 - 37 mins - Mon - local miles
W3R2 - 4 hours 59 mins - Tues -Brierfield to Whalley to Preston to Blackburn to Accrington to Cliviger to Brierfield (total 62.6 miles / 100.7 km, plus 1,115m / 3,658ft)
W3R3 - 35 mins - Thu - local miles
W3R4 - 34 mins - Sat - local miles
May do a ride later, but probably not over 30 mins.

 

[Jon George]

I suppose I could say that the sun shines down on the righteous, or that The Devil looks after his own (I've had my feet in either camp at one time or the other. ), but when I left my house this morning it was overcast, it then brightened for an hour, and then became overcast again just as I got back. All of which to say is that I was able to get some have decent photos of parts of Ipswich for @bluenotebob.

What I still continue to call The Docks - even though it has been rebranded as The Waterfront - is now a marina.

The Willis Building (designed by Norman Foster and Wendy Cheesman) at the end of Civic Drive reflecting St Francis Tower.

The town centre now has a portal. It is sculpture that connects with identical structures in other countries - Vilnius in Lithuania, Lublin in Poland and Dublin in Ireland - to name just three. You can pause and wave at strangers.

And the view of what other nationalities must see of the Cornhill from their respective portal. (The Town Hall and the old Post Office building .)

And finally, Ipswich is extremely lucky is having a large number of quality parks, the main one being Christchurch Park that has an Elizabethan mansion set in about eighty odd acres of rolling parkland and is only a five minute walk from the town centre. It was gifted to the town in the late nineteenth century and, to their credit, the council decided not to make use of it as an opportunity to build houses.

I'm sure I'll be providing more tourist pics for everyone as the year progresses.

 

[bluenotebob]

I'm sure I'll be providing more tourist pics for everyone as the year progresse

Yes, please !

It's much nicer than I'd imagined. Who knew? (well, you did obviously). That's come as a complete surprise to me.

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 3: 7 local rides over 30 mins (including one HMCAM ride); 12.3 hours on the bike; distance cycled 185.29km (1045m of Ascent)

A reasonable week for mid-January, despite missing a couple of days. Six bikes got at least one ride so the cycling was equitably shared around.

Ride 1: Monday 12th Jan – local ride on the RAID: 16.22km, 69 mins
Ride 2: Tuesday 13th Jan – HMCAM ride on the Crosshill: 66.35km, 4hrs 8 mins
Ride 3: Thursday 15th Jan – local ride on the MASSI: 17.34km, 83 mins
Ride 4: Saturday 17th Jan (1) – VV ride on the Princess: 25.48km, 99 mins
Ride 5: Saturday 17th Jan (2) – local ride on the Urban Shaper: 15.25km, 64 mins
Ride 6: Sunday 18th Jan (1) – Brignac loop on Katie-Mae: 33.37km, 2 hrs 6 mins
Ride 7: Sunday 18th Jan (2) – short local loop on the RAID: 11.28km, 49 mins

Photo below from Tuesday’s ride and described in the ‘My Picture of the Day’ thread:

 

[wiggydiggy]

Week 3

1. Sat - 7.8m - 0:45
2. Sat - 6.6m - 0:30
3. Sun - 14m - 1:15

1+2 local rides, pic below. 3 I was visiting relatives so took the bike, had a spin into Preston to check out the Tramway Bridge works. The bridge is there but still not open, it's been closed since 2019 so that's only 6 years 😂 Some of the Tramway is also now closed so at least there making an effort to drag it up to standard.

I've got a 25m loop in the area I didn't feel up to doing today but will do next time,

Not pictured is the bird of prey I stopped not 10ft from and was too blind to notice before it flew away lol.

Local
The motte of an old motte and bailey castle




Preston
Route 55, fields and river.


Tramway Bridge, not finished. Note lack of bird of prey lol


Ride Time Pondering
On RideWithGPS when the data from my Garmin syncs, it displays a 'moving time' value which doesn't include stops. That the figure I've been posting.

Do we include stops in ride time (photos not lunch for instance). Or am I over thinking this?

E.g. This mornings ride was 1:34 but moving time 1:15

 

[FrothNinja]

Week 3: 7 local rides over 30 mins (including one HMCAM ride); 12.3 hours on the bike; distance cycled 185.29km (1045m of Ascent)

A reasonable week for mid-January, despite missing a couple of days. Six bikes got at least one ride so the cycling was equitably shared around.

Ride 1: Monday 12th Jan – local ride on the RAID: 16.22km, 69 mins
Ride 2: Tuesday 13th Jan – HMCAM ride on the Crosshill: 66.35km, 4hrs 8 mins
Ride 3: Thursday 15th Jan – local ride on the MASSI: 17.34km, 83 mins
Ride 4: Saturday 17th Jan (1) – VV ride on the Princess: 25.48km, 99 mins
Ride 5: Saturday 17th Jan (2) – local ride on the Urban Shaper: 15.25km, 64 mins
Ride 6: Sunday 18th Jan (1) – Brignac loop on Katie-Mae: 33.37km, 2 hrs 6 mins
Ride 7: Sunday 18th Jan (2) – short local loop on the RAID: 11.28km, 49 mins

Photo below from Tuesday’s ride and described in the ‘My Picture of the Day’ thread:

View attachment 798093

Is that a genuine menhir or landscaping?
I would like it to be the former but suspect the latter...

 

[FrothNinja]

Do we include stops in ride time (photos not lunch for instance). Or am I over thinking this?

Its moving time - I just use the moving time shown on my device. That would include pushing the bike over ice or places where riding was forbidden (or up boring hills)

 

[bluenotebob]

Is that a genuine menhir or landscaping?
I would like it to be the former but suspect the latter...

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/my-picture-of-the-day-wheres-yours.117414/post-7563018

 

[bluenotebob]

Do we include stops in ride time (photos not lunch for instance). Or am I over thinking this?

Sorry @wiggydiggy ... you raised this question earlier and I forgot to reply.

As @FrothNinja says above it's moving time and doesn't include stops.

I'll make a note to amend the first post in this thread so that it'll be clear for anyone joining this challenge in 2027.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Sorry @wiggydiggy ... you raised this question earlier and I forgot to reply.

As @FrothNinja says above it's moving time and doesn't include stops.

I'll make a note to amend the first post in this thread so that it'll be clear for anyone joining this challenge in 2027.

I don't use the Garmin Connect app much so it confused me when I looked at it today and the rides appeared to be longer - you have look at the detailed stats to see the moving time. RWGPS app is the opposite, the summary shows the moving time and you look at detailed stats to see the total time out.

No idea why the Garmin app does that as the Garmin computer clearly shows moving time and it auto pauses when stopped.

 

[bluenotebob]

you have look at the detailed stats to see the moving time. RWGPS app is the opposite, the summary shows the moving time and you look at detailed stats to see the total time out.

I think we all use slightly different bike computers - but they all show 'moving time' as well as 'overall elapsed time' for the ride.

Opening post for this thread now amended so we're all on the same page (and it won't need to be changed at the start of next year).

Good luck everyone in Week 4 - it's going to be a very wet and windy week here with a succession of Atlantic lows sweeping in pretty much every day.

 

[FrothNinja]

Did a Lunacy qualifier yesterday. Dark by the time I got home - and cloudy so no Aurora for me