Three 30-minute rides each week of the year Challenge 2023

[bluenotebob]

Week 38 (18th September to 24th September)

Week 38 – ride 1 (Mon) – 45 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the MASSI
Week 38 – ride 2 (Mon) – 44 mins – SBdM and Plaisance: on the Princess
Week 38 – ride 3 (Mon) – 49 mins – Devison and SBdM: on the Urban Shaper
Week 38 – ride 4 (Tues) – 1 hr – a loopy, twisty ride around Pontmenard and SBdM: on the Urban Shaper
Week 38 – ride 5 (Tues) – 40 mins – local lanes: on the RAID

 

[FrothNinja]

Week 38 (18th September to 24th September)

Week 38 – ride 1 (Mon) – 45 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the MASSI
Week 38 – ride 2 (Mon) – 44 mins – SBdM and Plaisance: on the Princess
Week 38 – ride 3 (Mon) – 49 mins – Devison and SBdM: on the Urban Shaper
Week 38 – ride 4 (Tues) – 1 hr – a loopy, twisty ride around Pontmenard and SBdM: on the Urban Shaper
Week 38 – ride 5 (Tues) – 40 mins – local lanes: on the RAID

Weather must be better over there - constant rain & wind in Pendle

 

[bluenotebob]

Weather must be better over there - constant rain & wind in Pendle

It was OK on Monday but the wind picked up yesterday. I was sheltering behind maize stands and under trees as much as possible to avoid the worst of the wind.

I went out early this morning and managed a 12km ride, even though the wind was gusting over 40 mph.

I still haven't missed a day on the bike this year - and I won't let wind and rain stop me.

 

[FrothNinja]

Just been out for half an hour or so on my local haunts. I averaged over 15 mph / 25 kph and only stopped once. In the wet I either ride at that sort of speed or slower with loads of stops. Think the former occurs when I get to the stage where I am getting withdrawal symptoms and the latter when I am forcing myself to go out to do my 3 30 rides

 

[bluenotebob]

Just been out for half an hour or so on my local haunts. I averaged over 15 mph / 25 kph and only stopped once.

Well done on getting out.

I had another ride this afternoon and the wind was even stronger (like Storm Franklin last year - or the year before..?). It took me 45 mins to go 9km .. so way slower than you. But I enjoyed it - there wasn't a soul out - no cars, vans, tractors or other cyclists/dog walkers... so I indulged in singing nonsense songs as my knuckles turned white trying to control the bike...

It's definitely good for the soul - engaging with nature when it's being intemperate.

 

[FrothNinja]

W38R1 - Centurion 5 speed 39 mins - local miles
W38R2 - Hybrid 35 mins - local miles
W38R3 - Centurion 5 speed 32 mins - local miles
W38R4 - Centurion 5 speed 33 mins - local miles, fast by my standards - averaged 18.3 mph / 29.5 kph but with a top of only 25.6 mph / 41.3 kph
Posting early as I don't think I will get out tomorrow. Just over 2 hours on two wheels for the week is pretty pathetic for September & I still 88.3 miles / 142.1 km off my target distance for the month which won't happen unless it is sunny enough to cycle to work a couple of times (about 50 mile round trip each time. On the plus side I am on track for my annual stretch target.

 

[bluenotebob]

Posting early as I don't think I will get out tomorrow. Just over 2 hours on two wheels for the week is pretty pathetic for September & I still 88.3 miles / 142.1 km off my target distance for the month which won't happen unless it is sunny enough to cycle to work a couple of times (about 50 mile round trip each time. On the plus side I am on track for my annual stretch target.

It's been a difficult month here too. I'm still 220km shy of my target for the month but I'm closing in on my annual target of 10,000km .. should get there mid-October.

My annual stretch target is 12,000km and I'm not confident of reaching it - I'd need a mild, dry and not too windy Nov/Dec .. which is pretty unlikely.

What is your target for Sept? - and what's your stretch target for 2023?

Good luck with the long-distance commutes next week.

 

[ColinJ]

I think my recent lurgy is starting to tail off (at last!) so another quiet cycling week, but at least I have reintroduced the toughest climb on my local circuit.

Week 38: 3 qualifying rides, 30 km, 1.75 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Thu): 11 km. Slightly extended lumpy local loop. 0.75 hr.
• Ride 2 (Sat): 9 km. Less lumpy local loop. 0.5 hr.
• Ride 3 (Sun): 10 km. Slightly extended lumpy local loop. 0.5 hr.

Success rate: 38 weeks out of 38.

127 qualifying rides so far this year, totalling 2,789 km, and taking approximately 174.75 hrs.

*** Rides 1 and 3 mainly done in 42/15 gear on 6-er; ride 2 in 36/14 on CAAD5 (to test new mirror) ***

This year is clearly not going to be a great cycling year for me, but hopefully I will get my cycling fitness and mojo back and do a few more really nice rides before the end of the autumn, then try to keep going through the winter.

I'm not sure what my target would be if all went well next year. Maybe around 8,000 km? (In which case I would be tempted to drop back into imperial units and make it 100 miles a week - 5,200 miles would be 8,369 km.) That would be about double what I am likely to have done by the end of 2023.

First things first... Do my best to complete all 52 weeks this year!

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 39 (25th September to 1st October)

Week 39 – ride 1 (Mon) – 56 mins – Devison, SBdM and Pontmenard: on the Urban Shaper
Week 39 – ride 2 (Mon) – 42 mins – local lanes: on the RAID
Week 39 – ride 3 (Tues) – 40 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the MASSI
Week 39 – ride 4 (Tues) – 40 mins – a Devison loop with lots of off-roading: also on the MASSI
Week 39 – ride 5 (Tues) – 1 hr 4 mins – SBdM, Kerminy, Evriguet, SBdM, and la Plaisance: on La Rossa

 

[ColinJ]

I am finally starting to feel a bit better...!

Week 39: 3 qualifying rides, 73 km, 4 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Mon): 12 km. Slightly extended lumpy local loop including Lumbutts climb. 0.75 hr.
• Ride 2 (Tue): 11 km. Lumpy local loop. 0.5 hr.
• Ride 3 (Fri): 50 km. Hebden Bridge and back including Lumbutts climb in 42/29 gear; Littleborough and back including Calderbrook climb; Ram Inn at Holme Chapel and back. 2.75 hrs.

Success rate: 39 weeks out of 39.

130 qualifying rides so far this year, totalling 2,862 km, and taking approximately 178.75 hrs.

*** Rides mainly done in 42/15 gear on 6-er ***

 

[FrothNinja]

W39R1 - Centurion 5 speed 33 mins - local miles
W39R2 - Centurion 5 speed 31 mins - local miles
W39R3 - Centurion 5 speed 34 mins - local miles

Another dull week, hohum

 

[bluenotebob]

Another dull week, hohum

Why such a poor week?

I ended up having a cracking week .. just over 333km cycled in week 39 - so I sailed past my September target in the end.

Talking of targets - I asked you (post #262 above) what your monthly target was - and your annual stretch target. You didn't reply to my post - are your targets secret or did you just forget to reply?

 

[FrothNinja]

Why such a poor week?

I ended up having a cracking week .. just over 333km cycled in week 39 - so I sailed past my September target in the end.

Talking of targets - I asked you (post #262 above) what your monthly target was - and your annual stretch target. You didn't reply to my post - are your targets secret or did you just forget to reply?

An excess of work and weather
With regards to the actual numbers for the targets, I have found that people online can be a tad judgemental when it cames to modest targets. I enjoy CycleChat and don't want that soured.
If you really wanted them, I could message you through Conversations (ie I'm not including you and @ColinJ amongst the negative types - you have both been nothing but supportive).

 

[bluenotebob]

With regards to the actual numbers for the targets, I have found that people online can be a tad judgemental when it cames to modest targets. I enjoy CycleChat and don't want that soured.

It's entirely up to you what private info you share on here. A conversation about targets in this thread - which will only be read by the three of us - is hardly exposing yourself to 'negative types online' .. but it's not important. I was only trying to breathe a bit of life into what is mostly a very dull challenge thread.

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 40 (2nd October to 8th October)

Week 40 – ride 1 (Mon) – 35 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the MASSI
Week 40 – ride 2 (Tues) – 58 mins – Devison and SBdM: on the Urban Shaper
Week 40 – ride 3 (Tues) – 43 mins – a Devison loop with some off-roading: on the MASSI
Week 40 – ride 4 (Wed) – 42 mins – local lanes: on the MASSI
Week 40 – ride 5 (Thurs) – 48 mins – SBdM, Geffray and le Faux: on the Princess
Week 40 – ride 6 (Fri) – 39 mins – local lanes: on the MASSI