Three 30-minute rides each week of the year Challenge 2025 [NB Starts 30/12/24!]

[ColinJ]

I am still feeling sub-par, the weather is poor, and I have already failed the challenge so it seemed pointless to risk my health by forcing myself to wobble along out in the cold and wet for 1.5 hours, so... I didn't!

I will still try to get my target distance done for 2025 and am 368 km short of that. I am already booked up for 4 days this month, with 24 days left, so that leaves a potential 20 riding days. One of those needs to be 50+ km for my other challenge, so that means averaging just shy of 17 km/day over the other 19 days. That isn't a tough target providing that...

• I get back out on my bike ASAP
• I don't get ill again
• The weather does not get even worse
• Nothing else goes wrong!

Week 49: NOWT!!

Total qualifying rides: 165. Distance to date: 5,352.2 km (vs 5,390 km; 49 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 312.50 h (vs 343 h; 49 x weekly target of 7 h). 46 qualifying weeks, 1 week with only 2 rides, 1 week with only 1 ride, 1 week off the bike.

Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):

• BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
• Ce = Cornholme, Cgr = Cliviger, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CSR=Cross Stone Rd, CV = Cragg Vale
• ELLL = Extended Lumpy Local Loop
• GR = Great Rock
• HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
• JB = Jack Bridge
• LC = Long Causeway, Lh = Littleborough, LLL = Lumpy Local Loop, Ls = Lumbutts
• MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
• OT = Overtown
• Ph = Portsmouth
• Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
• SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, Sl = Sourhall, St = Summit
• Tod = Todmorden
• UT = u-turn
• WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden

 

[FrothNinja]

I am still feeling sub-par, the weather is poor, and I have already failed the challenge so it seemed pointless to risk my health by forcing myself to wobble along out in the cold and wet for 1.5 hours, so... I didn't!

I will still try to get my target distance done for 2025 and am 368 km short of that. I am already booked up for 4 days this month, with 24 days left, so that leaves a potential 20 riding days. One of those needs to be 50+ km for my other challenge, so that means averaging just shy of 17 km/day over the other 19 days. That isn't a tough target providing that...

• I get back out on my bike ASAP
• I don't get ill again
• The weather does not get even worse
• Nothing else goes wrong!

Week 49: NOWT!!

Total qualifying rides: 165. Distance to date: 5,352.2 km (vs 5,390 km; 49 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 312.50 h (vs 343 h; 49 x weekly target of 7 h). 46 qualifying weeks, 1 week with only 2 rides, 1 week with only 1 ride, 1 week off the bike.

Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):

• BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
• Ce = Cornholme, Cgr = Cliviger, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CSR=Cross Stone Rd, CV = Cragg Vale
• ELLL = Extended Lumpy Local Loop
• GR = Great Rock
• HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
• JB = Jack Bridge
• LC = Long Causeway, Lh = Littleborough, LLL = Lumpy Local Loop, Ls = Lumbutts
• MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
• OT = Overtown
• Ph = Portsmouth
• Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
• SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, Sl = Sourhall, St = Summit
• Tod = Todmorden
• UT = u-turn
• WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden

Good luck!
I'm sure you will squeek in.

 

[ColinJ]

Good luck!
I'm sure you will squeek in.

Thanks.

I was feeling a little better earlier today. My plan was to nip out (on foot) to the shops, then after I got home to do a very easy 45 minute session on my turbo trainer to check how recovered I really was...

No joy - I actually started feeling poorly again after only 5 minutes of walking so the planned indoor cycling was promptly cancelled! That puts any outdoor cycling even further back.

I have guests coming tomorrow but maybe I can get on the turbo trainer on Wednesday and ride outdoors later in the week?

This is a very odd illness! As long as I sit around doing nothing I feel ok apart from a slightly sore throat, a minor cough, and some fatigue. As soon as I make any effort though I start to feel very wobbly.

There is nothing I can do really other than stay warm, eat healthy food, and wait until my body eventually fights off whatever this lurgy is.

I would rather not have to cram 368 km of riding into the last couple of weeks of December so hopefully my immune system will eventually sit up and take notice!

 

[ColinJ]

Well, I managed to walk to the Amazon locker at Tod railway station last night, and to the shops today without any wobbliness! I will try a very gentle session on the turbo trainer tonight and see how that goes. If all goes well, then I will do an easy road ride tomorrow, the duration of which would be based on how I felt at the time.

I have been getting very fed up with just staring out of the window rather than actually going out and exerting myself!

 

[FrothNinja]

just staring out of the window rather than actually going out and exerting myself

I had that a few times this year when I was feeling crook. I found a half hour slow ride (once even in the rain) did me the world of good mentally, though probably minimal physical benefit apart from getting off my derrier for a bit and sitting on it in a different position. We are lucky to have easily accessible paved towpath nearby. If I hadn't being doing this challenge I wouldn't even have done that.

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 50: 8 local rides over 30 mins; 12.2 hours on the bike; distance cycled 176.9km (903m of Ascent)

Rides: Mon, Wed (x2), Thurs (x2), Fri, Sat, Sun

Six different bikes ridden this week


2025 Stats (from 01.01.2025):

No. of rides over 30 mins: 435
Total no. of hours cycled: 724.2
Total distance cycled 10,937.09km


The new Crosshill gravel bike on the Voie Verte near le Plessis at lunchtime today

 

[FrothNinja]

W50R1 - 4 hours 37 mins - Brierfield, Preston, Clitheroe, Brierfield (total 57.6miles / 92.7 km, plus 1,097m / 3,600ft)
W50R2 - 48 mins - local miles (Lovely pink sky - see below)
W50R3 - 35 mins - local miles

Taken on the fly

 

[ColinJ]

W49R1

You have forgotten to increment the week number again!

As for me... I am finally starting to feel a bit more lively but have not been out yet, so another week not contributing to my annual target. For the sake of completeness, I will document it properly below.

I won't be riding tomorrow because I will be attending my friend's funeral, and I am booked up on Thursday. Tuesday is currently looking promising though...

Week 50: NOWT!!

Total qualifying rides: 165. Distance to date: 5,352.2 km (vs 5,500 km; 50 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 312.50 h (vs 350 h; 50 x weekly target of 7 h). 46 qualifying weeks, 1 week with only 2 rides, 1 week with only 1 ride, 2 weeks off the bike.

Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):

• BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
• Ce = Cornholme, Cgr = Cliviger, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CSR=Cross Stone Rd, CV = Cragg Vale
• ELLL = Extended Lumpy Local Loop
• GR = Great Rock
• HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
• JB = Jack Bridge
• LC = Long Causeway, Lh = Littleborough, LLL = Lumpy Local Loop, Ls = Lumbutts
• MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
• OT = Overtown
• Ph = Portsmouth
• Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
• SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, Sl = Sourhall, St = Summit
• Tod = Todmorden
• UT = u-turn
• WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden

 

[FrothNinja]

You have forgotten to increment the week number again!

As for me... I am finally starting to feel a bit more lively but have not been out yet, so another week not contributing to my annual target. For the sake of completeness, I will document it properly below.

I won't be riding tomorrow because I will be attending my friend's funeral, and I am booked up on Thursday. Tuesday is currently looking promising though...

Week 50: NOWT!!

Total qualifying rides: 165. Distance to date: 5,352.2 km (vs 5,500 km; 50 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 312.50 h (vs 350 h; 50 x weekly target of 7 h). 46 qualifying weeks, 1 week with only 2 rides, 1 week with only 1 ride, 2 weeks off the bike.

Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):

• BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
• Ce = Cornholme, Cgr = Cliviger, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CSR=Cross Stone Rd, CV = Cragg Vale
• ELLL = Extended Lumpy Local Loop
• GR = Great Rock
• HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
• JB = Jack Bridge
• LC = Long Causeway, Lh = Littleborough, LLL = Lumpy Local Loop, Ls = Lumbutts
• MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
• OT = Overtown
• Ph = Portsmouth
• Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
• SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, Sl = Sourhall, St = Summit
• Tod = Todmorden
• UT = u-turn
• WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden

Ta, corrected. Will be easy again in a couple of weeks

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 51: 5 local rides over 30 mins; 6.5 hours on the bike; distance cycled 89.86km (591m of Ascent)

Rides: Tues, Fri (x2), Sat, Sun

Only four different bikes ridden this week


2025 Stats (from 01.01.2025):

No. of rides over 30 mins: 440
Total no. of hours cycled: 730.8
Total distance cycled 11,026.95km

 

[FrothNinja]

W51R1 - 4 hours 37 mins - Brierfield, Preston, Brierfield (total 49.3 miles / 79.3 km, plus 831m / 2,725ft)
W51R2 - 49 mins - local miles
W51R3 - 39 mins - local miles

Todays ride was the least foggy - looking like a grey Chrimbo?

 

[ColinJ]

@FrothNinja - I cycled up the Burnley Road yesterday and was looking out for that old sign pointing towards Todmorden that you posted a photo of a couple of weeks ago. I spotted something pretty worrying - a big retaining wall that is failing! It is right next to the pavement (and the road) so if it failed suddenly it could have devastating consequences. I know of a couple of similar walls round here that collapsed, but fortunately nobody was next to them at the time. I have just reported it to Calderdale council.

That picture was taken in the summer. The crack is even bigger now.

PS I have just realised that the railway line is only about 25 metres up the hillside behind the wall so if the wall failed it could potentially damage the railway line too.

The hillside is pretty steep so there will be a lot of water run-off from the moorland up above. In fact, there are multiple drainage holes drilled through the stonework of the wall, so it is obviously something that was a concern.

I'll see what response I get from the council.

 

[bluenotebob]

@FrothNinja - given the (hopeful) possibility of new entrants joining this challenge in 2026, can you please get into the habit of including the ‘days’ when you rode your rides. This has always been a rule of the challenge but when it was just the two of us doing it (most of the last 4 years), it didn’t matter.

I’ve been doing it for the last couple or three weeks now but you probably didn’t notice.

I’ll get the 2026 edition posted as a new challenge thread in the next couple of days and then I’ll splatter the forum with posts pointing to it.

I've already got one Week 52 ride done this morning - should get a second one done later this afternoon. Two more planned for tomorrow and then I'll be over the line for this year. It's going to be very cold here post Xmas eve and, as none of the roads are ever gritted in Brittany, I won't be under pressure to risk life and limb on frozen roads.

 

[FrothNinja]

an you please get into the habit of including the ‘days’ when you rode your rides.

I will try to do so, but I make no guarantees.
Hope you have managed to get your rides in.

I am aiming to do my third ride either tomorrow or a preparandial on Christmas day.
I break out the Folda if it gets too icey or snowy. I can then pedal/paddle around at a crawl. Wonder if it is possible to take half an hour to do 1 mile. My shortest loop avoiding the risk of being run over if I fall over is just over a mile and a half and only about 50ft of ascent. It is usually muddy for about half its distance so I only use it when frozen or drought.

 

[bluenotebob]

Hope you have managed to get your rides in.

Yes, thanks - I did all four: two yesterday and two today. I still hope to get more rides done this week - it's definitely easier without any extra pressure.

Good luck pedalling/pedalling your Folda!