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



## bluenotebob (22 Dec 2022)

Do a minimum of three outdoor rides per week for each week of the year. Indoor rides do not qualify.

Each ride to last a minimum of 30 minutes. It’s preferable that each of the three rides takes place on a different day of the week – but that’s not mandatory (two rides on the same day will qualify – but they must be distinctly separate rides).

Try and post in this thread at least once a week if you can – ride details to include week#, ride#, day, length of time on the bike – plus a ride description (if you want). Photos welcome!

Week 1 starts on Sunday 1st January 2023 and runs to Sunday 8th January. Thereafter each week will run from Monday to Sunday (so Week 2 will be 9th January to 15th January – and Week 52 from 25th December to 31st December).

Start by posting your Week 1 rides below … and good luck!


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## Gibbo9 (23 Dec 2022)

I'm in!


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## kapelmuur (27 Dec 2022)

I was in until I saw ‘no indoor rides’. The older I get the less motivated I am to ride in wind and rain.

The antidote to foul weather is a turbo ride following a video route filmed in high summer when the skies are blue and the trees in full leaf!


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## ColinJ (27 Dec 2022)

I suggest making it (say) a nice round 50 weeks of the 52 total. It would be really annoying to do 51 weeks worth but then catch flu and be bed-ridden for the final week of the year, or really unwise to attempt to do the final week _despite _being ill! I would have lost 2 weeks this year - 1 to Covid, and one to a heavy cold. A 50 week target would be more realistic to allow a little leeway for illness or work/family commitments?

It's the kind of thing that I would like to have a go at on my singlespeed bike. I have a hilly little local loop which I do most weekdays to pick up a Metro from the station and/or go to the shops. I would do 25 minutes, shop, 5 minutes rather than 30 minutes in one hit. If I absolutely had to, I could do another 2.5 minutes up the main road before going to the shops, then u-turn and come back but that seems a bit artificial. I would just call the 25+5 a 30 minute ride.


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## Ming the Merciless (27 Dec 2022)

ColinJ said:


> I suggest making it (say) a nice round 50 weeks of the 52 total. It would be really annoying to do 51 weeks worth but then catch flu and be bed-ridden for the final week of the year, or really unwise to attempt to do the final week _despite _being ill! I would have lost 2 weeks this year - 1 to Covid, and one to a heavy cold. A 50 week target would be more realistic to allow a little leeway for illness or work/family commitments?
> 
> It's the kind of thing that I would like to have a go at on my singlespeed bike. I have a hilly little local loop which I do most weekdays to pick up a Metro from the station and/or go to the shops. I would do 25 minutes, shop, 5 minutes rather than 30 minutes in one hit. If I absolutely had to, I could do another 2.5 minutes up the main road before going to the shops, then u-turn and come back but that seems a bit artificial. I would just call the 25+5 a 30 minute ride.



I wouldn’t let the thought of missing the odd week put you off trying it. I created the 2022 version and managed 47 weeks. I don’t ride my bike on holiday , so knew I wouldn’t hit 52 weeks anyway, before you take into account any illnesses.


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## bluenotebob (27 Dec 2022)

ColinJ said:


> A 50 week target would be more realistic to allow a little leeway for illness or work/family commitments?



I understand the point you're making - but I'm not persuaded to change the rules.

This is a really easy challenge for most of the year - the only difficulties arise when there's a prolonged spell of bad weather. It requires a bit of grit and determination to go out in the cold, the rain and the wind .. and as far as I'm concerned that's what makes it a challenge.

Getting cold and wet for 30 minutes is really not a hardship. I find it quite stimulating actually - rejuvenating and even life-affirming (if that doesn't sound too pretentious). I'm 70 now and I want to go out on my bike every day for several hours - whatever the weather. I've cycled for 908 hours so far this year - I've only missed 15 days of the year - and my 'daily average' is just over 35km. So I've put in the equivalent of roughly 3 hours per day on the bike - this challenge only requires 1.5 hours per week.... and if, at my advanced age, I can do it, then I'm sure lots of others could too.

Join us, @ColinJ ... and see how you get on. Please post some photos too - I'd love to see one of 'The Great Wall Of Tod' .. I caught a glimpse of it on TV (Canal Boat Diaries, or something like that) and I was amazed - I'd not known about it before.

If there's a consensus at the end of 2023 among those taking part in this challenge to reduce it to 50 weeks, then we can change it for 2024.

But I'd actually prefer to make this challenge harder - not easier..


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## Saluki (27 Dec 2022)

I’m in. I need a bit of motivation at the moment.


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## ColinJ (27 Dec 2022)

bluenotebob said:


> I'd love to see one of 'The Great Wall Of Tod' .. I caught a glimpse of it on TV (Canal Boat Diaries, or something like that) and I was amazed - I'd not known about it before.


There are a number of photos on Street View taken along that stretch of towpath - _*HERE*_.

(There is a strange jump back to the road when I try to access some of them, but there are at least a couple of good shots of the wall.)


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## bluenotebob (27 Dec 2022)

ColinJ said:


> There are a number of photos on Street View taken along that stretch of towpath



Thank you ! 

Four million bricks..? wow.


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## ColinJ (27 Dec 2022)

bluenotebob said:


> Thank you !
> 
> Four million bricks..? wow.


It _IS_ a huge wall, but I reckon that the number of bricks must be exaggerated! If it is 1 km long then that would be 4,000 bricks per metre... I suppose it might be more than one layer of bricks deep, but even so... 

I just found this...


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## FrothNinja (Friday at 19:08)

I'm already on 6 qualifying rides this week and there are 2 days left!!
I feel a Beatles song approaching...hope it's enough to show I care...


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## figbat (Friday at 19:26)

OK, hat in the ring time…

W1R1
Monday, 1h33m. Kicking off 2023 with a ride that was longer than planned due to a small navigational error. Turned out well though.

W1R2
Wednesday, 1h54m. Weekly evening MTB ride with a group from my village. Mudfest.

W1R3
Friday, 1h12m. Combined the itch to have a ride with a shopping trip to a garden centre. Took the retro Saracen commuting mule for its panniers - great old steed!


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## bluenotebob (Friday at 21:05)

*Week 1 qualifying rides (1st January to 8th January)*

A busy week on the bike …

*Week 1 – ride 1* (Sun) – 42 mins – the gale-force winds had eased back a bit but it was still raining hard. I got out for a short and wet ride on the MASSI mountain bike. Stayed close to home – only saw one car and heard (but didn’t see) a crow. A very, very quiet start to 2023 ..

*Week 1 – ride 2* (Mon) – 1 hr 6 mins – Pontmenard, Esquiniac and Raserais – on the Urban Shaper hybrid.

*Week 1 – ride 3* (Mon) – 57 mins – Out again after lunch before the rain arrived – SBdM, la Plaisance and la Ville Geffray – on the Sensium 300 road bike.

*Week 1 – ride 4* (Tues) – 51 mins – strong winds again and a leaden sky. Out on the MASSI – Devison and Pontmenard, with some offroad .. taking advantage of it being a non-_chasse_ day. Horizontal drizzle by the time I got home.

*Week 1 – ride 5* (Tues) – 40 mins – had a bite to eat then went back out into the rain. The wind was even stronger. Another loop around Pontmenard – this time on the RAID mountain bike. Got home just before the school bus arrived and, in the wintertime, that’s usually my signal to stop for the day.

*Week 1 – ride 6* (Wed) – 44 mins – on the Urban Shaper again. SBdM and Pontmenard. Still very windy.

*Week 1 – ride 7* (Thurs) – 4 hrs 54 mins – Mauron to la Tayée and back, on the road bike. Got this year’s Lunacy Challenge up and running

*Week 1 – ride 8* (Fri) – 39 mins – out in the wind and rain again. Very local ride on the MASSI mountain bike.


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## annedonnelly (Friday at 22:04)

I read last year's thread enviously back in January 2022 while housebound. I hoped I'd be able to join in by the end of the year. I did start riding again but towards the end of the year I really struggled to get motivated even to ride to the shops.

But I did manage to use the bike this week to ride to meet up with a walking group. It doesn't really qualify - probably 10 minutes there and maybe 20 coming back as I deliberately took a longer way home. But at least I did it and I'm glad to put a watch on this thread and hopefully it will motivate me to get back out more often.


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## ColinJ (Saturday at 16:26)

Ok, I'm in. I will change my GPS setup so that one of the data fields shows the time spent moving rather than the time elapsed since setting off.



bluenotebob said:


> Week 1 qualifying rides (1st January to 8th January)


That should be the 1st to the 7th (for Sun to Sat), or the 2nd to the 8th (for Mon to Sun)! I'm working on the basis of a Mon to Sun week.

Singlespeed** rides highlighted.

Week 1: 3 rides, 28 km, 1 hr 36 mins

Ride 1 (Mon): (Singlespeed) First ride for 31 days! 12 km - 6 km up 2% drag towards Burnley, then 6 km back down. 35 min.
Ride 2 (Fri): (Singlespeed) My lumpy 8 km local loop. 31 min.
Ride 3 (Sat): (Singlespeed) My lumpy 8 km local loop. 30 min.

Success rate: 1 week out of 1.

3 rides so far this year, totalling 28 km, and taking 1 hr 36 mins. 

** Actually now a two speed bike but most of the riding is done in one gear


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## bluenotebob (Saturday at 16:49)

ColinJ said:


> That should be the 1st to the 7th (for Sun to Sat), or the 2nd to the 8th (for Mon to Sun)! I'm working on the basis of a Mon to Sun week.



Welcome to the challenge, Colin. 

Week 1 in 2023 is 8 days, thereafter it'll be a 7 day week - Monday to Sunday. All explained in the opening post of this thread.

Yes - try and report 'moving time' for any of your short rides (I don't think it really matters on longer rides, ie if you're out for a few hours). 

Is your mountain bike out of action? I'd envisaged you doing some canal towpath rides on your MTB while re-building your cycling stamina.


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## ColinJ (Saturday at 17:36)

bluenotebob said:


> Week 1 in 2023 is 8 days, thereafter it'll be a 7 day week - Monday to Sunday. All explained in the opening post of this thread.


Oops, sorry - I read it too quickly and missed that!



bluenotebob said:


> Is your mountain bike out of action? I'd envisaged you doing some canal towpath rides on your MTB while re-building your cycling stamina.


Actually, it _IS_, and has been for over 3 years! So has my CAADX CX bike.

Covid scuppered various plans for the bikes, but it is now time to fix them. I have an offroad forum ride planned for this spring so I need to get at least one working again ASAP.

I have fixed significant problems on my other 4 bikes so I haven't been a total skiver!


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## FrothNinja (Sunday at 12:48)

W1R1 - Folda 45 mins - Clarion run. Piddled down for the last 20 minutes.
W1R2 - Mares 50 mins - Local gravel long loop. Route has almost doubled in length since a couple of new sections of greenway were opened very recently. Got onto the overall leader boards for the new segments - an advantage of them only been ridden 50 odd times. Top 3 on one of the hidden segments.
W1R3 - Centurion 37 mins - Local Burnley miles, all in the rain.
W1R4 - Centurion 33 mins - Local Burnley miles, all in the rain.
W1R5 - Mares 47 mins - Local gravel long loop.
W1R6 - Hybrid 56 mins - Colne (LBS) return. Heavy sticky rain and dark on the return leg. Almost killed by a Delta car - camera was rolling.
W1R7 - Hybrid 46 mins - Local road triangle. Abbreviated the ride due to rain that dampened me for the last 15 mins as the light faded - set a PB trying to outrun it.
W1R8 - Hybrid 1hourish - Clarion run. It went weewee down all the way home.


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## annedonnelly (Sunday at 14:05)

Well, if we're still on week 1 today, I've managed a second ride. Just to the bottle bank and then pootling around the cyclepaths locally. About 35 minutes & 6.5 miles.


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## bluenotebob (Sunday at 14:46)

annedonnelly said:


> Well, if we're still on week 1 today, I've managed a second ride.



Can you squeeze in another 30 minute ride today (before midnight) to stay in the challenge? 

Good luck !


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## annedonnelly (Sunday at 19:14)

bluenotebob said:


> Can you squeeze in another 30 minute ride today (before midnight) to stay in the challenge?
> 
> Good luck !


Not a chance. It's hard enough going out once these days.


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## Saluki (Sunday at 19:32)

Checking in for week 1.
01/01 was my metric half challenge ride so didn’t count that.
Ride 1. 03/01. Short local loop to encompass collecting a prescription from the docs then coming back the pretty route. 7.65 miles. 39:23
Ride 2. 06/01. Post ride decompress on National Numpty Day  6.62 miles. 34:49
Ride 3. 08/01. Short ‘pre work’ loop before the hail storm. 11.4 miles. 53.21

Only short rides but it’s been a bit of a week. All on my beloved Genesis Croix de Fer. Trying to fit in Joe Wicks workouts, work, appointments and all sorts in there.


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## bluenotebob (Sunday at 19:52)

Saluki said:


> Checking in for week 1.



Great ! 

Welcome to this year's challenge. 

There's no reason why you shouldn't include your half metric century rides in your weekly reports. But it's up you. 

Good luck with Week 2 (I think it's going to be wet and windy)


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## bluenotebob (Sunday at 19:56)

annedonnelly said:


> It's hard enough going out once these days.



I'm sorry to hear that. I hope cycling gets easier for you as the year progresses. 

Please keep posting your rides on here. Perhaps you could do what @ColinJ did in his Week 1 post above and include a count of 'successful weeks' ?


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## Alex321 (Sunday at 22:13)

I'd be very surprised if I manage all 52 weeks, with a combination of weather and trips away without the bike, but let's see how it goes.

W1 R1 01/01/23 1H 16m, 18.8 miles Boardman Hybrid bike. Loop through Ewenny, back the short way after Colwinston
W1 R2 06/01/23 1H 6m, 17.01 miles. Boardman hybrid. Loop through Llancarfan - St Athan etc.
W1 R3 07/01/23 52m 12.81 miles. Back on the Cube road bike. Loop round Hensol, Tredodridge, Warren Mill Farm.
W1 R4 08/01/23 1H 25m. 19.66 miles. Cube. Similar loop to R1, but the longer way home via Llanmihangel.


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## Gibbo9 (Monday at 04:24)

Week 1 report:
4 qualifying rides last week totaling around 140km and 5.5 hours. Sadly I failed to record a ride whilst in the Philippines, no bikes for hire on Boracay island.

W1 R1 04/01 29.54km, 1h 15m, first ride of the year. Evening ride as it rained all day. Was nice when I eventually got out though.
W1 R2 05/01 25.84km, 1h 09m, a very damp morning but not raining so I just had to dodge puddles.
W1 R3 06/01 18.26km, 49 mins. Had to wait all day for the drizzle to stop, another evening ride.


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## Houthakker (Monday at 09:09)

Hi, I would love to join in this challenge as it may motivate me to get out on the bike on days when I might otherwise stay in the warm, and am looking to improve my fitness!
W1R1 01/01 1hr 7 mins, 10.1 miles. first ride of the year, just need to keep it up now.
W1R2 03/01 1 hr 4 mins 10.9 miles.
W1R3 06/01 1hr 54 min 19.6 miles.
All done on the mountain bike, but mostly on road.


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## bluenotebob (Monday at 09:14)

Alex321 said:


> I'd be very surprised if I manage all 52 weeks, with a combination of weather and trips away without the bike, but let's see how it goes



Welcome to the challenge ! 

It does seem daunting at the beginning but you'll get into a rhythm and it also gets easier when the evenings become lighter.


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## figbat (Monday at 09:19)

I will almost certainly not manage all 52 weeks - I have a week in Iceland coming up plus plans for holidays later in the year. I can take my bike with me for the summer hols (caravan) but I won't be cycling in Iceland (more's the pity). However, I have started the challenge as you never know what will happen next.


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## bluenotebob (Monday at 09:20)

Houthakker said:


> I would love to join in this challenge as it may motivate me to get out on the bike on days when I might otherwise stay in the warm, and am looking to improve my fitness!



Welcome to the challenge !

Yes - I found that last year ... this challenge pushed me outside into the cold and wet when in previous years I'd probably have given it a miss... and after a while, it became 'normal' to go out most days, or even every day of the week.


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## bluenotebob (Monday at 09:25)

figbat said:


> I will almost certainly not manage all 52 weeks - I have a week in Iceland coming up



Keep going as long as you can - and stay injury (and Covid) free this year. 

A week in Iceland sounds fantastic - a shame you won't be on a bike there.


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## Saluki (Yesterday at 13:34)

bluenotebob said:


> Great !
> 
> Welcome to this year's challenge.
> 
> ...



Due to the weather, I got Ride 1 and 2 in yesterday. I am working now, until Saturday night and unsure where I will find the time. I got drenched on ride 1 yesterday and merely soaked on ride 2  I will log properly on Sunday, hopefully after ride 3


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## bluenotebob (Yesterday at 14:41)

Saluki said:


> I will log properly on Sunday, hopefully after ride 3



Fingers crossed for a dry ride on Sunday !


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## ColinJ (Yesterday at 15:31)

I was going to go out in a break in the rain earlier today but by the time I got my kit on it was miserable outside again so I didn't bother. The forecast is looking pretty bad the rest of the week too. I'll have to keep a eye on things. It is rare for it rain all day without even a short break.


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## Alex321 (Yesterday at 16:28)

I commuted in this morning, and will be changing for the commute home in 2 minutes, so I will only need to get out Friday or Sunday for 30 minutes to complete for this week (I don't get a chance Thursday most weeks, and am Morris Dancing on Saturday this week as well)


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## bluenotebob (Yesterday at 17:12)

ColinJ said:


> The forecast is looking pretty bad the rest of the week too.



Aye, it's been a wet and windy week here too. Next week looks drier but colder, with hopefully a bit less wind ..


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## FrothNinja (Yesterday at 18:28)

Alex321 said:


> I commuted in this morning, and will be changing for the commute home in 2 minutes, so I will only need to get out Friday or Sunday for 30 minutes to complete for this week (I don't get a chance Thursday most weeks, and am Morris Dancing on Saturday this week as well)



Please please tell me there is such a thing as bicycle morris dancing


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## ColinJ (Yesterday at 20:25)

FrothNinja said:


> Please please tell me there is such a thing as bicycle morris dancing



Well there is a sport called cycle-ball, so why not!


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## Alex321 (Yesterday at 20:27)

FrothNinja said:


> Please please tell me there is such a thing as bicycle morris dancing



Unfortunately, not as far as I know. 

Given how much your hands are used in Morris, it could be tricky unless you are an expert at riding with no hands on the bars.


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## annedonnelly (Today at 10:17)

Managed a 35 minute ride this morning. A bit less than 6 miles. I'd been to the dentist so extended my ride home. I must be very unfit. It was a lot harder than it used to be  

Weather's not looking good for the rest of the week - very windy - but I'll see what I can manage. To be honest based on the last few months one 30 minute ride a week is going to be an achievement!


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## bluenotebob (Today at 11:55)

annedonnelly said:


> Managed a 35 minute ride this morning. A bit less than 6 miles. I'd been to the dentist so extended my ride home. I must be very unfit. It was a lot harder than it used to be
> 
> Weather's not looking good for the rest of the week - very windy - but I'll see what I can manage. To be honest based on the last few months one 30 minute ride a week is going to be an achievement!



Well done for getting out today. Perhaps you should set yourself a target of one ride a week in January – then, when the weather improves, stepping that up to two rides a week?


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## annedonnelly (Today at 16:13)

bluenotebob said:


> Well done for getting out today. Perhaps you should set yourself a target of one ride a week in January – then, when the weather improves, stepping that up to two rides a week?



Thanks for being so encouraging!


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## Ming the Merciless (Today at 16:16)

ColinJ said:


> I was going to go out in a break in the rain earlier today but by the time I got my kit on it was miserable outside again so I didn't bother. The forecast is looking pretty bad the rest of the week too. I'll have to keep a eye on things. It is rare for it rain all day without even a short break.



You need a cycling dry robe


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## ColinJ (Today at 17:12)

Ming the Merciless said:


> You need a cycling dry robe


Hmm... 

Even if I had the world's best cycling kit, full mudguards on my bike etc., I still wouldn't like riding in horribly gloomy, damp, slippery conditions. It's just so damn depressing!

But... I did manage to find a 20 minute break in the rain today, followed by 10 minutes of light drizzle. Just enough for my 30 minute, lumpy 8 km singlespeed ride.

I make the ride more difficult by including the following little climbs which take some effort in a 52/19 gear:

100 m @4% (sprint)
250 m @8% (grind)
25 m @12% (sprint)
250 m @7% (grind)
100 m @14% (grind)
100 m @4% (sprint)
The other 7 km or so are an easy spin.


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