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

[ColinJ]

Week 19: 3 qualifying rides, 43 km, 2.25 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Fri): (6-speed**) 25 km. To Hollingworth Lake cafe and back. 1-1/4 hrs.
• Ride 2 (Sat): (6-speed**) 9 km. Extended lumpy local loop with extra hill. 1/2 hr.
• Ride 3 (Sun): (6-speed**) 9 km. Different extended lumpy local loop. 1/2 hr.

Success rate: 19 weeks out of 19.

61 qualifying rides so far this year, totalling 1,014 km, and taking approximately 62 hrs.

** I have converted my singlespeed bike to a 6-speed, but still ride on the flat and up moderate hills in just one gear (now 42/15). On descents where I start to spin out I can now use 42/14, 42/13 or 42/12 if that helps me avoid freewheeling. I have 2 climbing gears in reserve... If I can't quite manage on 42/15 I can try 42/23 instead. If I can't manage that, my gear of last resort is 42/29 which will get me up long stretches at 10-12%, shorter stretches of 13-15%, and very short ramps of (say) 16-20%. Anything harder than that - dismount and walk!

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 20 (15th May to 21st May)

Week 20 – ride 1 (Mon) – 48 mins – a Devison loop in the wind and rain: on the MASSI
Week 20 – ride 2 (Mon) – 37 mins – local lanes: on the RAID
Week 20 – ride 3 (Tues) – 42 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the Urban Shaper
Week 20 – ride 4 (Tues) – 1 hr 12 mins – Villedieu, Pont de Rox, Plaisance, Geffray and SBdM: on La Rossa
Week 20 – ride 5 (Wed) – 42 mins – local lanes: on the RAID
Week 20 – ride 6 (Wed) – 32 mins – more local lanes: on the Urban Shaper
Week 20 – ride 7 (Wed) – 56 mins – Villedieu, Pont de Rox, Plaisance and SBdM: on La Rossa

 

[FrothNinja]

W20R1 - Mares 1 hour 8 mins - The Ridge and surrounds.
W20R2 - Centurion 46 mins - Local miles.
W20R3 - Centurion 32 mins - Local miles.
W20R4 - Hybrid 4 hours 7 mins - Burnley, Laneshaw Bridge, Foulridge, Whitemoor, Blacko, 4 Lane Ends, Twiston, Chatburn, Clitheroe Castle Museum (visited the Geology Rocks event), Old Langho, Moor Lane, Whalley, The Ridge, Wheatley Lane, Nelson, Burnley (total 84.8 km / 52.7 miles plus 4,157 ft / 1,267 m ascent)
W20R5 - Mares 41 mins - Clarion run

 

[ColinJ]

Week 20: 3 qualifying rides, 190 km, 13.5 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Tue): 52 km. Crediton, Shobrooke, Thorverton, Stoke Canon, Nether Exe, Thorverton plus various lanes back to start. 3 hrs.
• Ride 2 (Thu): 100 km. Crediton, Upton Pyne, Exeter, Exe Estuary Trail, Exmouth, then... did cycle paths and back roads to Budleigh Salteron, Otterton and back with my niece who had a new bike to test ride... back solo to Upton Pyne. Decided to get metric century done by touring lanes round Thorverton, Shobrooke etc. to Crediton. 8 hrs.
• Ride 3 (Sun): 38 km. Crediton, lanes tour - Thorverton, Upton Pyne etc. 2.5 hrs.

Success rate: 20 weeks out of 20.

64 qualifying rides so far this year, totalling 1,204 km, and taking approximately 75.5 hrs.

 

[FrothNinja]

W20R6 - Mares 30 mins - local gravel loop

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 21 (22nd May to 28th May)

Week 21 – ride 1 (Mon) – 35 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the Urban Shaper
Week 21 – ride 2 (Mon) – 1 hour – SBdM, Geffray, le Faux, Raserais and Esquiniac: on the Princess
Week 21 – ride 3 (Mon) – 40 mins – local lanes: on the Urban Shaper again
Week 21 – ride 4 (Mon) – 52 mins – La Validée, Plaisance and SBdM: on La Rossa
Week 21 – ride 5 (Tues) – 59 mins – a Devison loop: on the RAID
Week 21 – ride 6 (Tues) – 1 hour 11 mins – SBdM, Pont Ruelland, Mauron and SBdM: on La Rossa
Week 21 – ride 7 (Wed) – 3 hours 8 mins – Mauron, Ploërmel, la Chapelle Caro, Montertelot, Ploërmel and Mauron: on La Rossa

 

[FrothNinja]

W21R1 - Mares 1 hour 4 mins - L&L Canal.
W21R2 - Mares 2 hours 56 mins - mix of local miles, 2 LBSs, L&L, Fence, The Ridge, Higham via bridleway, Brierfield, L&L, Burnley (total 58.7 km / 36.5 miles plus 1,725 ft / 525 m ascent) (Strava reckoned it was 37.35 miles).
W21R3 - Fatty the Folda 41 mins - Clarion run

 

[ColinJ]

Week 21: 3 qualifying rides, 94 km, 7 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Fri): 9 km. Less lumpy local loop to test fettled bike. 0.5 hrs.
• Ride 2 (Sat): 73 km. Tod, HB, very hilly forum ride (~1,400 m of ascent in only 58 km). Roughly 6 hrs ride time (with stops on top).
• Ride 3 (Sun***): 12 km. Tod, A646 towards Burnley, u-turned and back to town. 0.5 hrs.

Success rate: 21 weeks out of 21.

67 qualifying rides so far this year, totalling 1,298 km, and taking approximately 82.5 hrs.


*** I almost forgot to do my 3rd ride... Mon-Thu were taken up with family visits, travel, and an emergency eye examination. I had to nip out on Sunday evening to get the ride in.

 

[Houthakker]

Just had a few days away on Anglesey and managed to take the bike with me so some "foreign" rides in this update:
W19R1 9/5/23 1:06:12 12.5 miles Saltcoates, Wrea green. Warton, Home
W19R2 10/5/23 1:30:55 16.9 miles Acros the moss, through centre of Blackpool and back along the prom.
W19R3 12/5/23 57:19 10.5miles Rhosneigr, Abberffraw, Ty Croes
W19R4 13/5/23 1:07:43 11.7 miles Rhosneigr, Capel Gwyn, Pencarnisog, Ty Croes

W20R1 15/5/03 1:06:30 11.5 miles Rhosneigr, Capel Gwyn, Dothan, Llanfeelog.
W20R2 19/5/23 1:01:30 11 miles St Annes, Division lane, back across moss and around Cypress point.
W20R3 20/5/23 52:00 10.1 miles Saltcotes, Bryning, Lodge lane, home

W21R1 21/5/23 34:55 6.2 miles Saltcotes, Lodge lane, Warton Home
W21R2 22/5/23 33:18 5.9 miles Along prom to allotment and back.
W21R3 26/5/23 1:18:18 14.8 miles Across moss, school lane, Little Plumpton, Wrea green, Home

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 22 (29th May to 4th June)

Week 22 – ride 1 (Mon) – 1 hr 21 mins – Plaisance, Geffray, le Faux, la Grande Touche, Raserais and Esquiniac: on the Princess
Week 22 – ride 2 (Mon) – 39 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the Urban Shaper
Week 22 – ride 3 (Mon) – 51 mins – a Devison loop: on the MASSI
Week 22 – ride 4 (Tues) – 46 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the Urban Shaper
Week 22 – ride 5 (Tues) – 1 hr 55 mins – la Ville Coquelin, Mauron, la Ville Davy, Quihiac and SBdM: on La Rossa
Week 22 – ride 6 (Wed) – 4 hrs 31 mins – Loyat, Mauron, Lancras, Ménéac, Corbinais, Kerminy and SBdM: on La Rossa

 

[FrothNinja]

W22R1 - Fatty the Folda 1 hour 6 mins - L&L & cycle paths.
W22R2 - Coventry Eagle Force MTB 30 mins - L&L canal.
W22R3 - Centurion 30 mins - local miles including my fastest mile in ages.
W22R4 - Mares CX 1 hour 16 mins - Clarion run

 

[ColinJ]

Week 22: 5 qualifying rides, 103 km, 9.5 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Mon): 38 km. MTB ride with friends. Stones Rd, Sourhall, Portsmouth, Cornholme, windfarm, Cant Clough, Widdop, Lower Gorple, Blackshaw Head, Great Rock, Cross Stone Rd, Home. 4.5 hrs.
• Ride 2 (Wed): 16 km. 6-er***. Tod, Mankinholes, Lumbutts, Hollins Rd, Walsden, Tod. 1.25 hours.
• Ride 3 (Fri): 17 km. 6-er in 42/15. Tod, Walsden, Hollins Rd, Lumbutts, Mankinholes, A646, Tod, round the block. 1.25 hrs.
• Ride 4 (Sat): 8 km. Lumpy local loop. 0.5 hrs.
• Ride 5 (Sun): 24 km. Tod, Cross Stone Rd, loop - Great Rock-Blackshaw Head-Kebs Rd-Eastwood Rd-Great Rock x 2, Cross Stone Rd, Tod. LUMPY - 600 m of ascent in a short ride! 2 hrs.

Success rate: 22 weeks out of 22.

72 qualifying rides so far this year, totalling 1,401 km, and taking approximately 92 hrs.

*** 6-speed bike mainly ridden in 42/15 gear but did steep climb to Mankinholes in 42/29

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 23 (5th June to 11th June)

Week 23 – ride 1 (Mon) – 58 mins – le Validée, Pont de Rox, SBdM and Plaisance: on La Rossa
Week 23 – ride 2 (Mon) – 1 hr 11 mins – local lanes: on the Urban Shaper
Week 23 – ride 3 (Mon) – 41 mins – a Devison loop: on the MASSI
Week 23 – ride 4 (Tues) – 1 hr 9 mins – SBdM, Pont Ruelland, Mauron (LBS) and SBdM: on La Rossa
Week 23 – ride 5 (Tues) – 34 mins – local lanes: on the RAID
Week 23 – ride 6 (Tues) – 42 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the Urban Shaper
Week 23 – ride 7 (Wed) – 38 mins – local lanes: on the RAID
Week 23 – ride 8 (Wed) – 45 mins – a Pontmenard loop: on the MASSI
Week 23 – ride 9 (Wed) – 32 mins – local lanes again: still on the MASSI

32C here this afternoon (Wednesday) .. brutally hot for early June – no chance of doing any long rides

 

[FrothNinja]

W23R1 - Hybrid 3 hour 34 mins - Commute to worksite for the day, followed by a run out to Cliviger and back (total 64.5 km / 40.1 miles plus 1,800 ft / 548 m ascent)
W23R2 - Hybrid 1 hour 57 mins - Old Langho to Preston return.
W23R3 - Hybrid 1 hour 23 mins - Foulridge and back.
W23R4 - Hybrid 1 hour 3 mins - Local gravel loop repeats.
W23R5 - Mares CX 1 hour 4 mins - Clarion run for Clarion Sunday

 

[ColinJ]

Week 23: 3 qualifying rides, 126 km, 7.5 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Mon): 15 km. 6-er***. Extended lumpy local loop with extra climb. 1 hr.
• Ride 2 (Tue): 8 km. 6-er in 42/15. Lumpy local loop. 0.5 hours.
• Ride 3 (Sat): 103 km. Forum ride: Whalley, Cow Ark, Whitewell, Trough of Bowland, Galgate, Glasson Dock (cafe stop), Galgate, Bay Horse, Scorton, Inglewhite, Longridge, Ribchester, Billington, Whalley. ~6 hrs riding.

Success rate: 23 weeks out of 23.

75 qualifying rides so far this year, totalling 1,527 km, and taking approximately 99.5 hrs.

*** DIY 6-speed bike mainly ridden in 42/15 gear but did steep climb to Lumbutts in 42/29