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

[bluenotebob]

Week 4 qualifying rides (23rd January to 29th January)


Week 4 – ride 1 (Mon) – 1 hr 16 mins – SBdM, Kerminy, Evriguet, Bourg Neuf and Esquiniac: on the Urban Shaper. Bitterly cold NE wind still

Week 4 – ride 2 (Tues) – 39 mins – la Touche and a loop around SBdM: on the Urban Shaper again.

Week 4 – ride 3 (Wed) – 43 mins – Devison, the D2 and SBdM: on the Princess.

Week 4 – ride 4 (Thurs) – 1 hr 19 mins – milder than recent days but very windy: Pontmenard, Devison, Raserais and Esquiniac: on the MASSI mountain bike

Week 4 – ride 5 (Thurs) – 33 mins – a loop around Pontmenard after lunch: on the Urban Shaper

Week 4 – ride 6 (Fri) – 48 mins – a chilly and windy mid-morning loop around Pontmenard on the RAID. Saw two more muntjac close to home

Week 4 – ride 7 (Sat) – 46 mins – Pontmenard again, on the MASSI

Week 4 – ride 8 (Sun) – 3 hrs 19 mins – Guilliers loop, Evriguet, Corbinais, le Villot/Perouais loop, Corbinais, Evriguet, Plaisance, SBdM: on the Princess

All five of my bikes have now passed 100km in 2023 - which is pleasing.

 

[annedonnelly]

Only one ride again this week. About 40 minutes pootling about yesterday. I had hoped to get out again today but it's been very windy all day.

 

[ColinJ]

Ride durations rounded down to the nearest quarter of an hour.

Week 4: 3 rides, 24 km, 1.5 hrs

• Ride 1 (Mon): (Singlespeed) My lumpy 8 km local loop. 1/2 hr.
• Ride 2 (Thu): (Singlespeed) My lumpy 8 km local loop. 1/2 hr.
• Ride 3 (Sat): (Singlespeed) My lumpy 8 km local loop. 1/2 hr.

Success rate: 4 weeks out of 4.

12 rides so far this year, totalling 109 km, and totalling approximately 6 hrs.

 

[Saluki]

This week’s qualifying rides - 23rd - 29th January.

Ride 1. 23/01 - Shortish, evening ride. Norwich, across Mousehold woods, up to Thorpe, down the hill and home along the river road. 39 mins, 7 miles maybe. Wasn’t really bothered, it was a nice night.
Ride 2. 27/01 - 20km or so, evening ride. Marriotts Way to Drayton, back via skirting the edge of the airport and in via Catton. 65 mins and blooming cold
Ride 3. 28/01 morning ride, out of Norwich via Drayton, Taverham and then across to Ringland and Costessey. Small mechanical with Right pedal. Semi Fixed and carried on. Derailleur decided that changing gears was no longer in its job description, then the right pedal fell off at a busy junction, so that was fun, retrieving it. Pedal stuffed in pocket and home the last couple of miles with one pedal and also, a shortcut which included a scramble over a fence, down a bank and on to the Marriotts cycle path. 27km 90 mins as the last bit was very steady indeed.
Ride 4. 28/01 evening ride, with fixed pedal curtesy of a large spanner. Spin out to Lakenham and back into the city then up to Thorpe St Andrew, across the Heartsease and home for tea. 23km 80 mins. Took it steady as it was cold and worried if the pedal fix was going to hold.
Ride 5. 29/01 Nice afternoon pootle, up the Marriotts to Drayton, over to Horsford, St Faiths, Spixworth, Rackheath, Thorpe End, Postwick and in on the old A47 Yarmouth Road into Norwich. Getting nippy so short cut home via a chippy. 36km, 1hr 54 mins, bit windy.

That concludes the challenge report for the week. I might claim that 50km from yesterday, across 2 rides. I thought I was going to have to replace the whole front crank assembly for a bit there but found something to clean the thread up and a decent spanner and the pedal is just fine now. How the hell it got loose is a mystery.

 

[bluenotebob]

I might claim that 50km from yesterday, across 2 rides. I thought I was going to have to replace the whole front crank assembly for a bit there but found something to clean the thread up and a decent spanner and the pedal is just fine now. How the hell it got loose is a mystery.

Go ahead and claim it .. I reckon cycling two miles with only one pedal has to be worth a point !

Keep an eye on that pedal - early last year I had a problem with a pedal which kept working loose (although it didn't actually fall off). In the end, I took it to our local LBS and they said the thread inside was damaged and they replaced the pedal. Since then, it's been fine. You don't want to be 25km from home with only one pedal..

 

[Alex321]

Failure this week

Too icy early in the week, though I was going to commute on the bike Wednesday until I stepped out of the door and almost went ass-over-tip within two steps.

Got out Friday and yesterday, but didn't get the chance today, as my sister in law was coming to stay, and the only time I could grab was *just* enough for a quick 30 minute blast on the trainer.

 

[FrothNinja]

W4R1 - hybrid 33 mins - Errands around Brierfield.
W4R2 - Mares 59 mins - Work related and errands around Burnley & Brierfield.
W4R3 - Mares 32 mins - Short gravel loop. Another gate has been padlocked so had to do some extra portage.
W4R4 - Centurion 3 hours 16 mins - local laps Burnley (total 73.9 km / 45.9 miles plus bugger all ascent). Back after dark.
W4R5 - hybrid 2 hours 48 mins - Brierfield, Barrowford, Roughlee, Stang Top Ln, Four Lane Ends, Barley, Newchurch, Clarion, Newchurch, Sabden Fold, the Ridge, Sabden, Nick Of Pendle, Clitheroe, Pendleton, Wiswell, Portfield Lane, Old Roman Rd (it certainly isn't), Read, Higher Trapp, the Ridge, Height Lane, Wheatley Lane, Burnley (total 57.4 km / 35.7 miles plus 4,356 ft / 1,327 m ascent). Clinging soaking drizzle almost the whole way, back around dusk.

 

[Gibbo9]

Apologies for my tardiness, there has been a lot going on lately. I am still in though:

W2 - 5 qualifying rides totaling 127km or thereabouts. A total of 6h 20 minutes in the saddle:
W2 R1 - 42.33km, 2h 6 mins
W2 R2 - 21.17km, 53 mins (way too windy for cycling. I recall having to get out of the saddle at one point into the wind)
W2 R3 - 11.14km, 31 mins. I abandoned this ride after the cut off time as it started to rain heavily.

W3 - The beginning of the week was very wet so no chance of getting out. Only 3 rides completed (just) with 77km covered with 3.5 hours or so in the saddle.
W3 R1 - 19.3km, 57 mins
W3 R2 - 41.3km, 2h 2 mins
W3 R3 - 16.63km, 39 mins (rained all day but stopped as it was getting dark.

W4 - Again a wet start to the week. I also have my son visiting and it was a week off for Chinese New Year so most of the week was spent eating and drinking too much. I did manage 3 rides though, covering 121km over 5hr 50 mins.
W4 R1 - 51.8km, 2hr, 34 mins
W4 R2 - 19km, 50 mins
W4 R3 - 50.59km, 2hr 25 mins

 

[bluenotebob]

Failure this week

That's tough @Alex321 ... commiserations.

I hope you'll keep posting your rides on here and try and get as close to 52 weeks as you can.

 

[Alex321]

That's tough @Alex321 ... commiserations.

I hope you'll keep posting your rides on here and try and get as close to 52 weeks as you can.

I will do, yes. It will keep pushing me to try.

 

[figbat]

W5R1 - Monday, 1:17. Slightly chilly gravel ride into a clear sunset.

W5R2 - Wednesday night MTB group ride, 1:48. Trails were amazingly dry compared to 7 days ago.

W5R3 - Friday, 1:19. Monday’s ride in reverse on fresh tyres.

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 5 (30th January to 5th February)

205km cycled this week (year to date = 797km)

18 rides this week – 11 of them over 30 mins. In the interests of brevity, I’ve only reported the longest three rides.

Week 5 – ride 1 (Mon) – 1 hr 16 mins – le Faux, Kerminy, Evriguet, SBdM: on the Urban Shaper. Drizzly all through the ride but about 7 degrees warmer than yesterday

Week 5 – ride 5 (Thurs) – 1 hr 46 mins – out to Geffray via Pontmenard, then a loop through Kerminy, Evriguet, Croix Bily, Esquiniac, Raserais, le Faux and back to Geffray, home via Pontmenard: on the MASSI mountain bike. Passed 3000km on the MASSI less than 10 months after buying it new last April

Week 5 – ride 9 (Sat) – 1 hr 30 mins – Devison, Plaisance, SBdM, Geffray, le Faux, la Suais: on the Urban Shaper

A couple of photos from one of this afternoon’s rides .. nice to see some late winter colour (I think it’s broom .. but it might be gorse)

 

[annedonnelly]

A couple of photos from one of this afternoon’s rides .. nice to see some late winter colour (I think it’s broom .. but it might be gorse)

View attachment 676944

I think it's gorse. Saw some in flower round here the other day. One of the nice early flowers. The crocuses are popping up round here too.

 

[annedonnelly]

The wind has finally dropped here so I managed a couple of rides this weekend.

Yesterday was an abortive trip to Aldi when I discovered that it seems to be shut for refurbishment. Just as well I wasn't planning a big shop! I detoured back via my friends' nursery to see them and their volunteers. About 40 minutes riding - probably a similar length of time chatting About 6.5 miles.

Today I promised myself a treat at a local cafe, took the long way round to get there, was fortunate to get a table before the rush - the queue was out the door when I left. Then back home. About 9 miles in total.


Weather is looking good for tomorrow so I might be able to get out after work now that it's lighter in the evenings.

 

[Saluki]

Ho hum. Just 2 rides this week. A filthy cold stopped play. I still have tonsils like golf balls, and every time I get a cold, I get tonsillitis. I rode 35 mins to a friend’s house this afternoon, had a coffee and some scones and a good hour of gossiping. Then rode the next half hour back home.
There is no way on earth that I have the energy for another 30 min ride. Mostly as, while walking the dogs this evening, I was run over by a bloke on his bike, no lights, riding the wrong way down a 1 was street. I hit the deck a bit hard. The dogs are fine, I am bruised. Never mind.