Three 30-minute rides each week of the year Challenge 2024

[bluenotebob]

I will have at least 2 days rest before this repeat test,

You're probably wise to do that - just in case there's something wrong.

But ... I've had loads of blood tests here in France over the years and no-one has ever suggested not exercising before hand.

Blood tests are usually taken between 7am and 8am by one of the local district nurses. Nothing to eat or drink before the test and definitely no smoking .. but exercising in the 48 hours before the tests... ? "Oui, Monsieur - pourquoi pas?" would be the response, I'm sure.

If you've got decent weather before the weekend, I'd go out and smash it. Try and reduce your deficit a bit more.

Good luck with the test

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 25: one Lunacy Distance ride + 11 more local rides over 30 mins; distance cycled 251.95km

Weeks 1 to 25: total distance cycled 6419km

A difficult week – it rained from Monday to Thursday, culminating in a huge thunderstorm on Thursday evening which knocked out my Livebox (modem). Spent Friday morning sourcing and installing a new one.

A couple of minor successes despite those difficulties – the Urban Shaper passed 21,000km since 1st January 2017 and the RAID got up to 5,000km (over the same period). The actual kilometrage for both bikes is more than that but my cycling records for 2015 and 2016 are either incomplete or non-existent so the bikes' overall totals are calculated from the start of 2017.

Pleased for the RAID – bought in 2015 but hardly ridden until 2022 (sat in the corner of the bike shed neglected and looking miserable). We had a very hot summer in 2022 and the RAID was used a lot in the evenings, searching out shady rides under the trees. I decided that I’d try and get her up to 1000km in 2022 – in the event, she managed 1466km – and she had an even better year in 2023 with over 1600km done.

I also managed to get my Eddington Metric Number up to 76 this week (that means that I’ve completed 76 rides over 76km). Next target is E Metric 77 and I need four more rides over 77km to get there (hopefully before the end of August).

My bike of the week – the RAID and some foxgloves…

… and in front of a wheat field. I guess the combine will be in there sometime around mid-July (unless it rains heavily next month).

 

[FrothNinja]

W25R1- Dawes 33 mins - local miles.
W25R2 - Dawes 32 mins - local miles.
W25R3 - Centurion 4 hours 22 mins - Nelson, Cone, Calf Edge, Lothersdale, Calf Edge, Elslack-ish, Calf Edge, Lothersdale, Colne, Foulridge (loads of traffic jams), Colne, Whitemoor, Colne, Barrowford, Wheatley Lane, Burnley (total 35.1 miles / 56.5 km plus 846 m / 2,775 ft ascent)
W25R4 - Hybrid 2 hours 57 mins - Burnley, Worsthorne, Gorple Road to Gorple, Widdop, Haggate, Nelson, Brierfield, Wheatley Lane, Noggarth, Roughlee, Newchurch, Spen Brook, Higham, Fence, Burnley (total 36.6 miles / 58.9 km plus 1,032 m / 3,386 ft ascent)
W25R5 - Hybrid 1 hour 58 mins - Burnley, Fence, the Ridge, Sabden, Nick of Pendle, Pendleton, Wiswell, Whalley, Portfield, the Ridge, Wheatley Lane, Burnley. - topped 65 kph coming off the Nick.
Centurion ended up at the local bike shop and still not right - made for an uncomfortable 35 miles. The next day was more pleasant.

 

[ColinJ]

Week 25: 5 qualifying rides, 123 km, 7¼ hrs.

• Ride 1 (Mon): 24 km. A646 to Ram Inn, u-turn, Carr Rd, Sourhall, Bacup Rd... Tod. 1¼ hrs.
• Ride 2 (Tue): 21 km. A646 towards Hebden Bridge, u-turn, Tod, A6033 towards Littleborough, u-turn, Tod. 1¼ hrs.
• Ride 3 (Thu): 56 km. Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, lanes to Sowerby village, Hubberton Green... Blackstone Edge, Littleborough, Caldermoor, Calderbrook, Walsden, Tod. 3½ hrs.
• Ride 4 (Fri): 9 km. LLL. ½ hr.
• Ride 5 (Sat): 13 km. ELLL taking in Lumbutts climb. ¾ hr.

Mon and Thu on Caad5 using wide range of gears, but all other rides done on 6-er using lower gears only on steep stuff, otherwise sticking to 39/14 gear.

Success rate: 25 weeks out of 25.

88 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 2,298 km. Average progress now = 91.9%; last week = 90.6%. Total ride time approximately 139 hrs.

PS Special characters to copy and paste for ride durations - ¼ ½ ¾ !

 

[annedonnelly]

Four qualifying rides for me, but amazingly one was over 20 miles. I can't remember when I last rode that far. Must be well over 18 months. I was tempted to go a bit further but I was pretty tired afterwards so just as well I didn't.

Hopefully if the weather continues good I can get out again this week.

 

[ColinJ]

Hmm... I had a health check a few months ago and was contacted by the doctor to say that a few results of the blood test didn't look quite right. I am booked in for a repeat test on Monday.

Worrying? Well, maybe not! I searched online for information on the tests and found research stating that strenuous exercise upto 7 days before a test can impact the results...

I wish somebody had told me that before that original blood test, which was first thing on a Monday morning. The weekend just before I had cycled a total of 116 km in 7 hours with 1,600+ m of ascent!!

I am not prepared to avoid riding this week but I am trying to keep the intensity down by using lower gears on the climbs and riding even more slowly than usual. I will get my riding done before the weekend though. I have already ridden 45 km this week in 2 rides. I want to get my weekly 100 km in by doing another 55 km over 2 or 3 rides.

I will have at least 2 days rest before this repeat test, and will make sure that I am well hydrated.

I will be surprised if there is a genuine problem, but it does make sense to double check.

I took it easy after a decent ride on Thursday to make sure that my body wasn't under stress for my blood tests this morning.

I got a good result on one of the tests but the result SMS didn't tell me which test it was! I hope I get a good result on the other test too but it might be a day or two before I get that.

I am off on my travels again at the weekend so I need to get 3 rides in before leaving. The forecasts are looking good for the rest of the week so that should not be a problem.

I am hoping that the good weather continues next week. If it does, I will try for another 200+ km week in Devon.

 

[ColinJ]

That's me done for this week, so an early report:

Week 26: 3 qualifying rides, 102 km, 6½ hrs.

• Ride 1 (Tue): 26 km. Lumbutts climb, Walsden, Calderbrook, Caldermoor, Summit, Walsden and back to Tod for a few more local hills and backstreets. 1½ hrs.
• Ride 2 (Wed): 21 km. Local smaller climbs, then tough Ewood climb to Sourhall, Bacup Rd, Walsden, Hollins Rd, Lumbutts, Tod. 1½ hrs.
• Ride 3 (Thu): 55 km. Tod, Walsden, Calderbrook, Caldermoor, Littleborough, Blackstone Edge, Blue Ball, Cotton Stones, Sowerby village, Hubberton Green, Steep Lane, Cragg Vale, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge (cafe stop with friend), Mankinholes, Lumbutts, Walsden, Tod. 3½ hrs.

Wed and Thu on Caad5 using wide range of gears; Tue ride done on 6-er using lower gears only on steep stuff, otherwise sticking to 39/14 gear.

Success rate: 26 weeks out of 26.

91 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 2,400 km. Average progress now = 92.3%; last week = 91.9%. Total ride time approximately 145½ hrs.

PS Special characters to copy and paste for ride durations - ¼ ½ ¾ !

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 26: two Lunacy Distance rides, one HMCAM ride + 8 more local rides over 30 mins; distance cycled 384.46km

Weeks 1 to 26: total distance cycled 6804km

Best week of the year so far – and June was also the best month of the year with 1329km cycled. I’ve only passed 1300km five times in a month before and this is the first time that I’ve done it in a month with less than 31 days in it.

My photo of the week (also posted in the ‘Your Ride Today’ thread) – blooming hortensias (hydrangeas) just outside Ploërmel

 

[annedonnelly]

Three rides for me though two of them were over 20 miles. The sort of thing I used to do.

But the absolute highlight was this morning. Riding on a cycle path between two fields I spotted something on the path well ahead of me. Usually it's birds but this was something brown and white bouncing around. Then it resolved itself into a number of stoats. Moving as one entity as they tumbled over each other they headed down the the path towards me. By this time I was stationary and holding my breath so I wouldn't scare them. Every now and then one stood up on its hind legs to look around as they came closer and closer to me. Eventually they came within about 3 metres before disappearing into the undergrowth. It wasn't easy to count them but I think there were at least 7 and though they were all about the same size I think it was probably a mother with her family. So exciting to see!

 

[FrothNinja]

W26R1- Dawes 33 mins - local miles.
W26R2 - Dawes 34 mins - local miles.
W26R3 - CX 2 hours 18 mins - More a Clarion web than loop. Did many more miles & climbing than initially planned - including riding part of the road of death between Blacko and Gisburn.
June has been a bust, barely topped 50% of my distance and time targets for the month - very disappointing, though there have been some great moments, so not all bad. Not sure I would even have done what I did do without this challenge.
Other news from this week, I put the rear wheel from my Winner on the Centurion and I have it working better than the local bike shop had the new freewheel cassette on the original (slightly wonky) wheel. The LBS is the closest to me but not the one I usually use. Not sure whether I should take it back or just put up and never go back. That said, not tested my work under high duress.

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 27: three HMCAM rides + 10 more local rides over 30 mins; distance cycled 329.6km

Weeks 1 to 27: total distance cycled 7133km

Katie-Mae had her first full service on Wednesday and then did a 28km ride in the early evening which meant that she’d completed her first 1000km – not bad for a bike that’s only 4 months old. Happy on nearly all surfaces (apart from thick mud) and loves riding on gritty canal towpaths and greenways. In particular, she seems to take an almost childish delight in splashing through puddles – if she hadn’t named herself immediately as Katie-Mae (after the manufacturer: KTM) then I think she might have been called “Jemimah” (as in Jemimah Puddlebike).

 

[FrothNinja]

Week 27: three HMCAM rides + 10 more local rides over 30 mins; distance cycled 329.6km

Weeks 1 to 27: total distance cycled 7133km

Katie-Mae had her first full service on Wednesday and then did a 28km ride in the early evening which meant that she’d completed her first 1000km – not bad for a bike that’s only 4 months old. Happy on nearly all surfaces (apart from thick mud) and loves riding on gritty canal towpaths and greenways. In particular, she seems to take an almost childish delight in splashing through puddles – if she hadn’t named herself immediately as Katie-Mae (after the manufacturer: KTM) then I think she might have been called “Jemimah” (as in Jemimah Puddlebike).


View attachment 736816

Jemima Puddlebike is a brilliant name

 

[ColinJ]

... including riding part of the road of death between Blacko and Gisburn.

For those who don't know the A682, a 24 km stretch of it had 'accidents' causing 100 deaths and serious injuries from 1997 to 2007!

It would have been superb before fast-moving traffic came along, but it is twisty turny and I found that drivers were cutting me up quite badly. I rode up there on the North-West Passage audax in 2007 and met a very irate audaxer in Gisburn after the descent from Greystone. A farmer towing a livestock trailer had overtaken him on a blind bend and then swerved left into him when confronted by an oncoming truck! The cyclist had been left battered and bruised at the side of the road. TAKE CARE UP THERE!

 

[FrothNinja]

Crap start to the month, weather, work, etc. Only compensation is that my average speed was over 15 mph each time - just wish the frame was at least 2" smaller.
Pic is from work on Tuesday
W27R1- Dawes 33 mins - local miles.
W27R2 - Dawes 36 mins - local miles.
W27R3 - Dawes 51 mins - local miles.

 

[ColinJ]

Week 27: 4 qualifying rides, 128 km, 7¾ hrs.

• Ride 1 (Mon): 40 km. 2½ hrs.
• Ride 2 (Tue): 40 km. 2½ hrs.
• Ride 3 (Sat): 21 km. 1¼ hrs.
• Ride 4 (Sun): 27 km. 1½ hrs.

All rides on 1x11 Devon bike round lumpy lanes between Crediton, Thorverton, and Upton Pyne. I had hoped to do a lot more but I was feeling weak and wobbly from Wednesday to Friday with some kind of lurgy which my sister has now kindly volunteered to take over from me...

Success rate: 27 weeks out of 27.

95 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 2,528 km. Average progress now = 93.6%; last week = 92.3%. Total ride time approximately 153¼ hrs.

PS Special characters to copy and paste for ride durations - ¼ ½ ¾ !