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

[ColinJ]

Week 31: 4 qualifying rides, 107 km, 5¼ hrs.

• Ride 1 (Tue): 34 km. A646 to Bacup Rd, then back to Walk Mill. Climbed to Overtown, Long Causeway, Blackshaw Head, Great Rock, Cross Stone Rd, Tod, then an extra loop up and down Rochdale Rd. 1¾ hrs.
• Ride 2 (Wed): 15 km. ELLL. ¾ hr.
• Ride 3 (Thu): 34 km. Tod, clockwise Cragg Vale loop and back to home. 1½ hrs.
• Ride 4 (Sun): 24 km. Tod, local hills then Walsden, Calderbrook, Caldermoor, Littleborough, Caldermoor, Calderbrook, Walsden, Tod, another local hill on way home. 1¼ hrs.

All rides on CAAD5 using lots of gears.

Success rate: 31 weeks out of 31.

111 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 2,998 km. Average progress now = 96.7%; last week = 96.4%. Total ride time approximately 177¼ hrs.

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

 

[annedonnelly]

Without checking my notes I can't remember if it was 4 or 5 rides this week. More than 3 anyway

I did go and check out the new bridge at the new station and wasn't surprised to find that it's been designed to be as inconvenient as possible for pedestrians and cyclists using the path. You have to cross two directions of traffic at each end of the bridge instead of just running the path along the other side of the bridge. And naturally the crossings are near roundabouts so you have to second guess the direction of the traffic. I'm so pleased that I don't commute anymore.

 

[FrothNinja]

Working on a site near home so I've used the bike to get there and back a couple of times
W31R1- Centurion 40 mins - local miles.
W31R2 - Hybrid 1 hour 2 mins - to and from site.
W31R3 -Hybrid 58 mins - to and from site.
W31R4- Centurion 38 mins - local miles.
On site shenanigans.

 

[ColinJ]

I just read about the tragic death of a local e-biker on Sunday evening. I very nearly went up Bacup Road where the man died, shortly after that time on my Sunday ride. I had intended turning up the road to Sourhall at Clough Foot. It sounds like the crash happened at or near that junction. I changed my mind at the last moment, deciding that I felt like an easier ride. I remember a police car and a paramedic car had hurtled past me with blue lights flashing.

It sounds like nothing could be done for the poor man. From a purely selfish point of view I am very glad that I changed route and so didn't see the aftermath...

R.I.P.

 

[ColinJ]

Week 32: 4 qualifying rides, 155 km, 9¾ hrs.

• Ride 1 (Tue): 24 km. Very lumpy, very extended LL. 1½ hrs.
• Ride 2 (Thu): 9 km. LLL. ½ hr.
• Ride 3 (Fri): 22 km. LLL extended as far as Calderbrook and Caldermoor. 1¼ hrs.
• Ride 4 (Sun): 100 km. Tod, Hebden Bridge, Oxenhope, Oldfield, Laneshaw Bridge, Colne Edge, Foulridge, towpath to Barnoldswick, Downham, Worston, Nick o' Pendle, Sabden, Padiham Greenway, A646 to Tod, local loop to get metric century in. Pretty warm (24 C) and hilly (>1,700 m of ascent, some steep). 6½ hrs.

All rides except Thu on CAAD5 using lots of gears. Thu on 6-er in singlespeed mode.

Success rate: 32 weeks out of 32.

115 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 3,153 km. Average progress now = 98.5%; last week = 96.7%. Total ride time approximately 187 hrs.

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

 

[annedonnelly]

Still plodding on with four rides this week. Nothing of note except checking out the sites of the new stations. However the opening of the line is delayed - surprise, surprise - though still due before the end of the year.

 

[FrothNinja]

Been a stupidly busy week - better late than never
W32R1- CX 3 hour 8 mins - Oswestry, Maesbury Marsh, Maesbrook, Melverley, Crew Green, Criggion, Four Crosses, Llanymynych, Maesbury, Acton Square, Oswestry (35.6 miles / 57.3 km plus 411 m / 1,350 ft ascent).
W32R2 - CX 4 hour 53 mins - Shrewsbury, Battlefield, Leaton, Baschurch, Ruyton XI Towns, Wykey, Rednal, Acton Square, Whittington, St Martins (highest point I think), Criftins, Crickett, Tetchill, Bagley, Baschurch, Fitx, Preston Montford, Belle Vue (51.3 miles / 82.6 km plus 472 m / 1,550 ft ascent).
W32R3 - CX 47 mins - Wriggly route round and about the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury.
W32R4 -CX 1 hour - Wriggly route through Meole Brace, Kingsland, Shrewsbury etc.
School house, St Martins

 

[annedonnelly]

Four rides again this week. Including a shopping trip to Whitley Bay when I came back via the old waggonways. I haven't been that way for ages and it was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday lunchtime. Made a change from sticking to the coast.

 

[ColinJ]

Week 33: 4 qualifying rides, 101 km, 7 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Tue): 18 km. ELLL including Lumbutts climb. 1 hr.
• Ride 2 (Wed): 25*** km. Tod to Hebden Bridge, (train to Grange-over-Sands), G-o-S to Meathop, (dropped luggage off), back to G-o-S, (shops), back to Meathop. 2 hrs.
• Ride 3 (Sat): 28*** km. Meathop to Arnside for coffee and ice cream, (train back to G-o-S), G-o-S to Meathop. 2¼ hrs.
• Ride 4 (Sun): 30 km. Meathop, Cartmel Fell, Meathop. 1¾ hrs.

All rides on 6-er in singlespeed mode except for steep ramps on Sunday ride.

Success rate: 33 weeks out of 33.

119 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 3,254 km. Average progress now = 98.6%; last week = 98.5%. Total ride time approximately 194 hrs.

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

*** The rides on those 2 days were split by train journeys etc so technically they could be considered multiple rides of less than 30 minutes but I AM going to count them as single rides because they were effectively single outings on the bike!

 

[FrothNinja]

Been another stupidly busy week and not likely to ease up soon - though I am hoping to get away for a couple of days.
W33R1- Centurion 35 mins - local miles.
W33R2 - Hybrid 1 hour 33 mins - Clarion loopish.
W33R3 - Centurion 45 mins - local miles.

 

[FrothNinja]

Just been out for one of my qualifying rides - pretty sure I exceeded 30 seconds....🌪️🍃

 

[ColinJ]

Just been out for one of my qualifying rides - pretty sure I exceeded 30 seconds....🌪️🍃

The wind is supposed to drop this evening and it will therefore actually feel warmer too. I will try to get out for an hour or so then.

 

[ColinJ]

The wind is supposed to drop this evening and it will therefore actually feel warmer too. I will try to get out for an hour or so then.

It did, it did, and I did too!

 

[FrothNinja]

It did, it did, and I did too!

I got out too, was actually sunny a couple of times, also a tad wet a couple of times too

 

[ColinJ]

I got out too, was actually sunny a couple of times, also a tad wet a couple of times too

No rain here during yesterday's ride.

I went out this afternoon with a hilly route in mind but spotted a woman picking blackberries from the side of the Woodhouse Rd climb to Lumbutts. I did the rest of that climb but then diverted home to pick up a plastic container and then rode back to pick some blackberries myself.

I think I will start carrying some small plastic bags on my rides for use when fruit picking!