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

[FrothNinja]

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!

I gathered some when I was out yesterday, + 4 damsons & 1 raspberry. I stewed them this afternoon after the first part of todays ride

 

[annedonnelly]

I already have a few pounds of blackberries in the freezer and came across some crab apples this morning so I'm trying out a crab apple jam recipe.

 

[ColinJ]

I already have a few pounds of blackberries in the freezer and came across some crab apples this morning so I'm trying out a crab apple jam recipe.

I hadn't thought about freezing them! It is peeing down today but supposed to be nice next week. I will go back and pick a lot more for freezing. I might improvise a tool to reach berries that nobody else has been able to get to.

Meanwhile, back to the challenge... If it hadn't been so grotty today I would have got a ride in every day this week. Still, 6/7 days isn't bad.

Week 34: 6 qualifying rides, 109 km, 6¼ hrs.

• Ride 1 (Mon): 15*** km. Holiday accommodation to Grange-over-Sands station, then Hebden Bridge station to Todmorden. 1 hr.
• Ride 2 (Tue): 13 km. ELLL. ¾ hr.
• Ride 3 (Wed): 21 km. ELLL including Lumbutts climb and loop to Littleborough and back. 1¼ hrs.
• Ride 4 (Thu): 16 km. ELLL extended as far as Calderbrook Rd. ¾ hr.
• Ride 5 (Fri): 22 km. ELLL including Lumbutts climb and loop to Littleborough and back. (Slightly different route to Wed). 1 hr.
• Ride 6 (Sat): 22 km. ELLL with Lumbutts climb... *BLACKBERRY ALERT*... Home for plastic container, back for berries, home again. 1½ hrs.

All rides on 6-er in singlespeed mode except for the climbs to Lumbutts. I can very nearly manage that climb s/s but I think that it puts too much strain on my heart. At my age I am starting to play safe!

Success rate: 34 weeks out of 34.

125 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 3,363 km. Average progress now = 98.9%; last week = 98.6%. Total ride time approximately 200¼ hrs.

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

***The ride on Monday was a split one. I am going to count that as one qualifying ride.

 

[annedonnelly]

I hadn't thought about freezing them! It is peeing down today but supposed to be nice next week. I will go back and pick a lot more for freezing. I might improvise a tool to reach berries that nobody else has been able to get to.

Walking stick with a hooked handle.

Ideally freeze spread out on trays so that they don't stick together and then decant into bags/boxes.

 

[FrothNinja]

Managed a couple of days off this week. Got very wet on my Clarion loop today. Was a decently long ride at an average of 19.8 kph / 12.3 mph - if only I had tried a little harder.
W34R1- Centurion 30 mins - local miles.
W34R2 - Centurion 36 mins - local miles.
W34R3 - Centurion 45 mins - local miles.
W34R4 - Centurion 2 hours 6 mins - Clarion loopish, really quite a long one - with Lillian's leavings topped with lashings of drizzle and rain.

 

[annedonnelly]

Only two rides for me. It's hard enough getting motivated without having to cope with 40mph winds.

One incident of note - though hardly a highlight - was spotting a blood-covered swan on the river. The local wildlife rescue group were aware when I contacted them but were struggling to catch it as it was fit enough to swim away everytime they approached.

 

[ColinJ]

No more riding planned this week so...

Week 35: 3 qualifying rides, 101 km, 5 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Mon): 51 km. Tod, A646 to Manchester Rd Burnley then back to Tod, A646 to turning circle Hebden Bridge and back to Tod, A6033 to The Summit at the summit at Summit and back to Tod. 2¼ hrs.
• Ride 2 (Tue): 12 km. ELLL. ¾ hr.
• Ride 3 (Wed): 38 km. Tod, A646 to Bacup Rd and back, A646 to HB turning circle and back to Woodhouse Rd, climb to Lumbutts, Shade, Walsden, and back to Tod. 2 hrs.

All rides on 6-er, mainly in singlespeed mode.

Success rate: 35 weeks out of 35.

128 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 3,464 km. Average progress now = 99.0%; last week = 98.9%. Total ride time approximately 205¼ hrs.

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

 

[FrothNinja]

Tedious week - forced myself out in the rain this arvo to hit my quota
W35R1- Centurion 36 mins - local miles.
W35R2 - Centurion 56 mins - local miles.
W35R3 - Centurion 39 mins - local miles.
Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) seen on yesterday's sunny excursion

 

[annedonnelly]

I've done better this week with five rides. The weather has been better - not so windy - but it is only thanks to this thread that I've been out so much. And of course I do feel better for getting out.

 

[FrothNinja]

Another fairly tedious week - once again forced myself out in the rain this arvo to hit my quota
W36R1- Centurion 46 mins - local miles.
W36R2 - Mares CX 39 mins - Roosebeck, Foulney Island, Rampside etc.
W36R3 - Centurion 35 mins - local miles.
View north from Foulney

 

[ColinJ]

Devon week... I had hoped to do more riding but we had some very wet days which put me off!

Week 36: 3 qualifying rides, 152 km, 9¼ hrs.

• Ride 1 (Tue): 50 km. Lumpy lanes between Crediton, Thorverton and Upton Pyne. 3 hrs.
• Ride 2 (Wed): 51 km. Lumpy lanes plus Nadderwater/Exwick loop. 3¼ hrs.
• Ride 3 (Sat): 51 km. Those lumpy lanes again! 3 hrs.

All rides on 1x11 Devon bike.

Success rate: 36 weeks out of 36.

131 qualifying rides so far this year. Weekly target 100 km; total to date: 3,616 km. Average progress now = 100.4%; last week = 99.0%. Total ride time approximately 214½ hrs.

*** At long last I am ahead of my target! Now I need to 'bank' as much extra distance as possible before my inevitable autumn/winter slump. ***

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

 

[annedonnelly]

Four rides for me. The last couple of mornings very misty - autumn has arrived.

 

[bluenotebob]

I'm back - I've had no internet connection since 15 August !

Will try and catch up with posts soon

 

[FrothNinja]

I'm back - I've had no internet connection since 15 August !

Will try and catch up with posts soon

That could almost feel like a holiday

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 32: 20 rides in total over 30 mins – one Lunacy Distance ride, one HMCAM multi-bike ride + 12 more local rides; distance cycled 319.51km

Week 33: 19 rides in total over 30 mins – three HMCAM multi-bike rides + 9 more local rides; distance cycled 303.35km

Week 34: 17 rides in total over 30 mins – one HMCAM multi-bike ride + 13 more local rides; distance cycled 245.43km

Week 35: 20 rides in total over 30 mins – one HMCAM multi-bike ride + 17 more local rides; distance cycled 265.60km

Week 36: 16 rides in total over 30 mins – one HMCAM multi-bike ride + 13 more local rides; distance cycled 262.41km

Weeks 1 to 36: total distance cycled 9649km
The Princess near St Guinel a few weeks ago - almost worthy of an entry in the 'Shadow Realm' thread