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

[bluenotebob]

Can I spy a baler twine tree to the right

Didn't see it at the time - I was concentrating on getting both the bike and the VAB balisage in the pic.

I hope to be back down there late Dec or early Jan and I'll have a better look then.

If I find any seedlings, I'll dig them up and DHL them to you

 

[ColinJ]

I did a 51 km ride yesterday which means that I have already ridden further than my 2024 target of 5,200 km.

I just got an invite to a Christmas meal in Hebden Bridge tomorrow. Riding there and back will be another 2 qualifiers for this challenge and will complete it for this year.

Possibly there may be more rides squeezed in later in the week. If so my third goal might be achieved too - riding more than 50% further than last year.

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 52: 11 rides over 30 mins; distance cycled 150.65km

Weeks 1 to 52: total distance cycled 13270km

Another cold (3C), misty, drizzly ride today – wet feet after 5 minutes, constantly wiping my glasses dry and getting annoyed by idiot car drivers driving without any lights – but at least I went out in less than ideal conditions and had a ride: which, as far as I’m concerned, should be the point of this challenge.

So that’s another year ticked-off with 156 successive weeks completed in this challenge (with over 37,700km cycled in that period).

As far as 2024 goes, it’s been my best year ever on the bike with lots of personal records broken and decent progress towards other longer-term targets.

I’ve pretty much finished my planning for 2025 and I reckon I’ve over-committed myself already … so something will have to give. I’ll stay in this challenge though unless I break a leg or we get 50cm of snow (as we did in April 2004).

 

[FrothNinja]

W52R1- Centurion 39 mins - local miles.
W52R2- Centurion 39 mins - local miles.
W52R3 - Centurion 2 hour 32 mins - local miles in drizzle which mist in places (total 31.1 miles / 50.1 km plus 289 m/ 948 ft ascent)
W52R4 - CX 53 mins - drizzly Clarion run, final of the year. Surprised by the number of riders who had crossed the border to visit the Clarion today - all the way from Bingley. Should have had the rather intense wind at their back heading home.

 

[ColinJ]

Well, that is the 2024 challenge completed. I made an effort this final week to hit all 3 of my targets and am glad to report success!

1. 3+ 30+ minute rides a week: I did at least 3... 193 rides, so averaging 3.71 rides a week. Those rides averaged around 97 minutes duration. A total of 312 hours.
2. 100 km a week: I averaged 102.3 km.
3. Last year's total distance was not very good, so I tried to beat that by 50%: I did 5,318 km, exceeding my target by 5 km, going out in similar conditions to @bluenotebob's ride today. It wasn't pleasant but I got it done!

Week 52: 8 qualifying rides, 126 km in 6¼ hrs.

Ride 1 (Mon): 51 km. Little Tod loop with a hill, Burnley Rd to Bacup Rd and back, another Tod hill, Halifax Rd nearly to Hebden Bridge and back, Lumbutts climb, Walsden, Calderbrook, Caldermoor and back. 2¾ hrs.

(The next 3 days involved Christmas activities in and around Hebden Bridge. Each day, I cycled there in the morning and rode back in the evening, so 2 short rides rather than 1 longer one. It only takes me 15-20 minutes to do a ride up or down the valley so I extended each ride to 30 minutes to comply with this challenge.)

Ride 2 (Wed): 10 km. Tod to HB. ½ hr.
Ride 2 (Wed): 11 km. HB to Tod. ½ hr.

Ride 2 (Thu): 13 km. Tod to HB. ½ hr.
Ride 2 (Thu): 10 km. HB to Tod. ½ hr.

Ride 2 (Fri): 10 km. Tod to HB. ½ hr.
Ride 2 (Fri): 11 km. HB to Tod. ½ hr.

Ride 3 (Sun): 10 km. LLL. ½ hr.

All rides on my 6-er.

See you in next year's challenge... WHICH I REMIND YOU - ACTUALLY STARTS TOMORROW!

 

[ColinJ]

As far as 2024 goes, it’s been my best year ever on the bike with lots of personal records broken and decent progress towards other longer-term targets.

That was a very spectacular year of cycling - well done!

I don't think that I will ever get close to that annual distance, but I would like to get closer.

I averaged 6 hours riding a week this year. I'd like that to be more like 10+ hours a week outdoors if the weather were good. As I have mentioned earlier in the thread, I am getting into virtual cycling as well next year. I am not intending that to replace my outdoor rides (except in crappy weather!), rather to supplement them and boost my fitness for them.

 

[bluenotebob]

Week 52: 8 qualifying rides, 126 km

A week in excess of 100km in the depths of winter is good to see.

I hate to do less than that anytime of year - but it isn't always straightforward.

I have a simple belief that the more you do, the more you can do. So keep pushing yourself and keep improving. I'm sure that's the way both us will keep cycling through our 70s.