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

[ColinJ]

Next week is going to be a tester, very cold forecast, at least there doesn't seem to be any rain about, as I won't go out if there's a chance of ice.

I was thinking the same thing!

I have already got this week's 3 rides in. Only short local ones. I will get another in today, and perhaps a fifth one tomorrow.

 

[annedonnelly]

I've managed two rides this week

I thought I'd better try early in the week while I was still motivated from last week. So when I needed some veg from the garden on Monday I took the opportunity to go a slightly longer way around to push the ride over the half hour mark. It wasn't the nicest of days and I was surprised how many people were wandering about at the beach despite being blasted by an easterly wind. Anyway worth it for the veg contributing to a couple of different homemade soups this week.

This afternoon I went out for a pootle about up to Cramlington. Much more pleasant as we've finally got to see the sun. No purpose to the ride except to get out. I don't log my mileage or time but I think it was a bit more than 10 miles and I was out for about an hour and a half. A bit slow because of having to walk a stretch where the cycle path is closed and also a couple of chats to dog walkers.

I don't think I'll get out tomorrow but it'd be good if I can get motivated to give the bike a bit of a clean and check the tyres.

 

[FrothNinja]

W2R1 - Centurion 35mins - local miles.
W2R2 - Centurion 36 mins - local miles.
W2R3 - Centurion 38 mins - local miles.
Pic is of something odd I saw on my travels - what appears to be a punnet of fresh chestnut mushies deposited about 15 feet off the track I was on, and about 1/4 a mile from the nearest habitation.

 

[ColinJ]

Week 2: 3 qualifying rides, 33 km, 2 hrs.

• Ride 1 (Tue): 11 km. Extended lumpy local loop. ¾ hr.
• Ride 2 (Wed): 11 km. Extended lumpy local loop. ½ hr.
• Ride 3 (Fri): 11 km. Extended lumpy local loop. ¾ hr.

All in 42/15 gear on 6-er. (Had hoped to do more riding at the weekend but ... [insert pitiful excuses here!]).

Success rate: 2 weeks out of 2.

6 qualifying rides so far this year. Total 71 km, of target 200 km (weekly target 100 km). Total ride time approximately 4¼ hrs.

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

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I managed a ride last Saturday to complete week 2.
This week hmmm, snow outside, no sign of a thaw, forecast v cold for the next two days. Might be difficult fitting some riding in, but I'll give it a go. Will have to choose my time carefully and try to use gritted roads only, which will be tricky as not many are round here.

 

[netman]

Week 2 was a non-starter for me (already!). Bike blew it's brake fluid from the front brake, so was in with the mechanic all last week to get that fixed and have a service, headset sorted and spokes tensioned on back wheel. Back now, so hopefully week 3 will be better!

 

[Saluki]

Last night was a bit hit and miss. I did 3 rides on Sunday. Stopped to do a proper rest between my 30 mins.
Earlier in the week, I fell over in the work car park. No fault of work here, I was just by the car and turned my ankle on nothing at all, smacked my shoulder in to the car and quite hurt myself. I couldn’t have ridden my bike if you had offered me a thousand pounds to try (actually, I might have tried a bit), so I had to do them on Sunday. It was OK until any lump in the road at all, plus it was bloody freezing. I just paused the garmin and visited with a friend who was around 30 mins ride away, then visited with another. It seemed like a plan.

Today, I got out for a whopping 34 mins and 7.1 miles. It was freaking freezing and we got gritted twice. I stayed on gritted roads as much as possible, or where the road surface was quite rough. One foot was really cold with a numb toe or two, the other foot was fine. My ears went numb under their buff. It was -1 but with the windchill was probably a degree or two less. I must have been mad.
1 down, 2 to go.

 

[FrothNinja]

Last night was a bit hit and miss. I did 3 rides on Sunday. Stopped to do a proper rest between my 30 mins.
Earlier in the week, I fell over in the work car park. No fault of work here, I was just by the car and turned my ankle on nothing at all, smacked my shoulder in to the car and quite hurt myself. I couldn’t have ridden my bike if you had offered me a thousand pounds to try (actually, I might have tried a bit), so I had to do them on Sunday. It was OK until any lump in the road at all, plus it was bloody freezing. I just paused the garmin and visited with a friend who was around 30 mins ride away, then visited with another. It seemed like a plan.

Today, I got out for a whopping 34 mins and 7.1 miles. It was freaking freezing and we got gritted twice. I stayed on gritted roads as much as possible, or where the road surface was quite rough. One foot was really cold with a numb toe or two, the other foot was fine. My ears went numb under their buff. It was -1 but with the windchill was probably a degree or two less. I must have been mad.
1 down, 2 to go.

Been machine gunned by the gritter too - thinks it's time to break out the Folda

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Two rides so far this week, so I should be good for another week.
Yesterday was a tricky day. I walked my bike to the nearest gritted road and then gently rode round some of them. A butt clenching moment once whilst going through a part in shadow but I survived.
Today I nipped out for a slightly longer ride on un-gritted roads and yesterday's decision seems to have been a good one as there was a car in a ditch on the route. Passed some llamas/ alpacas in a field and they appeared totally unconcerned by the cold weather.
Both rides were under an hour, at most 10 miles each.

 

[ColinJ]

Too icy on the backstreets here to ride my normal loop. The main roads are fine but getting to them could be iffy... The cold snap should be over soon. I will do this week's second and third rides after the thaw!

 

[FrothNinja]

On two rides so far - I have been walking to the nearest comparatively ice free route then riding up and down it until I hit my target then back to the warm again. Wondering if I should also be counting the walk out toward the target.

 

[ColinJ]

Wondering if I should also be counting the walk out toward the target.

I was thinking that if I got a puncture on my local loop in this bitterly cold weather I would probably walk the bike home if less than about a 20 minute stroll away, which most of the loop is, and fix the puncture back here in the warm and dry. If I did that and the total ride plus walk time was 30+ minutes I would definitely count it!

(Unless that was on the Sunday, I would try to get an extra ride in as well though.)

 

[FrothNinja]

On 4 rides so far this week - todays was almost double the first one of the week. Still mostly icy until one gets to the main road.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Ooo errr, after my previous post full of hubris because I thought I'd cracked this cold week, I find myself needing another ride tomorrow, when I don't often ride on a Sunday. Will keep my mouth firmly shut in the future.

 

[ColinJ]

Ooo errr, after my previous post full of hubris because I thought I'd cracked this cold week, I find myself needing another ride tomorrow, when I don't often ride on a Sunday. Will keep my mouth firmly shut in the future.

I dodged the bitter cold, snow and ice at the start of the week. Unfortunately, that has left me facing wind and rain to complete this week's challenge!

I got a damp ride in this afternoon. It looks like conditions tomorrow for ride #3 will be a lot worse unless I get up much earlier than usual and do it before the heavy rain sets in.