FrothNinja
Veteran
Quite a few stretches around here where you have to feet up through the deepest bits and a heck of a lot of gravel wash on the hills. Mudguards essential! Been out with lights on far more than usual of late.
Three 30-minute rides each week of the year Challenge 2025 [NB Starts 30/12/24!]
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
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Quite a few stretches around here where you have to feet up through the deepest bits and a heck of a lot of gravel wash on the hills. Mudguards essential! Been out with lights on far more than usual of late.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Another quiet week. Guests mid-week, a jab appointment at the health centre yesterday, followed by a slightly uncomfortable night's sleep which put me off riding today... Those are the official excuses for doing not much more than the minimum! 
Week 5: 3 qualifying rides, 60.5 km in 3.10 h.
Total qualifying rides: 15. Distance to date: 368.7 km (vs 550 km; 5 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 19.45 h (vs 35 h; 5 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Tue): 21.1 km. Tod, HC and back, Wn and back. 1.00 h.
Ride 2 (Wed): 24.0 km. ELLL as far as Ck, Cr and back. 1.30 h.
Ride 3 (Fri): 15.4 km. ELLL as far as Wn and back. 0.80 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
Week 5: 3 qualifying rides, 60.5 km in 3.10 h.
Total qualifying rides: 15. Distance to date: 368.7 km (vs 550 km; 5 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 19.45 h (vs 35 h; 5 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Tue): 21.1 km. Tod, HC and back, Wn and back. 1.00 h.
Ride 2 (Wed): 24.0 km. ELLL as far as Ck, Cr and back. 1.30 h.
Ride 3 (Fri): 15.4 km. ELLL as far as Wn and back. 0.80 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
- BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
- Ce = Cornholme, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CV = Cragg Vale
- HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
- JB = Jack Bridge
- Lh = Littleborough, Ls = Lumbutts
- MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
- Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
- SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, St = Summit
- Tod = Todmorden
- WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden
FrothNinja
Veteran
W6R1 - Hybrid 3 hours 49 mins - Burnley, Higham, Read, Whalley, Copster Green, Mellor Brook, Salmesbury, Salesbury, Clitheroe, Pendleton, Nick Of Pendle, The Ridge Fence, Burnley (total 42.1 miles / 67.7 km plus 1,082 m / 3,550 ft ascent)
W6R2 - Hybrid 54 mins - Wycoller circuit
W6R3 - Centurion 44 mins - local miles
W6R2 - Hybrid 54 mins - Wycoller circuit
W6R3 - Centurion 44 mins - local miles
Elswick Cotterpin
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
Week, whatever it is, three more qualifying rides of no particular distance, I could/should probably post them on the tiny rides thread, but all were over thirty minutes, so aim accomplished.
The north East wind we've had the last few days is just plain nasty. Just for a change I've been using my almost forty year old Raleigh Mustang, nice to use it again and it didn't feel as heavy as I thought it would.
The north East wind we've had the last few days is just plain nasty. Just for a change I've been using my almost forty year old Raleigh Mustang, nice to use it again and it didn't feel as heavy as I thought it would.
bluenotebob
Veteran
- Location
- central Brittany, France
Week 6: 7 rides over 30 mins, including two HMCAM rides; distance cycled 238.30km
Weeks 1 to 6 (2025): total distance cycled 1084.50km
I passed 1000km in 2025 on 6th February – about average: over the last 4 years, I’ve reached this target between 3rd and 11th February.
All six bikes have now done over 100km this year. I would have liked to have achieved that by 31st January but it wasn’t possible because of the wet weather. I hope to get all six bikes over 150km by end of next week (four of them are already there) – and then try and get them all over 200km by 28th February.
Both MCAM and HMCAM qualifiers done for Feb – now I really need to get one or (preferably) two more Lunacy Distance rides done before the end of the month.
The Urban Shaper (photo below) passed lifetime 22,000km earlier in the week … she was my workhorse/main bike for a few years, particularly between 2017 and 2019. In semi-retirement now but she still does a minimum of 1000km per year.
Weeks 1 to 6 (2025): total distance cycled 1084.50km
I passed 1000km in 2025 on 6th February – about average: over the last 4 years, I’ve reached this target between 3rd and 11th February.
All six bikes have now done over 100km this year. I would have liked to have achieved that by 31st January but it wasn’t possible because of the wet weather. I hope to get all six bikes over 150km by end of next week (four of them are already there) – and then try and get them all over 200km by 28th February.
Both MCAM and HMCAM qualifiers done for Feb – now I really need to get one or (preferably) two more Lunacy Distance rides done before the end of the month.
The Urban Shaper (photo below) passed lifetime 22,000km earlier in the week … she was my workhorse/main bike for a few years, particularly between 2017 and 2019. In semi-retirement now but she still does a minimum of 1000km per year.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Another quiet week! Uninspiring chilly, damp, and misty weather put me off making a big effort outdoors. This was the kind of week when I would have liked to have spent some time doing some decent efforts on my new smart turbo trainer but unfortunately that is still on the slow boat from Vietnam!
I was thinking on today's short 3rd qualifier that it would have made a good warm-up ride before an indoor training session. I think that I will do that in future... If the weather is fine (or at least acceptable) do a good outdoor ride. If the weather is awful, warm-up and ride indoors. If the weather is poor but acceptable, do 30-40 minutes on my short lumpy local loop as an outdoor warm-up, then head back indoors to get on the turbo.
Anyway - the update...
Week 6: 3 qualifying rides, 66.5 km in 3.40 h.
Total qualifying rides: 18. Distance to date: 435.2 km (vs 660 km; 6 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 22.85 h (vs 42 h; 6 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Mon): 35.5 km. Tod, HB, Royd then a timed effort up the CV hill climb course (nasty headwind - 35 m 55 s vs my fantasy target of 20 m!), Lh, St, Wn and back. 1.85 h.
Ride 2 (Wed): 17.9 km. ELLL as far as Ck, and back. 0.90 h.
Ride 3 (Sun): 13.1 km. LLL as far as Wn and back. 0.65 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
I was thinking on today's short 3rd qualifier that it would have made a good warm-up ride before an indoor training session. I think that I will do that in future... If the weather is fine (or at least acceptable) do a good outdoor ride. If the weather is awful, warm-up and ride indoors. If the weather is poor but acceptable, do 30-40 minutes on my short lumpy local loop as an outdoor warm-up, then head back indoors to get on the turbo.
Anyway - the update...
Week 6: 3 qualifying rides, 66.5 km in 3.40 h.
Total qualifying rides: 18. Distance to date: 435.2 km (vs 660 km; 6 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 22.85 h (vs 42 h; 6 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Mon): 35.5 km. Tod, HB, Royd then a timed effort up the CV hill climb course (nasty headwind - 35 m 55 s vs my fantasy target of 20 m!), Lh, St, Wn and back. 1.85 h.
Ride 2 (Wed): 17.9 km. ELLL as far as Ck, and back. 0.90 h.
Ride 3 (Sun): 13.1 km. LLL as far as Wn and back. 0.65 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
- BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
- Ce = Cornholme, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CV = Cragg Vale
- HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
- JB = Jack Bridge
- Lh = Littleborough, Ls = Lumbutts
- MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
- Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
- SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, St = Summit
- Tod = Todmorden
- WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden
FrothNinja
Veteran
W7R1 - 5 hours 5 mins - Work commute from Pendle to Preston and back, targeting climbs on the way back to qualify for the climbing lunacy. Suckered in by a half decent morning - I also got up earlier than usual! (total 50.4 miles / 81.1 km, plus 1,089 m / 3,575 ft ascent)
W7R2 - CX 31 mins - Foulney, Rampside, Roa, Rampside, Foulney a time or two - bleedin' windy and cold
W7R3 - Centurion 40 mins - local miles
W7R2 - CX 31 mins - Foulney, Rampside, Roa, Rampside, Foulney a time or two - bleedin' windy and cold
W7R3 - Centurion 40 mins - local miles
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bluenotebob
Veteran
- Location
- central Brittany, France
Week 7: 5 local rides over 30 mins; distance cycled 160.04km
Weeks 1 to 7 (2025): total distance cycled 1244.54km
What a difficult week – day after day of grey, cold and damp weather, and that bitter E wind. I’ve just been concentrating on getting the bikes up towards each of their minimum February targets.
No chance of doing a Lunacy Distance ride this week but I’m still hopeful that I can get in a couple before the end of the month.
I didn’t quite manage to get all six bikes over 150km for 2025 this week – but I’ll get there on Monday. Two bikes are now over 200km and a third is very close.
Hopefully better weather will be here soon…
At Grancastel (just north of Ploërmel) on Saturday afternoon
Weeks 1 to 7 (2025): total distance cycled 1244.54km
What a difficult week – day after day of grey, cold and damp weather, and that bitter E wind. I’ve just been concentrating on getting the bikes up towards each of their minimum February targets.
No chance of doing a Lunacy Distance ride this week but I’m still hopeful that I can get in a couple before the end of the month.
I didn’t quite manage to get all six bikes over 150km for 2025 this week – but I’ll get there on Monday. Two bikes are now over 200km and a third is very close.
Hopefully better weather will be here soon…
At Grancastel (just north of Ploërmel) on Saturday afternoon
Elswick Cotterpin
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
Three qualifying rides of thirty minutes, round about the hour each time, and distance travelled not even worth mentioning.
Here too, the cold East wind persists, makes my eyes water for the first going off. Also, wall to wall grey skies, and a total absence of any sunshine.
Never mind, I tell myself I 'm still getting out, which is pretty much the object of this challenge. Still been enjoying riding my old Raleigh Mustang too. The back brake wants looking at, but, maybe when it gets warmer, too cold to fiddle about with it at the moment. And my current motto is never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.
Here too, the cold East wind persists, makes my eyes water for the first going off. Also, wall to wall grey skies, and a total absence of any sunshine.
Never mind, I tell myself I 'm still getting out, which is pretty much the object of this challenge. Still been enjoying riding my old Raleigh Mustang too. The back brake wants looking at, but, maybe when it gets warmer, too cold to fiddle about with it at the moment. And my current motto is never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Currently doing little more than the minimum for the challenge... I am waiting for better weather (and motivation) to arrive!
I plan to be spending 9 or 10 days in Devon mid-March. If I haven't found my oomph up here by then, I hope to find it down there!
Week 7: 3 qualifying rides, 51.3 km in 2.70 h.
Total qualifying rides: 21. Distance to date: 486.5 km (vs 770 km; 7 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 25.55 h (vs 49 h; 7 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Fri): 20.1 km. ELLL incl. Ls climb + Wn & back. 1.10 h.
Ride 2 (Sat): 17.9 km. ELLL as far as Wn, and back, + extra hill in Tod. 0.75 h.
Ride 3 (Sun): 17.1 km. HB (for coffee and cake with pal) and back. 0.85 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
I plan to be spending 9 or 10 days in Devon mid-March. If I haven't found my oomph up here by then, I hope to find it down there!
Week 7: 3 qualifying rides, 51.3 km in 2.70 h.
Total qualifying rides: 21. Distance to date: 486.5 km (vs 770 km; 7 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 25.55 h (vs 49 h; 7 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Fri): 20.1 km. ELLL incl. Ls climb + Wn & back. 1.10 h.
Ride 2 (Sat): 17.9 km. ELLL as far as Wn, and back, + extra hill in Tod. 0.75 h.
Ride 3 (Sun): 17.1 km. HB (for coffee and cake with pal) and back. 0.85 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
- BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
- Ce = Cornholme, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CV = Cragg Vale
- HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
- JB = Jack Bridge
- Lh = Littleborough, Ls = Lumbutts
- MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
- Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
- SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, St = Summit
- Tod = Todmorden
- WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Windy again today, BUT... it was a very mild wind! Temperatures 10+ C higher than a few days ago.
Unfortunately, we had some VERY heavy rain on and off until about 16:00 so I was late getting out. If it had been dry I would have gone out for 3 or 4 hours today rather than just 51 minutes.
Unfortunately, we had some VERY heavy rain on and off until about 16:00 so I was late getting out. If it had been dry I would have gone out for 3 or 4 hours today rather than just 51 minutes.
Elswick Cotterpin
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
Another brief challenge report; three qualifying rides complete. Wednesday was a bit damp, although the rain was easing off when I was out.
I don't think there was anything very noteworthy that happened that's worth mentioning. The hedge cutters had been out and about but didn't cause me any problems and no one tried to kill me so that's all good.
The back brake still needs looking at... Rain and wind forecast for much of tomorrow. I'll see it out the window.
I don't think there was anything very noteworthy that happened that's worth mentioning. The hedge cutters had been out and about but didn't cause me any problems and no one tried to kill me so that's all good.
The back brake still needs looking at... Rain and wind forecast for much of tomorrow. I'll see it out the window.
bluenotebob
Veteran
- Location
- central Brittany, France
Week 8: 11 rides over 30 mins, including one Lunacy Distance ride; distance cycled 271.16km
Weeks 1 to 8 (2025): total distance cycled 1515.70km
Best week of the year so far. Quite windy after Wednesday but I managed to get out on the bike every day apart from Monday. I also managed to get two rides done most days.
One Lunacy Distance ride done this month and I hope to do a second one before the end of this coming week. That would keep me on track for that challenge and ensure that I’m not slipping behind my Eddington target dates. I’ve scheduled these targets out to the end of 2029 – who knows how far I’ll get in achieving them … but any plan is better than no plan.
Five bikes now over 200km this year (and Katie-Mae is up to 400km).
The good news is that the school holidays end today so some of my preferred long-distance routes should be a bit quieter Mon-Fri during the weeks ahead.
The Voie Verte north of Malestroit on Wednesday afternoon. Beautifully manicured (well ... strimmed anyway) verges and the leaf-blower has been in action cleaning the surface of the path
Part of la chateau de Riaye on Saturday morning
Weeks 1 to 8 (2025): total distance cycled 1515.70km
Best week of the year so far. Quite windy after Wednesday but I managed to get out on the bike every day apart from Monday. I also managed to get two rides done most days.
One Lunacy Distance ride done this month and I hope to do a second one before the end of this coming week. That would keep me on track for that challenge and ensure that I’m not slipping behind my Eddington target dates. I’ve scheduled these targets out to the end of 2029 – who knows how far I’ll get in achieving them … but any plan is better than no plan.
Five bikes now over 200km this year (and Katie-Mae is up to 400km).
The good news is that the school holidays end today so some of my preferred long-distance routes should be a bit quieter Mon-Fri during the weeks ahead.
The Voie Verte north of Malestroit on Wednesday afternoon. Beautifully manicured (well ... strimmed anyway) verges and the leaf-blower has been in action cleaning the surface of the path
Part of la chateau de Riaye on Saturday morning
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
[Insert standard winter excuses here!]
Week 8: 3 qualifying rides, 54.2 km in 2.65 h.
Total qualifying rides: 24. Distance to date: 540.7 km (vs 880 km; 8 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 28.20 h (vs 56 h; 8 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Mon): 20.1 km. ELLL + Old Toll House beyond Wn & back. 1.00 h.
Ride 2 (Thu): 18.0 km. ELLL as far as Wn, and back, + extra hill in Tod. 0.85 h.
Ride 3 (Sat): 16.1 km. ELLL. 0.80 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
Week 8: 3 qualifying rides, 54.2 km in 2.65 h.
Total qualifying rides: 24. Distance to date: 540.7 km (vs 880 km; 8 x weekly target of 110 km). Time to date: 28.20 h (vs 56 h; 8 x weekly target of 7 h).
Ride 1 (Mon): 20.1 km. ELLL + Old Toll House beyond Wn & back. 1.00 h.
Ride 2 (Thu): 18.0 km. ELLL as far as Wn, and back, + extra hill in Tod. 0.85 h.
Ride 3 (Sat): 16.1 km. ELLL. 0.80 h.
All rides on my 6-er.
Abbreviated local place names (now sorted alphabetically):
- BE = Blackstone Edge, BH = Blackshaw Head, Bp = Bacup, By = Burnley
- Ce = Cornholme, Ck = Calderbrook, Cn = Colden, CP = Crown Point, Cr = Caldermoor, CV = Cragg Vale
- HB = Hebden Bridge, HC = Holme Chapel, HG = Hubberton Green, Hl = Heptonstall, HP = Harvellin Park
- JB = Jack Bridge
- Lh = Littleborough, Ls = Lumbutts
- MR = Manchester, Ms = Mankinholes
- Re = Rochdale, Royd = Mytholmroyd
- SB = Sowerby Bridge, SBm = Southward Bottom, Sd = Sharneyford, St = Summit
- Tod = Todmorden
- WM = Walk Mill, Wn = Walsden
FrothNinja
Veteran
Week started promisingly then dissolved into high winds and driving rain - though that was warmer than the dry bit at the start of the week.
This month has seen my lowest monthly mileage in many years, hope others have been more fortunate.
W8R1 - 1 hour 32 mins - local miles around Brougham. Disappointed to be turned away for h&s reasons when trying to access Lady Anne's Milestone aka the Countess Pillar next to the A66 - gits! To be fair, I was warned in Brougham that I wouldn't be allowed to get to it until the works have finished.
W8R2 - 38 mins - Brougham, Mayburgh Henge, Clifton, Shap, Shap Abbey
W8R3 - Centurion 36 mins - local miles
W8R4 - Centurion 44 mins - local miles
Near Shap Abbey after an all too quick ride down the A6. Met up with family at the Abbey before heading home on 4 wheels.
This month has seen my lowest monthly mileage in many years, hope others have been more fortunate.
W8R1 - 1 hour 32 mins - local miles around Brougham. Disappointed to be turned away for h&s reasons when trying to access Lady Anne's Milestone aka the Countess Pillar next to the A66 - gits! To be fair, I was warned in Brougham that I wouldn't be allowed to get to it until the works have finished.
W8R2 - 38 mins - Brougham, Mayburgh Henge, Clifton, Shap, Shap Abbey
W8R3 - Centurion 36 mins - local miles
W8R4 - Centurion 44 mins - local miles
Near Shap Abbey after an all too quick ride down the A6. Met up with family at the Abbey before heading home on 4 wheels.
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