Set me a challenge for 2015

[jeremyc]

Hello all. Long time PHer, newbie to this part of the forums so be gentle.

I cycle to try and keep fit. My ancient mountain bike is an exercise machine that I can jump on whenever is convenient for me to go for a ride.

This year I set myself an arbitrary mileage target in an effort to maintain an incentive to keep riding. And promptly reached the target by 1st June. Today I passed the revised (doubled) target.

So what suggestions do you have for targets or challenges I can set myself for next year? Key requirements are:
- Needs to be low overhead. I don't want to have to travel or require special equipment before exercising.
- Ideally have to be able to participate at times I choose (sometimes at short notice). Though I'm open to suggestions for organised or group events.
- A new skill or challenge would be fun.

I've considered venturing into the world of single speeders, or maybe a road bike, but either probably needs to be in conjunction with an interesting challenge.

Over to you, the experts.

[jonnM]

Get yourself a road bike. Then pick a nice day, and see if you can ride 100 miles! We've done it a few times, it's always a great challenge and a memorable day out :-)

[Dammit]

http://www.frafjordtilfjell.com/hoved.php?sprak=en...

[Fastpedeller]

Are you THE JeremyC off of Top Gear???

[jeremyc]

Fastpedeller said:

Are you THE JeremyC off of Top Gear???

Of course.

Is it THAT obvious?

[jeremyc]

Dammit said:

http://www.frafjordtilfjell.com/hoved.php?sprak=en...

Looks great.

But fails the "don't want to have to travel to ride" criteria.

Also not that practical for a year-round activity.

[Dammit]

You only have to travel once, the year-round part is the training you need to do in order to be able to hit your target for it.

My goal for 2015 is sub-four hours.

[agentnomad]

Ride the Etape du Dales in May 2015

Propper challenge in Yorkshire

[agentnomad]

Ride the Etape du Dales in May 2015

Propper challenge in Yorkshire

[rhinochopig]

C2C in a day. Less than 100 miles at its narrowist point.

[jeremyc]

agentnomad said:

Ride the Etape du Dales in May 2015

rhinochopig said:

C2C in a day. Less than 100 miles at its narrowist point.

I appreciate all of these single event opportunities that are being suggested (and there are many similar out there), but what I'm more looking for are ideas for a continuous challenge.

How can I measure progress throughout the year against a goal/target/challenge that will motivate me to jump on the bike when it's snowing/wet/freezing cold?

My simple mileage target for this year ended up being a sufficient 'stretch' goal that I pretty much had to get out for a lengthy ride two or three times a week, every week.

[jeremyc]

Can you get unicycle mountain bikes?

Maybe I should ride the same distance next year on one wheel.

[rhinochopig]

jeremyc said:

Can you get unicycle mountain bikes?

Maybe I should ride the same distance next year on one wheel.

Yes you can and they'll kick the arse of a mtb when climbing. Most disconcerting to have one come past you likle you're stood still on a 24hr race. Watch the vids of them on youtube as it's amazing what you can do on one.

[Dammit]

Pick an event, work out what you need for it (300 watts for an hour and a half, half marathon in an hour and a half on the flat) then train for those goals over the course of the year, peaking for your event.

Doing the same thing year round gets dull - if you have an event to build up to then your training (intensity, duration etc) changes through the year which keeps it interesting.

You are also allowed to slack a bit after the event!

[Some Gump]

OP,

My challenge from last year (worked a treat, until my son was born):

Monthly goals:
200 miles total
1 ride of 100k min per month*
New PB up local SIGNIFICANT hill per month*

• I also entered the "metric century challenge" on Bikeradar forum. It's like PH, but 1/4 of the posters are bike mentalists rather than just mentalists.

• for me, there were 2 hills on the main list, and 3 or 4 on the occasional list. Wizard hill (which at the start of the year was a bugger!), and the Cat and Fiddle - local MAMIL magnet. THe 3 or 4 were other climbs from "100 greatest climb" book.

I'd often get to the end of the month and know that even though it was cold, miserable and wet - I had 100k to do that day. My own fault for being a wimp when it was just cold, or just wet.
Come summer, i was doing regular 400 mile months, including 1 ride of 148 miles and 7.5k feet of climbing.


Some version of this might work for you?

[ALawson]

Sign up to Strava and complete the Grand Frondo challenge every month.

What were you initial and then doubled targets?

[jeremyc]

ALawson said:

What were you initial and then doubled targets?

2,014 miles (in 2014, geddit?) subsequently doubled to to 4,028.

I've maintained between 230 and 530 miles a month all year.

Oh, and I'm an Endomondo man rather than Strava.

[anonymous-user]

Doesnt sound like simple endurance events are going to be that interesting but I'd look at one epic long audax like London Edinburgh London or something similar and put those base miles to some use.

Go racing, aim to be Cat 3 by year end?

Looks like you are SE based so how about starting a new discipline at the track at Lee Valley Velopark

[bulldog5046]

jeremyc said:

,014 miles (in 2014, geddit?) subsequently doubled to to 4,028.

I've maintained between 230 and 530 miles a month all year.

Oh, and I'm an Endomondo man rather than Strava.

On an old mountain bike? wow. Great effort!

I've been road riding since march and mines varied a lot. Only done 13 miles in November as the weathers been horrific. but did over 600 in July.

You sound a bit like me. I tend to just wake up and decide I'm going out on the bike. I don't really set goals for myself other than wanting to do a single 100mile and I've not managed it yet.

I came close but I screwed up by not having breakfast or lunch, I crashed at the 50mile mark and struggled the last 20 home. Wasn't helped by having to ride 10 miles on an unsurfaced energy sapping A-Road. Shame as my pace was on fire for the first 40!

I've not been a fan or entering sportive events but I have entered for a place in the ride London next year.

[jeremyc]

pablo said:

Go racing, aim to be Cat 3 by year end?

Now y'see I've no idea what that means - the Cat 3 bit; I know what racing is.

pablo said:

Looks like you are SE based so how about starting a new discipline at the track at Lee Valley Velopark

Nice idea, but I want low overhead exercise, not something that demands I drag myself by car to (preumably on a regular basis). Believe it or not all of my cycling has been within about a 10 mile radius of my house; I've simply been able to jump on the bike at home and go on circular rides.