Round The Year Randonneurs Log

[MSeries]

I think it's a fine gesture and really does enforce the non competitive aspect of AUK. They are not saying rides done in January do not count. Their rules, they can change them when the feel like.

[L CC]

I haven't completed a January ride yet, I still have the bruises to explain why....  but I think it's too early to do this. Maybe when every calendar 200 has been cancelled/postponed for bad weather, but in the meantime, there's 20 days before I'm calling January a 59 day month.

[Weirdy Biker]

Fellow RRTYer's and AAARTY's, it's up to Mike and Steve what they do with their awards.  If they are more comfortable with extending the qualifying period for rides for fear of riders taking unecessary risks then that's their call.  I'd rather that than them stopping organising the awards because they felt their award incentivised people to put themselves in harms way.

[JayP]

The prudence of the gesture is not in question but I doubt that that many will revise their plans because of it. The idea of one 200 every calendar month for as long as you can is a pure and simple challenge that very many riders take on. There are plenty who keep the faith but don't bother claiming. There are plenty who do claim but will view the asterisk they get via a special despensation as second rate. A bit like 'finishing' LEL but only because it rained in Eskdale. The point is once people take on the challenge the rules aren't yours to change.

My God You have created a MONSTER 

[mikewigley]

I’m back online again.  We’ve had a power outage caused by heavy snow bringing our power lines down.

Well, we seem to have stirred up a bit of interest in riding Round the Year.  As always, the choice to ride is first and foremost the rider’s and if you think you can ride a 200 or an AAA event safely during January, then go for it.  Just bear in mind that you could put not only yourself at risk, but also your would-be rescuers, and in certain conditions that’s not heroic, just selfish.

If you don’t want to count a second Feb event as your January ride - then don’t.  I’ll only count it as a valid ride if you claim it as such.  For myself, I would be unsatisfied with a Feb substitute so I wouldn’t claim it, but I thought it was important to take unnecessary pressure off anyone from making the wrong call.

I don’t believe this relaxing of the rules devalues your other Round the Year claims.  There’s already a great deal of inequality in the RTY.  Twelve flat 200s are a lot easier than one containing an SR series, or a PBP, or 12x600s, or rides with AAA points.  But they are all equally valid.  The months themselves have a variable number of days, and either 4 or 5 weekends each.  So counting to the 59th of January is just one more inequality.  Anyway, we’re not competitive, so how others get their RTY award should have no bearing on you - it's a personal challenge.

Why make this ruling change now?  Unbelievably, not all AUKs visit YACF, or even have access to the internet, and I think it important we don’t treat these as 2nd class RTYizens.  Arrivee is just about to go to press, so we had the chance of making a “stop press” announcement, so we went for it.

Will we make similar allowances for injury, illness or prolonged periods of “normal” bad weather?  Absolutely not!  (And people have asked from time to time!)  We’ve only made this change now because large stretches of the whole country have been under snow and ice for more than 3 weeks, with another week or so to go, and that’s just dangerous.  Driving to other parts of the country isn’t a valid option (in my opinion) - if your local conditions are bad, it’s perhaps irresponsible to drive to somewhere else just to ride your bike for a hobby.

Which part of “is your journey really necessary” do people not get?

But notice - we've cancelled nothing.  This is no nanny-state nonsense.  You make your own call on weather to ride (pun intended).

Anyway, I’m hoping to dig my way out of the house soon, although probably not in time to ride the Mere 200 this weekend.  I hope no-one has mailed me anything important as I’ve not seen a postie since 18th Dec.

Phew!

[Steve Snook]

I thought it was important to take unnecessary pressure off anyone from making the wrong call.

I don't have the same way with words, but just to emphasise a couple of points.

I already had people asking about AAARTY because they felt "pressurised" into doing their January event in the snow and ice. They don't have the option of sticking to the valley bottoms and the main roads. How fair would it have been on them to wait a couple of weeks and then say "Oh you needn't have bothered breaking that leg, we've just relaxed the rules?"

We have the Met Office UK weather forecast for guidance, they are supposed to know better than anyone else. They are still very guarded: "From next weekend (23rd/24th) onwards there is a trend for less cold but unsettled weather spreading across many parts of the UK, although staying cold in the northeast. However, the transition to less cold weather remains uncertain."

But like Mike says, if it's fit for you to do an AAA event where you are, then go for it. And if we have an unexpected heat wave tomorrow and for the rest of January and this has all proved to be a complete waste, then I for one shall be only too pleased. Except that the weeds will start to grow again on my allotment.

Steve

[Rich753]

FWIW, chapeau to Mike and Steve, thoughtful, safety conscious and responsible - what's not to like?

[Redlight]

FWIW, chapeau to Mike and Steve, thoughtful, safety conscious and responsible - what's not to like?

+1 to that. It seems to me to be a sensible and pragmatic decision. Those who can fit in a 200 during January shouldn't feel that their achievement has been devalued by allowing those for whom it would be too dangerous to roll their one over into February. It's still pretty tough doing a 200 in February most years!

FWIW I was hoping to kick off a RTYR this month but have put that plan on ice (sorry) until it feels safe out there. If I can't ride in January then I'll start my year in February and keep my fingers crossed that we don't have this again in 12 months' time ;-)

[bodach]

  Failed on my first attempt at RRTY after nine months by not doing a ride in December due to the cold. I am suffering from black toes already but have just discovered heated insoles in a well known outdoor shoppe in Auld Reekie so will invest in a pair next time I can dig myself out of the snow and look forward to getting out every month from now on. I think the 59 day Feb is a good idea but will probably not avail myself of it unless I get really obsessive.

[mikewigley]

 I think the 59 day Feb is a good idea

No! don't start THAT discussion.  It's January that has 59 days, February just has the conventional  28 days (although I'm thinking of extending that to 29 days every so often if that's not too controversial)

[bodach]

Oops sorry Mike!

[MSeries]

I've been thinking about this today. Suppose February makes us shiver too. Maybe you should have permitted extra rides from December to be carried over to count as a January one, then we'd only have to risk the ice once in February.

[Philip Whiteman]

.... Suppose February makes us shiver too. ....

With the hot air generated on the AAARTY thread about the 59 day month, the idea of a cold climate in February is an impossibility.  I think that most of us  on this board have probably contributed a few extra degrees to global warming within recent days.

Nonetheless, a frozen February would raise an interesting dilemma.  

[Cyklisten]

I've been thinking about this today. Suppose February makes us shiver too.

This is my concern too. It would mean trying to cram two rides in. I'm already on a Sundays only regime (work)

Maybe you should have permitted extra rides from December to be carried over to count as a January one, then we'd only have to risk the ice once in February.

That would have had to be announced in or before December in order to be fair. Having had dealings with black ice I tend to shut down to minimum i.e. 1 a month through Dec-Jan, as I am sure many others do. 

Devil's Advocate: How about Neutralizing January? Assume all current RTTY'ers (i.e anyone having ridden two (or some suitable number) consecutive monthly rides before or after) have 'ridden' in January.

Those who have ridden already would receive an extra credit towards a double RTTY etc.

[Fidgetbuzz]

Its obviously different over here in E Anglia.
I and Chris S ( with Fboab) battled in difficult conditions to do a 200 on Jan 2nd- Fboab and I are both aiming to extend Norfolk Nips 3 to make a ECE 200 on Saturday.
I like the idea that Jan rides count as if they were 2 
If i can then roll them over into feb - i need not do a ride in Feb at all and I will still have kept my double RRTY going

[Redlight]

, February just has the conventional  28 days (although I'm thinking of extending that to 29 days every so often if that's not too controversial)

If someone rides a 200 on a 29th Feb can they count it for four consecutive RRTYs?

[Cyklisten]

It's not that bad here in Kent either. I'm planning on being out on Sunday, conditions permitting and No, no rollover - free ride counts for the Neutralized month only  ... keep it simple!

[MSeries]

BTW I wasn't being wholly serious. If I don't complete this current RRTY then so be it. I spectacularly failed on the final ride of would have been my third in 2007

[Cyklisten]

BTW I wasn't being wholly serious.

Fair enough, though it is often difficult to tell in print. 

[mikewigley]

If someone rides a 200 on a 29th Feb can they count it for four consecutive RRTYs?

No, we need a separate award for riding an Audax on the 29th February.  Like PBP and LEL, it's a once every 4 year thing

[Ian H]

If someone rides a 200 on a 29th Feb can they count it for four consecutive RRTYs?

No, we need a separate award for riding an Audax on the 29th February.  Like PBP and LEL, it's a once every 4 year thing

The Bakers' Dozen Award.

[arabella]

Its obviously different over here in E Anglia.
I and Chris S ( with Fboab) battled in difficult conditions to do a 200 on Jan 2nd- Fboab and I are both aiming to extend Norfolk Nips 3 to make a ECE 200 on Saturday.
I like the idea that Jan rides count as if they were 2 
If i can then roll them over into feb - i need not do a ride in Feb at all and I will still have kept my double RRTY going

Definitely different in EA wetherwise.
I've just done my first ever January 200 (and first outing since last July.  I even wrote a ride report. 

<red flag> It wouldn't be a proper one in Edinburgh though.  I had to stop and rest etc.  Otherwise I wouldn't get round: I'd collapse and fall off and that isn't sensible.  Hang on, I'm getting confused. 
Suttles off quickly before anyone notices. </red flag>

[Fidgetbuzz]

Norfolk Nips + add on done. So that is the two January 200s out of the way.
It was  a very tough day -wet , windy and cold. Wet feet from having to ride thru water that covered the road for long distances several times meant feet were like blocks of ice. Most notable "puddle" see Aras report - must have been 30 yards long and quite deep - almost reminded me of LEL.
Puncture ( one of many suffered by riders on E A flint chips),inner tube failure at valve, and an off on slush as I wend my lonely way home from Diss made the whole thing a real test of mental determination.
Highlights - riding with Halloween ( a probable Arrow team mate ) seeing Ara - the fantastic soup at the finish of the Nips and the final control at Tescos - just 6 minutes inside time limit.

[DanialW]

I'm on a diy 200 right now, from Todmorden to Bolsover and back. The roads are totally clear, with no hint of any overnight freezing.This is my first 200 for nearly a month, I realise, and the first time we've not had snow or ice to worry about since well before Christmas.

[mattc]

Norfolk Nips + add on done. So that is the two January 200s out of the way.

In all seriousness, I think making Feb a 59-day month starting 1st JAN would be a pretty sensible compromise - thus those riding in Jan get something back for venturing out in the ... err.. "unexpected" conditions. Not that I think this is likely ... !

It was  a very tough day -wet , windy and cold. Wet feet from having to ride thru water that covered the road for long distances several times meant feet were like blocks of ice. Most notable "puddle" see Aras report - must have been 30 yards long and quite deep - almost reminded me of LEL.
Puncture ( one of many suffered by riders on E A flint chips),inner tube failure at valve, and an off on slush as I wend my lonely way home from Diss made the whole thing a real test of mental determination.

You are awesome FB.

Never mind RRTY - I think we should give you the 09-11 Merit Awards right now.