Round The Year Randonneurs Log

[StantheMan]

Saturday I rode 31st monthly 200 km (mostly DIY 200 km) in a row. 200 km and 13,5h max it is not much normally, but during winter time in Finland it is. Third winter is coming and I'm not sure that I will continue riding this time. Last winter was not so bad. Only -20 Celsius during one ride (Feb)

[TOBY]

2009
2010 
2011 
2012 
2013 

October	DIY 200	DIY 200	DIY 200
November	Transporter 200	Mr. Pickwick's Cyrch Cymru 200	DIY 300
December	Monmouthshire Meander 200	DIY 200	DIY 200
January	DIY 200	Dr Fosters Winter Warmer 200	DIY 200
Febuary	DIY 200	Malmesbury Mash 200	DIY 200
March	DIY 200	Making Hay 200	Barry's Bristol Ball Buster 200
April	Hardboiled 300	Dorset Coast 200	Heart of England 300
May	Brevet Cymru 400	Porkers 400	Bryan Chapman Memorial 600
June	DIY 200	DIY 200	DIY 200
July	DIY 200	DIY 200	Mersey 24hr TT 700
August	DIY 200	DIY 200	DIY 200
September	DIY 200	DIY 200	DIY 200

one more year and I'm over it.

[marcusjb]

Impressive stuff!

[TOBY]

Impressive stuff!

not really, if you're sad enough these things are all quite achievable if you have the time.

[Ray 6701]

Impressive stuff!

not really, if you're sad enough these things are all quite achievable if you have the time.

Tripling up over the winter & 700k in the mersey 24 is 

[Littlesox]

I'm giving it a go and am up and running !

05/10 DIY Perm by GPS 222km
03/11 DIY Perm by GPS 209km
01/12 DIY Perm by GPS 222km

[Andrew Br]

Great beginning Littlesox.
I started in October but it was only in January that I thought that I should aim for RRTY since I'd already done some of the (potentially) hardest months.
Ironically, the only DNF I had was in the summer.................

Good luck 

[The Seldom Killer]

Oct 12 - Bernies Tiny Flat One Perm
Nov 12 - Bernies Tiny Flat One Perm
Dec 12 - Winter Solstice
Jan 13 - A Mere 200
Feb 13 - Wilmslow - St Asaph Perm
Mar 13 - The Dean 300
Apr 13 - Plains 300 ECE'd to 400
May 13 - Bryan Chapman Memorial 600
Jun 13 - Moors and Wolds 400
Jul 13 - Full Monty 300
Aug 13 - Super Brevet Scandinavia 1200
Sep 13 - Eccleshall 200 Perm (awaiting validation)

And then because I didn't check out my results list I went and did the Eccleshall 200k Perm again yesterday to complete the RRtY so I guess that means I've started all over again.

Pleased that my RRtY has a double SR in it though.

[Doo]

My first of the new season:

Droitwich-Lechlade 200

Just 11 more to go!

[Henry]

After a busy several days in the real world etc etc it was a pleasure to get out in the elements for 12 hours yesterday, for month 11 out of 12 of RRTY. Did my DIY route out-and-back from Bristol to Talybont-on-Usk for lunch.

Climbing the Tumble, the headwind nearly brought me to a standstill. Had a few vague safety concerns, but these were mainly combined with the fleeting thought of going down into Abergavenny for fish n chips and a train home, so I ignored this nonsense and carried on wrestling with the bike in an unseemly fashion. A hiker coming down the road greeted me with "lovely day for it eh?", I gave him my hearty agreement.

On top of the Brecon Beacons, the rain was being blown so hard it hurt the visage, when I got home my eyes appeared somewhat red from this. The GPS unit packed up for a while, I gained receipts instead, so the ride is subject to a hybrid validation of paper and GPS. If not then I don't care anyway, and won't be doing another 200k ride before the end of the month 

[marcusjb]

This is terribly hard to write in a thread full of depraved addicts, but I am off the treadmill after 3 years.

Every year I think about stepping off the treadmill, and this year I have done it.

After a really quite big season for me, I have become slightly disillusioned with RRtY for sending me out on rides that aren't that enjoyable, just because I have to.

I am split on it, it was the first goal I set myself in Audax and it does force me out on a long ride once a month.

I will probably return to it in the future, but for this year I want to do things differently.

I will still look in on this thread and congratulate all those finishing another year off. It is an impressive achievement that anyone who achieves it should be very proud of.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

It seems that I'm over halfway through a possible 6th RRtY (with gaps between most of them) but we'll see how winter looks before getting too excited.
02 March 2013 Kennet Valley Run 200
20 April Heart of England 300
01 May Israel 1000
09 June Ditchling Devil 200
28 July LEL 1400
10 Aug A Rough Diamond 300
29 Sept Last Chance Dales Dance 200
06 Oct l'Eroica 200

02 Nov Upper Thames 200 planned

[hillbilly]

Yesterday bagged me month 11 of a double.  I'd forgotten how much different an "easy ride in the summer" can feel when autumn bites, and the edge is taken off your fitness due to "taking a rest".  Looking forward to closing this off next month, and then (probably, although I've been mucking about with winter friendly DIY routes on and off) doing what I am now going to call "doing a Marcus".

Month	|	Event 1	|	Event 2
Dec 12	|	Around Weald Expedition	|	DIY
Jan 13	|	DIY	|	DIY
Feb 13	|	Around Weald Expedition	|	DIY
Mar 13	|	Around Weald Expedition	|	Meridian Hills
Apr 13	|	Hard Boiled	|	Valley of the Rocks
May 13	|	Porkers	|	Snow Roads
Jun 13	|	Dales Grimpeur	|	Pendle
Jul 13	|	Park Rash and Swaledale	|	Pennine Series 3B
Aug 13	|	Tregaron Dragon	|	Dark and White Peak
Sep 13	|	Barmouth Boulevard	|	Barcud Coch
Oct 13	|	Meridian Hills	|	Around Weald Expedition
Nov 13	|	?	|	?

(Favourite events shown in any given month where there is a choice)

[Bairdy]

I've got 2 x 200's to do in November and December to give me a double RRtY for the year.
It was a x 3 until June when I had my kidney stone attack.

I shall continue with RRtY next year, I don't find one or two 200's per month that hard to fit in and I seldom ride the same route over and over.
I like to have the mixture of solo DIY's/perms, calendars or DIY's/perms with others, usually Mikey. This stops it from getting boring.
I also feel like I need to do this in order to be in any shape for the longer rides in spring and summer.

[3peaker]

What a relief to pick up where I left off. October has seen me complete 18/7 and 19/6 riding 'normal' routes that involve serious hills. My diet of Olde Folks 200 and Bristol Double Avon 200 has sustained me through my double trauma year, providing flattish rides. Now recovering, I can return to checking my Perm routes again, with October seeing my Malvern Elgar Dean 200 and Cotswolds & Mendips Grimpeur 200, both lovely routes for variety and scenery.

Just have to be a bit more careful through the coming Winter to keep these numbers climbing.

[Ray 6701]

8 months done & now for the hard part of continuing through the winter.

April: Horncastle 200k Perm + the Two Battles x 2
May: Yellowbelly tour 200k
June: YLY 600k & Moors & Wolds 400
July: LEL 1400k
August: Stow on the Wolds DIY 200K & Lutterworth/Ashby DIY 200k
September: Roses to Wrags 200k
October: Stow on the Wolds 200k & the Two Battles perm
November: The Upper Thames

[crowriver]

Staring winter in the face after a relatively lucky year so far. Only just managed to squeeze in a DIY 200 on Hallowe'en for October's RRTY tally despite high winds, heavy rain and the return of GMT. Still November, December, January, February and March to go.....(gulp). Given that last winter I was doing 100s RRTY will be an interesting challenge here in Scotland!

Apr   DIY 200
May   DIY 200
Jun   Cromarty Cruise 200
Jul   Saltire perm 200
Aug   Forres Foray 200
Sep   DIY 200
Oct   DIY 200 (subject to validation)

[caerau]

April 13 - Two Battles 200 (Tamworth)
May 13 - Cambrian Series 3A perm (300) 
June 13 - The National 400 (Tiverton) 
July 13 - The Buzzard 600 (Leighton Buzzard -  SR yay) 
August 13 - Dr Foster's Summer Saunter (Cardiff) 
Sept 13 - Wem We Get There 200 (Tamworth) 
               Border castles Randonne 200
               Ferryside Fish Foray 200
Oct 13 - Gower Getter 200
Nov 13 - Transporter 200  - it's getting trickier now the weather is  um.. less than ideal
 

next up
Dec 13  Monmouthshire Meander

[Reg.T]

Finished my first RRTY 

12/12: Cotswolds & Mendips group perm 200
01/13: January Sale 200
02/13: Sam Weller's Day Trip to Wochma 200
03/13: Mad March Coasts & Quantocks 200
04/13: Yr Elenydd 300
05/13: Bryan Chapman Memorial 600
06/13: Pendle 600
07/13: LEL 1400
08/13: Severn Estuary 200 perm
09/13: Border Castles Randonnee 200
10/13: Tasty Cheddar 100 + ECE 100
11/13: Mae Mr. Pickwick's Cymraeg Cyrch 200

Planning to keep going for now.... 

[marcusjb]

Good work! Well done.

[Ray 6701]

Good work Reg T 

[Bobby]

I've been in AUK for 11months and am 1 month off getting my first RRTY... Just found a crack...

Looks like I may have to do my December 200 on my mountain bike....

Gutted.

[Phil W]

November RRTY completed, a light house themed one. First one of this winter to habe snow ice and sleet plus some riding in the dark. Looking for inspiration for December route now.

[crowriver]

I'm cursing my bad luck. We've had a great dry weekend, even some sunshine on Saturday. I couldn't ride my DIY 200 due to family commitments. Only day free I have between now and the end of the month is.....tomorrow. Forecast in the Lothians is below zero for much of the day, freezing fog at the start and end of the day. Not so bad here by the coast, but inland where my route takes me will be cold.

I don't really fancy it as the fog will bring heavy frost/ice with it. It might be fine, but likelihood is it won't. This is my second attempt too: my previous scheduled day was last Tuesday, again below zero for most of the day, but dry and sunny. I bottled out due to worries about potential ice/frost on minor roads in the Moorfoots. Looks like my attempt at RRTY may be about to 'reset' due to bad planning, bad luck/weather and lack of time.

 

[mikewigley]

I'm cursing my bad luck ... I bottled out due to worries about potential ice/frost on minor roads

Never loose sight of the fact that the RRTY is only a bit of fun, an incentive to get you out on the bike through the winter months, and that cycling is only a hobby.  You risk serious injury and inconveniencing the emergency services and your family, and even if you complete your ride you could so hate your day out in the cold that you put yourself off cycling altogether.  Console yourself with the reassurance that staying in on icy days is excellent training, keeping yourself fit for a better day.

Of course it's easy for me to say that - I'm now showing as an Ultra RRTY (RRTYx10) and I'm no longer counting my rides, so I'm chilled (literally!) that I've not done a November 200.  Having said that, Wednesday looks OK here and I think I could get the day off, so perhaps I might get out after all.