CW5000 February challenges

Every month we’re setting our CW5000 riders two challenges. Forget that big number hanging over you for a while and use these to inspire your riding over the next few weeks.

Through the year these will range from distance and time focused challenges, to climbing and route planning. All of them are designed to get you trying something a little different, push you a little further and help you get closer to that 5000 mile total by the end of the year.

Sign up for these challenges and be in with a chance of winning a UKCE Gold Season Pass for the best sportives in the UK worth £260.

With the cold and wet weather still hampering our rides and the short days limiting our available hours Februarys challenges are based around route planning and the social side of cycling. So rather than fret over big miles this month we just want you to get out and enjoy yourself. Do that now and the bigger rides will follow.

1 Find and ride a new stretch of road

We’re all slaves to our regular routes, often doing the same routes and circuits several times a week and the same long weekend rides out to the hills or nearest coast-line.

To challenge your route planning skills and fire up your adventurous side we want you to find a new stretch of road and go ride it. There are two ways of doing this. You could go out for a ride and simply turn off down a road you’ve never turned down before, or you could take a look at a map and hunt out a road that you’ve never ridden then plot your route there and back.

Ideally this would be a climb, or a picturesque stretch of tarmac you can add to your batch of regular rides. Be sure to let us know via email of the Facebook group what road you searched out and what you thought of it.

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2 Ride with a group

Cycling is definitely better when done with others. Whether it’s the social side that keeps you motivated, a wheel to sit on, or fitter riders to push your limits riding with a group is the best way to step up your riding. Our second challenge in February is simply to do a group ride – that’s four people or more in our book.

You could head out with a local cycling club (find your nearest on the British Cycling website), look up an organised Breeze or Cycling UK ride or plan a route and organize your mates to all get out on the same day. Take a selfie of the group and tell us where you went to prove you’ve done it.

Bonus challenge – Log a ride on Feb 29

As this is an extra day in 2020, and it falls on the weekend, why not make the most of it and get in a big ride. Basically free miles! Be sure to let us know how many miles you logged on your free day.

Vlog about your rides

Each month we'll be pulling together a video detailing you and your rides. So we want you to take a video when you take on the challenges. This doesn't have to be done while riding, you could take a Video when preparing your route, at a cafe on the ride or other stop off point, or before or after. Be sure to tell us who you are, where you ride and how you completed the challenge.

Video taken on a smart phone is fine, all we'd ask is that you take it in landscape format. You can use www.wetransfer.com and send your videos to cycling@ti-media.com. Be sure to leave your name in the message field if it's not obvious from your email address.