Four Seasons Ride Question

yakulis

yakulis

Premier Member
#1
#1
I am looking for a minor clarification on the Four Season rules.

Here are the rules from the official documentation:
"You must be riding sometime during the date of the solstice or equinox. Purists choose to be riding at the exact time of the solstice or equinox."

This year (2019), the Winter Solstice is on Sunday, December 22, 2019 at 04:19 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). This equates to Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 11:19 pm EST (Eastern Standard Time). I am located in Virginia on the east coast. I am not looking to be a "purist" and ride exactly at the time of the solstice for this one. My question is whether the required day to ride is December 21 or December 22, or perhaps both are acceptable?
 
yakulis

yakulis

Premier Member
#4
#4
cacomly and kwthom,

Thank you for your replies.

If I understand what you are saying, then it is your ride timezone that would determine when the Soltice or Equinox is.

For example, this year it occurs at 11:19pm Eastern Standard Time (USA) on December 21. However, if I was riding in the UK, it would be on December 22 at 4:19am.

This may become interesting in future years if one of the Solstice or Equinox times falls for example on 1:19am on the East Coast. That would make the Eastern and Central time zones have the date to be one day and the Mountain and Pacific time zones to be on the previous day. Very interesting.

Unless I hear otherwise, I will base the date on when the Equinox or Solstice falls within the time in my ride timezone.
 
Ira

Ira

Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
IBR Staff
#5
#5
All times are local. So it is whatever your local time is at that moment.

Don't overthink it.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association
 
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