The 2016 Half Century (50 KM or 50 Mile) A Month Challenge - Chatzone

[Spinney]

Got my annual century ride in yesterday. Managed to find a fairly flat route - up onto the top of the Cotswold scarp then mainly gently rolling countryside around Cirencester to Bourton on the Water and back via the Water Park and Malmesbury. The great advantage of doing the bit of up to start was that the last 7 miles were almost all downhill!
Made a bit harder by the headwind most of the way back. I knew this was going to be the case from the weather forecast, but I'd psyched myself up to do it yesterday so went for it anyway. Now knackered!
Today I am tired, but my bum isn't too sore. In a better state than after the one last year and the one the year before, but both of those had significantly more hills in them! Might try my Welsh route again later in the month if I am feeling fitter.

(Edit: Imperial century, that is!)

 

[Katherine]

Got my annual century ride in yesterday. Managed to find a fairly flat route - up onto the top of the Cotswold scarp then mainly gently rolling countryside around Cirencester to Bourton on the Water and back via the Water Park and Malmesbury. The great advantage of doing the bit of up to start was that the last 7 miles were almost all downhill!
Made a bit harder by the headwind most of the way back. I knew this was going to be the case from the weather forecast, but I'd psyched myself up to do it yesterday so went for it anyway. Now knackered!
Today I am tired, but my bum isn't too sore. In a better state than after the one last year and the one the year before, but both of those had significantly more hills in them! Might try my Welsh route again later in the month if I am feeling fitter.

(Edit: Imperial century, that is!)

Wow! Did you go all that way on your own? Did you have to be disciplined about your stops?

 

[Spinney]

I prefer doing really long rides solo, then my slow pace does not annoy Mr S! I'd planned the route and put it into my Garmin to provide 100 miles, in the end it was a little longer due to a couple of places where B**y Garmin assumed I was on foot! So there were few navigation problems. Stopped to eat my sarnies halfway through, brief stop at a village shop after another 15 miles or so to buy more drink and some cake (where the woman asked how far I was going and was dead impressed!). But my next proper stop wasn't for another 15 miles cos I was looking for a nice bench in the sun to sit on, and eventually gave up and stopped in a bus shelter!
On previous 100 mile rides I've had a lot more stops than that, getting more and more frequent towards the end! But all the others have been hillier.

 

[Lilliburlero]

A nice 60km`er was had today and I bumped into one of our own

I sometimes go out with a mate, we take turns in picking the route and today`s route was my choice so I opted for a nice ride out to Bosworth. We get to Bosworth Park, I pull in for a fag break and notice another cyclist pull in next to us. I mention to my mate that I`ll be meeting up with some CC`ers at the park in a few weeks time for a ride out and ask him if he`s up for it. The next thing I know this guy next to us shuffles over and puts his hand out to shake mine and says "Carl" .... The look of bemusement on my face must have been a sight to behold until he said "13 rider" . We follow each other on strava but had never met until today.

Nice meeting you @13 rider . Now looking forward to riding with you in a few weeks time

 

[13 rider]

A nice 60km`er was had today and I bumped into one of our own

I sometimes go out with a mate, we take turns in picking the route and today`s route was my choice so I opted for a nice ride out to Bosworth. We get to Bosworth Park, I pull in for a fag break and notice another cyclist pull in next to us. I mention to my mate that I`ll be meeting up with some CC`ers at the park in a few weeks time for a ride out and ask him if he`s up for it. The next thing I know this guy next to us shuffles over and puts his hand out to shake mine and says "Carl" .... The look of bemusement on my face must have been a sight to behold until he said "13 rider" . We follow each other on strava but had never met until today.

Nice meeting you @13 rider . Now looking forward to riding with you in a few weeks time

You did look a little surprised But I was surprised when I heard the words forum ride cycle chat when I was out recceeing the route .

 

[NorthernDave]

Thought I'd try and put a marker down today, starting August as I mean to go on, and it felt great to ride a metric half century after the last week.

I'll update the challenge thread soon as I get chance.

Just realised that I haven't entered last weeks half century on the thread, and I've got another one from yesterday to add as well. My bad!
Nearly added a third half century ride this morning, but by heck it was windy out there wasn't it? So I called it a day at 28 miles.

 

[Sbudge]

I'm thinking of doing London-Brighton and Brighton-London in the same day (just for the hell of it). Is that two 100km rides or one 200km ride?

 

[tallliman]

^ depends if you stop! :-)

 

[Sbudge]

^ depends if you stop! :-)

Well I'll have to have a paddle and an ice cream otherwise what's the point in going to the seaside?

 

[Saluki]

Evening everyone.
Just put 2 rides up today, going over 50km across the pair of them. Did 1st ride before work, then went to work for 8 hours and leaped about like a loon, came home and got back on the bike and went up to the cafe as it's late night pizza night. I am now shattered.

My job is so energetic that riding has been few and far between but I really wanted to get on the bike. Easy work day tomorrow and half of Sunday so figured that I could get 50km done across 2 rides today.

 

[NorthernDave]

An enjoyable 71km this morning, even if the wind made it harder work than it could have been.
Where has the promised heatwave gone?

I should probably have pushed on to make it a metric half, but I've got plans for that next weekend.
Report in the usual place.

 

[kapelmuur]

I've been slow getting around to this but here are some words about my 50km ride in France on 1st August.

As this was a family holiday , 3 generations of us, I had promised to go easy on the cycling and was permitted just 1 'long' ride.

We stayed in a pretty little town called Offranville, just 15 minutes drive from Dieppe. The area was popular with artists at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries and local scenes were painted by the likes of Turner, Monet and Sickert. The Cubist Georges Braque is buried at nearby St Marguerite Sur Mer.

The first photo is the Veloroute information office at Offranville which uses the old station building. The second is one of the numerous information boards placed in the position that the artists stood to paint the scene. This one is about halfway up the climb from Pourville Sur Mer to Dieppe.

The cycling locally is good with Veloroute du Lin which is a dedicated cycle/foot path following a disused railway from the coast, through Offranville and about 30km inland.

The roads are mostly quiet and in good condition. Most of my riding is on the Cheshire Plain and I'm allergic to hills, so the coast road seemed very lumpy as it descends to a bay then went up the next headland and repeat.

However nothing too strenuous, although I had to bail out on a third of a mile, 11% average, section called on Strava 'Poggio de Pourville' I had managed it last year but felt a little poorly this time having indulged in the local cheese and wine the previous evening.

My ride followed the Veloroute down from Offrainville to the beach at Pourville and then followed the coast road to Aubervilliers, with detours to look at the historic lighthouse at Ailly
and to Georges Braque's grave which has a mosaic of his famous bluebird image.

After Aubervilliers I climbed inland and followed a long straight road eventually reaching St Denis d'Alcon where I took this photo of a memorial to the Tour de France passing here in 2015.

As I was taking the picture a rough looking French guy leaned out of his car window to shout at me. Unfortunately he hadn't noticed that the car in front had stopped so there was a prang. Also sadly for him a couple of Gendarmes were standing at the side of the road so I pedalled off quickly in the opposite direction.

The house was reached without further alarm, but adrenaline released by the incident resulted in some good times on the remaining Strava segments!

 

[Katherine]

Evening everyone.
Just put 2 rides up today, going over 50km across the pair of them. Did 1st ride before work, then went to work for 8 hours and leaped about like a loon, came home and got back on the bike and went up to the cafe as it's late night pizza night. I am now shattered.

My job is so energetic that riding has been few and far between but I really wanted to get on the bike. Easy work day tomorrow and half of Sunday so figured that I could get 50km done across 2 rides today.

What is your new job? If you have already mentioned it, I'm afraid I missed it.

 

[Saluki]

What is your new job? If you have already mentioned it, I'm afraid I missed it.

I work up at Camel Creek Adventure Park, as a Ride Ranger. Basically I run one of 15 rides in the morning and another in the afternoon. I am rather chuffed as I am on the 5D Super Simulator all day tomorrow as we have someone important, and they want the same team on tomorrow as Saturday as we more or less broke in, and refined to a fast and efficient guest turnaround. We are both really flattered
Keeping the visitors happy is the aim of the game.

 

[Katherine]

I work up at Camel Creek Adventure Park, as a Ride Ranger. Basically I run one of 15 rides in the morning and another in the afternoon. I am rather chuffed as I am on the 5D Super Simulator all day tomorrow as we have someone important, and they want the same team on tomorrow as Saturday as we more or less broke in, and refined to a fast and efficient guest turnaround. We are both really flattered
Keeping the visitors happy is the aim of the game.

Sounds great, have a good day today.