The 2017 Half Century (50 KM or 50 Mile) A Month Challenge - Chatzone

[Ice2911]

3 points
1 for a 50km ,2 for a 50 mile ,3 for a 100 km ,4 for a 100 miler

Thank you so total 10

 

[Sbudge]

Started this post on my phone while waiting to be rescued by the wife, but now I'm home I might as well finish it on the computer. Had planned a 55 mile ride today with the possibility of more depending on how I felt towards the end.

Was doing okay up until the halfway mark, when while climbing a short sharp hill, I somehow got a large twig caught up in my rear mech. Stopped the bike and fished it out sharpish but there didn't seem to be any obvious damage. However over the next two miles I started noticed grinding noises when changing between my big and small rings (which I was doing a lot as unfortunately the terrain was very hilly in this area) before then experiencing gear slippage on the rear cogs, which then got more and more frequent. Stopped and took another look and thought that the chain may have had a little kink in it, but wasn't 100% sure.

As I was in the middle of nowhere at this point, while I was tempted to call it a day in case I did any more damage, thought that it was best that I at least tried to press on to the next town as that would make me easier to find if I had to give up - that was possibly a mistake. Within another half mile it all came tumbling down - the whole rear mech sheared off and crashed into my back wheel. Fortunately I was only doing about 8 mph uphill at the time so an immediate stop wasn't too problematic (just a minute earlier I was coming downhill at almost 25 mph, which would have been possibly lethal to me).

Called the wife to pick me up and walked the bike about 20 minutes to a nearby station - annoyingly it's a station I could have used my season ticket from to get home, except I don't bring my wallet with me on rides. Got a chance to look at the damage while I waited, but not being very mechanically minded, I'm not sure what it was I should be looking for. Did note that one of the teeth on one of the cogs in the rear mech was completely broken, but don't know if that happened when the twig hit me initially, or when this hit part my wheel later on. Sure the LBS will tell me when I take it in sometime next week.

The only thing even approaching "good" news is that this all happened just after I passed the 50km mark, so at least I can claim one point for this ride!

Plenty of Kudos for getting the 50km Steve but a right pain with the mech.Let me know if I can help! (Admit it, it's deliberate sabotage so you can grab the Enigma again! :-) )

 

[Sbudge]

Well done for getting out despite the palsy! Hope everything gets back to normal soon.

Thanks, stubbornness wins over common sense any day! Docs say 1-3 months should see improvement and 95% recover in 6 months. Annoying and tiring more than anything serious really.

 

[steverob]

Plenty of Kudos for getting the 50km Steve but a right pain with the mech.Let me know if I can help! (Admit it, it's deliberate sabotage so you can grab the Enigma again! :-) )

You see, I'm encouraging you to start riding the Engima again as soon as possible, so that I can't be tempted into using it!

Getting to 50km was a sheer fluke - I make it I was just 250m past that point when the bike finally gave up on me (the incident that probably caused the damage happened about 3-4km beforehand).

 

[GuyBoden]

Tested my new inexpensive (£20) Exustar road bike pedals today with a 40(ish) mile very slow ride. They have Look type cleats, I have the MTB clip-less pedals on my other shoes, but these new ones have enormously improved my duck walking abilities, à la Chuck Berry (RIP).

Good review of the pedals here:
https://magazine.bikesoup.com/review-exustar-pedals-e-pr100pp-sport-look-keo-style/

 

[Rustybucket]

Another 50k yesterday! Smashing March. Getting abit bored of doing the same route now thou!

Hopefully start increasing my miles soon, just need my hamstring to get better.

 

[ColinJ]

Docs say 1-3 months should see improvement and 95% recover in 6 months. Annoying and tiring more than anything serious really.

I had never heard of Bell's Palsy until a colleague developed it, and then my dad did too, a month or so later. Both experienced the same rate of progress that your doctor described. GWS!

 

[kapelmuur]

Tested my new inexpensive (£20) Exustar road bike pedals today with a 40(ish) mile very slow ride. They have Look type cleats, I have the MTB clip-less pedals on my other shoes, but these new ones have enormously improved my duck walking abilities, à la Chuck Berry (RIP).

Good review of the pedals here:
https://magazine.bikesoup.com/review-exustar-pedals-e-pr100pp-sport-look-keo-style/

View attachment 344365

Liked for the Chuck Berry reference

 

[Sbudge]

I had never heard of Bell's Palsy until a colleague developed it, and then my dad did too, a month or so later. Both experienced the same rate of progress that your doctor described. GWS!

Thanks Colin. Just something to learn to live with for a bit I reckon, there are folk with far more on their plates to deal with. :-)

 

[Saluki]

I managed over 57km today. Had I know that I was 100 metres off 58km I might have done the extra but it had started to rain (chucking it down) and the wind had got up a bit.
I haven't been able to ride since Saturday night as work on Sunday just exhausted me and I walked about 25,000 steps and I got hit for an extra shift on Monday and it was all I could do to walk the dogs. I was tucked up and asleep by 9pm. Tuesday and Wednesday had filthy weather and a bit windy too so I was getting fed up and just couldn't bring myself to use the turbo trainer.
Today it was chilly in the morning and then the sun came out so I thought that I'd just pop up to the Snails Pace and have a coffee (It's gone up from £2.10 to £2.90 for a ploosher pot for 1 ). The first mile was hell, the second one was only mildly hideous and then I hit the new tarmac and forgot about feeling sorry for myself and sluggish and watched birds, looked at horses, waved to dog walkers, horse riders and other cyclists. I stopped briefly when I ran out of tarmac and got to a scabbled surface as I hit a pothole and hurt my wrist. I chatted to a nice lady with a Labrador youngster, then carried on. No more tarmac but the surface was better except for Hellandbridge as that is a PITA, literally. I stood on my pedals to go over that bit.
I had my coffee and Hubster met me there to pay for the coffee and to walk the dogs up there too. I decided to ride home and not go back in the car as originally planned. I had a lovely ride back (birds, horses, cows, potholes) and got to my place having done 24 miles, so I decided to go to Padstow and get another 50km ride in for the month. Getting there was brilliant. Getting back not so brilliant as the wind had got up and it started to rain about a third of the way home and it was dang hard work. I did go around the block to do a flat 36 miles, as 35.8 is just rude.
Now I only have to ride for 35 minutes to do my weekly (Jan, Feb & March) challenge.

 

[Sbudge]

Ongoing BP gloom and the prospect of 10 days of cycle-free business travel ahead meant that I just said "sod it" and went for a ride today. Weather was lovely and the first 40-50km pretty much perfect. After that a persistent 15mph headwind and a bit of fatigue made it grimmer work but I'm really glad I grabbed the opportunity. I must say this Slate is pretty much perfect for a combination of road & towpath work, put some G-One tyres on over the weekend and they really made a difference too. Nothing but gym bikes until mid-April now alas though.

 

[NorthernDave]

You might remember that on Saturday, I'm riding my first imperial century in the Wiggle Vale Vélo with a mate to raise funds for Ravenscliffe SEN school (see my sig.)

To be fair, I'm not dreading it as much as I first thought I would. I've got a bit more training in and both road bikes are prepped and ready (although I'll almost certainly take the Pro Carbon, despite it not having mudguards). The weather forecast isn't great, but it isn't terrible either and ultimately you can only get so wet.

There are three feed stations, so I'm just going to approach it as three 30-ish mile rides - so its just three metric half centuries, one after the other. Easy
And at the end there is a good pub just up the road that does a cracking pie, chips and gravy. If that's not motivation I don't know what is!

Plus, those 4 points would come in handy

 

[tallliman]

@Saluki, I was thinking about my holidays down in Padstow earlier strangely. Used to go with friends about 12 years ago and there was a chippy about 10 yards back from the waterfront which was only open 6-8 (or similar) 2 nights a week. Queues formed before it opened and was often sold out within an hour. Best chippy I've ever been too although probably long gone.

 

[Sbudge]

You might remember that on Saturday, I'm riding my first imperial century in the Wiggle Vale Vélo with a mate to raise funds for Ravenscliffe SEN school (see my sig.)

To be fair, I'm not dreading it as much as I first thought I would. I've got a bit more training in and both road bikes are prepped and ready (although I'll almost certainly take the Pro Carbon, despite it not having mudguards). The weather forecast isn't great, but it isn't terrible either and ultimately you can only get so wet.

There are three feed stations, so I'm just going to approach it as three 30-ish mile rides - so its just three metric half centuries, one after the other. Easy
And at the end there is a good pub just up the road that does a cracking pie, chips and gravy. If that's not motivation I don't know what is!

Plus, those 4 points would come in handy

Good luck, we'll be thinking about you. Hope it's a great ride with loads of memories to carry you to the next one!

 

[Hopey]

Still a few days to go but only one weekend 4 rides yet to post a March ride awaiting @cosmicbike ,@steveindenmark and @CanucksTraveller and the injured @RealDealWheel good luck on getting your rides in .
Just a polite reminder please create a new post when you complete a new months ride to save me trawlling through all the pages looking for rides . Many thanks

Made it with 8 hours to spare! We're currently moving house and I had a blow out a couple of days ago with no spare tubes left, so I was close to calling it quits for this month. Then I read the encouragement here this morning, bought some tubes and went out, so thanks for the push!

I don't know if 2 weeks off the saddle counts for much or if it was my wrist (or the wind) but I really struggled with today's ride. It was over 1000ft of climbs - I've never done that much in a single ride, so that may have contributed, but bloody hell it was tough. Muddy, sore and tired but hey ho! I'm back in the game.. Hopefully I'll be back up to full fitness by next month.