Jon George
Mamil and couldn't care less
- Location
- Suffolk an' Good
Contemplating an attempt tomorrow and the first thing to do will be to get the studs from the shed!
The 2017 Half Century (50 KM or 50 Mile) A Month Challenge - Chatzone
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
- Status
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- Location
- Manchester
DONE!!
I was going to try for my first metric half tomorrow but I saw the forecast for a deep freeze so I went this afternoon. Gorgeous ride, I stopped for too many pictures so I got a bit cold which spurred me on for a faster homeward leg. Glad I got out despite being gritted all over me as I was riding the lanes around Dunham Massey!! Grr. I'll write it up on the pc later after a hot bath.
I was going to try for my first metric half tomorrow but I saw the forecast for a deep freeze so I went this afternoon. Gorgeous ride, I stopped for too many pictures so I got a bit cold which spurred me on for a faster homeward leg. Glad I got out despite being gritted all over me as I was riding the lanes around Dunham Massey!! Grr. I'll write it up on the pc later after a hot bath.
CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
I'm with you on this, I've been a relatively fair weather cyclist up until this year, and 12 points is my target. Like you, I got January out of the way early, another ride this month would be a bonus. Then I just need to worry about February! It surely gets easier after that once the days lengthen, and after all I've done November / December before (seems like only weeks ago!) so I'm happy I can do that. I appreciate that Angus weather ain't Hertfordshire weather (my wife is from Montrose), so good luck to you!
Jon George
Mamil and couldn't care less
- Location
- Suffolk an' Good
First one bagged and reported! It was a kind of Around-The-Houses, but venturing out into nearby villages and popping back into the outskirts of Ipswich every now and then. Have to thank @ColinJ for a piece of advice he offered to someone on another thread about tyre pressures. I'd played around with my settings ages ago and thought I'd got them right. Today I experimented with 90 psi in the rear and 85 in the front on the 25's I use with Patsy #2 The CX. A noticeable smother ride for what seemed a marginal decrease in pressure. No apparent loss in speed and I even felt less buggered at the end. 
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Yes, there is a lower pressure 'sweet spot' which makes riding way more comfortable without increasing rolling resistance or risk of pinch punctures too much. You can only find out where that spot is for you by experimentation.Have to thank @ColinJ for a piece of advice he offered to someone on another thread about tyre pressures. I'd played around with my settings ages ago and thought I'd got them right. Today I experimented with 90 psi in the rear and 85 in the front on the 25's I use with Patsy #2 The CX. A noticeable smother ride for what seemed a marginal decrease in pressure. No apparent loss in speed and I even felt less buggered at the end.
I've been taking a break from the bike after my big efforts in December.
It is damp and chilly here today so I'll skip riding again but a 3-4 hour break in the mist and fog is forecast for tomorrow afternoon during which I aim to go out to bag my first 50 km ride of the year.
I am organising a 100 km ride for a week tomorrow. I'll try to get some more riding done in between those 2 rides.
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NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Hopefully bag my first half century this weekend - I can see I've got some catching up to do already! 
Long post, sorry, but I'm excited.
Considering I only started cycling last year I was hesitant about attempting this. Decided that I'd ride away and if I happened to qualify for the challenge at any point, I'd go for it.
Being a bit of a history buff, I have have always wanted to visit the village of Temple, which is home to a 13th Century Knights Templar base. Rather than driving, I decided to make a morning of it and cycle there! First real ride of the year.
Popped to the bike shop to buy a spare inner tube for the journey (didn't end up needing it, thankfully) which was about a mile from home - didn't turn Strava on until I left the shop.
Most of the route there was part of National Cycle Route 1. Must say that the route had had everything I could want from a route. Beautiful woodland trails, parks, past farm yards, etc...I generally saw places I never would have seen otherwise, which was one of the main reasons I bought the bike last year. There's a lot of beauty very close to home that you never notice.
After getting lost a couple of times, I eventually got to Temple and decided that my legs/stamina wouldn't let me cycle back the same route - I was in no way ready to go up some of the hills I went down. Opted to go home via the main road which was shorter, flatter and a tad more boring, but it took me back to civilisation so I was able to find somewhere to grab a quick lunch (seems I was slightly misguided in believing that some of the smaller villages in the middle of nowhere would at least have a wee shop...)
Anyways, got home and saw that I'd done 50km - not only was it the longest ride I've ever done to date, but it qualifies me for this challenge!
Picked a target of 13 points so that I have an incentive to keep pushing myself over the year. Think I've got the bug. Quick snap I took:
Considering I only started cycling last year I was hesitant about attempting this. Decided that I'd ride away and if I happened to qualify for the challenge at any point, I'd go for it.
Being a bit of a history buff, I have have always wanted to visit the village of Temple, which is home to a 13th Century Knights Templar base. Rather than driving, I decided to make a morning of it and cycle there! First real ride of the year.
Popped to the bike shop to buy a spare inner tube for the journey (didn't end up needing it, thankfully) which was about a mile from home - didn't turn Strava on until I left the shop.
Most of the route there was part of National Cycle Route 1. Must say that the route had had everything I could want from a route. Beautiful woodland trails, parks, past farm yards, etc...I generally saw places I never would have seen otherwise, which was one of the main reasons I bought the bike last year. There's a lot of beauty very close to home that you never notice.
After getting lost a couple of times, I eventually got to Temple and decided that my legs/stamina wouldn't let me cycle back the same route - I was in no way ready to go up some of the hills I went down. Opted to go home via the main road which was shorter, flatter and a tad more boring, but it took me back to civilisation so I was able to find somewhere to grab a quick lunch (seems I was slightly misguided in believing that some of the smaller villages in the middle of nowhere would at least have a wee shop...)
Anyways, got home and saw that I'd done 50km - not only was it the longest ride I've ever done to date, but it qualifies me for this challenge!
Picked a target of 13 points so that I have an incentive to keep pushing myself over the year. Think I've got the bug. Quick snap I took:
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Welcome aboard @RealDealWheel . The whole idea of the challenge thread to do exactly what you did and put some miles in and congratulations on your first 50 km
Fantastic first ride report @RealDealWheel . Well done on your longest cycle so far. look forward to hearing of the next one.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
That is EXACTLY the kind of thing I had in mind when I suggested the original challenge - well done @RealDealWheel!
- Location
- Manchester
Congratulations. I hope you stay smitten with the cycling bug.
Well done to all of those on the board so early in the year.
149 points from rides over 50km for me last year but not sure I'll make it back to that figure again this year but a ton of points would be good.
Hoping to get rid of this sniffle to ride tomorrow, decided against it this morning due to abject tiredness. Regardless, the desire not to break my run of 100 mile weeks will likely get me out tomorrow.
149 points from rides over 50km for me last year but not sure I'll make it back to that figure again this year but a ton of points would be good.
Hoping to get rid of this sniffle to ride tomorrow, decided against it this morning due to abject tiredness. Regardless, the desire not to break my run of 100 mile weeks will likely get me out tomorrow.
iandg
Legendary Member
- Location
- Dumfries and Galloway
I'm throwing my name into the hat too - Outer Hebrides weather could easily scupper a metric century so if that fails I have this to fall back on 
- Location
- Egham
Got my challenge ride in this morning in rather wet weather. 56km done, and will be running this one alongside the metric century challenge just in case...
- Status
