The 2021 Half Century (50km or 50m) a month challenge Chatzone

[Saluki]

Cracking ride tonight. I rode from my place in Norwich over the Water to see my Aunt in Attleborough. I went the pretty way out, kind of, as I did not fancy whipping through the city centre at half past 6 in the evening. Way too busy. I mostly kept to the cycle paths then, at Wymondham had a hankering for the little back road past the Abbey, for no particular reason. I was running late so didn’t take pictures. I will do that another evening.
The old A11 is now a B road, still a bit fast but it was gone 7.30 so used it, right to Besthorpe where I doglegged up a few filthy roads and felt the need to pat my lovely tough Genesis with his nice fat 32mm tyres, the road condition was a bit to be desired. I would have got off and carried their Mercian! Skinny is not always a good thing.

Shortbread goes well with tea and Auntie and I had a couple of hours chatting in her garden.
Headed for home around 10.15 I guess. The direct route, no diversions for pretty Abbeys. I largely ignored the cycleways as there was little traffic and road tarmac is faster than pavement tarmac, certainly less undulating. Faster trip home, despite that horrible little hill out of Eaton. It’s been a while since I came that way and had forgotten about it. Faffed my gears so grovelled up it Norwich have done a pretty good
job on the Pedalways, despite what the comments section of the local rag would have you believe. I like them, you can get a good old wiggle on along them.

By the time I got home and gave the dogs a wee walk, it was after midnight. Cake is a good post ride meal I adore that Genesis. I have had him nearly 2 years and love him as much as when I bought him.

 

[aferris2]

Fantastic weather so no excuse not to get out for a ride. Started off on one of my standard routes into Chelmsford then took the old commute up to where I used to work, then on to Boreham. Stopped briefly at the canal then turned back towards home, taking the remainder of the commuting route. Its still got the same potholes and one has even been improved since I last used it. It's now all the way across the road.
Followed a car into the village and just where its a single lane slalom between parked cars, it stopped. Stood there for a few moments before I realised that they decided to call their position parked. You might get a car past, but definitely not a lorry. I did ask, but apparently its OK because they were going to the pub.

 

[13 rider]

Early monthly round up ,plenty of days but just weekend to go . We have 25 riders fully posted up ,2 riders with rides done but yet to update the challenge thread . So a quick nudge for @Spinney ,@Sbudge ,@Rob and Alison ,@fatjel ,@Fergs and @PatrickPending . The sharp-eyed of you may notice @slow scot is missing of the list because @slow scot has done everything correct this month so there is no need to mention @slow scot so I did not mention @slow scot in the list

 

[Eribiste]

Early monthly round up ,plenty of days but just weekend to go . We have 25 riders fully posted up ,2 riders with rides done but yet to update the challenge thread . So a quick nudge for @Spinney ,@Sbudge ,@Rob and Alison ,@fatjel ,@Fergs and @PatrickPending . The sharp-eyed of you may notice @slow scot is missing of the list because @slow scot has done everything correct this month so there is no need to mention @slow scot so I did not mention @slow scot in the list

Who is @slow scot? Sounds like someone who never gets anything wrong in any way whatsoever.

 

[slow scot]

Who is @slow scot? Sounds like someone who never gets anything wrong in any way whatsoever.

If only you knew the truth!😌

 

[13 rider]

Erm.....is it too late to post my rides and join this? Skipped it a couple of years, but I have had a qualifying ride each month, and now we are past the worst...it's probably not a bad time to commit to it...

January 17th - Airport Loop (Chorlton - Wilmslow - Ashley - Wythenshawe) - 32.17 miles - 1 pt
https://www.strava.com/activities/4636975110
February 25th - Chorlton - Sale - Oldfield Brow - Hatton - Lymm - Sale - Chorlton - 38.99 miles - 1 pt
https://www.strava.com/activities/4849009286
March 25th - Airport Loop - 32.04 miles - 1pt
https://www.strava.com/activities/5009295178
March 30th - Chorlton - Sale - Rushgreen - Feldy - Knutsford - Timperley - Wythenshawe - 37.7 miles - 1 pt
https://www.strava.com/activities/5038815303
April 9th - Airport Loop - 32.12 miles - 1 pt
https://www.strava.com/activities/5097922714
April 13th - Fallowfield - Stockport - Newtown - Audenshaw - Chorlton - 33.,64 miles - 1pt
https://www.strava.com/activities/5120821876

A mighty 6 pts so far this year.

Apologies for the late gatecrash!

Welcome back @Nomadski . No problem with late entries

 

[Nomadski]

Another one ticked off. Headed in the opposite direction today and went to box hill for the first time. Had been worried it’d be a bit of a climb but not too bad. Had a bit of pain in the outside of my right knee after about 10k so nearly looped round and just did a short one, but didn’t get any worse and the last 10k was the most comfortable I’ve been at the end of a 50.
https://www.strava.com/activities/4907509516

If you’ve never done box hill before, you should do it from the other side, up the switchbacks, that’s the more established side of the climb. Go down Lodgebottom road for a lovely long downhill to rest the legs and loop down to the start.

Still not hard, but a bit tougher than from the east, and the views are way, way better as you climb.
The tea / coffee at the cafe at the top tastes better when you’ve done that side too!

I miss box hill on days like today.

 

[Gibbo9]

I have been extremely lazy over the last 2 weeks. Whilst I still manage to get out on the bike every day I have just not had the motivation to push out a 50k ride. I gave myself a kick in the pants yesterday and went out for a standard jolly round the river. It was a beautiful evening with little wind so a fairly quick time for me. I was hoping to get out again this evening again but that's now looking unlikely due to the rain.

A beautiful evening for biking.

 

[Willd]

Shorts, sunglasses, blu-tac out of ventilation holes in shoes Still quite windy, so haven't abandoned long sleeved jersey and vest quite yet, beautiful day though.
Another hillyish route, up Burton Dasset Hills from 2 directions - quite easy to spot where they are (fortunately not quite as steep the plot below though)

 

[Domus]

After 2 busy days on deck stripping and prepping for oiling a day on the bike was called for up at the caravan in Grange, a lovely sunny morning just got better and better apart from some numpty in the council putting several tons of gravel down between Gilpin Bridge and Levens. One or two twitchy moments I can tell you. Coffee and a very nice spiced apple cake , sat in the sun in Silverdale, before back to the van for a bit of oiling.
First application of sun cream too.

 

[Spinney]

Early monthly round up ,plenty of days but just weekend to go . We have 25 riders fully posted up ,2 riders with rides done but yet to update the challenge thread . So a quick nudge for @Spinney ,@Sbudge ,@Rob and Alison ,@fatjel ,@Fergs and @PatrickPending . The sharp-eyed of you may notice @slow scot is missing of the list because @slow scot has done everything correct this month so there is no need to mention @slow scot so I did not mention @slow scot in the list

Tomorrow! Honest, guv...

 

[Noodle Legs]

Motivation has been extremely low this past couple of weeks due to a combination of burning the candle at both ends and off bike issues but yesterday I forced myself out into the gorgeous sunshine and wound up in Worksop. The plan was to squeeze a nearby climb in over t’border into Yorkshire - Bib Lane. The ride was touch and go as I’d had my first C19 jab on the Thursday so wanted to see if, like many others, I’d feel a little rough. This didn’t happen so it was all systems go.

A reasonably steady elevation route (knocked up quickly on Komoot) with a few gradual slopes on the way up there but did have to negotiate quite a few busy roads through all the towns which I found slowed me down. Took in part of the Erewash canal from Sandiacre up to Ilkeston (which I’ve been meaning to do for some time) and that was quite pleasant to do, again slowed by walkers and other cyclists but quite picturesque.
Before long I was into South Yorkshire and the little village of Brookhouse where the start of the Bib Lane climb was.

I have to say it wasn’t anything to write home about- quite punchy but very short and much like Launde Abbey in Rutland I’m not quite sure how it made Mr Warren’s list........ there was another climb back into a neighbouring village (Laughton en le Morthen) which was far better in my opinion!
From here it was a short trip back over the border into Nottinghamshire and finishing the ride at Worksop station. I potentially didn’t have a long wait for the train on arrival but having spied a pub with a spare outdoor seat within the station and the cracking weather, I couldn’t help but indulge in a couple of pints and take the later train!

65.6 in 4:05 with 3,600 feet of up. Really needed that after a rough fortnight but still need a little more rest.

 

[Fergs]

Family commitments and issues conspired to keep me off the bike for the last month. Fortunately, Fergs jnr is ill with nothing serious and thus today’s visit to a back garden was cancelled, so I was able get back in the saddle in the nick of time for April’s 50k. (yes, I am a dreadful parent)
I did wonder how I’d get on after the layoff and it’s fair to say that I can still feel every contour of the saddle 6 hours after climbing off it. The kilometre as a unit of distance seems to have got substantially longer than it was in early March, too. That said, it was great to be out on the bike again and a lovely sunny ride. Two instances of, er, ‘exploratory navigation’ but I realised reasonably quickly and didn’t end up too far off piste.
Definitely need to spend more time on the bike during the week ahead of the next one!

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Motivation has been extremely low this past couple of weeks due to a combination of burning the candle at both ends and off bike issues but yesterday I forced myself out into the gorgeous sunshine and wound up in Worksop. The plan was to squeeze a nearby climb in over t’border into Yorkshire - Bib Lane. The ride was touch and go as I’d had my first C19 jab on the Thursday so wanted to see if, like many others, I’d feel a little rough. This didn’t happen so it was all systems go.

A reasonably steady elevation route (knocked up quickly on Komoot) with a few gradual slopes on the way up there but did have to negotiate quite a few busy roads through all the towns which I found slowed me down. Took in part of the Erewash canal from Sandiacre up to Ilkeston (which I’ve been meaning to do for some time) and that was quite pleasant to do, again slowed by walkers and other cyclists but quite picturesque.
Before long I was into South Yorkshire and the little village of Brookhouse where the start of the Bib Lane climb was.

I have to say it wasn’t anything to write home about- quite punchy but very short and much like Launde Abbey in Rutland I’m not quite sure how it made Mr Warren’s list........ there was another climb back into a neighbouring village (Laughton en le Morthen) which was far better in my opinion!
From here it was a short trip back over the border into Nottinghamshire and finishing the ride at Worksop station. I potentially didn’t have a long wait for the train on arrival but having spied a pub with a spare outdoor seat within the station and the cracking weather, I couldn’t help but indulge in a couple of pints and take the later train!

65.6 in 4:05 with 3,600 feet of up. Really needed that after a rough fortnight but still need a little more rest.

My neck of the woods! I rode Bib Lane a few weeks ago, I didn't realise it was a Climb. Did you see the llamas at the other end of Brookhouse village? Sounds like you had a great time!

 

[Noodle Legs]

My neck of the woods! I rode Bib Lane a few weeks ago, I didn't realise it was a Climb. Did you see the llamas at the other end of Brookhouse village? Sounds like you had a great time!

I enjoyed the ride out, especially as I hadn’t done much in the week but I could tell I was just exhausted. As I said in my write up Bib Lane is on the Yorkshire list although I’m not quite sure how.... it’s definitely short and punchy but not the most memorable. My regular climbing mountain goat compadre was also not impressed by it when he did it a few weeks back! I don’t recall seeing any llamas as I didn’t turn back to Brookhouse but dropped back down into Slade Hooton then hit a beauty of a climb back into Laughton- now that was a good one!