The 2024 Half Century (50km or 50 mile) Challenge Chatzone

[ColinJ]

I was thinking that I had forgotten to do this month's 50 but I looked back in my diary and found that I banked one on 9th May!

I might squeeze another in tomorrow so I will wait until tomorrow evening to post this month's update.

 

[bluenotebob]

As @13 rider mentioned upthread, May was a tricky month. I was out every day on one or more of my bikes and many days were spent shower-dodging. As a result, I ended up doing quite a lot more multi-bike rides than I’d envisaged. In particular, 12th May with heavy and violent thunderstorms forecast from the afternoon on, I had five rides (on five different bikes) waiting for the thunderstorms to arrive… the sky got very nasty-looking but in the end we were spared.

Today’s ride was from Cadoret .. up the Nantes-to-Brest canal (through Rohan) and into St Gonnery on a quiet road. I joined the rigole d’Hilvern at St Gonnery and followed that for about 8km. It’s hard to explain the rigole but I’ll try.. it’s a 62km trench that was excavated in the 19th century and intended to provide water to the stretch of canal between the Oust and Blavet valleys. It’s been re-purposed as a Greenway – Brittany’s V8 Voie Verte. I love cycling on it – the English word ‘wriggle’ comes from rigole (I think) and that’s exactly what it does – it winds, it twists, it loops back, it almost goes through 360 degrees – and it only drops a few centimetres per kilometre. This was my second day riding part of the rigole – I’ve now covered about 15km of it and I’ve yet to see anyone else on it. Bizarre. Perhaps it’ll be different in July and August.

Photo of the rigole, north of St Gonnery

 

[ColinJ]

I might squeeze another in tomorrow so I will wait until tomorrow evening to post this month's update.

Ah, no - a pal called round just as the weather was improving and we chatted for a couple of hours. After that I fettled my bike. I decided to just do a short evening ride to test the bike.

The forecast is looking good for the weekend so I hope to get at least one 50 km ride in.

 

[13 rider]

Well done @Jon George 1st posted a June ride at 8.02 this morning so he was nice and early

 

[13 rider]

@Cathryn ,you are correct 4 points for an imperial century

 

[13 rider]

That's me off the mark for June with my now standard loop to Upton and back ,this ride was supposed to be a recovery ride after yesterday's imperial century but some how saw me pushing up the last hill to try and duck under 2hrs . I failed by 4 seconds so much for a recovery ride 😁

 

[Domus]

After a dismal May (a 17 night cruise) out today for a gentle, flattish ride to Frederick's and back. Just squeezed past 50 with 50.2 on the Wahoo.
The last formal night of the cruise was an eye opener, my dinner suit trousers had shrunk.
Hard work required before the Friday's French trip in 4 weeks time.

 

[13 rider]

January 1st!
50km. A familiar loop of Pewsey Vale starting from home just outside Marlborough. Friendly cyclists and horse riders, muddy and sometimes flooded lanes. Happy New Year everyone!
1 point

Feb 3rd
Used the same route as January because the weather was grey and murky although not cold at all. More fun than January because a friend came with me and we whizzed along talking non stop! Lovely cafe stop at Honey Street and then up and over the hill home for sofa time with the cats.

Total so far: 2 points!

March 9th
March’s 50km done! Lovely ride round the south Cotswolds…started and finished in Bibury. Stopped at Down Ampney to see the glorious stained glass!

Total so far: 3 points

March 30th
Unexpected 50k with my husband and son, making the most of the first lovely day for cycling! Took the back road from Marlborough to Hungerford to Tray’s Cafe, where I had the best cheese scone of my life!

Total so far: 4 points

April 5th
106km. Dieppe - Gisors. Lovely bike path for 50km and then rolling lanes for the remainder. Grey skies cleared into warmer weather. Much joy being back in France. +3 points.
Total so far: 7 points

April 6th
90km from Gisors to the Eiffel Tower and then out to our Airbnb at Boulougne Billancourt. The buzz of seeing the Arc de Triomphe in the distance was like a double shot of coffee. ARMS AND LEGS OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2024. Spring! + 2 points.
Total so far: 9 points

April 10th
Exactly100km (phew) from Boulougne Billancourt to Amecourt. A day of two halves. A lovely morning and an afternoon of rolling rainstorms. Joy significantly diminished. Husband significantly grumpy. +3 points
Total so far: 12 points

April 11th
90 glorious km back to Dieppe. Sunshine. Blossom. Hares. Birds. Crepes. Marriage restored. +2 points
Total so far: 14 points

May 6th
50km loop of Pewsey Vale, my standard loop. Somehow it’s still raining and not warm. Somehow I’m still not in shorts. Stopped at the Piggery Farm Shop for coffee, flapjack and a snuggle with the lambs and piglets. +1 point

Total so far: 15 points!

May 30th
101 miles from home to London with my son! Epic day out, fabulously supported by the good people of cyclechat!

Total so far: 19 points

June 2nd

Glorious morning doing this month’s 50k. The standard Pewsey Vale loop but diverted into Devizes for church where I quietly repaired my slow puncture in the balcony during the service. Popped into the Honey Street cafe for lunch with the parents on the way home. Fabulous sunshine. Just about as lovely as cycling can be. +1 point

Points so far: 20 points

View attachment 732743

Your legs have recovered from the imperial ton then ,
Good job you didn't make a puncture repair error that involved a loud BANG 💥

 

[ColinJ]

The forecast is looking good for the weekend so I hope to get at least one 50 km ride in.

It was sunny today so I went out and did a lumpy ride. There turned out to be a very nippy, gusting wind blowing though so thoughts of a longer and lumpier ride evaporated later on. I cut about 10 km of distance and 200 m of ascent from the planned route but still did 60 km/1,000+ m of ascent.

I will wait until the end of June to update the rides thread. I will probably have extra 50s to add then.

 

[bluenotebob]

Did my June qualifying ride today by continuing north on the V8/rigole d'Hilvern

My ride notes follow + plus a couple of photos...

Started from Cadoret on Katie-Mae.

Up the canal - through Rohan, past Boju and onto Lock 72. Turned R uphill but then took the first L – crosses the rigole and then joins another road. Turned R – about 200m later turned L. After about 1km joined the D768b. Turned R onto the D768b then 250m later, turned L into le Gournel. Followed the track back to Ravaguen and then on the road into le Haut Crano.

Back where I left the V8/rigole d’Hilvern on Friday (31st May).

Followed the rigole north to Hirgouët. Realised after a few kms that I’d brought the wrong map so decided against going beyond Hirgouët. Dropped down from the rigole and into Hémonstoir. Never been here before – it’s pleasant and I shall return (but via a different route).

Followed the VAB south, through Brérec and up to the junction with the rigole in le Bois Robert. Followed the VAB/rigole into St Gonnery. Took the GR37 exit and then followed the road all the way back to Boju – then Rohan and Cadoret on the canal.

61.25km in 4 hours 21 mins.

About 9km more of the V8 done and also completed the 6km section of the VAB between Hémonstoir and St Gonnery.

On the rigole, south of Kerentrec'h

My hope is to get to St Caradec before the end of June .. only 15km to go

 

[13 rider]

Another 50km ticked off did a circular route to the village of Peckleton , My sister has been doing a bit of family research and has discovered my Grandads cousin served during D day and was badly injured .He survived for a few years but died mainly due to his injuries so his name is not on the war memorial . Today I found his grave in the churchyard and paid my respects it seemed a fitting day to do it . Nice to see the grave nicely kept with fresh flowers on it that distance branch of the family must take care of it

 

[13 rider]

Update for May we have 29 riders fully posted up , We have a definite faller in the form of @tallliman as didn't do a qualifying ride in May . Technically he has never entered this year but as I follow him on strava I was counting him in . It may be my fault he didn't get a ride in as I bailed on our planned bank holiday ride due to traditional bank holiday weather 💦 . That's leaves 1 rider yet to declare in or out that's @AndreaJ . Well done everyone , Still waiting for some nice settled sunny 🌞 weather to get some more miles in ,
Talking of summer I'm off for my summer holiday to Cornwall during the last 2 weeks in June so advance waring there may not be a nudge list for June ,I will try and keep an eye on things but I very much limit internet time while on holiday ,
Good luck everyone let's get to halfway

 

[steverob]

Since RideLondon almost two weeks ago, I’ve barely done any cycling - just eight and a half miles and that total is over three separate rides - which means all the fitness gains I made in training are rapidly disappearing. Now I do have some excuses, such as contracting Covid (although symptoms have been mercifully light) and then pulling a muscle in my lower back leaving me barely able to walk for a few days. A bit annoying as I had two weeks off work and had been hoping to get some decent riding done, but today was the first day where I felt as though I was fit enough to attempt something.

As I’m holidaying in Scotland at the moment I found a place in Dundee that rents out e-bikes and decided to take the coastal path (NCN 1) out to Carnoustie and beyond, then returned along the A92 cycle path. And boy was I grateful for the electric assist - didn’t need it on the way out with the wind behind me, but as soon as I made the turn it was right in my face and incredibly strong and gusty! Turned up the dial to the third of four settings and things became a LOT easier - it still took a bit of effort but at least I felt like I was always still moving along at a decent pace, which I certainly wouldn’t have been without the motor.

The only place it didn’t help quite so much was when I was crossing over the Tay Road Bridge, as that was more of a crosswind. Bizarrely the cycle/pedestrian track there is in the middle of the two carriageways, although at present one is being resurfaced so all vehicular traffic is contraflowed on the other side.

Ended up doing just over 40 miles and probably chewed through about half the battery. Admittedly had the setting on Eco (and was often riding faster than the assistance cut off anyway) for about half the distance, then was flicking between the second and third settings (Tour and eMTB) for the rest as needed; never used the highest setting (Turbo). Also quite a lot of the route was flat, so that also probably made the battery last longer.

 

[FrothNinja]

Admittedly had the setting on Eco (and was often riding faster than the assistance cut off anyway) for about half the distance, then was flicking between the second and third settings (Tour and eMTB) for the rest as needed; never used the highest setting (Turbo).

Sounds like a Bosch engine - flash for a hire bike

 

[steverob]

Yes, you’re right it was a Bosch motor. I think because this particular firm was primarily a place to sell and maintain electric bikes and the hire side of things is only a sideline, they want to give people a good idea of the types of bikes they might actually end up buying; giving tourists like me a good experience is just a bonus.