The 2025 Half Century (50km or 50 mile) Challenge Chatzone.

[sevenfourate]

Bloody hell that was cold! I got back in over 2 hours ago but have only just now warmed up enough to be able to log my ride in the thread. And yet, I've been out in colder temperatures than that before and not felt as cold.

I had an opportunity to turn around after a mile or so and go back to get extra gloves and socks to be honest, but I thought that I'd warm up as the ride went on and decided to persevere. In some respects I did get slightly warmer for a while, but the temperature started to drop again not long after I'd reached the halfway point of my ride and for the last half an hour I did start to lose feeling in my big toes and some of my fingers.

But I was determined not to leave it to the last weekend and risk there being a wash-out which would end my chance of doing 10 years in this challenge.

Congrats for showing January who’s Boss ! ! Bitter wasn’t it. I parked up at home and headed in for 15 mins to warm up with a coffee before I washed the bike. 1 and a half hours later I went back outside to wash the bike. Begrudgingly. Raw by the sea here 😳

 

[ColinJ]

I wimped out today... My sister has been up for a few days but was going back at noon so I thought that I might do my January 50 this afternoon. This morning we took her dog for a walk in the local park. Conditions were overcast and very chilly. That put me off riding today - I decided that I would rather have a relaxing afternoon indoors in the warm!

I will get it done next week.

 

[bluenotebob]

I will get it done next week.

Be sure to carry an umbrella ..

 

[ColinJ]

Be sure to carry an umbrella ..

At the moment, the local forecast suggests that Monday to Thursday will be dry, although still overcast and chilly. Showers on Friday, and maybe sunshine on Saturday?

I will adjust my riding to fit my mood and the weather. There should be at least one 3 hour interval in the next 4 days when a comfortable 50 could be squeezed in.

 

[iandg]

58km for me today on the D&G CTC ride - so that's me kicking off for the challenge.

 

[Spinney]

I intend to do this again, but it's been cold (bloody cold!) and now it's misty, but I will do one in January. Honest!

 

[13 rider]

58km for me today on the D&G CTC ride - so that's me kicking off for the challenge.

Welcome or should it be welcome back to the challenge ,if my memory serves me correct you completed in 2019 but your user name was @wickerman ?

 

[iandg]

Welcome or should it be welcome back to the challenge ,if my memory serves me correct you completed in 2019 but your user name was @wickerman ?

Yes, that was me. Been struggling with health for a few years but I'm (hopefully) on the mend now

 

[sevenfourate]

Yes, that was me. Been struggling with health for a few years but im on the mend now

Great to hear 😁 Well done getting January done 👌

 

[FrothNinja]

Off the mark - an awful afternoon for a ride 🌧️ and the chosen route showed as far less altitude on the recording device than it did on the planner

 

[sevenfourate]

Off the mark - an awful afternoon for a ride 🌧️ and the chosen route showed as far less altitude on the recording device than it did on the planner

Wet ? Or cold and wet ? If older and colder is a thing i've got it. I never got warm all weekend after my Sat ride and bike clean after.

Anyways-up. Your'e off the mark. Kudos !

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Second day of thick fog here - no way am I riding in it.

Only 10 more days to 'get going'.

Hmm!

 

[sevenfourate]

Second day of thick fog here - no way am I riding in it.

Only 10 more days to 'get going'.

Hmm!

🤩🤩

 

[FrothNinja]

Wet ? Or cold and wet ? If older and colder is a thing i've got it. I never got warm all weekend after my Sat ride and bike clean after.

Anyways-up. Your'e off the mark. Kudos !

Wet with undercurrents of cold on descents

 

[steverob]

But I was determined not to leave it to the last weekend and risk there being a wash-out which would end my chance of doing 10 years in this challenge.

And I'm glad I did. Today was the ultimate reward in getting a ride in as soon as you can in the month because you never know what might happen. Went out with the intention of definitely doing at least an imperial half and a route that could easily see (with an extension to the route) a metric century and my chance to join that challenge as well for the first time in three years.

Got everything ready - extra socks and gloves (learned from last weekend), thicker layers everywhere else, snacks and drinks prepared - I was all set, or so I thought. Two miles in and I punctured. Not a big problem, I've got everything I need in my saddle bag - pulls out spare inner tubes, tyre levers, CO2 canisters and... oh... erm... that bit shouldn't be in two pieces should it? It seems as though at some point my gizmo to connect the CO2 canister to the Presta valve had snapped (not sure how) and now it wasn't working. Bugger.

Walked the bike home, changed the tube in the warm and dry and biked down to Halfords to get a replacement. By this time I'd lost almost two hours of daylight plus a ton of enthusiasm and even getting a metric half century done wasn't looking likely. Ended up just going for a pootle of a ride and will look to resume normal service again in February.