sevenfourate
Devotee of OCD
- Location
- Lowestoft, Suffolk
The 2025 Half Century (50km or 50 mile) Challenge Chatzone.
- Thread starter 13 rider
- Start date
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I am making the most of the great weather but I am feeling a bit tired, and my undercarriage is feeling a bit raw so I will be taking it relatively easy!
I promised my sister that I would help her in the garden tomorrow and go for a walk with her and her border terrier so any riding I do will be limited to a maximum of 2 hours, which would be sub-40 km for me round here!
sevenfourate
Devotee of OCD
- Location
- Lowestoft, Suffolk
Every ride has now become 50k 🤣🤣
My buddy with the dodgy knee (Haven’t we all 🤷♂️) decided he’d like to do a few miles with me today - GOOD STUFF ! And after perhaps 25 with him (Where he’d had enough) - I mooched around locally to add another 6 or so - to get to 31 miles / 50k total.
First time out proper on the Gravel bike. Oh my Goodness I was floating. It’s sooo much easier / I could go so much faster - and in great comfort too. The larger volume and lower pressures just soaked up the worst of the UK roads. Absolutely loved it 😍
I warmed up; and got a few miles under my belt passing the Lowestoft Skatepark as I went:
And heading across the Border into Norfolk from Suffolk - noticed the Sun rising as I passed a Holiday Park in Corton. Into the Park I swiftly darted ! Was slightly awkward taking the photo - when a lady burst out of the caravan next door in not much clothing in an effort to catch the sun rising too. Only to apologise and dart back inside. So apologies from me - if I’m not fully focused on the camera 🤣
Sun was still on its way up as I passed Corton Church:
Unfortunately the Ice-Cream stall was shut here…… @PeteXXX 😁
Inland we went - aiming to then come in home; via the Sea-side - as we often do. And stopped for a photo at the Thatched Cottage. An upmarket Cafe - with a very recently renewed roof:
An Oil rig supply vessel was leaving Port as we rode around the Pier head at Lowestoft:
And upon finding the Bascule Bridge closed - we rode around; coming back to Gunton via the Newly Award Winning Gull-Wing Bridge:
31 very easy and sweat free miles I thoroughly enjoyed 😁
My buddy with the dodgy knee (Haven’t we all 🤷♂️) decided he’d like to do a few miles with me today - GOOD STUFF ! And after perhaps 25 with him (Where he’d had enough) - I mooched around locally to add another 6 or so - to get to 31 miles / 50k total.
First time out proper on the Gravel bike. Oh my Goodness I was floating. It’s sooo much easier / I could go so much faster - and in great comfort too. The larger volume and lower pressures just soaked up the worst of the UK roads. Absolutely loved it 😍
I warmed up; and got a few miles under my belt passing the Lowestoft Skatepark as I went:
And heading across the Border into Norfolk from Suffolk - noticed the Sun rising as I passed a Holiday Park in Corton. Into the Park I swiftly darted ! Was slightly awkward taking the photo - when a lady burst out of the caravan next door in not much clothing in an effort to catch the sun rising too. Only to apologise and dart back inside. So apologies from me - if I’m not fully focused on the camera 🤣
Sun was still on its way up as I passed Corton Church:
Unfortunately the Ice-Cream stall was shut here…… @PeteXXX 😁
Inland we went - aiming to then come in home; via the Sea-side - as we often do. And stopped for a photo at the Thatched Cottage. An upmarket Cafe - with a very recently renewed roof:
An Oil rig supply vessel was leaving Port as we rode around the Pier head at Lowestoft:
And upon finding the Bascule Bridge closed - we rode around; coming back to Gunton via the Newly Award Winning Gull-Wing Bridge:
31 very easy and sweat free miles I thoroughly enjoyed 😁
A relatively uneventful - but very special (see below) - ride today.
Woke up. Heard the rain outside. Went back to sleep. The idea of an early ride had gone!
An hour later, looked outside. Roads wet, but bright sunshine, and not too much wind. Got ready, checked the tyres, and headed out about 10.
Quiet roads. Just followed one of my regular routes, North along the coast road, the A78 was quiet so spent about half the time on the main road and half on the cycle path, which has recently been resurfaced and widened.
Turned down the minor road to Portencross and the castle - 11k so far - as usual when I got to the car park at the end, I stopped for a while just to take in the view, and to look at the size of the sea.
Back the way I came for a mile, then onto a farm track, muddy with potholes the size of a cow! Dodged the potholes, dodged the piles of presents that the other users of the road (lots of horses!) had left. After a mile or so, back on to a proper road for a while.
Next, took the minor road to Hunterston castle, then the bridleway towards the power station, Rural area, but lots of industry - a new battery power storage facility under construction and a "converter station" that changes pylon-style 132,000V AC power to DC, in preparation for sending it down subsea cables. Past the recently-decommissioned Hunterston B nuclear station, and past the "decommissioned-a-while-ago" Hunterston A.
Kept following that road - it's one of my regular routes, and that last section was always in very poor condition. But it's been resurfaced. Stopped at the little car park at the end. At that point, I'm less than a mile from the last car park stop in a straight line, but not on a. path for a road bike - the route I took was about 10k.
Strava tells me the roads round that way have interesting "functional names" - "Power Station Road" and "Oil Rig Road".
Followed the path back to the main road at the deepwater terminal, then back on the A78 through Fairlie towards Largs. Came off the main road at the marina and followed the coast path into town.
31k done at this point.
Nice coffee and a cake - take-away - enjoyed them sitting on a bench watching the ferry come in. Very brief rain shower while I was in the shop getting the coffee, but it passed quickly.
Breezier now. In my face, of course. Headed back home via roughly the same route, without the diversion past the power station.
53k when I got home.
So what was particularly special about this trip?
I've been doing this challenge since January 2017. 8 years.
It's been a great thing, dragging me out on cold dark February mornings, when otherwise I'd have stayed home.
I started when I bought a new bike. In the interim, I've had several other bikes, lighter, faster, more expensive - but I keep going back to the original. That's been with me on a trip at least every month. Today was my (our) 100th consecutive month. During that time, I've had one fall that put me on crutches. One that needed stitches. And cancer surgery. I've still kept the challenge going.
A while ago, I said to myself that when I'd done 100 months, I'd treat myself to a new bike. That now feels a bit disloyal. Perhaps I'll just treat the old bike to some TLC.
Woke up. Heard the rain outside. Went back to sleep. The idea of an early ride had gone!
An hour later, looked outside. Roads wet, but bright sunshine, and not too much wind. Got ready, checked the tyres, and headed out about 10.
Quiet roads. Just followed one of my regular routes, North along the coast road, the A78 was quiet so spent about half the time on the main road and half on the cycle path, which has recently been resurfaced and widened.
Turned down the minor road to Portencross and the castle - 11k so far - as usual when I got to the car park at the end, I stopped for a while just to take in the view, and to look at the size of the sea.
Back the way I came for a mile, then onto a farm track, muddy with potholes the size of a cow! Dodged the potholes, dodged the piles of presents that the other users of the road (lots of horses!) had left. After a mile or so, back on to a proper road for a while.
Next, took the minor road to Hunterston castle, then the bridleway towards the power station, Rural area, but lots of industry - a new battery power storage facility under construction and a "converter station" that changes pylon-style 132,000V AC power to DC, in preparation for sending it down subsea cables. Past the recently-decommissioned Hunterston B nuclear station, and past the "decommissioned-a-while-ago" Hunterston A.
Kept following that road - it's one of my regular routes, and that last section was always in very poor condition. But it's been resurfaced. Stopped at the little car park at the end. At that point, I'm less than a mile from the last car park stop in a straight line, but not on a. path for a road bike - the route I took was about 10k.
Strava tells me the roads round that way have interesting "functional names" - "Power Station Road" and "Oil Rig Road".
Followed the path back to the main road at the deepwater terminal, then back on the A78 through Fairlie towards Largs. Came off the main road at the marina and followed the coast path into town.
31k done at this point.
Nice coffee and a cake - take-away - enjoyed them sitting on a bench watching the ferry come in. Very brief rain shower while I was in the shop getting the coffee, but it passed quickly.
Breezier now. In my face, of course. Headed back home via roughly the same route, without the diversion past the power station.
53k when I got home.
So what was particularly special about this trip?
I've been doing this challenge since January 2017. 8 years.
It's been a great thing, dragging me out on cold dark February mornings, when otherwise I'd have stayed home.
I started when I bought a new bike. In the interim, I've had several other bikes, lighter, faster, more expensive - but I keep going back to the original. That's been with me on a trip at least every month. Today was my (our) 100th consecutive month. During that time, I've had one fall that put me on crutches. One that needed stitches. And cancer surgery. I've still kept the challenge going.
A while ago, I said to myself that when I'd done 100 months, I'd treat myself to a new bike. That now feels a bit disloyal. Perhaps I'll just treat the old bike to some TLC.
Last edited:
Domus
Guru
- Location
- Sunny Radcliffe
I had no idea, I only started riding in July 2015 at the ripe old age of 61. I was as green as grass and have learned so much and seen so much and met some nice people, both on here and The Fridays. Big thanks to Colin and 13 Rider for their running of this challenge.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I had a good week last week: 3 x 50-and-a-bit km and 1 x 100-and-a-bit km, with a good helping of Devon lumpiness.
I was feeling quite pleased with myself until I reminded myself what I did in December, 2016...
I was feeling quite pleased with myself until I reminded myself what I did in December, 2016...
I knew that my cycling mojo isn't what it once was, but I am shocked that I used to be keen enough to do that!
