The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[ianrauk]

November's qualifying ride in the bag. Got out of the house just after 7am in peeing rain. Not nice, but I gambled on it stopping quickly and so it did. I had a lovely wind assisted ride down to Camber Sands in sometimes lovely sunny weather. The return however was a completely different ride. It turned very cold due to the incessant headwind of a North Westerly. The very direction back home. It was a tough old ride back. Nothing to do except put the head down and spin against the wind. It just didn't stop blowing.

So, 106 miles for the day. My body is aching all over due to the bloody wind. But it's done. One more month to go.
30th century of the year. 85 month in a row.

 

[Trickedem]

I did my November ride whilst in Perth Western Australia.
It was a tough ride due to the high temperature (30 degrees +) climbing and a brutal headwind for half of the ride. I also got attacked by a magpie, which added to the difficulty!
On the plus side this was a cracking ride. More than 50% was on traffic free paths and when I was on the road I was impressed at the patience shown by drivers.
I left at 5.30 in the morning and rode out towards the hills. It was already in the high 20s and there wasn't much wind, so it felt very hot. Even at that time of the morning people were up and about, although no cyclists seemed to be going in my direction.

I stopped for breakfast at 8am and had this parrot trying to cadge titbits off me.

After breakfast it started to get busier and I got overtaken by a couple of other cyclists, plus lots of trucks with mountain bikes in the back. They had presumably been enjoying some of the trails through the forest. I actually did a few miles on one which was a old railway track. Nice and flat but not really road bike friendly.
At the highest point the views back to Perth were spectacular.

I then made my way back down to the flat lands. This coincided with a rising wind which was in my face all the way to the coast. Tough going, but lovely views and parkland. There was a lot going on and I saw a wedding and a pipe band practice as well as loads of family picnics and parties.

This was a typical cyclepath. Nice and wide and well maintained. This particular one could be followed for around 100km as it eventually starts to go alongside the freeway.

I finally got to Freemantle and was relieved to have the wind behind me. I rode alongside the coast for a bit then turned inland to return back to the bike hire centre.
Part of the route went through Kings Park, which has lots of memorial trees. Very appropriate as this was Remembrance Sunday.

All in all one of my most memorable rides.
Strava link here

 

[ianrauk]

That lked fair dinkum Tim.

 

[sagefly]

Well November Century out of the way 102 miles and of that 30 miles of thinking of excuses to bale out, reasons that going a 100 mile ride each month was silly, unimportant boring, pointless. And then they closed the Woolwich Ferry, ruining my pre-planned bale out excuses and forcing me to buck my ideas up.

A solitary ride meandering around London planning failure and then a great ride along the Thames to Dartford including a nice shingle path and a foot wide muddy path to Crawford, my first journey with bike under the Dartford crossing. Ride through Purfleet to Dagenham and then through East London to the realisation I was going to be 45 miles short of the ton, how did his that happen? I'd ridden miles!? Back down the Greenway to Beckon past city airport to the Docks, the Excel Centre and the silver cubey building. Across to the isle of dogs, again, through the city on CS 3. Still 25 miles to find.... Over to Chiswick, home to George's Diner, owned by the best seafood chef in the world, George. Go there prove me wrong, tell him I sent you! Up to Acton the darkness of Park Royal, now seemingingly a home to innumerable shisha houses rather than the nations one time largest industrial estate. Still needing 10 miles, up to Willesden Green, Madden, back down All Souls Ave to Scrubbs lane trying and failing to set off the speeds cameras, across to Ladbroke Grove, the darkness firmly set in now. Over Portabello Rd, up Basing St, down to Westbourne Park, the 160km clicking over on the Garmin. Heading home cold toes, numb feet and a running nose but the job done 11 months ticked off. Can anyone let me know when they plan their December ton, riding alone is hard work!!

 

[ianrauk]

Still have 13 riders in the challenge which is great going.
One more ride to go.
Anyone getting a ride in this weekend?
I'm away for the weekend so mine will be the weekend after next.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Thinking of riding Friday or Saturday. Route undecided at the moment as the wind direction wouldn't be ideal for the one I'd like to do.

 

[Aravis]

Friday is a possibility. I was hoping to be first, but judging by the last post it looks as though I might not be whatever I do!

The wind and temperature both look a little hostile on Friday, less so at the weekend. But having claimed on another thread that I don't worry about getting cold feet maybe I should go out and prove it

I've successfully maintained at least two qualifying rides in each of the first 11 months, so unless I can manage two this weekend it won't be time to hang up the bike up just yet.

Edit: I'd like to include Selsley Hill, near Stroud, which was included in last year's TOB and seemed quite a trial for those guys. I tried to ride it a couple of years ago when I was getting back into cycling, and failed abjectly.

 

[StuAff]

Probably the 16th for me. Away this weekend, other plans in the way for 9th & 10th...

 

[Supersuperleeds]

@13 rider and myself are planning on doing it this Saturday. Looking forward to that gold star appearing above his head when he hits 100 miles. He won't see mine as I'll be sat behind him

 

[rb58]

I have a stupid plan to get out on Friday and then again on Sunday. But Sunday morning is now forecast to be wet, and I'm not convinced my knee can cope with one, let alone two centuries this weekend. The decision, either way, will be last minute I expect.

 

[Pale Rider]

So, 106 miles for the day. My body is aching all over due to the bloody wind. But it's done. One more month to go.
30th century of the year. 85 month in a row.

You seem able to chalk off centuries for fun.

How about making your completion of the challenge a bit more, er, challenging by doing the December ride on the Brompton?

 

[ianrauk]

You seem able to chalk off centuries for fun.

How about making your completion of the challenge a bit more, er, challenging by doing the December ride on the Brompton?

Not bloody likely

 

[rb58]

Not bloody likely

Lightweight!

 

[ianrauk]

Lightweight!

Too bloody right mate.

 

[Pale Rider]

Not bloody likely

Probably wise.

Doing the ride on the Brompton might have irretrievably ruined your relationship with it.

Although I was rather hoping 100+ miles would have helped you find the Brommie love.