The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[Aravis]

I rode 118.32 miles yesterday, but after lecturing Mr @Dogtrousers last year with "there's always going to be an asterisk", I can't claim it.

It was a marginal one though, and I'm still wrestling with my conscience, mouse hovering over the "Post" button...

The main purpose of yesterday was preparing for the Rough Diamond 300km Audax on Saturday.

 

[cosmicbike]

I rode 118.32 miles yesterday, but after lecturing Mr @Dogtrousers last year with "there's always going to be an asterisk", I can't claim it.

It was a marginal one though, and I'm still wrestling with my conscience, mouse hovering over the "Post" button...

The main purpose of yesterday was preparing for the Rough Diamond 300km Audax on Saturday.

Well theres rools you know...….

 

[Aravis]

Well theres rools you know...….

I didn't say I broke any rules. I am innocent of any wrongdoing, but I'm hoping I won't end up needing a formal appeal to the ICAM committee.

The Rough Diamond isn't going to happen for me though. I could have expected the most intense, sustained heat from mid-morning onwards, and 190 miles is well beyond anything I've attempted in recent years. I think that's potentially an extremely dangerous combination, and I don't want to die yet.

So am I a fair-weather cyclist?

I'm planning another daring rule-bending-but-not-breaking ride for my century this month. So ner.

This is my counsel, for what it's worth. My very first qualifying ride, January 2016, was just before I discovered the world of GPS. It was certainly over 100 miles as measured by a reasonably accurate cycle computer, but precisely what GPS would have said is forever unknown. I can never completely overlook the asterisk, and I regret that.

 

[cosmicbike]

I didn't say I broke any rules. I am innocent of any wrongdoing, but I'm hoping I won't end up needing a formal appeal to the ICAM committee.

So am I a fair-weather cyclist?

I nearly got in trouble for suggesting I might pop in and let my dogs out for a wee at the halfway point before I started this challenge for the first time in January, bit more strict than the 100km a month challenge

Theres fair weather, and theres silly weather. I think we are in the latter, and anyone attempting a 300km ride in this, . I like to be home by midday

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

July qualifier done but again not the ride I've been planning as that would have been way too hilly in the current warm and sunny conditions. I might still do that as a bonus ride if things cool down later in the month.

104 miles at 14.3 average. Ride report here: link

 

[Racing roadkill]

I managed to get July’s ride in today. I went to a new cycle cafe I’ve found, in Southbourne. It was a nice ride, and the weather was fantastic. The temperature wasn’t too horrendous along the coast either.

 

[Trickedem]

I've finally got round to updating my log. Had a fantastic ride in the USA on Saturday. A full report to follow. But here are a couple of pics.

 

[rb58]

And relax. July's ride in the bag. I took advantage of a break in the heatwave for a solo run up to Tiptree and back - a well travelled route. First ride on the Enigma since I put a new chain on. Either I forgot to re-index the gears, or the cassette is worn. But either way, i had troublesome gears most of the day, and couldn't be @rsed to stop and fettle as I wanted to make sure I made it back to the Dartford Crossing before they went off for their afternoon siesta. Thoroughly enjoyable day.

 

[Aravis]

I did a ride on Tuesday, and that's my qualifying ride for July - no need to argue a technicality on last week's effort.

Here's the activity - Through the Cleehole.

Since then I've been completely wiped out, even sleeping through a couple of football matches. No obvious explanation, so I guess something's not completely right. It wasn't the hottest day by any means but it was still pretty warm towards the end. But I did start at 5am!

Better news is that my revised gearing setup, with 42-32-24 rings is working well, three rides in. After the first of those I swapped the original 22 for a 24 which I'd picked up from the Julian House Bike Workshop in Bath. A contribution to the charity box secured it. Also a very presentable pair of Shimano PD-R600 pedals for a fiver - much smarter than my Shimano Tricolours which don't have a great deal of paint left.

Onwards and onwards.

 

[HLaB]

Did my July century yesterday. I knew my mates were planning a big ride so I held off till then. I'm in pretty bad shape though so I was dropped at about 30miles but caught them up at Sywell Aerodrome, we'd been planning to go there for a while but the day before I found out this was going on. They quickly dropped me before the highlight of the day Long dark and cool tunnels but fortunately for me one of them p'tured and I caught them up before them. In a group the tunnel are fun on your own they'd probably have been monotonous. Unsurprisingly they dropped me again as the road went up to Cafe Ventoux where I next caught them up. At the cafe I decided to come back solo on the shorter but hillier route guessing I'd get to the pub about the same time as them. I actually got there first which gave me enough time to down a pint of coke before the drinking began. A couple of them live within staggering distance of the pub but I've an 8 miles cycle. I wasn't expecting much but surprisingly as the pollen and heat went down I was moving the best I had been all day despite the alcohol I paid for it that night though the histamine which is alcohol totally blocked me up again

 

[Fiona R]

July done. To avoid the heat I decided to get it over with quickly on a route that was - to steal a phrase from @Cranky Knee Girl - "unethically flat". Only 720m per 100km (I don't know what that is in inches and furlongs). I normally aim for at least 1,000.

Anyway, the plan worked and that was by a long way (by a margin of something like 30-45 minutes) my fastest imperial ton. Part of that was due to the fact that I only stopped twice, very briefly - once to eat a pie and once to buy water.

Heat wasn't too bad. There was some cloud so not so much direct sun.

I'm being an impostor in here I've just had a week of unethically hilly and off road. Far more effort, counts for nearly owt in challenges.

 

[Aravis]

July done. To avoid the heat I decided to get it over with quickly on a route that was - to steal a phrase from @Cranky Knee Girl - "unethically flat". Only 720m per 100km (I don't know what that is in inches and furlongs). I normally aim for at least 1,000.

Anyway, the plan worked and that was by a long way (by a margin of something like 30-45 minutes) my fastest imperial ton. Part of that was due to the fact that I only stopped twice, very briefly - once to eat a pie and once to buy water.

Heat wasn't too bad. There was some cloud so not so much direct sun.

I fear you're implying that every one of my rides this year has been unethical.

A couple of days ago I notched my second qualifying ride for July, extending that sequence to 20 months. The run was in greater jeopardy this month than ever before, but a surprisingly cool morning (single figures Celsius for a while according to Garmin) and the late start to the Tour stage gave me the chance. I have to say the profile looks ethical enough, but had either of the summits strayed momentarily over 500 feet it would've altered the impression a bit:

Still some way short of the 79.2 inches per furlong needed for true ethicality. It doesn't sound very much, does it?

I picked up a Strava Flyby (and a wave) from Nikki Juniper. She only did 80 miles.

 

[BromyG]

Not completed July yet, but hoping Saturday's Dunwich Dynamo will make up the miles!

 

[13 rider]

Not completed July yet, but hoping Saturday's Dunwich Dynamo will make up the miles!

Living on the edge

 

[BromyG]

This months mileage was surpassed with my longest ride ever (147.74 miles) and my 6th consecutive year participating in the annual Dun Run. No route details as I’m sure you all know where it goes, but it started as a fine warm Saturday evening with a favourable tailwind, which made for great cycling into the night. Arrived with my cycling partner Mark Woollard, at 5.08am on the beach, just in time to see the last rays of the sunrise, before the traditional dip in the waves of the North Sea before breakfast. Due to more severe train restrictions this year, we then cycled on to Ipswich, which was not quite so pleasant a ride, battling with off-road woodland paths (who suggested the quiet scenic route?), a strong headwind and then heavy rain! Tired, but pleased with the achievement!

Saturday sunset

Last rays of sunrise

'Let's go on the quiet country road'!

(pictures by Mark Woollard)