The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[ianrauk]

Let's be correct I did 0.19 miles further than @ianrauk

I could tell you that I switched off my garmin quarter mile from home...but won't

 

[sittingbull]

So going to take the plunge and set up a 52 centuries a year challenge, with an aim for one one per week but ability to catch up/get ahead in summer months and when I take a couple of weeks off work!

Wow! That's ambitious but doable. I managed 30 centuries in 2014 including 20 over an 18 week period. All I really remember is getting wet My target is still to get to 100 centuries. Good luck

 

[Dogtrousers]

I managed 21 in 2016. I forced myself out to do the last one just so I could save it under the title "21st Century Schizoid Man"
Not managed anything like that since.

 

[Trickedem]

Did mine yesterday. This was my last chance to get a load of veloviewer tiles that I have tried to get twice before for various reasons. It was a lovely warm day, but as others have said the roads were filthy. My fitness is at its lowest for many a year and I struggled with this one, but kept going. One visitation from the p**** fairy, which was hampered by the stupidly tight tyres I had on, which caused my first replacement tube to get nipped.
I think this seat needs a good clean. I went through Elham and they had a Christmas Market on. Really fancied stopping for some mulled wine, but I had to get on.

The sun came out for an hour or so.

I sat in this porch to eat my banana, whilst it was raining outside.

 

[Tribansman]

Wow! That's ambitious but doable. I managed 30 centuries in 2014 including 20 over an 18 week period. All I really remember is getting wet My target is still to get to 100 centuries. Good luck

Thanks. Mine too, that was my original target, a hundred 100s, and i should get there soon. Currently on 90 (since 2017 when I started using Strava). Most I've done in a year is 27, so would be virtually double that 😬

 

[sittingbull]

I fear a challenge within a challenge may be approaching

Next to hit 100 centuries of those yet to do so, I'm on 77 and think @13 rider is thereabouts.
Most centuries in a year.
7 centuries in 7 days.....

 

[ianrauk]

Talking of centuries during the year I thought I should tot up my yearly totals whilst doing the challenge.
As you can see I built up to 32 100's in 2015. Managing 12 weeks in a row and of which I remember the 13th week proposed ride was thwarted by a howling windy, rainy gale. I wasn't going to go out in that.
As you can see I've slowly decreased the amount of centuries I do now in a year. A change of personal circumstances limit my riding some weekends. Which ain't no bad thing. I don't want my riding to turn into a grind having to go out once a month to get a qualifying ride is enough without having to get out more than that.

2011 24
2012 27
2013 28
2014 30
2015 32
2016 31
2017 30
2018 22
2019 23
2020 15
2021 17

 

[Dogtrousers]

I fear a challenge within a challenge may be approaching

Next to hit 100 centuries of those yet to do so, I'm on 77 and think @13 rider is thereabouts.
Most centuries in a year.
7 centuries in 7 days.....

I'm on 70-odd so it's not going to be happening for me next year even if when I enter the century a month challenge again. 2023 maybe

I'm not actually sure how many as I did a small number in my youth but I'm not sure how many.

 

[sittingbull]

.........I thought I should tot up my yearly totals.
As you can see I built up to 32 100's in 2015. Managing 12 weeks in a row and of which I remember the 13th week proposed ride was thwarted by a howling windy, rainy gale. I wasn't going to go out in that.

That's seriously impressive and above all consistent. I was in the challenge in 2015 and remember you having to abort your consecutive run. I know what you mean about it becoming a grind, I was fed up of getting wet, yet again, although I did start my consecutive run on the 1st. March and many of my rides were in Wales

I only ride for fun, although for me part of that fun is chasing numbers.

 

[sittingbull]

I'm not actually sure how many as I did a small number in my youth but I'm not sure how many.

I've been counting my centuries in my head (I don't do Strava) and when I started in 2012 I was using a Cateye wireless computer and also from some point a GPS data logger, then a Garmin when my Moon lights interfered with the wireless Cateye. Last month I had a search on current and old hard drives and now have a GPX or FIT file for each century. I had suspected a few of the early ones may be missing but I found them all

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've been counting my centuries in my head (I don't do Strava) and when I started in 2012 I was using a Cateye wireless computer and also from some point a GPS data logger, then a Garmin when my Moon lights interfered with the wireless Cateye. Last month I had a search on current and old hard drives and now have a GPX or FIT file for each century. I had suspected a few of the early ones may be missing but I found them all

I have clear memories of two from my youth: My first ever - Stourbridge to Aberystwyth, which we had planned to take 2 days over but were feeling great at half way so we pressed on ... bad idea ... then the hills started, arrived half-dead. And another from somewhere in "Hardy Country" (Dorchester-ish) to Abergavenny. Felt great at Chepstow, hadn't learned my lesson about Welsh hills, pressed on, arrived half-dead.

There were others too I'm sure, but my memory isn't good enough.

 

[13 rider]

I fear a challenge within a challenge may be approaching

Next to hit 100 centuries of those yet to do so, I'm on 77 and think @13 rider is thereabouts.
Most centuries in a year.
7 centuries in 7 days.....

You not to far off I'm on 78 ,I will not be racing anyone to 100 ,2 more years on the hamster wheel of this challenge will be enough for me
@Tribansman ,A word of caution @Lilliburlero did this challenge a few years ago and went a bit mad by June he'd done 20+ and I think @tallliman made the comment you should go for 52 . Which he did and made it but it eventually killed of his mojo and a bit of bad health basically saw him stop riding . I remember one day I had arranged a forum ride on the day the weather was awful ,rain all day everyone pulled out except @Lilliburlero I felt obligated to ride and did 100km but he stuck it out just to do the ton I got home soaked god knows what he was like . Still the only day I've been out for over 4 hours and never saw another cyclist I wonder why

 

[Tribansman]

You not to far off I'm on 78 ,I will not be racing anyone to 100 ,2 more years on the hamster wheel of this challenge will be enough for me
@Tribansman ,A word of caution @Lilliburlero did this challenge a few years ago and went a bit mad by June he'd done 20+ and I think @tallliman made the comment you should go for 52 . Which he did and made it but it eventually killed of his mojo and a bit of bad health basically saw him stop riding . I remember one day I had arranged a forum ride on the day the weather was awful ,rain all day everyone pulled out except @Lilliburlero I felt obligated to ride and did 100km but he stuck it out just to do the ton I got home soaked god knows what he was like . Still the only day I've been out for over 4 hours and never saw another cyclist I wonder why

Wise counsel thanks - and I'll be mindful of that. Am going to try and blitz a couple of weeks I'm planning to have off work mid spring and early summer to try and build a buffer and mean I can be choosy-ish about when I go out. Living in one of the driest (and flatest) areas of the country should help too...

But based on your cautionary tale and also my own variable motivation, think I'll have it as a nice-to-do rather than an all consuming must-do. Although it could turn in to the latter if I'm on track come Sept/Oct

 

[tallliman]

You not to far off I'm on 78 ,I will not be racing anyone to 100 ,2 more years on the hamster wheel of this challenge will be enough for me
@Tribansman ,A word of caution @Lilliburlero did this challenge a few years ago and went a bit mad by June he'd done 20+ and I think @tallliman made the comment you should go for 52 . Which he did and made it but it eventually killed of his mojo and a bit of bad health basically saw him stop riding . I remember one day I had arranged a forum ride on the day the weather was awful ,rain all day everyone pulled out except @Lilliburlero I felt obligated to ride and did 100km but he stuck it out just to do the ton I got home soaked god knows what he was like . Still the only day I've been out for over 4 hours and never saw another cyclist I wonder why

It was always mentioned as a joke because it felt on. I feel bad about it though. Its a shame that @Lilliburlero suffered from completing it.

 

[Soltydog]

Got my final qualifier ride done today & boy was it tough TBH since having my booster a few weeks ago I've been feeling lethargic & not 100% but today was my last real chance to get it done. Only more days off work this year at the the end of this week & temperatures are set to drop to around freezing. My wahoo showed average temp today of 2 degrees , so not much better The mist was forecast to clear around 10am, so I had a late start knowing I'd finish in the dark, but figured that would be safer than mist. Was clearing at home when I set off at 9:30am , but the further I headed inland the worse the mist got. I didn't really have a route planned, but ended up avoiding main roads where possible & minimising traffic levels, but that meany more climbing than I would have liked at times Anyway it's done, not sure if I'll get one done in January, but 🤞
Good luck to anyone who's still to do their final ride 👍