The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[ianrauk]

Today's cycling shenanigans. A near repeat of last months century route, with a few added tweaks. It started up a bit damp at first with low cloud and mist but soon dried up after an hour leaving it a nice and dry ride. Temperatures stayed low all day which was a bit disappointing seeing as the last few days had been very warm. Thankfully I got the clothing right so wasn't cold.
So, Scores on the doors
100 miles for the day.
March's Imperial century ride done.
Imperial century #307 over all.
Imperial Century Month 136 in a row

Love the name of this lane

Horne in Surrey

WWII Pillbox in Horne

 

[Trickedem]

Today's cycling shenanigans. A near repeat of last months century route, with a few added tweaks. It started up a bit damp at first with low cloud and mist but soon dried up after an hour leaving it a nice and dry ride. Temperatures stayed low all day which was a bit disappointing seeing as the last few days had been very warm. Thankfully I got the clothing right so wasn't cold.
So, Scores on the doors
100 miles for the day.
March's Imperial century ride done.
Imperial century #307 over all.
Imperial Century Month 136 in a row
View attachment 637328
Love the name of this lane
View attachment 637329
Horne in Surrey
View attachment 637330
WWII Pillbox in Horne
View attachment 637331

Nice one Ian.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Slightly belatedly: I got my March qualifier done on Friday. 104 miles on a fairly easy route and on one of my better bikes. Great weather for it yet I still found it a bit slow and hard going, however it's done and hopefully I'll get on better in April.

I've still got to write up the ride so will update my post in the challenge thread in a bit.

 

[sittingbull]

March qualifier done today (better late than never ).

110 miles heading due East through some of the posh bits of Manchester. Ended up in Bramall Park to refuel, added a few miles before turning for home and getting lost several times due to using an old breadcrumb trail with roads that no longer exist

It was a generally bright and crisp day with several wintry showers, fortunately I didn't have to fix anything as my fingers were numb. Slow and steady was the order of the day

 

[Dogtrousers]

Forecast is chilly tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'll go for my planned century. Or maybe I will. Decisions decisions.

 

[Tribansman]

Forecast to get down to -3 tonight so careful if you do! Maybe better to go Sunday so you can stick to main-ish gritted roads, which are always quieter on Sundays, esp first thing

 

[Dogtrousers]

So ... I decided against it, mainly for fear of ice, and put my bike on the turbo before going to bed. I "rode up" Mont Ventoux in the morning but my wife was right yesterday when she said "I bet the weather will be lovely and you'll regret it". It was and I did. Still, I got some much postponed jobs done.

 

[Tribansman]

Got April's qualifier done yesterday. Left earlyish so stuck mainly to main roads. First couple of miles till I hit my first incline were brutally cold!

Mostly beautiful blue sky and sunny all the way, cracking route up to north Northamptonshire and then back via Beds and Bucks. Took in some really lovely villages. Hopefully that'll be the last really cold start till Nov/Dec.

Was #12 of the year so far

 

[Dogtrousers]

April in the bag. What a beautiful day for cycling. Cold-ish, not windy, but sunny.

Continued my ride from March. Got up at the crack of sparrowfart and got to St Albans for just gone 7. Carried on anticlockwise round the M25, eventually picking up my previous loop near Gatwick and carried on until I had 100 on the clock, at Eynsford.

After last month's collapse I made sure I has a proper lunch stop, had plenty to drink and refilled my bottles. I stopped at a place called Pinnocks Coffee House in Ripley and sat outside in the sun and had a baked potato. All in all legs held out much better than last time.

Seemingly the Olympic 2012 road race went through Pyrford. Probably a tad quicker than I did.

 

[Dogtrousers]

PS here's a map of this year's rides so far. They don't show up very well, but maybe that's just my wonky colour vision

 

[Dogtrousers]

Btw, I did map out a loop ride around the M25 that's been on my list for ages, I think it came to about 150 miles and quite lot of climbing through the Surrey hills and out Rickmansworth way. Thinking you'd probably be able to advise on the best route on the SW to SE section, given your manor, if I sent you the gpx file? You're welcome to join me if you fancy it on one of the long light summer days. As is anyone else nearbyish, even if just for part of the loop that's most convenient...

Hi Dogtrousers, would you mind if I copied that London orbital route? Some of my Cambridge cycling crowd talk of doing this one day but we've never get ourselves organised to do anything about it. One day.... but your route could certainly serve as inspiration.

I've put details of my route here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/m25-circuit-route.284599/

 

[Fiona R]

I completed my April 100 on Saturday too. Hard work on a hilly chilly glorious 200km audax out of Bristol, Down and Black. Mendips twice and Quantocks and Blackdown Hills but it was Old Bristol Road and Dundry back into Bristol that finished me off. Over 3000m climbing Absolutely stunning route but those climbs just kept on climbing, including 2 different Blagdon Hills too.

 

[robjh]

I completed my April 100 on Saturday too. Hard work on a hilly chilly glorious 200km audax out of Bristol, Down and Black. Mendips twice and Quantocks and Blackdown Hills but it was Old Bristol Road and Dundry back into Bristol that finished me off. Over 3000m climbing Absolutely stunning route but those climbs just kept on climbing, including 2 different Blagdon Hills too.

I get hill envy reading about your rides

 

[Fiona R]

I get hill envy reading about your rides

I keep meaning to visit the in laws in Essex and do an ACME ride. Totally flat your way, innit?

 

[robjh]

I keep meaning to visit the in laws in Essex and do an ACME ride. Totally flat your way, innit?

There are some nice little rolling hills to the south of me, into Essex and Herts, but nothing long or Quantocky or Mendippy or Dorsetty (my own spelling of those words ). But go north of Cambridge and it's flat, flat, flat.