footloose crow
Veteran
- Location
- Cornwall. UK
The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone
- Thread starter Rob S
- Start date
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footloose crow
Veteran
- Location
- Cornwall. UK
100 months is seriously impressive. One month at a time …..see what happens.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Yes the flu bug. it completely floored me last Friday and Saturday, but still not over it. It seems to have gone through work and I've been one of the luckier ones only being really bad for a couple of days. Can't shake the cough though.
robjh
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire - almost Essex
Phew, I've made it in for another year.
I was on a cycling holiday on the Costa Blanca last week and had naively imagined that I would do my first century there, but what with 600m climbs, a heavy cold and the temptation to enjoy a more conventional 'holiday' lifestyle with my friends, alas it wasn't to be.
I made up for it today with a ride to Southend, and trains home at the end of the day. It was gloriously sunny but cold, starting at 1ºC and barely exceeding 5. The Southend conurbation offers several lovely miles of promenade riding from Shoeburyness to Leigh-on-Sea, but the roads are a car-choked hellhole, especially at pm rush-hour when I arrived there. I made it as far as South Benfleet before catching my train, but those last few miles are not ones that I would recommend to any cyclist, unless, say, you could choose 5 am on a June Sunday morning.
Today's mileage was 113.1. It was century no. 156 ever, and the 73rd consecutive month with at least one.
Map of 2025's qualifying centuries, to date
I was on a cycling holiday on the Costa Blanca last week and had naively imagined that I would do my first century there, but what with 600m climbs, a heavy cold and the temptation to enjoy a more conventional 'holiday' lifestyle with my friends, alas it wasn't to be.
I made up for it today with a ride to Southend, and trains home at the end of the day. It was gloriously sunny but cold, starting at 1ºC and barely exceeding 5. The Southend conurbation offers several lovely miles of promenade riding from Shoeburyness to Leigh-on-Sea, but the roads are a car-choked hellhole, especially at pm rush-hour when I arrived there. I made it as far as South Benfleet before catching my train, but those last few miles are not ones that I would recommend to any cyclist, unless, say, you could choose 5 am on a June Sunday morning.
Today's mileage was 113.1. It was century no. 156 ever, and the 73rd consecutive month with at least one.
Map of 2025's qualifying centuries, to date
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Today was meant to be my Imperial Century a Month ride. However, due to a very hard frost, having to contend with black and sheet ice in the lanes, not helped by my ride partner having an off on ice. We decided to abandon and I got the train home. There's always another day.
For L-E-L year I really can't be suffering any injuries.
For L-E-L year I really can't be suffering any injuries.
robjh
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire - almost Essex
I'm in Gran Canaria at the moment, with the bike, and had vaguely thought I'd get February's century done in the warm while I was out here. However, I'm struggling to find an interesting 160+ km route here that has less than 4500m of climbing so it probably won't happen. My other weakness is being with a non-cycling partner - no-one's perfect - and quite enjoying the whole holiday experience of having leisurely breakfasts and chilling etc together, and this is stopping me spending 12 hours a day on the bike. So looks like it's back to a cold UK for me and hoping for a few brighter days later to get this month's ride in.
Marchrider
Über Member
I like the big clearance space on your rear mudgaurd, is that to stop mud and leaves collecting and becoming annoying?
nope, its because I forgot to fit the spacers and now cant arsed to change.
So this weekends cycling shenanigans. Yesterday I popped out for a Kent loop to meet my partner Rachel for lunch. A very nice 60 mile pootle. It was cold, never getting above 5° for the ride. But I was dressed for the weather. There was no frost or ice and mainly dry roads. It was a thoroughly enjoyable few hours out.
Today's ride was a different matter. It was a classic case of legs and the mind not doing what they are told and that is to just cycle. Once again it was cold out, never topping 4°, however the ride was blighted with a very cold, annoying and leg sapping wind from the east. It made for very tough going and just couldn't get into any sort of rhythm. The plan was for 120 miles but by 40 miles my legs were complaining so much it had got to my mind. So change of plan, I'd do the 100 to get this months challenge ride out of the way. So I cracked on churning out the miles in the cold wind. It wasn't until I turned west that I got some respite. I got home with 100 miles on the clock.
Very disappointed with myself for giving up so easy. By mile 80+ my legs were behaving and working better but the mind was spoiled. Oh well. That's cycling life.
At least this months Imperial Century ride is done.
Month 171 in a row, Century #349. No Eddingtons.
160 miles for the weekend.
Monkeys and a banana
Saturdays 60
Sundays 100
Today's ride was a different matter. It was a classic case of legs and the mind not doing what they are told and that is to just cycle. Once again it was cold out, never topping 4°, however the ride was blighted with a very cold, annoying and leg sapping wind from the east. It made for very tough going and just couldn't get into any sort of rhythm. The plan was for 120 miles but by 40 miles my legs were complaining so much it had got to my mind. So change of plan, I'd do the 100 to get this months challenge ride out of the way. So I cracked on churning out the miles in the cold wind. It wasn't until I turned west that I got some respite. I got home with 100 miles on the clock.
Very disappointed with myself for giving up so easy. By mile 80+ my legs were behaving and working better but the mind was spoiled. Oh well. That's cycling life.
At least this months Imperial Century ride is done.
Month 171 in a row, Century #349. No Eddingtons.
160 miles for the weekend.
Monkeys and a banana
Saturdays 60
Sundays 100
footloose crow
Veteran
- Location
- Cornwall. UK
I had a day like that today - aiming at a 100 and never got close. Mind gave up. Cold, strong winds, legs complaining......well done on getting 100 done today. I have two more weeks but the weather forecast is horrible for the far south west. Front after front coming through. Gales and rain.
robjh
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire - almost Essex
February's done today, Tuesday 18th. It was cold but at least dry and sunny, but I have a very short window of opportunity this month due to various travels. I headed NW as that gave me a good tailwind, and caught a train home, as is my preference on a lot of these rides.
The destination was Newark, which is just over 100 miles from my door. To be honest these aren't my favourite routes as they involve a lot of riding over fairly undistinguished roads that I've done too many times just for the distance - but moaning apart there are some niceish bits, especially north of Stamford, I made quite good progress and arrived with an hour to spare, and altogether had a good day out.
A few notable points were : hammering along the long straight A1 parallel roads towards Peterborough for the speed; a new route through housing estates and a water park (Ferry Meadow) on the western edges of Peterborough - scenic but quite slow; and the ladies in my favourite Stamford café serving me the full breakfast even though I was 10 minutes late for it.
Today's mileage was 103.8. It was century no. 157 ever, and the 74th consecutive month with at least one.
Short stop by the A1
The destination was Newark, which is just over 100 miles from my door. To be honest these aren't my favourite routes as they involve a lot of riding over fairly undistinguished roads that I've done too many times just for the distance - but moaning apart there are some niceish bits, especially north of Stamford, I made quite good progress and arrived with an hour to spare, and altogether had a good day out.
A few notable points were : hammering along the long straight A1 parallel roads towards Peterborough for the speed; a new route through housing estates and a water park (Ferry Meadow) on the western edges of Peterborough - scenic but quite slow; and the ladies in my favourite Stamford café serving me the full breakfast even though I was 10 minutes late for it.
Today's mileage was 103.8. It was century no. 157 ever, and the 74th consecutive month with at least one.
Short stop by the A1
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footloose crow
Veteran
- Location
- Cornwall. UK
February ride completed today on the only nice day this month. Winds were light, it wasn't cold and it didn't rain. The sun was out. Daffodils blooming in the hedgerows and trees budding ready to emerge into leaf any day now.
The amount of height gain in a not especially hilly county is ridiculous - I did less climbing in Majorca on days when we climbed loads of cols and covered similar distances. Up, down, up, down, lots of double digit hills I know anyone who visits Cornwall is aware of this but somehow I had forgotten after a month of shorter rides. I recorded 2229m (or 7300 feet as this is an Imperial Century) today.
Back lanes filthy, puddles above the bottom bracket - but the views were great and the sea looked magnificent in today's soft light. So overall I did enjoy it and have learnt to just stay in the moment and not obsess over the distance left or the next hill coming up. Works some of the time!
The amount of height gain in a not especially hilly county is ridiculous - I did less climbing in Majorca on days when we climbed loads of cols and covered similar distances. Up, down, up, down, lots of double digit hills I know anyone who visits Cornwall is aware of this but somehow I had forgotten after a month of shorter rides. I recorded 2229m (or 7300 feet as this is an Imperial Century) today.
Back lanes filthy, puddles above the bottom bracket - but the views were great and the sea looked magnificent in today's soft light. So overall I did enjoy it and have learnt to just stay in the moment and not obsess over the distance left or the next hill coming up. Works some of the time!
Consecutive month 98 completed , really lacking motivation for long rides at the moment ,I suppose the weather dosn't help . The weather gods gave me a break in the wind and rain so out today on a very similar route to last month as during that ride In went off course and missed a velo viewer squares which annoyed me so back to today to grab it . As it's on the edge of Birmingham there was some busy roads being a weekday nothing to bad and the roads between home and there are very rural and nice riding . Stats 104 miles with 4000ft of upness
Well done chap.
I feel exactly the same. Just a huge lack of motivation. Mainly due to the crappy, cold weather and that my 2 long distance riding buddies both retired from 100+ mile rides.
I'm planning on getting out this coming Sunday to get March's ride out of the way. 120 miles.. or maybe not. It's looking dry and bright, but still cold. Thankfully none of the freezing cold wind I had on my last ride.
It was almost pleasant weather today , Wahoo read zero degrees when I started but no sign of ice ,mostly dry roads but some of the more rural lanes were very muddy still . The weekend does look an ideal chance I will have to see if the legs have recovered
