The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone
- Thread starter Rob S
- Start date
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rhm
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Ian!
GPX? I don't think so. Okay, I don't even know what that is, but I have an inkling and Google is my friend. I used Strava but it let me down, stopped and restarted a few times, probably my phone's fault. I think I will go back and fake my January, February, and March routes and post those. Then I'll try to do my April etc rides with proper documentation. And if this isn't good enough for you, well, I'll try to remind myself that I ride for my own enjoyment rather that yours!
More on this anon.
Rudi
GPX? I don't think so. Okay, I don't even know what that is, but I have an inkling and Google is my friend. I used Strava but it let me down, stopped and restarted a few times, probably my phone's fault. I think I will go back and fake my January, February, and March routes and post those. Then I'll try to do my April etc rides with proper documentation. And if this isn't good enough for you, well, I'll try to remind myself that I ride for my own enjoyment rather that yours!
Rudi
Well just get you and your attitude... don't get the hump with me son.
You're new to the forum and what you have posted is the wrong way to endear yourself to other members.
You could have just said you don't ride with gpx. I wasn't asking for proof of your rides. But would have been nice for others to see your routes being from a different part of the world.
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StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
+1. I did a few centuries before I got my first Garmin- by planning the routes beforehand I knew the mileages were up to scratch, and I'm sure you did with yours. We'd only like to see your routes because we're interested....
Was looking at last years thread
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-2013-imperial-century-a-month-challenge.120327/#post-2636278
Used to live on Merseyside and so many of these routes are familiar to me. I can't help feeling envious of your location and the many choices you have for your rides in all directions.
Down here in Kent, I have London to the west, the Thames to the north, so limited and being on the North Downs, unbelievably hilly.
I recall a quote from somebody on Merseyside saying that it wasn't the mountains in the north that got the riders fit, but it was the 30 miles to reach the hills.
Glasfryn and Llangollen used to be a couple of my favourite destinations.
Cheers Keith
http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-2013-imperial-century-a-month-challenge.120327/#post-2636278
Used to live on Merseyside and so many of these routes are familiar to me. I can't help feeling envious of your location and the many choices you have for your rides in all directions.
Down here in Kent, I have London to the west, the Thames to the north, so limited and being on the North Downs, unbelievably hilly.
I recall a quote from somebody on Merseyside saying that it wasn't the mountains in the north that got the riders fit, but it was the 30 miles to reach the hills.
Glasfryn and Llangollen used to be a couple of my favourite destinations.
Cheers Keith
rhm
Well-Known Member
Isn, Stu, and anyone i've offended, I apologize!
All I was trying to say is, I respect your game and I would like to play along. I beg your indulgence if it takes me a little while to learn to play by your rules.
As for my attitude... I don't know. I try to write in a way that conveys how I feel, but I recognize that those of you who don't know me --and that's just about all of you-- will not necessarily take my words in the spirit offered. Good humor sometimes involves dancing around a certain invisible line, stepping as close to it as one dares, but not stepping over. If, in this process, I somehow give offense, I assure you that was far from my intentions.
Later today I hope to post the three centuries I've ridden so far this year, with such documentation as I have. I look forward to continuing this conversation after I've done that.
Rudi
All I was trying to say is, I respect your game and I would like to play along. I beg your indulgence if it takes me a little while to learn to play by your rules.
As for my attitude... I don't know. I try to write in a way that conveys how I feel, but I recognize that those of you who don't know me --and that's just about all of you-- will not necessarily take my words in the spirit offered. Good humor sometimes involves dancing around a certain invisible line, stepping as close to it as one dares, but not stepping over. If, in this process, I somehow give offense, I assure you that was far from my intentions.
Later today I hope to post the three centuries I've ridden so far this year, with such documentation as I have. I look forward to continuing this conversation after I've done that.
Rudi
Hey Sharky, being in North Kent certainly doesn't limit choices. Kent has it all, Hilly and Flat, inland and coastal. West we can pop into Sussex for more excellent riding. It doesn't take long to cross the Thames either the long way round via that London, or via the Woowich and Tilbury ferry's or the Dartford crossing, where some excellent Essex riding is very easily accessible. I really do think we have the best of a lot of worlds here.
sittingbull
Veteran
- Location
- South Liverpool
I am quite fortunate but the first (and last) 10 miles of any ride are through built up areas with numerous traffic lights etc. My favourite rides take me through Frodsham and towards Delamere but that of course involves first negotiating the infamous Runcorn Bridge with (a significant minority of) impatient drivers begrudingly leaving enough room.
Is it still as smelly, going across the bridge, from all the chemicals coming out of the factories? I also remember the old transporter just next to it before the bridge was built and my dad taking us over by car. Fordsham and Delamere were some of my favourites as well. A good climb at Fordsham 1:4? Not too sure if I would manage that now. Not at the same speed anyway. Only 45yrs ago!
Came up for my old club's open a couple of years ago on the d10/1. Drove 250 miles in the morning, only to find that the grass in the central reservation had been cut that day and the cones were still in the road and it was cancelled! Then I drove home back to Kent, but not before eating a beef Wellington at the Wellie with my uncle, so wasn't a complete wasted day.
Cheers Keith
sittingbull
Veteran
- Location
- South Liverpool
Surprisingly it's no longer smelly crossing the bridge. I can remember when the stink was obnoxious even when crossing the bridge by car. The old transporter is still there. I took a picture of both bridges last November.
There are several decent climbs around Frodsham, 16% is the steepest I've found.
There are several decent climbs around Frodsham, 16% is the steepest I've found.
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rhm
Well-Known Member
Here's a few photos from the rides I posted.
That's the route we rode on January 1.
The beach at Mattituck, looking SE across the Great Peconic Bay; Robbins Island in the center, the South Fork in the background.
Me, navigating a frozen puddle a bit west of Sag Harbor.
Fiberglass lawn ornament, life size, wrapped for winter, Westhampton Beach.
From our March ride:
Smoke from the controlled burn in the pinelands.
Our lunch stop. The food is actually quite good here. I had a venison burger.
That's the route we rode on January 1.
The beach at Mattituck, looking SE across the Great Peconic Bay; Robbins Island in the center, the South Fork in the background.
Me, navigating a frozen puddle a bit west of Sag Harbor.
Fiberglass lawn ornament, life size, wrapped for winter, Westhampton Beach.
From our March ride:
Smoke from the controlled burn in the pinelands.
Our lunch stop. The food is actually quite good here. I had a venison burger.
BigGee
Senior Member
- Location
- North East London
April ride done. Went much better than last month as I got my clothing, my feeding and my pacing so much better.
A chilly start but it soon warmed up and so the gillet and leg warmers came off. Unfortunately one of them subsequently dropped out of my back pocket and is gone. Still I have had it plenty years and I guess it owes me nothing but annoying all the same.
Leaving the house at seven it was very quiet and I was soon out into the countryside and empty roads and it pretty much stayed that way for the next 4 hours only building up a bit on the way back into town. The wind got up a bit late morning but by that time it was coming more across me than directly at me so did not seem to slow me down too much. Last month was my first ride with my new wheels and I got a bit carried away and blasted out the first fifty, paying for it badly on the way home. I held back this time and consequently held the form pretty much all the way home, hopefully I am getting a bit more used to doing rides of this length. I was very impressed with my new tyres as well, GP4000's which seem to make a massive difference, no punctures either, so they are fairly robust as well as fast.
I think I have just about exhausted the Essex loops now, as I said that I did not want to do the same route twice on this challenge. I wanted to start doing some place to place rides, which I always prefer to loops anyway and that will hopefully freshen things up a bit now that the weather is better. I was planning to start that this month, but Network Rail Engineering plans over Easter put paid to that. Next month the plan is to ride up to Hull the day before the FNRttC York-Hull ride (weather permitting!) and I have got some interesting ones in mind for subsequent months.
A chilly start but it soon warmed up and so the gillet and leg warmers came off. Unfortunately one of them subsequently dropped out of my back pocket and is gone. Still I have had it plenty years and I guess it owes me nothing but annoying all the same.
Leaving the house at seven it was very quiet and I was soon out into the countryside and empty roads and it pretty much stayed that way for the next 4 hours only building up a bit on the way back into town. The wind got up a bit late morning but by that time it was coming more across me than directly at me so did not seem to slow me down too much. Last month was my first ride with my new wheels and I got a bit carried away and blasted out the first fifty, paying for it badly on the way home. I held back this time and consequently held the form pretty much all the way home, hopefully I am getting a bit more used to doing rides of this length. I was very impressed with my new tyres as well, GP4000's which seem to make a massive difference, no punctures either, so they are fairly robust as well as fast.
I think I have just about exhausted the Essex loops now, as I said that I did not want to do the same route twice on this challenge. I wanted to start doing some place to place rides, which I always prefer to loops anyway and that will hopefully freshen things up a bit now that the weather is better. I was planning to start that this month, but Network Rail Engineering plans over Easter put paid to that. Next month the plan is to ride up to Hull the day before the FNRttC York-Hull ride (weather permitting!) and I have got some interesting ones in mind for subsequent months.
