The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[Soltydog]

Any new century riders today or is that all of us for January?

Hopefully the same number of us will be celebrating success in December.

Good Luck everyone.

I think last time I tried it, I made it to October, so close, yet so far. More motivated this year, & hopefully will complete the challenge. The January ton was hard, but today's was uch better, so fingers crossed for the rest of the year

 

[Soltydog]

Can't see the point in cleaning a bike knowing it's going to immediately get mucky again

Good luck tomorrow

That's what I thought
Normally this time of year I spend an hour riding & then 2 hours cleaning, but this year I'm riding every day so think, no point cleaning today, it's just going to get mucky again tomorrow, but after my front mechanism failed & my rear wasn't too clever, I've spent an hour or so, each day this week cleaning & replacing various components on my road bike Certainly worth a bit of a clean after each ride

 

[sittingbull]

My bikes live indoors so I just wipe over the tyres with some wet kitchen roll (probably a good idea anyway to remove flints etc.). If it's been a wet ride any bolt heads or anything which might corrode are treated to some GT85 or lube. The Allez was washed only a couple of months ago and won't be washed again (if at all possible) for at least the next 1000 miles as a new chain went on last week so washing/lubing are avoided to preserve the factory grease. (I expect 3500 miles from an 8 speed chain).

I've replaced both mechs in the last 6 months but that's due to more miles than the USS Enterprise. I've done around 15k on it and a previous owner had a full life with it before discarding it at the local tip, since which I've done 49 centuries on it. Other than the mechs, cables and one replacement BB it's original. The Alexrims are OK now but were popping spokes fairly regularly when I got it but after several rebuilds they're fine.

I'm far more likely to go for a ride at this time of year if the bike is already mucky

I have been known to wash the Allez when I put the Summer wheels on

The other bikes are spotless (think cotton buds between the chain links), although there might be the odd speck or fingerprint

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

@Rickshaw Phil, are you going to post up your January qualifying ride and enter this challenge or was January a one-off?

I am hoping to repeat the effort this month (the forecast looks promising for next weekend) so I'll tentatively say yes, I'm going to have a go. It might still be a very short challenge for me but I reckon if I can get the February one done the rest won't seem so bad, especially once I can start and finish in the light.

 

[Banjo]

Got my Feb ton in yesterday. It was meant to be the Tewkesbury 220 km audax ride but I was about done in at Chepstow so missed the final control and rode up the A38 back to Tewkesbury making the total 182 kms (113 miles).

First leg was Tewkesbury to Allensmore via a series of country lanes mostly. It was well below freezing at Tewkesbury and climbing up into the hills encountered ice in a few places. Did one brown trousers slide on a descent before loosing my confidence and carrying on dead slow.Several stories of people coming off no severe injuries as far as I know.
Next leg from Allensmore down to Monmouth for a Weatherspoons allday brunch then on to Chepstow mostly on A roads was much faster /easier apart from a little heavy breathing at Llancloudy hill .

Over the bridge still with time in hand but very heavy legs I cut across to Thornbury warmed up in a pub with a coffee than took the A38 back to tewkesbury via Gloucester.

Was pleased to do the century but not pleased at how unfit I am now. Prior to this year I have never not finished an Audax (Except due to food poisoning once),I think its as much lack of motivation as lack of fitness probably both.

Roll on Summer.good Luck to everyone on the challenge.

 

[ianrauk]

Well done @Banjo at getting the ride in .
You'll get back to where you were fitness wise. Takes a little time but you will. As to the confidence issue. Try not to dwell or worry about it. Better weather is ahead and when you are cycling along with the wind and sun on your back it will soon be forgotten.

 

[StuAff]

Done mine for February today. Notwithstanding the grot on the roads, I again went for the Viner rather than the Trek (weight makes up for not having a triple)- needs a thorough clean tomorrow, but never mind. Forecast was for a northerly wind, so like the ill-fated attempt last month, went for the 'go north and hopefully there'll be a tailwind on the way back' approach. Fortunately, this time it worked. Apart from getting to Cosham, looking down and seeing empty bottle cages...whoops, quick trip back home needed. Five miles I didn't have to do later on anyway. Into the headwind, and with rather a lot of climbing (my choices for going north are lumpy, lumpy and lumpy, with an extra slice of lumpy) my early pace did drop a bit, but still just under 12 mph for the first 54 miles or so to my lunch stop at Kingsclere. And, praise be, on the return leg, this mystical 'tailwind' thingy actually had an effect- even with yet more climbing and the first half in my legs, the rolling average was 12.9. Which was nice, particularly as there was 4,500 ft of climbing! Good to get that done and dusted.

 

[sittingbull]

Good to have you along @Rickshaw Phil!

I HAD to wash the bike today, no alternative

The forecast for yesterday said relatively mild and dry, what I got was freezing mist (fog?) and wet roads all day. I nipped into North Wales to Prestatyn where the roads were heavily gritted, my rear lights sit above the wheel without guards so I washed them under the tap last night. Today one had what appeared to be a dry crusty layer of salt coming out from the seal so I thought it best to wash the bike.

Anyhow the ride was steady and largely flat being a coastal route. I was running on empty on the return so stopped for an emergency bar of fruit & nut and a full fat Coke to see me home

Not sure what this (pit-head wheel?) commemorates, sorry, but it was about 5 miles before Prestatyn and nicely painted to match my bar-tape :

So that's #2 for the year and C50 overall

 

[Supersuperleeds]

February now ticked off. I'm a long way behind some of you, this was my 17th.

 

[ianrauk]

February now ticked off. I'm a long way behind some of you, this was my 17th.

But some us us have taken a lot of years to get to where we are now. You've reached that figure in such a short time.

 

[StuAff]

I opened my account for this year today.

14th Feb 2015 | 116.8 miles | 1 point

https://www.strava.com/activities/254864720

Total points | 1

Great going but sorry, no, you're too late to join, and this is the discussion thread rather than the one for posting qualifying rides. No points- it's not the metric challenge- and it's one qualifying ride per calendar month. If you didn't do a ton in January, that's it. See the rules in the very first post. Still something good to aim to do every other month of the year, others have done part years and posted in here.

 

[ianrauk]

I opened my account for this year today.

14th Feb 2015 | 116.8 miles | 1 point

https://www.strava.com/activities/254864720

Total points | 1

Have you a January qualifying ride?
The Cycle Chat Imperial 100 mile a month Challenge runs from January to December every year. If you do have a January ton, welcome aboard. If not then you can add your rides to the Metric ton thread.

edit: cross posted with @StuAff

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

February's century is done. The reverse of the route I did last time (well, mostly) and easier going thanks to slightly better weather. Write up here.

Hopefully it'll get easier now as the days draw out and the weather gets less cold. (Touches wood)

 

[Fubar]

MUCH better ride today - didn't bonk at 50K!

even a little sun on our backs for a while, though a mean headwind on the way back spoiled it slightly - bike is a state though as farmers are spreading the fields and dragging mud onto the roads, can't wait for better weather and opportunities for evening riding

 

[sittingbull]

MUCH better ride today ........

Well done on the ride

I'm getting just a little confused now ........ Are you in the ICAM challenge? I know you were considering it