The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[ColinJ]

@Sea of vapours will no doubt be along shortly to tell you about the very hilly metric century that he did today. How do I know that he did one...? Well, I happened to be out doing a somewhat less lumpy one this afternoon (1,500 m of ascent vs his 2,500 m) and was grovelling up the steep climb from Whitewell towards Cow Ark when SoV came hurtling down in the opposite direction and recognised me, so we stopped and had a chat!

I had played Good Samaritan earlier in my ride when I spotted a cyclist walking along pushing his bike, which had a flat tyre. I asked if he needed help and he replied that it was his 3rd puncture and he had only carried 2 spare tubes (and no puncture kit) so I donated an old tube which I had patched a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully that got him home, or to somewhere where he could buy some more tubes! (He told me that he'd found a thorn which caused the original puncture and he suspected that his first replacement tube was faulty. That still begs the question of what caused the 3rd puncture though ... )

 

[Sea of vapours]

@ColinJ just beat me to it. I was indeed about to post on here about meeting fellow CCers in the middle of nowhere (possibly the denizens of Cow Ark would argue that point, but it's not exactly a busy or over-developed place). I've been anticipating the likelihood of meeting Colin around there somewhere, given that we both do a fair few routes and that that is at the SE edge of my riding territory and, I imagine, the NW of his. The remarkable thing is that I recognised him! Cyclists on bikes do tend to look similar I think, and the closing speed was quite high. Presumably I was paying attention at the time, what with it being about 15% or thereabouts. Good to metaphorically bump into you Colin :-) Also a good thing that I wasn't exaggerating the lumpiness of my route, which did turn out to be just over 2,500m as planned.

What Colin didn't mention is that he was aiming to do his 100km in a certain time, which I hope I didn't mess up by recognising him and chatting, not to mention pretty much obliging him to stop on a rather steep hill by shouting 'Colin' loudly! I was stationary there for 9m10s, Colin, so I think knocking ten minutes off whatever your eventual time was would be entirely reasonable.

And the next multiple puncture / probably from one thorn person you meet, you could offer them free advice to go with the free tube: go tubeless.

 

[Donger]

A shameless, unethically flat 70 miler for me from Tewkesbury to Stratford-upon-Avon and back today. The universe got its own back on me by raining every inch of the way. Never mind. Still in the game.

 

[ColinJ]

What Colin didn't mention is that he was aiming to do his 100km in a certain time, which I hope I didn't mess up by recognising him and chatting, not to mention pretty much obliging him to stop on a rather steep hill by shouting 'Colin' loudly! I was stationary there for 9m10s, Colin, so I think knocking ten minutes off whatever your eventual time was would be entirely reasonable.

I ended up taking 5 hrs 40 mins so 5 hrs 30 mins minus the chat. Not quick but not too far off my 'just over 5 hours target'. If I didn't apparently have a bladder the size of a walnut, I could probably have knocked another 20 minutes off the total ...

And the next multiple puncture / probably from one thorn person you meet, you could offer them free advice to go with the free tube: go tubeless.

It would be better coming from someone (like you) who actually rides tubeless!

 

[Elysian_Roads]

Today's qualifying ride really should have been done on the first weekend in September when the weather in these parts was much better. Plans also changed so this turned out to be the only available weekend to go out.

I still wasn't sure if I would get out in the dry but last night the forecast indicated this morning would be overcast until about lunch time so that seemed the best option to go for. As it happened the rain didn't hold off until then but hey ho.

Made a broad route plan over breakfast then went out. All going well then I got to Binfield and realised I had come in from the wrong direction to that which I intended, so changed course and did a loop round the Drift Road.

Back on route and the rain started. Not too heavy just annoying. Over to Turville Heath and headed out towards Marlow to discover that the hedge trimmers had been out and the descent down Drovers Lane was covered in debris. Didn't fancy that so decided to return to Henley and reverse the route home.

Definitely didn't like descending on what felt like greasy back roads, so was pleased to get back on relatively clean tarmac.

Only incident of the day was a sucidal squirrel on a narrow cycle path who shot out from cover (why?) Crossed right in front of me and then chose to go back (why?) hitting my wheel in the process. Luckily it wasn't a cat or one of the many game birds that I had seen on the ride to that point. Didn't stop to find out whether it had survived the altercation, as it was getting towards the end of the ride, and I was wet and cold.

 

[GuyBoden]

I sprained my ankle whilst walking Wiltshire's ancient sites in early Sept and then rode a 100km on the 10th Sept, which made my ankle much worse. So, I had to go to Italy to recuperate, eating great food by Lake Garda with my feet up. Thankfully, my ankle now feels much better and I was able to ride a 100km yesterday.

I'm recommending a trip to Italian lakes for anyone with a sprained ankle, I might write to the NHS.

 

[GuyBoden]

1st puncture of the year on yesterday's ride. A shard cut straight through the top of a Marathon tyre.

What I always find pleasing about cyclists, is that many asked if I needed help when I had the wheel off at the side of the road.

 

[gbs]

On the data entry page there are multiple reptitions of various particpants' contributions. Clean up requested.

 

[Katherine]

I've stuck with one post per month!
Fingers crossed for this weekend.
I've had to lead the short rides a lot recently. (30 miles)
Last Sunday I did an extra 20 on my own.
62 miles on my own is quite hard I've found.
I don't know whether to try for a decent metric century on my own on Saturday and then lead the short ride on Sunday, or just do another 30 after I get back with the club on Sunday.

 

[Sea of vapours]

.... or just do another 30 after I get back with the club on Sunday.

How about doing, say, 15 miles before and 15 afterwards? Is that a) possible, b) possibly easier psychologically?

And @gbs : please see the discussion in this thread when we reverted to a post per ride back in .... ummmm..... about April I think, as well as the discussion at the beginning of the year. In summary though: the usual idea of a forum is to be interactive, and dynamic and all such good things, and simply updating one post in place was effectively invisible and thus not remotely interactive and very far from dynamic. The challenge lost an awful lot of interest as a result and essentially became mere, vageuly public recording and 'not fun'.

 

[Katherine]

Mornings are hard enough as it is! I only just make it to the start point for 9 o'clock. Lol

 

[Sea of vapours]

Ah - that is indeed rather early. I'd certainly not be doing any extra before that time either!

 

[Donger]

Actually, I have done what @Sea of vapours said a couple of times this year. A 5-10 mile warm-up before a 9am 35 mile club ride, followed by a 15-20 mile plod around afterwards. Quite a benign way of getting it done, as you get two rests in addition to any in the club ride. Harder to do in the dark mornings, but well worth a try in the Summer months.

 

[ColinJ]

I've got a scenic route planned for my September outing. It probably won't happen this week, so I may leave it until Thu/Fri next week. That would give me a week in reserve just in case.

It's a 'slightly undulating'*** () route to a cafe stop near Otley, one last stiff climb after that (Otley East Chevin), and then an easy run down to Bradford Interchange for a train home.

*** The profile:

View attachment 429582

I finally did that ride today with @Littgull. We got more sunshine than was forecast, warmer conditions than forecast, and a strong blustery westerly wind which helped us for much of the day. It turned out to be over 80 kms of very nice hilly country roads, and even the last 20 kms or so running down into Bradford included a lot of nice roads and villages. We did a couple of kms on the Leeds/Liverpool canal towpath, which was a bit rough for my best bike and its 25 mm slick tyres, but not unbearably rough.

We stopped for a snack at the top of Brunthwaite Crag above Silsden and Littgull took some photos of the condensation on the outside of his phone's camera lens - that's what comes of keeping a phone in a sweaty jersey pocket!

Last night I remembered that I needed to take my wallet, but this morning I forgot that I'd remembered so I had to scrounge £8 off Littgull for a coffee and my fare home!

I clocked it at close to 2,000 m of ascent, including some 20% and lots > 10%, so a fairly strenuous ride, but a good one which we will probably do again in future years when a strong westerly wind is forecast.

 

[Katherine]

Done! Essentially a 50 mile ride with extensions. I'll write a report in my ride today thread later. Feeling quite stiff and achy and I have to do the club 30 miler tomorrow!