The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[cosmicbike]

Interesting idea... I shall ponder it. :-) I don't mind riding in Winter, I commute after all, but the issue for me about imperials at that time of the year is this 'getting up early at the weekend' nonsense! lol

I have to agree, at this time of year the 0530hrs alarm is far more easy to ignore than in the Summer months. I've just completed the imperial century challenge for 2018, with January being my first ever 100 mile ride, and found it really tough. But hey, if it was easy it wouldn't be a challenge would it....

 

[Donger]

I have to agree, at this time of year the 0530hrs alarm is far more easy to ignore than in the Summer months. I've just completed the imperial century challenge for 2018, with January being my first ever 100 mile ride, and found it really tough. But hey, if it was easy it wouldn't be a challenge would it....

I'm with my cosmic friend here. I do see that there could be genuine safety reasons for not wanting to ride in the Winter .... and I guess there are parts of the country that are at an unfair disadvantage too. But for me, someone who is operating at the top end of my capabilities in doing the MCAM Challenge, I think it is the varied difficulties presented by having to get out there at all times of year that make the challenge so appealing.

Quite apart from covering the distance (no mean feat itself), you have to find time in your calendar, stay healthy (and in my case work around my blood donations), and take advantage of breaks in the weather. This year I've twice taken photos of my bike leaning against snow drifts while doing this challenge, and I've ridden one soaking wet ride and two baking hot ones. The weather turned out miraculously mild on my last ride, but I'd left the house in driving rain because it was a Challenge ride and I couldn't guarantee to find another ride date this month with any better weather. I'll be sticking with this one as I think it is pitched just right for me, and I wouldn't get the same feeling from doing 12 (or more) rides in the middle 8 months.

 

[Sbudge]

I have to agree, at this time of year the 0530hrs alarm is far more easy to ignore than in the Summer months. I've just completed the imperial century challenge for 2018, with January being my first ever 100 mile ride, and found it really tough. But hey, if it was easy it wouldn't be a challenge would it....

Congratulations on your Imperial challenge, that's no mean feat!

 

[Sbudge]

I'm with my cosmic friend here. I do see that there could be genuine safety reasons for not wanting to ride in the Winter .... and I guess there are parts of the country that are at an unfair disadvantage too. But for me, someone who is operating at the top end of my capabilities in doing the MCAM Challenge, I think it is the varied difficulties presented by having to get out there at all times of year that make the challenge so appealing.

Quite apart from covering the distance (no mean feat itself), you have to find time in your calendar, stay healthy (and in my case work around my blood donations), and take advantage of breaks in the weather. This year I've twice taken photos of my bike leaning against snow drifts while doing this challenge, and I've ridden one soaking wet ride and two baking hot ones. The weather turned out miraculously mild on my last ride, but I'd left the house in driving rain because it was a Challenge ride and I couldn't guarantee to find another ride date this month with any better weather. I'll be sticking with this one as I think it is pitched just right for me, and I wouldn't get the same feeling from doing 12 (or more) rides in the middle 8 months.

Yes, the metric century feels just right for me too. I also have an annual total mileage challenge which is basically "do more than the year before"... so obviously that one is getting trickier, still, I should achieve that one this week too.

 

[13 rider]

Challenge done ,a 73 miler around the back of Derby for some veloviewer squares .That's 3 challenges done with different rides for the 2nd year

 

[Lilliburlero]

December done today with my 48th imperial century of the year. Wet and windy, but not too bad out there today. I had some company for half of it and that helped to make it a lot easier.

 

[Sea of vapours]

A fourth year of metric centuries done. Nearly half way to a century of continuous centuries now. Lovely day for the December one too: sunny all day; not really all that much wind and not a hint of anything water-based falling out of the sky. That said, there was an awful lot of water lying about and flowing along the roads in the morning as the fells continued to disgorge the last few days' heavy rainfall.

For once, I have a gripe with the weather being better than forecast. It was predicted to cloud over from early afternoon - it didn't. Had I known that I'd have done my circuit the other way and avoided nearly 30km of low sunshine in exactly the wrong direction on the Hawes to Ingleton road. Ah well, my rear light was clearly competing well with the Sun as no-one drove into me :-)

The really strange thing about today was how few cyclists I saw. A hundred kilometres of excellent roads / a bright, sunny day / not much wind / not even all that cold really / a weekend: where was everyone? Weird.

 

[steverob]

I finally have my silver star at the second attempt!

As I completed my January ride with @Sbudge, it seemed only appropriate to ask him to join me for the December one as well (although he'd already done his metric century earlier this month). I started riding just after 9am to his place, which is about 12km from mine, then we embarked on a very circular route back to my house that was just under 90km, allowing us both to claim a century.

Unfortunately the overnight rain had only just stopped when I left, so the roads were sodden and full of puddles - this got better as the ride went on, but the early hills did all have mini rivers running down them! The first half of the ride was tough - I'd pre-loaded all the tougher hills in this part of the route long before I found out that it was going to be a strong headwind on the way out - and then proceeded to get a slow puncture just before the first of them! Couldn't find an obvious hole, but thought that changing the tube was wiser than just pumping up again and crossing my fingers it didn't go back down.

When we hit the flatter parts with more of a tailwind later on, it got a little easier, but I was still struggling a little as my exertions from the previous day (did a 4km run having not done one for almost a month) started to catch up with me. Thankfully Simon's a patient fellow and took it easy on me, allowing me to catch him up on more than one occasion!

Had a clever idea to come back into Aylesbury via the Waddesdon Greenway, thus avoiding the traffic on the busy A41, except the Waddesdon Manor car park where this route starts had put up an intricate queuing system of temporary barriers (they must have had a big do on) that were so impenetrable that the only way through was to lift our bikes over them and then vault over them ourselves (in cleats no less).

When I got back home, I let Simon get on his way back to his to complete his century ASAP before it started getting dark. Strictly speaking I was still about 0.6km short of mine, but that was due to my mistake - after a break, I'd forgotten to restart my GPS device, meaning I'd missed out on recording about 2.5km. However I know I did the full distance and I will eventually get round to editing my GPX file to fill in the missing chunk (that's why there's no Strava link currently).

EDIT - ride file now uploaded to Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/2009343119

 

[Sbudge]

I finally have my silver star at the second attempt!

As I completed my January ride with @Sbudge, it seemed only appropriate to ask him to join me for the December one as well (although he'd already done his metric century earlier this month). I started riding just after 9am to his place, which is about 12km from mine, then we embarked on a very circular route back to my house that was just under 90km, allowing us both to claim a century.

Unfortunately the overnight rain had only just stopped when I left, so the roads were sodden and full of puddles - this got better as the ride went on, but the early hills did all have mini rivers running down them! The first half of the ride was tough - I'd pre-loaded all the tougher hills in this part of the route long before I found out that it was going to be a strong headwind on the way out - and then proceeded to get a slow puncture just before the first of them! Couldn't find an obvious hole, but thought that changing the tube was wiser than just pumping up again and crossing my fingers it didn't go back down.

When we hit the flatter parts with more of a tailwind later on, it got a little easier, but I was still struggling a little as my exertions from the previous day (did a 4km run having not done one for almost a month) started to catch up with me. Thankfully Simon's a patient fellow and took it easy on me, allowing me to catch him up on more than one occasion!

Had a clever idea to come back into Aylesbury via the Waddesdon Greenway, thus avoiding the traffic on the busy A41, except the Waddesdon Manor car park where this route starts had put up an intricate queuing system of temporary barriers (they must have had a big do on) that were so impenetrable that the only way through was to lift our bikes over them and then vault over them ourselves (in cleats no less).

When I got back home, I let Simon get on his way back to his to complete his century ASAP before it started getting dark. Strictly speaking I was still about 0.6km short of mine, but that was due to my mistake - after a break, I'd forgotten to restart my GPS device, meaning I'd missed out on recording about 2.5km. However I know I did the full distance and I will eventually get round to editing my GPX file to fill in the missing chunk (that's why there's no Strava link currently).

Absolute pleasure sharing the ride with you Steve. No patience needed!

 

[ColinJ]

A fourth year of metric centuries done. Nearly half way to a century of continuous centuries now. Lovely day for the December one too: sunny all day; not really all that much wind and not a hint of anything water-based falling out of the sky. That said, there was an awful lot of water lying about and flowing along the roads in the morning as the fells continued to disgorge the last few days' heavy rainfall.

Well done. I got my final metric century of the year in today too.

Similar weather here, although there did seem to be a fair bit of wind at times and it was bloody chilly as the sun was setting.

Upland roads were wet here all day too but the SKS Longboards kept almost all of the water off me. I was riding through bigger and bigger puddles, faster and faster to see what happened. Eventually I did manage to splosh some water on my left foot, but it took some effort to do it. Excellent protection!

For once, I have a gripe with the weather being better than forecast. It was predicted to cloud over from early afternoon - it didn't. Had I known that I'd have done my circuit the other way and avoided nearly 30km of low sunshine in exactly the wrong direction on the Hawes to Ingleton road. Ah well, my rear light was clearly competing well with the Sun as no-one drove into me :-)

I was discussing the low winter sun in another thread a few days ago. I think it was @si_c who pointed out that we can get low sun at any time of the year. The thing is - at other times of the year it doesn't hang about low in the sky all day. I was out for nearly 7 hours and the sun was always a problem every time that I turned towards it. Coupled with the wet roads reflecting the light, I was concerned about being run into, but I survived too!

The really strange thing about today was how few cyclists I saw. A hundred kilometres of excellent roads / a bright, sunny day / not much wind / not even all that cold really / a weekend: where was everyone? Weird.

They were over here! I must have seen about 50 cyclists today - much more than I normally would on that route. 7 or 8 female cyclists in total, which is also a bigger percentage than I normally see.

I had a rider do something today which someone did to me a couple of years back. I don't know if it was the same guy? The only explanation I have for it is that the rider was trying to assert his dominance over me; I can't think of any other reason ... I was plodding up a climb when he overtook me at speed. He was clearly very fit. I didn't mind him not speaking to me. What I objected to was him having over 3 metres of road space to use but he chose to overtake about 10 cms from my right elbow! I didn't hear him coming but then suddenly he was alongside me, before cutting in front. It wouldn't have taken much for him to have got tangled up with my elbow and knock me off my bike.

I seriously underestimated the severity of my route. I was expecting about 1,600 m of climbing but I did 1,250 m in the first 51 km and by the end I had done another 1,000 m. Some of the climbs were steep too. My legs feel a bit battered now!

 

[GuyBoden]

I saw a fair few riders out on Saturday. More than usual for Dec. While sitting on a stile munching peanut butter and marmite sandwiches I was asked twice if I needed any help.

If you're eating peanut butter mixed with marmite in a sandwich you probably do need help

 

[Sbudge]

Well done. I got my final metric century of the year in today too.

I was discussing the low winter sun in another thread a few days ago. I think it was @si_c who pointed out that we can get low sun at any time of the year. The thing is - at other times of the year it doesn't hang about low in the sky all day. I was out for nearly 7 hours and the sun was always a problem every time that I turned towards it. Coupled with the wet roads reflecting the light, I was concerned about being run into, but I survived too!

I agree with you about that light. Standing water and that low winter sun made riding really challenging at times yesterday. I always ride with photochromic glasses anyway which help a little.

 

[Fiona R]

Well done all, I didn't do mine on Saturday, didn't start the planned audax as forecast gales (actual gales and rain but it was the black circles saying 45-48mph winds that made me cautious), didn't want to be blown under a bus. So my last one still to do. But I don't have to because I'm out anyway, but that's not the point, is it?!

 

[Sea of vapours]

But I don't have to because I'm out anyway, but that's not the point, is it?!

Not only that, but it's only twenty one days until you're 'not out' again

 

[Sbudge]

Not only that, but it's only twenty one days until you're 'not out' again

Ah yes, that depressing moment when all your goals and totals reset to zero...and it's a cold January morning!