Sea of vapours
Guru
- Location
- Clapham, Yorkshire Dales
Well it was either today or tomorrow, or fail on the June metric century, wasn't it ... !
The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
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Well it was either today or tomorrow, or fail on the June metric century, wasn't it ... !
- Location
- London
Ah yes, of course.
One reason I must admit I don't chase distances.
Today did bike fiddling before too hot down south, washing frying, staying inside til evening.
Out tomorrow.
One reason I must admit I don't chase distances.
Today did bike fiddling before too hot down south, washing frying, staying inside til evening.
Out tomorrow.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Ah bum. Wrong thread. That was my Imperial century. Metric is tomorrow.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I did my June ride today as well. And yes - it was (hot)!
Last month I 'recycled' one of my Lunacy Challenge rides but I decided not to do that this month. I took advantage of the fine weather and did a decent ride today. It was too damn hot to do an imperial century so I settled for a metric one instead.
I did the exact opposite of you though and chose a stupidly hilly route! Very little of the route is actually flat. Even the roads that aren't steep tend to be dragging up or down. See for yourselves below ...
I have named this route 'Tod of Mists' because it is largely pinched from the 'Season of Mists' audax event, only with a start/finish in Todmorden rather than Mytholmroyd or Hebden Bridge. It misses the brutal start of SoM which goes straight up to Heptonstall with very little warm up. (The event used to start in Hebden Bridge, which meant no warm up at all, but now there is a short ride along the A646 from Mytholmroyd, which does at least give you a 5 minute warm up.) My version has a nice gentle warm up along the A646 before an easy climb up to Mereclough at the end of the Long Causeway. From there I stuck to the SoM route as far as Slack, but then diverted back to Todmorden over the local hills.
Now I didn't fancy tackling those hills in the high temperatures forecast for this afternoon so I did something very unusual for me - I made a very early start. I got up at 04:45 and left the house shortly after 06:00.
Appropriately, there was a mist hanging over the Calder Valley when I set off so it was mild rather than hot. That local mist soon burned away though and by the time I was tackling the Nick o' Pendle climb from Sabden the sun was already making me feel a bit too warm and it was still only 07:30! I worried that I would cook today, despite my early start...
More mist came to my rescue! I crested the 'Nick' and found that the Ribble Valley was immersed in mist. It looked quite spectacular so apologies for not taking any photos. I was trying to do a 'respectable' time today so I only stopped when I had to, for hedge-sprinkling and refuelling; no time to mess about digging my phone out of my backpack.
That mist lasted until I was halfway up Waddington Fell and then temperatures started to rise again. I really would not have liked to have been out 5 or 6 hours later in the full heat of the afternoon.
I started to feel a bit drained and the hills were taking a toll on my back so I slowed down and gave up on my target of getting round in 6 hours. I settled for 6 hrs 45 minutes instead.
It was nice to be back home relaxing after my ride at a time when I would normally be considering setting off!
I was feeling slightly peeved about some superfit riders whizzing past me on several of the hardest climbs, but then I thought (a) They were 25-45 years younger than me, and (b) 7 years ago I nearly died and thought I would never be able to tackle those hills again! So - not a perfect ride, but a very good one.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
PS I clocked it at 2,250 metres (nearly 7,400 ft) of ascent. That's quite a lot in only 100 km, but it was the combination of heat, multiple steep ramps, and lack of recovery between climbs that really started to get to me. AKA - 'I am not fit enough'! 
Sea of vapours
Guru
- Location
- Clapham, Yorkshire Dales
Whilst your route most certainly wasn't unethically flat, that start time was unethically early. I'd almost consider that the day before really .... ;-) Doubtless a good plan from a temperature perspective though: I can confirm that Slaidburn at about 1600 was really rather unpleasantly hot and humid, and not even terribly sunny - merely a 'heavy' feel to the day. The cloud inversion over the Ribble Valley sounds rather fine. And 2,250m is definitely 'a lot' in a hundred km. A high quality metric century :-)
As to superfit people whizzing past: that happened to me on Wrynose Pass on Thursday. Just the one person and about 1.5km from the top. He was pulling away convincingly right up to the point where he faded away and walked the last 4-500m so that I caught him. Maybe your passers weren't entirely bouncing around when they reached the tops either!
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I wish... They quickly disappeared from sight and were not seen by me again!
The rider who overtook me on the Cragg Vale climb a few days ago at least had the decency to look like he was trying, and I could still see him in the distance most of the way to the top.
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Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Following the post above, where I incorrectly claimed to have done June's metric ton, this time I really have done it.
Weather was way nicer than yesterday, cooler with a very light breeze. Lovely conditions for cycling.
The only problem was my legs, which were expecting a day off after dragging me round an imperial ton yesterday. I tried telling them that it was a "a recovery ride - all the best cyclists do them" but they weren't having any of it.
Eventually we negotiated a reduced level of service, and a trouble free ride ensued. Seriously flat, although I did accidentally include the only chevron for miles near Newdigate. Legs were not impressed.
Weather was way nicer than yesterday, cooler with a very light breeze. Lovely conditions for cycling.
The only problem was my legs, which were expecting a day off after dragging me round an imperial ton yesterday. I tried telling them that it was a "a recovery ride - all the best cyclists do them" but they weren't having any of it.
Eventually we negotiated a reduced level of service, and a trouble free ride ensued. Seriously flat, although I did accidentally include the only chevron for miles near Newdigate. Legs were not impressed.
Good effort back to back tons imperial then metric after that time off the bike is a cracking effort
Bazzer
Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
- Location
- On the edge of reality
July done.
I had planned for a day's riding in the Penrith area yesterday, but being with my Mum in A&E on Friday evening for 9 hours and getting to bed at 2.15am Saturday morning kicked that into touch.
On the positive side, the weather today was much better, I explored some new roads and Mum didn't need to stay in hospital.
I had planned for a day's riding in the Penrith area yesterday, but being with my Mum in A&E on Friday evening for 9 hours and getting to bed at 2.15am Saturday morning kicked that into touch.
On the positive side, the weather today was much better, I explored some new roads and Mum didn't need to stay in hospital.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
- Location
- Egham
Where's that chevron then, so I can go round it
It's a square I need to get but if it's that steep I want to be going downhill..
- Location
- Egham
July done today. Planned for yesterday but classic car part collection took priority. Given I was out into the Surrey Hills it's actually better to do it on any weekday as it get silly busy at the weekends with cyclists and motorbikes. 2 of the 'Book of 100 climbs' were planned, but I only actually did 1 as I diverted for food.
No idea what went on with route planning, Strava route planned was 60.5 miles but I got home on 72 miles, my longest since March.
No idea what went on with route planning, Strava route planned was 60.5 miles but I got home on 72 miles, my longest since March.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
The chevron is hereWhere's that chevron then, so I can go round it
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?...archp=ids.srf&dn=687&ax=518786&ay=143580&lm=0
It has a rather threatening sign at the bottom but it's very short and personally I don't think it is really 17%. It was a hill, but not really anything special.
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- Location
- Egham
I thought it looked familiar, I went up that on 1st July last year on my imperial century ride, and followed it up with the, IMO, far tougher hill up Betchworth, I'll admit to having to have pause halfway up that one...
