The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[Sbudge]

Decided to create the 2022 thread as I've already done my first 100km ride of the year. Having intended to enter this challenge for the last two years but never managed to get the January ride done (did centuries every month last year except Jan and Dec), I thought I'd try and do it as early as possible to give me no excuses this time round.

Did a route where all the climbing was in the first half, as I knew I'd have a headwind for the second, so wanted to make that as easy as possible. What I didn't count on was the rain, which was certainly not on the forecast first thing this morning. Started when I got to about 30 miles and continued to about 50-odd, which considering that included me stopping off at a McDonalds and making a cheesburger last as long as possible in the hope that the weather might improve during that time (note - it did not), it meant that I got very wet. Still at least it means I'm up and running and can wait until February now!

In the Chilterns Steve, getting the hills out of the way first is very sensible indeed!

 

[steverob]

Well we've definitely got a minimum of eight of us in the challenge this year - that's only one down on how many started in 2021.

Very unlikely I'll be the first to post for February; earliest chance to ride for me will be Sunday and even then I might have to hold off for a long ride until the week after.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Yes: best of riding everyone. I have a plan for some novel metal vice bone work and I don't want to set up a temptation to get a 100 in too few weeks of rehab afterwards. Come on the NHS! Get me in and done in time for a summer's riding (in prep for PBP??)

 

[Sea of vapours]

I don't want to set up a temptation to get a 100 in too few weeks of rehab afterwards

Best of luck with that, and may I commend the Lunacy Challenge to you, in that it can be started whenever you like within the year :-)

 

[Donger]

Well we've definitely got a minimum of eight of us in the challenge this year - that's only one down on how many started in 2021.

That'll be me then. Sad to miss out this year, but it looks like it's going to be a long road back to fitness for me. I somehow got qualifying rides in for November and December last year, though those were just about my only rides for those months. Then came covid, just to turn the screws. Judging by the three short rides I've done in January, my fitness is now something like it was 10 or 11 years ago before I got serious, and I'm dreading ever having to climb another hill. I'll get there. Best of luck to all of you who are still going for it. this year.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'm Spartacus @Donger

 

[KingswayRider]

That'll be me then. Sad to miss out this year, but it looks like it's going to be a long road back to fitness for me. I somehow got qualifying rides in for November and December last year, though those were just about my only rides for those months. Then came covid, just to turn the screws. Judging by the three short rides I've done in January, my fitness is now something like it was 10 or 11 years ago before I got serious, and I'm dreading ever having to climb another hill. I'll get there. Best of luck to all of you who are still going for it. this year.

So you don't fancy a spin out together to see how many local climbs we can tick off? Hope you can keep up the work to get back to fitness & we see you back out on the club rides ASAP.

 

[KingswayRider]

I'm usually awake early & once awake I can't settle. This morning I was listening to the rain & wind & debating whether to venture out once ready or to wait & sacrifice a few miles. The next I knew it was 7am...I'd actually managed to nod off. The rain was easing, so got myself ready & headed out.
There was the occasional shower, but the wind was still strong. I did a route locally trying to fill in my heatmap, hindered by the fact that my Garmin unit wasn't offering any directions. I usually have it set up to offer voice instructions through my phone (back pocket) & on screen. All I had was the map, but it wasn't even zooming in.
Nobody else was braving the weather for a club ride, so I headed down to Priding & Fretherne before trying to pick off some lanes on the way back through. The lanes were very wet & every gap in hedges was met with a gust of wind trying to push me off course. I headed off down a track at Bridgemacote Lane. This tends to have large puddles even in the middle of summer, so have never considered even trying. Rough surface & huge puddles, deep enough to dunk my feet a little & the odd bit of soft mud at the bottom of a puddle, trying to drag me off the bike. Not really 25c slick territory, but I got through.
As I headed back towards home I realised that I was going to be close to a 100k (having previously considered binning the ride early). I did some more heatmap filling, just to scrape over the 100k, on the basis that with a weekend away this month, I have two more chances & the weather could easily be much worse.
Not much ascent today, but took the Hardwicke & Quedgeley area's to over 90% completed on Wandrer.
10 more months & I might scrape a top 10 finish in the 100k challenge😉

 

[13 rider]

Februarys done ,A day of work forecast not that bad so did a variant of my standard loop but did it in the opposite direction . Wind increased during the ride so a tough finish would have liked to have started earlier but waited unti the frost had cleared . Just enough distance 62.3 miles ,elevation just under 2000ft which I think is an under estimate but it's as flat as I can ride around here

 

[steverob]

Had a day off work so thought it best to try and get my February ride done nice and early. Lovely conditions; yes it was quite cold, but also dry, sunny and very little wind, which is about as good as it gets for this time of year.

Kept the route as flat as Aylesbury Vale will allow (about 4.5 metres of elevation gain per km - not exactly pan flat, but no big hills either) as I went out and around the outskirts of Bicester, then back via some of the quainter South Oxfordshire / Central Buckinghamshire villages. Or at least those that aren't being dug up for one major infrastructure project or another (both HS2 and East-West Rail are passing through these areas, sometimes with building sites less than a mile away from each other).

 

[Sea of vapours]

That's my February ride done too. It didn't feel nice and early though: that was the first day I thought was OK for a century so far this month, and the next ten days is looking grim in the wet and windy sense.

Today was a balancing act to hit the window formed by leaving late enough for the ice to have melted and not leaving it so late that it might have reformed. As it was, midday worked pretty well, though it was down to 1C as I rolled back to my house. My (monthly Audax AAA) need to climb over 1,500m in the 100km doesn't help much in the ice sense at this time of year. Many puddles had a skin of ice on, but the roads were fine :-)

That is the second of the tricky months ticked off though; just December to go. Next month's ride could be in actual spring if left late enough (proper spring that is, not the dodgy, meteorological type!).

 

[Sbudge]

February done here too. Managed to squeeze the ride in between the two storms. Had to drag the bike through a couple of downed trees that had come down across the paths! Brutal ride in the wind but with any luck that will be the toughest one this year. I must say, if it wasn't for the Challenge I'd not have got out at all!

 

[steverob]

Well February hasn't exactly been the kindest month weather-wise and with just two days to go, we've only got four people who've posted a metric century for the month (I know @KingswayRider has done one but hasn't posted yet on the main thread, which would bring it up to five). Could this be almost half the field falling at the second hurdle? I hope not!

 

[KingswayRider]

Well February hasn't exactly been the kindest month weather-wise and with just two days to go, we've only got four people who've posted a metric century for the month (I know @KingswayRider has done one but hasn't posted yet on the main thread, which would bring it up to five). Could this be almost half the field falling at the second hurdle? I hope not!

Have I not posted? Will have to fix that when I'm back home...away this weekend. Glad I posted an early 100k...covid, bad weather and a weekend away has meant only a 55 mile ride since the early 100k. Nearly 500 miles in January & not much over 100 this month 😡

 

[Willd]

Well, that was hard work, I hate the wind 30 odd miles into a cold "breeze", still, a lovely sunny day and a bit easier on the way back & February done