The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
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Map My Ride had it at 100.1, both more than far enough 
steverob
Guru
- Location
- Buckinghamshire
I did do a 62.18 mile ride in last year's challenge which would convert metrically to 100.06km. Sure that someone must have come closer than that in the past.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
One year I remember getting in to Otford railway station on 99 point something and doing laps of the car park.
Edit. Found it. Jan 1, 2016. 100.4 in total
Last edited:
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
my 1st imperial century i rode up and down a road near my house about 3 times to get the total
What your street in 33.333333333333333333334 miles long !! 😂
Ps I know what you mean
steverob
Guru
- Location
- Buckinghamshire
I have definitely done "the ride laps around the car park" (at the end of a sportive) and the "extra long loop around the block near home" tricks to bump up my mileage to reach a goal (more often for the half century challenge though) but the thing about my 100.06km ride was that I didn't do any of those - I took my normal route home without any add-ons, at least according to the Strava map anyway.
Having said that, on that day I was following one of my regular routes back home for which I do know where certain landmarks are and how far they are from home. If I pass one point in particular with more than 60.5 miles on the clock, I know I'll end up getting the distance required and I'm guessing that's probably what happened on this occasion - I knew it'd be very close, but that I was going to make it.
Having said that, on that day I was following one of my regular routes back home for which I do know where certain landmarks are and how far they are from home. If I pass one point in particular with more than 60.5 miles on the clock, I know I'll end up getting the distance required and I'm guessing that's probably what happened on this occasion - I knew it'd be very close, but that I was going to make it.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
In a similar vein the turn off into my village is 1.75 miles to my house 😉
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Not sure if I will get another one in this month ,as we speak Mrs CK is going under the knife and I will be off work for another week and a half for her rehab then back to work the next week on late shift but getting up early to get the kids off to school
steverob
Guru
- Location
- Buckinghamshire
Was reading some interesting posts on the Imperial Century thread about how many riders have done this challenge year on year (and how many saw it through to completion) so I thought I'd take a look back through the threads and try to compile something similar for the Metric Century challenge as well.
2008 - 16 entrants, 4 completions
2009 - 6 entrants, 1 completion
There's then no thread that I can find for 2010 and while there is a thread for 2011, only one person posts in it and they log just the one ride. The challenge starts up again properly in 2012 but no one who entered in those previous years enters again, so it's almost like a complete reset.
2012 - 10 entrants, 4 completions
2013 - 14 entrants, 2 completions
2014 - 19 entrants, 5 completions
2015 - 29 entrants, 13 completions
2016 - 23 entrants, 12 completions
2017 - 20 entrants, 17 completions (highest percentage of completions to date)
2018 - 23 entrants, 17 completions
2019 - 23 entrants, 17 completions
2020 - 15 entrants, 8 completions
2021 - 11 entrants, 7 completions
2022 - 8 entrants, 6 completions
2023 - 11 entrants, 10 posted both Jan & Feb rides so far
In total 107 riders have entered the challenge at least once (87 if you're only counting those since the 2012 re-start) with @Sea of vapours holding the record with 9 entries including this year's. @13 rider and @Goonerobes aren't far behind on 8, with five riders tied on 7 (@Sbudge, @Ajax Bay, @Dogtrousers, @Donger & @ColinJ).
Not including the current year in progress, entrants manage to complete 8.72 months on average, although that is no doubt massively skewed by the large amount of 1's and 12's in the list (I only counted one ride per person per month for this stat).
Any other stats that you can think of that might be of interest?
2008 - 16 entrants, 4 completions
2009 - 6 entrants, 1 completion
There's then no thread that I can find for 2010 and while there is a thread for 2011, only one person posts in it and they log just the one ride. The challenge starts up again properly in 2012 but no one who entered in those previous years enters again, so it's almost like a complete reset.
2012 - 10 entrants, 4 completions
2013 - 14 entrants, 2 completions
2014 - 19 entrants, 5 completions
2015 - 29 entrants, 13 completions
2016 - 23 entrants, 12 completions
2017 - 20 entrants, 17 completions (highest percentage of completions to date)
2018 - 23 entrants, 17 completions
2019 - 23 entrants, 17 completions
2020 - 15 entrants, 8 completions
2021 - 11 entrants, 7 completions
2022 - 8 entrants, 6 completions
2023 - 11 entrants, 10 posted both Jan & Feb rides so far
In total 107 riders have entered the challenge at least once (87 if you're only counting those since the 2012 re-start) with @Sea of vapours holding the record with 9 entries including this year's. @13 rider and @Goonerobes aren't far behind on 8, with five riders tied on 7 (@Sbudge, @Ajax Bay, @Dogtrousers, @Donger & @ColinJ).
Not including the current year in progress, entrants manage to complete 8.72 months on average, although that is no doubt massively skewed by the large amount of 1's and 12's in the list (I only counted one ride per person per month for this stat).
Any other stats that you can think of that might be of interest?
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
For comparison the half century challenge number also a lower number this year ?
2015 23 entrants ,7 completed
2016 41 entrants ,27 completed
2017 39 entrants ,33 completed
2018 44 entrants ,33 completed
2019 44 entrants ,39 completed
2020 38 entrants ,22 completed
2021 35 entrants ,30 completed
2022 42 entrants ,31 completed
2023 30 entrants
2015 23 entrants ,7 completed
2016 41 entrants ,27 completed
2017 39 entrants ,33 completed
2018 44 entrants ,33 completed
2019 44 entrants ,39 completed
2020 38 entrants ,22 completed
2021 35 entrants ,30 completed
2022 42 entrants ,31 completed
2023 30 entrants
steverob
Guru
- Location
- Buckinghamshire
I can understand completions being lower in 2020 and that then having a knock on effect on entries in 2021 (once you're out of the habit, you're less likely to re-enter), but to have entries continue to fall to an all time low in 2022 was concerning. A small bounceback this year with 3 former challengers coming back after a break and three newbies though, so it's not all bad.
For the record, here's the number of new starters each year plus how many of those finished (feel free to compare that to the completion ratios for all riders above). Obviously 2008 being the first year and 2012 the great reset, everyone is new in those years!
2008 - 16 new (100% of all entrants), of whom 4 finished
2009 - 4 (67%), none finished
2012 - 10 (100%), 4 finished
2013 - 10 (71%), none finished
2014 - 13 (68%), 3 finished
2015 - 17 (59%), 6 finished
2016 - 13 (57%), 7 finished
2017 - 7 (35%), 5 finished
2018 - 5 (22%), 3 finished
2019 - 5 (22%), 3 finished
2020 - 1 (7%), 1 finished
2021 - 2 (18%), none finished
2022 - 1 (13%), 1 finished
2023 - 3 (27%)
Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
Perhaps someone could stick it in the diary for December and create a general post then, advertising the challenges in the hope that more people sign up next year?
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
Steve - think to give an insight to this (what unknown are you/we seeking to answer) you'd best use your data to just plot a graph x axis 1-11, y axis total completed in one year (ie exclude 12/aka completion). This would show how many months, on average, riders who went on not to meet the annual challenge did achieve. (Exclude 12 to keep the y axis readable).
Personally I would also exclude the data from 2012-14 as clearly riders were not made of stern stuff (aka wasn't so much of a 'thing') and the poor completion rate would skew the data (display).
Percentage completion rate
Like one's average speed; after 150km it is pretty hard to shift upwards, and ever so easy to shift downwards, with cake.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
So is the (relative) decline of the two challenges due to more people leaving or fewer people joining? I suspect it's the latter. No new blood.
I don't know, but going on @Aravis ' figures from the imperial century challenge, each year there were about 4 or so riders who never returned to the challenge. Some years more, some less. But a natural attrition rate of 4-6 seems not unusual. What has happened is that there is no new blood coming in. New entrants did drop off with Covid somewhat.
This is just from eyeballing the figures, I've not done a proper analysis.
Why is this? I'm going to hazard a few guesses:
I started cycling again in the late 2000s when a friend's father died from heart disease and he decided it was time to do something about his blood pressure. Why choose cycling? We were both fans of the Tour (and to a lesser extent other races) and Cav and WIggins' exploits no doubt played a part. I was also fascinated by Steve Abraham's exploits and that influenced me to ride further.
These things will affect the imperial challenge harder because (IMO) Imperial centuries are way more than just 1.6 times harder than metric ones.
I don't know, but going on @Aravis ' figures from the imperial century challenge, each year there were about 4 or so riders who never returned to the challenge. Some years more, some less. But a natural attrition rate of 4-6 seems not unusual. What has happened is that there is no new blood coming in. New entrants did drop off with Covid somewhat.
This is just from eyeballing the figures, I've not done a proper analysis.
Why is this? I'm going to hazard a few guesses:
- Growth of the Forum. Cyclechat was in a state of flux and growing rapidly in 2011/2012. I don't think it's growing as fast now. So there are fewer new people, and existing people have probably figured out whether or not a monthly challenge is for them.
- Growth of recreational cycling. The exploits of Cav and Wiggo in 2011/12 resulted in growth of recreational cycling in the UK. That gave us an early decade boost of the kind of people to whom century-a-month challenges might appeal.
- Long distance popularity 2015/16 started with Steve Abraham and a number of other people followed. There was quite a fad for it. I remember there was a Strava group at the time counting centuries. I joined for a bit. I don't know if it's still going.
I started cycling again in the late 2000s when a friend's father died from heart disease and he decided it was time to do something about his blood pressure. Why choose cycling? We were both fans of the Tour (and to a lesser extent other races) and Cav and WIggins' exploits no doubt played a part. I was also fascinated by Steve Abraham's exploits and that influenced me to ride further.
These things will affect the imperial challenge harder because (IMO) Imperial centuries are way more than just 1.6 times harder than metric ones.
