The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[Dogtrousers]

What's the view on turbo trainer 100km? My road bike is minus one crankset at the moment with no ETA from Shimano, would be nice to complete the challenge though (I didn't enter last year but looking on Strava I did complete 2022 as well!)

Interesting question. Unlike the imperial century a month challenge there's nothing in The Roolz (here) for the metric century a month challenge to expressly exclude it.

Some people (me) would say that as it's a personal challenge, go ahead if you think it's OK.

Other people would take a very different view and would say "turbo? but you haven't gone anywhere", which is devastatingly cutting and witty.

 

[Sea of vapours]

I'm firmly in the camp which opines that these challenges are primarily supposed to be motivational, so whatever you find motivating meets the criteria. i.e. count the turbo session for the month if you feel OK about that, especially given that you have no actual choice this month.

Personally, I don't think of these challenges as more than incidentally related to 'exercise' and there's no way I'd count the turbo session, but that's because my motivation is to 'travel 100km on a bike ride' and the pure exercise would mean nothing to me.

Excellent: the above puts me in @Dogtrousers ' 'some people' and 'other people' categories simultaneously :-)

 

[ukbabz]

For me it is about riding for a longer time / effort and the 100km makes a good marker. I have done 100km on the turbo a few times and it's not a pleasant one and a lot harder than a 100km club ride. Hoping to resolve crank situation sooner rather than later so hopefully squeek an outdoor 100k in, but if not I may have to submit an indoor one.

It wont be a pan flat zwift group though, that does feel a bit too easy!

 

[Ajax Bay]

What's the view on turbo trainer 100km? My road bike is minus one crankset at the moment with no ETA from Shimano, would be nice to complete the challenge though (I didn't enter last year but looking on Strava I did complete 2022 as well!)

My view: I could not contemplate that time on my turbo: boring af.
As said, if you want to post that you did 100+km on your turbo it'd be quick so to do and you could link to Strava. You might not get so many 'likes' as 'normal' though @steverob might not include you in the stats of those who completed: his call.
On the other thread I shared a work around while you wait for a replacement crankset gratis. Does depend on whether you are mechanically capable. Even cheaper would be a simple cartridge BB and use a square taper chainset from an MTB. Maybe 108" longest gear (44/11) but that would be fine for 100+km.

 

[Dogtrousers]

For me it is about riding for a longer time / effort and the 100km makes a good marker. I have done 100km on the turbo a few times and it's not a pleasant one and a lot harder than a 100km club ride. Hoping to resolve crank situation sooner rather than later so hopefully squeek an outdoor 100k in, but if not I may have to submit an indoor one.

It wont be a pan flat zwift group though, that does feel a bit too easy!

In 2020 when I had the double whammy of interpreting lockdown rules and also a smashed up road bike awaiting parts I did a couple of my hilly 100k routes simulated on my Tacx turbo. It was bloody hard work. I made it a proper day out complete with sandwich and coffee stop at an appropriate point. But I'd missed a month on that year's challenges by then so I was already out. I did ask if I could join the lunacy challenge but the answer from the Roolz in that case was negative.

 

[steverob]

What's the view on turbo trainer 100km? My road bike is minus one crankset at the moment with no ETA from Shimano, would be nice to complete the challenge though (I didn't enter last year but looking on Strava I did complete 2022 as well!)

As said, if you want to post that you did 100+km on your turbo it'd be quick so to do and you could link to Strava. You might not get so many 'likes' as 'normal' though @steverob might not include you in the stats of those who completed: his call.

I set myself up for this as thread starter (and then didn't actually get round to doing the challenge), so I'm meant to be referee on things like this I guess.

The rules pedant in me would be minded to say No under the "it's not the same thing indoors" justification, but that's a cop-out frankly. Personally I have done two 100km rides on Zwift in the past and both were boring as hell, led to my bum hurting a ton the next day, but at the same time they were done a lot quicker than I'd ever be able to do an outdoor century (around 3 hours, compared to my usual 4 1/2 ish), so is it the same amount of physical effort? Hard to say really - I think it comes down to the eye of the beholder.

I have been in a similar circumstance previously in this very challenge a few years back where my bike was mechanically unavailable at the end of a month where I hadn't been able to ride on the previous weekends due to terrible weather. However I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a bike from someone else (who was also doing this challenge as it happens) and got the qualifying ride in that way. Also during Covid I had to ride my wife's Halfords mountain bike once in desperation, although that was in the 50km challenge - there was no way I could have done double the distance on that!

However if borrowing another bike is not an option for you and there's little likelihood of getting the repairs done in time, I would be willing to accept a virtual ride as a one-off (barring a massive outcry from others in the challenge, but from the replies so far it doesn't look like there would be). But then you HAVE to do November's and December's rides outdoors.

I would add a couple of caveats, just cause I want to make this challenging though! I'm going to say that you can't use a 100km you've already done earlier in the month - it has to be one specifically ridden for this challenge AFTER the go-ahead has been given (e.g. now). Also if you do get the bike back in working order before the end of the month and end up doing an outdoor 100km ride after you've already done the virtual one, only the outdoor one will then count towards your total - you can't have both.

Does that sound fair?

 

[cyberknight]

Fair enough

 

[Dogtrousers]

You have the wisdom of Solomon @steverob

 

[Ajax Bay]

'Fairness' is in the eye of the turbo rider.
Lots of things can get in the way of completing this challenge.
I recall a serious 'off' at 199km (of a 300) in early September. Dead fortunate it was very early in the month!
After getting out of ICU and slowly rehabbing, wanting to get a 100 in by 31 Oct was a great target.
Steady sessions on the turbo as part of rehab of increasing length (from 10 to 45 minutes) to be sure various key bits of body were 'up to it'.
Achieved it: fractured ribs and clavicle more or less healed (>7 weeks), various other trauma healedish: just needed to avoid laughing or sneezing.
Thank you CycleChat metric century challenge mini-community.
I only have one road bike. So wanting to ride 100km outside before 31 Oct but minus a crankset would have me either on one of my MTBs (with road tyres) or borrowing (probably son's) bike.

 

[ukbabz]

Sounds good, it's an interesting one. I've already crossed off October (twice) so I was thinking ahead for November. Thankfully I found a none recall crank on eBay at a sensible price (£41) and having just fitted it then I should be in a good spot to go ahead in November outdoors!.

I did a good chunk of the rapha festive 500 on the turbo - I don't recommend it!

 

[Dogtrousers]

I wrenched my back gardening on Sunday. It's getting better but I have no idea if it will affect my cycling. Also my left (front) brifter appears to have died. Still, I have several weeks to sort things out.

 

[steverob]

Sounds good, it's an interesting one. I've already crossed off October (twice) so I was thinking ahead for November. Thankfully I found a none recall crank on eBay at a sensible price (£41) and having just fitted it then I should be in a good spot to go ahead in November outdoors!.

Sorry, that's me not thinking correctly - I knew you (and indeed everyone) had posted a ride for October already, but for some reason forgot that and assumed you were desperately trying to cram your qualifying ride in before the end of the month.

As this isn't going to matter until the end of November and it sounds like you've already got a Plan B for the cranks anyway, chances are you won't need to do a virtual entry, but the option is still there.

 

[Sbudge]

As everyone has posted an October ride now, I can say that with two months left, 10 of our original 11 are still in - if that holds up, it'll be a new record percentage-wise for completions. Good luck all - the end is nearly in sight!

Just one more to go, proving trickier this year for me. Lots of work travel means I only get 3 or 4 days each month where longer rides are feasible. That's fine in Summer but starts to get interesting in Winter. Might need to take a Brompton out to Berlin and sneak one in there at this rate!

 

[13 rider]

November's done 62.9 miles , basically my old standard loop out to Gotham and back via the Wreake valley ,but do to my house move a new start and finish location of Markfield which now makes the loop over 100km instead of me having to add in extra bits to get it over 100km

 

[KingswayRider]

It's took a while for me to get round to posting, but I've added the additional rides for October & my qualifying November ride. Hopefully a few more to add before the month is out & one (or more) in December to see out the challenge.