The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[Dogtrousers]

In March 2016 I was working in a dismal East Midlands town, staying in a dismal hotel and for various reasons I'd run out of weekends. So I set off on my Brompton after work out in the direction of the Fens, arriving back at the hotel around midnight absolutely frozen with 100k done (exactly, I had to do a few laps of the car park).

So that's what I do. But that's my business. Would it affect how I approach the challenge in the least if virtual rides were allowed? No, it wouldn't. Taking things to the extreme, if someone wanted to do the challenge by planning rides on RWGPS and just imagining riding them I'd still be out there riding my bike, it wouldn't affect my approach at all. Not one jot. It's not really my business.

MO the fewer rules the better. The Imperial challenge has a rule that "stops at your home are not allowed". That's something that always caused me a bit of irritation me when I did that challenge. On one ride I realised I'd forgotten my pump, so I had to turn round and get go home get it. I stopped and warmed up and got a cup of coffee while I was at it. And did I get a puncture? Of course I didn't. Then when I got home after 100 miles it dawned on me that my ride was invalid because of that rule.

 

[ukbabz]

A chilly one to start the year! Could have done with my winter boots but they're back with fizik for a warranty claim so overshoes and duct tape had to suffice!

 

[footloose crow]

Lizard Point today - very clear skies (good) but very cold (less good). January done.

 

[13 rider]

Looks like I'm back for another attempt got a 63 miler in today in glorious sunny but cold 🥶🥶 conditions . Just my standard no thinking loop to get the miles in . I am not completely committing to any distance challenge this early in the year I've spent the last 7 years doing all 3 this might be the year I dial it back a bit .

 

[UphillSlowly]

Managed to get a ride in for January to join this year's challenge. Joined cycle chat midway though last year and only had a 90k ride in Jan, so couldn't join the 2023 edition retrospectively.

The plan for the ride just posted was that I did 50k to Halesowen and met the GLW there and do another 50k with her while Child 3 was at Circus skills. The best laid plans...

Punctured after 10k then battled with a cold gatorskin tyre for what must have been 30 mins, so had to take a short cut and really push myself to get to the meet up point in time. Managed to do 47km, 800 m of elevation in around 2h 15min (fast for me, as I am distinctly average) before meeting her.

We set off. My legs were toast, but then after 17k my GLW punctured, or had a slow puncture. Much faffing with a dodgy tube and a dodgy canister meant we just turned round and headed back to the circus skills place. Between us we had one tube and no canisters left.

On the way back a van got between us and the GLW sneaked through some roadworks. In my wisdom I bumped up onto the pavement, to.avoid the red light and misjudged the angle, speed and how much I had not lifted my front wheel. So I crashed

Got back to the circus skills place with 82k done and my bib tights in a bit of a mess. Realised I was running out of time to complete the January ride with a storm coming. So I rode down to a local reservoir to add in a some.extra kms. Then limped home.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't so damn stubborn and competitive with myself. Hoping the following ride reports are a.bit more boring and not as long.

Strava account is private as I am a local doctor. Feel free to request a follow if you wish.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Hopefully you've got most of the drama out of the way for 2024 @UphillSlowly , and can now look forward to some more serene rides.

 

[UphillSlowly]

Hopefully you've got most of the drama out of the way for 2024 @UphillSlowly , and can now look forward to some more serene rides.

Thank you. Fingers crossed. Got two rides planned for February. Alsager to Birmingham, and the Snowdrop Express

 

[Sea of vapours]

It really is about time it was not windy once in a while** . Today's metric century trundle, on a day chosen for being 'not as windy as normal' featured an awful lot of base wind speed in the mid twenties mph, with gusts mostly around 40mph, and some in the 50mph range on the high bits (this from weather station data and all of it about 10mph more than the forecast). Hmph. On the upside, the 'dry' aspect of the forecast was wholly correct, so that's very much a win.

I only saw one person on a bike and they weren't actually on it since they were walking, pushing it along the top 2km of the Coal Road rather than be blown over - I asked whether they needed assistance - that being the 50mph gusts bit. I'm pretty sure their medium sized bar bag wasn't helping with the handling very much in the foolishly strong winds!

** It was calm on Tuesday but I was supporting my partner, merely in the driving her there sense, in the perverse activity of running up to High Cup Nick, a high-ish bit of the Pennines, and back: very silly.

 

[13 rider]

Jan 1st. SE4, Titsey, Otford, Birling, Longfield, Swanley, SE4. 103.8 km
Feb 3rd. SE4, Cudham, Brasted, Toy's Hill, Chiddingstone, Groombridge, Black Hill, Kidd's Hill (down), Ashurst Wood, Lingfield, Tandridge Hill, The Ridge, Hayes. 109.4 km

Feb 3rd ?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Feb 3rd ?

It's the 3rd of Feb today isn't it?

 

[UphillSlowly]

Got in a ride today. GLW was doing the Alsager 5 km run today so we went up last night, stayed with friends and instead of cheering her on I cycled home on unfamiliar roads. Poor route planning led me down very mucky farm tracks, stripping my drive train of the wrong choice of lubrication. Luckily a Co-op had some olive oil spray which worked a treat!

At least I managed to stay on the bike this time

 

[Dogtrousers]

Rode out to the Ashdown Forest yesterday - home of the Winnie the Pooh stories. I spotted some remains at the roadside. Hope it's not Eeyore.

Actually, I think it's probably a deer.

 

[UphillSlowly]

If you fancy a hard 100k in May then this is worth a look. The 100 Climbs Sheffield Challenge

https://www.100climbs.co.uk/events

 

[cyberknight]

all set to get my feb ride done and dusted and when i got up its dense fog so not appealing from a safety point and feels like i have the start of a cold
Plans shelved for this week
EDIT good job i did as i got stomach cramps and i would have had to dive into a field to do a tom dumoulin if i had gone out .......

 

[ukbabz]

I managed to squeeze in a club run yesterday, it wasn't too cold and the wind was OK which was nice. The roads are absolutely disgusting though, so much crud, gravel and potholes that at times it felt properly sketchy in a small group (plus an abundance of knobbers in cars). A nice ride despite that!