The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[Sea of vapours]

I'm in the identical situation Colin. Today is comfortably the best cycling day of the year so far - it's still not good as such, but it's tolerable - and I developed a bad cold on Saturday ;-\ So far as I can see, the weather is not due to improve much either. Friday, plus Tuesday and Wednesday next week look like possibles though. At least there is no more ice forecast this month as I regard that as a complete show-stopper :-)

 

[ColinJ]

Fingers crossed. eh?

Definitely no icy rides for me. I gave up riding when ill after blacking out at the roadside when attempting to cycle up a local hill with a chest infection!

 

[GuyBoden]

Friday is forecast to be sunny(ish) and Sunday looks dry(ish). hopefully.......

 

[Fiona R]

I'm playing Russian roulette, did 80km couple weekends ago, couldn't be bothered to add loops at the end of the club ride as cold, made myself do a stupid steep hill instead for my soul. Hoping for this weekend, that will put a rocket up the ok weather forecast. Couldn't face swimming this weekend, well I did go swimming but instead of swimming on my bike.

 

[Sbudge]

I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 102 km to be precise.

I nearly didn't, several times.
It was today or never as I'm away next weekend.
Tomorrow's rides are cancelled because of the heavy rain /sleet and freezing forecast. Up until last night, today was going to be cold but dry... .Then the forecast had changed to light rain or sleet showers.
I ended up going out in the cold rain for a short ride thinking that I could try and get a metric century in next month but not get a star. Anyway, I kept going, turning back after 23 miles but kept adding loops depending on how I was feeling at the time, which was going from warm enough to cold fingers to cold body to warm enough to cold feet and generally soggy. I couldn't have done it without all the extra layers, decent jacket, winter boots, toe warmers stuck to my socks and the amazing Aldi waterproof overshoes. Very glad that I'd saved my spare gloves for after the coffee stop by which time the other ones were drenched.
When I set off again the cold rain had turned to sleet so all plans for extra loops and going home the scenic way were scrapped and I took the most direct route home. 9 miles later (at 45 miles) going through Culcheth, I was warm enough to take a left instead of a right turn, anticipating that I would only need to add another 4 miles at the end. Which I did but my legs really struggled because I had to go up hill for a bit so I could end wondrously on a mostly free wheel home.

Sorry that was a bit waffley. Last year, I didn't do more than 45 miles last January or February, so I am actually a bit worried about this February already even though I'm now hooked into this challenge.

Also, I normally work in miles and my report follows my train of thoughts. Sorry.

Brilliant @Katherine , that's the toughest one done! Both because it's the first and it's January! Nice one... just 11 more to go.

 

[Sbudge]

I'm in the identical situation Colin. Today is comfortably the best cycling day of the year so far - it's still not good as such, but it's tolerable - and I developed a bad cold on Saturday ;-\ So far as I can see, the weather is not due to improve much either. Friday, plus Tuesday and Wednesday next week look like possibles though. At least there is no more ice forecast this month as I regard that as a complete show-stopper :-)

That's rough, sorry. This time of year you really have to plan ahead but then seize any opportunistic challenge rides you can because you never know what illness or weather will throw at you. Like you ice is the one thing that will stop me riding, I've certainly done my share of @Cranky Knee Girl 's 'bike swimming'

Really looking forward to this weekend's ride though, planning to do a 130km mixed road/gravel loop along some of the NCR routes near us. I did a similar one last year in the Winter months and it was lovely. This year I'll be riding with company too which should be fun.

 

[Dogtrousers]

We've not really had a bad January down here in the South East. It's rained a lot, but that's par for the course. It's been windy at times. We've had the odd bursts of sleet. But it's not been terribly cold and we've had almost nothing serious in the way of ice. I've had to negotiate a few flooded roads and got rather wet but nothing worse than that.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Here in the Dales there have been very few days in January which didn't have some kind of weather issue. Mostly ice / snow where the problem is that the range of altitude means that lots of roads may have ice near the top, even if they're OK lower down - it makes route planning a bit nerve-wracking. If the medium term forecast is even vaguely correct, though, then there are 2-3 fairly decent days before the end of January and my virus is more or less gone so it should be OK :-)

As an example of the issue here, when I took this photo, the road about 500m further along was perfectly fine to cycle on, whereas this bit very much didn't qualify as my idea of bike-friendly (and sticking to the lower roads is very restricting).

 

[ColinJ]

Here in the Dales there have been very few days in January which didn't have some kind of weather issue. Mostly ice / snow where the problem is that the range of altitude means that lots of roads may have ice near the top, even if they're OK lower down - it makes route planning a bit nerve-wracking. If the medium term forecast is even vaguely correct, though, then there are 2-3 fairly decent days before the end of January and my virus is more or less gone so it should be OK :-)

As an example of the issue here, when I took this photo, the road about 500m further along was perfectly fine to cycle on, whereas this bit very much didn't qualify as my idea of bike-friendly (and sticking to the lower roads is very restricting).
View attachment 392899

I don't recognise where that photograph was taken but it looks nice. (As you say - not for cycling in those conditions though!)

 

[Sea of vapours]

It's a hill down into Settle. Ingleborough is about 10km away in the direction of the road, so about 20% across the image from the left side. I was, almost needless to say, walking - there have been several excellent walking days this month

 

[Katherine]

Stay safe everyone!

Drat - I have only gone and caught another cold! For years I was only catching about one a year but I caught 3 bad ones last year (the last one not too long ago) and now I already have my first of 2018.

It looks like there will be some stress trying to get the January metric century in ... If I recover slowly and the weather stays bad then I might resort to doing my easy but boring main-roads-in-valleys route late in the month. If the weather improves and I feel better then I will tackle something more interesting instead.

Don't push yourself more than you need to, even if you have to stay on the main roads.

Brilliant @Katherine , that's the toughest one done! Both because it's the first and it's January! Nice one... just 11 more to go.

Thanks.


Good luck to anyone who is still trying to get a qualifying ride in this month.

 

[ColinJ]

Don't push yourself more than you need to, even if you have to stay on the main roads.

Thanks.

I'm starting to feel better now. I hope to nip out tomorrow afternoon and do an easy ride to see if I am up to attempting a longer one. If that goes well, then I'll see what I can do on Friday - the forecast is looking favourable.

 

[GuyBoden]

A nice sunny day, with very little wind, so I rode another 100km. My usual easy route........

 

[Sea of vapours]

Phew - January done. That qualifies as 'uncomfortably close to the end of the month'. I was beginning to think that I'd have to do something deviant like getting on the bike when it's already raining on the 31st !

Clear, blue skies and no wind at all. An almost perfect day which could only really have been improved by featuring temperatures in excess of 2-4C.

 

[Fiona R]

Phew - January done. That qualifies as 'uncomfortably close to the end of the month'. I was beginning to think that I'd have to do something deviant like getting on the bike when it's already raining on the 31st !

Clear, blue skies and no wind at all. An almost perfect day which could only really have been improved by featuring temperatures in excess of 2-4C.

Well done. i join you in the "phew close to the wind" part. I can't claim as bad weather as you hardy souls, nor illness. but I did it properly today in proper mucky conditions and completed the Jack and Grace Cotton Audax, first one of 2018.

I did make it a little harder than the challenging conditions (who loves a 50 km headwind home?) by drinking cocktails last night at a friend's 50th (very rare for me) and then my good knee had a screaming pain all night and no sleep (not related, I think I must have bashed into something a day or two previously). It was a bit better when I got up early and moved about, took ibuprofen, rode round the block and dragged husband out of bed to say he was going out on a foul day after all, he was so hopeful that he was getting out of it!

Seems like I've declared for 2018, month 25 done!