Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
- Location
- Quedgeley, Glos.
I'm posting this under "General Cycling Discussions" in case some of our members have yet to discover the CycleChat Monthly Challenges threads.
This last couple of years .... ever since covid in fact, it feels like the numbers of people taking part in the various challenges has been dropping off. This strikes me as a real shame, what with this being a cycling forum after all. I was a regular participant in the Metric Century a Month Challenge for years and I always found it to be the motivator that got me ready for my summer holiday rides, encouraging me to get out there in all weathers and at all times of year to put in the groundwork to get me up to the necessary level of fitness.
The basic idea of all of the challenges is to require qualifying rides to be made in every month of the year. Simple as that. You don't need to be ultra competitive ... though that's also fine if you are. Some of us just challenge ourselves to keep it going all year round and get our sense of achievement out of meeting the challenge and resisting the temptation to wait for perfect weather conditions or to go for months without riding our bikes. Others try to score as many points as they possibly can and have a bit of friendly rivalry. Each to their own. Everyone is welcome.
The Half Century Challenge is a suitable entry level introduction, being the most flexible of the challenges, allowing rides of 50Km, 50 miles, 100km or 100 miles to qualify for 1, 2, 3 or 4 points respectively. If you are only just starting out, or if you are recovering from illness or injury or just getting a bit long in the tooth then why not give it a go in 2024? Twelve rides of 50km is all that it takes to win yourself a bronze star on your profile .... or you can ramp it up as you find your feet and try to score as many points as you can. Either way it'll get you out on your bike. I have never regretted going for a ride, but I've often regretted putting it off and there have been several occasions this year when I would have missed out on great rides if I hadn't felt compelled to get a challenge ride in.
The Metric Century Challenge (silver star) is ideal for anyone wanting to ramp it up a bit and get a foothold into distance riding or start taking part in audaxes and charity rides. I always found it was perfect for getting myself into condition for my summer holiday rides in the Highlands, the Alps, the Ardennes or the Vosges.
The Imperial Century Challenge (gold star) is your chance to mix it with some of our most committed riders and really feel a sense of achievement. I have never managed it (having only ever ridden 100 miles on two occasions) but we have plenty of nutters on here who regularly rise to the challenge.
There is also a Lunacy Challenge ... which speaks for itself.
So come on, CycleChatters. Lets see how many people we can encourage to take part in one (or more) of the challenges next year. You can always just put in one qualifying ride in each of the winter months and then step it up during the spring, summer and autumn. Go on, give it a go!
This last couple of years .... ever since covid in fact, it feels like the numbers of people taking part in the various challenges has been dropping off. This strikes me as a real shame, what with this being a cycling forum after all. I was a regular participant in the Metric Century a Month Challenge for years and I always found it to be the motivator that got me ready for my summer holiday rides, encouraging me to get out there in all weathers and at all times of year to put in the groundwork to get me up to the necessary level of fitness.
The basic idea of all of the challenges is to require qualifying rides to be made in every month of the year. Simple as that. You don't need to be ultra competitive ... though that's also fine if you are. Some of us just challenge ourselves to keep it going all year round and get our sense of achievement out of meeting the challenge and resisting the temptation to wait for perfect weather conditions or to go for months without riding our bikes. Others try to score as many points as they possibly can and have a bit of friendly rivalry. Each to their own. Everyone is welcome.
The Half Century Challenge is a suitable entry level introduction, being the most flexible of the challenges, allowing rides of 50Km, 50 miles, 100km or 100 miles to qualify for 1, 2, 3 or 4 points respectively. If you are only just starting out, or if you are recovering from illness or injury or just getting a bit long in the tooth then why not give it a go in 2024? Twelve rides of 50km is all that it takes to win yourself a bronze star on your profile .... or you can ramp it up as you find your feet and try to score as many points as you can. Either way it'll get you out on your bike. I have never regretted going for a ride, but I've often regretted putting it off and there have been several occasions this year when I would have missed out on great rides if I hadn't felt compelled to get a challenge ride in.
The Metric Century Challenge (silver star) is ideal for anyone wanting to ramp it up a bit and get a foothold into distance riding or start taking part in audaxes and charity rides. I always found it was perfect for getting myself into condition for my summer holiday rides in the Highlands, the Alps, the Ardennes or the Vosges.
The Imperial Century Challenge (gold star) is your chance to mix it with some of our most committed riders and really feel a sense of achievement. I have never managed it (having only ever ridden 100 miles on two occasions) but we have plenty of nutters on here who regularly rise to the challenge.
There is also a Lunacy Challenge ... which speaks for itself.
So come on, CycleChatters. Lets see how many people we can encourage to take part in one (or more) of the challenges next year. You can always just put in one qualifying ride in each of the winter months and then step it up during the spring, summer and autumn. Go on, give it a go!
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