The 2024 Half Century (50km or 50 mile) Challenge Chatzone

[13 rider]

Thank you. It was 50.1km according to cycle.travel. I had to add a couple of extra bits in to stretch it.

You seem to have figured out how the challenge works already . At the end of the day it's all done on trust if you say it's 50km then it's 50km no need for digital proof like Strava etc

 

[13 rider]

Rides should be completed outside , turbo rides are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, ie a broken shoulder making outside rides impossible and with the agreement of the thread monitor @13 rider

Just added a line to the rules as I didn't realise it wasn't covered already , I'm not a fan of loads of rules so try to keep it simple ,just thought I'd clarify the outside aspect

 

[Spartak]

January 50K... ☑️

A pleasant ride down to Nailsea to meet a couple of friends in the Wetherspoons, The Glassmaker for breakfast, a very flat route along at least 80% cycle track into Bristol on the B2B and then cycle tracks skirting Long Ashton and Flax Bourton before following Route 33 into Nailsea. Lots of sunshine ☀ and lots of puddles too !!!

On the way back we also stopped at thd Bakehouse café in St. Phillips for coffee & cake.

 

[13 rider]

I'm sure I've read this before

 

[ColinJ]

My insomnia has thwarted another opportunity today. I must have turned my alarm off without even being aware of it! I didn't get to sleep until 05:00 so I had the alarm set for 11:00. Next thing I know, I wake up without an alarm at 13:15!!! My body obviously needed to catch up on sleep...

No matter. I will do a shorter ride today for the 3-a-week challenge and save the 50 for Sunday. A friend said she might come over to join me for that.

 

[Noodle Legs]

Off the mark for 2024.

Steady one over to Uttoxeter and back to register the first point of the year. Quite hilly going there but pan flat on the way back. Reckon this could be the new banker……

First outdoor ride since mid September 😬 due to a few health and personal issues, felt good to get the legs spinning again. Naturally not as fit as I once was, it was still a nice social pace!

33.9 in 2:12.

 

[UphillSlowly]

Off the mark today with a ride with Mrs Slowly. Daughter's circus skills sessions are now.3 hours on a Sunday afternoon and based just a few miles from Clent Hills, so the perfect opportunity to sneak in a weekly 50km (will that's the plan).

GLW battled gamely on her heavy commuter bike and with a heavy cold. Was cold and stuck to bigger roads after the wet weather

 

[C R]

First challenge ride of the year in the bag. Route options were a bit limited because of the flooding around here, but some options still available along the higher ground.

It was cool, but nothing my gloves couldn't deal with, and it was dry, which is a plus, though there's still some surface water in a few places.

Upton is a bit damp

 

[geocycle]

Had to abort today’s ride. Was really frosty so delayed until 11:00, set off but couldn’t stand up across the courtyard. Roads might have been ok but I find it hard to relax when ice is about. Got out for a walk in lovely sunshine instead which was nice. Winter can be very frustrating!

 

[Slick]

I thought about aborting todays ride a couple of times as there was a bank of freezing fog lying when I got up at 6.30 this morning, so I waited and waited for what seemed like forever to see if it would lift, it didn't and still hasn't. I decided that if I was going out, I needed to be well lit, so charged loads of lights to make sure I would be seen if I rode into a fog bank, and finally went for it around 11am. I was looking to do the same ride as I did on new years day, just the other direction. Both access roads to Glen Fruin were closed due to ice with local access only, and whilst I'm sure I could probably have got through, I thought I had better leave it as its quite lumpy and I didn't fancy taking a tumble on a descent. So I carried on to Loch Lomond and Balloch all the time wondering if it would be worth the risk of staying on the road as I knew that the Levin Cycle Path would be either iced up or flooded, and as it turned out it was both. It nearly cost me on one corner as I felt the bike go sideways but I managed to cling on but it was enough for me to bail out and head for the relative safety of the main road. The choice then was to carry on to Dumbarton which would get me closer to my required distance but is far from my favourite road due to traffic, so I cut over the hill road to Cardross which finally took me above the fog and on to my home but I was almost 8k short of my target. Mrs Slick suggested a visit to a local cafe she wanted to try, so I got back on the bike and cycled into town to meet her there, and I'm glad I did, as it was delicious. The only problem was I spent too long in there and ate too much, so the last couple of miles home were tough and cold, but a surprisingly second point on the board for January, which is double what I expected at this stage.

 

[Osprey]

First ride out for 2024 to kick off the new challenge. Frosty and icey conditions so kept on the main coastal roads. 10 riders out today despite conditions, 66km and 2 cafe stops to warm up 🤣
Good luck and stay safe everyone 👍

 

[Noodle Legs]

Another point earned today with a dry, sunny but cold meander around the southern edge of Derby. It was pan flat with very little by way of climbing, and a route that I’d planned a few months back. Being Derby, inevitably there were a good few cycle paths to negotiate, all of which were littered with dog walkers and joggers (and maybe one other cyclist!) As such, I knew the pace would be impacted greatly due to the constant stop/starting I had to endure, but this was still a necessity so I could gain VV tiles previously missed in that area. After leaving Derby, there was one more cycle path along the A38 for a mile or so before turning off at Burnaston near the Toyota factory and heading home via Etwall, Hilton and Hatton in a reverse of yesterday’s section through these villages.

2 points bagged in a great weekend of riding as I try to turn fatness into fitness again.

31.5 in 2:10.

 

[ColinJ]

Had to abort today’s ride. Was really frosty so delayed until 11:00, set off but couldn’t stand up across the courtyard. Roads might have been ok but I find it hard to relax when ice is about.

Understandable... I have had 4 or 5 crashes on icy roads in past winters. I got away each time with no injuries, or minor cuts and bruises, but I can't count on my luck holding. I am in my late 60s now and really don't fancy breaking any of my old bones!

My postponed 50 didn't happen today either. I have been feeling a bit rough and so decided not to do anything too strenuous. I just did a local 9 km loop to test my new GPS and get my 3rd ride in for the 3-a-week challenge.

Plenty of time yet for my January 50.

 

[UphillSlowly]

Had to abort today’s ride. Was really frosty so delayed until 11:00, set off but couldn’t stand up across the courtyard. Roads might have been ok but I find it hard to relax when ice is about. Got out for a walk in lovely sunshine instead which was nice. Winter can be very frustrating!

I go by two maxims.
- If it's three degrees or below then think hard about using road bike.
- If there's ice (on the car), think twice (you might not get far)
Slipped on the ice on commuter bike, and also motorbike. Not fun

 

[UphillSlowly]

First challenge ride of the year in the bag. Route options were a bit limited because of the flooding around here, but some options still available along the higher ground.

It was cool, but nothing my gloves couldn't deal with, and it was dry, which is a plus, though there's still some surface water in a few places.

Upton is a bit damp

View attachment 718198

Hopefully it will dry out in 6 weeks for the Snowdrop Express, which comes round your way if you fancy a "3 pointer"!