The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[ColinJ]

Here's the little lane I'm on about. You could hardly walk down it today, let alone ride down it

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Did you have some special reason to go that way or were you just doing a random exploration ...?

There are quite a few of those steep cobbled descents round here but I make sure that I avoid them!

Another nearby example. (And looking up from the bottom...)

 

[nickyboy]

Did you have some special reason to go that way or were you just doing a random exploration ...?

There are quite a few of those steep cobbled descents round here but I make sure that I avoid them!

Another nearby example. (And looking up from the bottom...)

I needed to get from Barkisland to Sowerby Bridge so I let Ride With GPS plan it for me. It took me down a really steep metalled road which suddenly turned into that cobblestoned horror story. I had a choice of riding back up or continuing. In hindsight, I should have got off and walked

 

[ColinJ]

I needed to get from Barkisland to Sowerby Bridge so I let Ride With GPS plan it for me. It took me down a really steep metalled road which suddenly turned into that cobblestoned horror story. I had a choice of riding back up or continuing. In hindsight, I should have got off and walked

Ah!

I stick to plotting my own routes using a digital OS map, and I double-check unfamiliar roads on Streetview.

 

[Dogtrousers]

March done.

I have a half formed plan to ride the length of the Medway. This was a prototype, the full-fat version I think would actually be beyond me (in one go, at least) but I'll see what new rides on this theme I can manage.

Anyway I crossed the river 6 times: 1.M2 Bridge near Borstal; 2.Aylesford; 3.East Farleigh; 4. Yalding; 5. Golden Green; 6.Penshurst. I turned down the chance of a quick double crossing at Tonbridge as I chose to skirt round the South of the town, and I skipped a couple of other bridges.

Lovely spring day.

 

[Rustybucket]

How many people are doing the metric century challenge this year? Is it worth setting up a endomondo challenge?

 

[Sea of vapours]

Will just counting who's posted in the record thread do it, or are there typically people who post every month's ride in December each year (newbie question there!)? Alternatively, a poll here would presumably work? (i.e. Are you participating: yes/no.)

 

[Donger]

Will just counting who's posted in the record thread do it, or are there typically people who post every month's ride in December each year (newbie question there!)? Alternatively, a poll here would presumably work? (i.e. Are you participating: yes/no.)

I'm a newbie to this challenge too. I prefer to think the original 26 (or those of them who are still going) will be the majority of the contenders. The thought that a couple of dozen others will suddenly declare at the year's end did occur to me, but I think that rather goes against the spirit of it.(Kind of like saying "Oh, yeah. I've done that too"). I like to read how everyone else is doing it, and leaving entries until long after the rides have been done would rather spoil that for everyone. This is the first time in my life that I have ever had a structured plan to my exercise, or a major target that seems daunting, and I'm enjoying comparing notes...... You are rather putting us to shame though, doing it all thrice over!

 

[Sea of vapours]

I'm a newbie to this challenge too. I prefer to think the original 26 (or those of them who are still going) will be the majority of the contenders. The thought that a couple of dozen others will suddenly declare at the year's end did occur to me, but I think that rather goes against the spirit of it.(Kind of like saying "Oh, yeah. I've done that too"). I like to read how everyone else is doing it, and leaving entries until long after the rides have been done would rather spoil that for everyone. This is the first time in my life that I have ever had a structured plan to my exercise, or a major target that seems daunting, and I'm enjoying comparing notes...... You are rather putting us to shame though, doing it all thrice over!

I concur on all of that, including my previous lack of a structured plan or set of targets.

You are rather putting us to shame though, doing it all thrice over!

Ha ha ;-) I'm finding that less than 100km feels 'not proper' at the moment. That said, I fortunately have an Eddington Number metric target of 66 for the year, so that 'allows' shorter routes too. The trouble is that, when planning routes, I tend to think along the lines of: "but if I just do X more, it'll contribute to a higher E" and "this will be wasted when I get to E>66".

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm a newbie to this challenge too. I prefer to think the original 26 (or those of them who are still going) will be the majority of the contenders. The thought that a couple of dozen others will suddenly declare at the year's end did occur to me, but I think that rather goes against the spirit of it.(Kind of like saying "Oh, yeah. I've done that too"). I like to read how everyone else is doing it, and leaving entries until long after the rides have been done would rather spoil that for everyone. This is the first time in my life that I have ever had a structured plan to my exercise, or a major target that seems daunting, and I'm enjoying comparing notes...... You are rather putting us to shame though, doing it all thrice over!

There used to be a rule that you had to declare your first ride beforehand, but I think that has fallen into disuse. However IMO batch entering historic rides would be a bit against the spirit of the thing. I think you should only be able to enter new rides in the current month. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Fubar]

Glad to get my first 100k of March in today, been a tricky few weeks up to now - cracking day though, best ride of the year so far!

 

[Rustybucket]

Weather was a killer today, glad I got out thou. Had a Good March, lots of miles for me and on track for my annual 4000mile goal. Surprisingly my knee isn't too bad - lots of stretching and gym work must be helping.

 

[nickyboy]

Novice mistake today. Did a super-hilly ride with 1850m of climbing. Turned out it was 93km, could have easily done a 7km spin around Glossop at the end

 

[Dogtrousers]

Novice mistake today. Did a super-hilly ride with 1850m of climbing. Turned out it was 93km, could have easily done a 7km spin around Glossop at the end

Schoolboy error

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well, that was fun.

I was going to ride from Rochester to Crawley following the Medway, crossing it as often as possible. But Easter train engineering works put paid to that.

So instead a nice Kent ride, round my usual haunts. Weather varying from misty to dreich to quite nice. Near the end I was going up Chalkpit Lane, a particularly nasty hill (I'd guess 15% +). Just as I hit the steep bit before the hairpin I stood on the pedals. After a couple of pedal revs BANG the chain slipped and I was all over the road. A bit bruised but otherwise OK. I dusted myself down and pushed for a bit while I calmed down, then remounted and continued - seated this time. And it slipped again. This left me very nervous in traffic, afraid that the chain might slip when I accelerated into a junction or something. I'm not sure if it's the chain or the cassette or (I suspect) the freehub. I'll be doing some checks and starting a thread in the technical know how section.

I suspect that the real underlying cause will be that Modern Bikes Are All Rubbish and they were much better in the 80s.

Anyway, that aside, a good start to April.

 

[ColinJ]

I was going up Chalkpit Lane, a particularly nasty hill (I'd guess 15% +). Just as I hit the steep bit before the hairpin I stood on the pedals. After a couple of pedal revs BANG the chain slipped and I was all over the road. A bit bruised but otherwise OK. I dusted myself down and pushed for a bit while I calmed down, then remounted and continued - seated this time. And it slipped again. This left me very nervous in traffic, afraid that the chain might slip when I accelerated into a junction or something. I'm not sure if it's the chain or the cassette or (I suspect) the freehub. I'll be doing some checks and starting a thread in the technical know how section.

I suspect that the real underlying cause will be that Modern Bikes Are All Rubbish and they were much better in the 80s.

I'm glad you were not badly hurt!

I was out on my steel-framed Basso a couple of weeks ago on a stretch of road where I go down a fast descent into a dip and then immediately climb a short slope back up again. I normally stay in the big ring and just about have enough momentum and power to get up the other side without having to change down to my middle chainring. I was standing and sprinting up out of the dip when the chain slipped down onto the ring below. I lost my balance, clattered the old nads against the top tube, and almost slammed into the dry stone wall at the side of the road. I somehow stayed upright, which was A Good Thing because I'd been going fast enough to make a nasty mess of myself if I hadn't!

I'm not sure if it was due to transmission wear, or flex in the frame. I can twist the Basso enough to cause its chain to rub in certain situations. I never get that on my very stiff Cannondale, no matter how much stick I give it.