In Praise of the CycleChat monthly challenges

[Donger]

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!

 

[Cathryn]

Excellent post. Okay, I'm going to do the half century challenge next month. Easy in the summer, potentially grim in the winter! Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

I have never been a fan of organised fun/being told what to do and when, things like Red Nose Day/Children In Need, Park Runs, City Centre half/marathons.

Added to which I am at or even slightly over the level of exercise that I can sustain;

• Commute to work, Mon-Fri 18 miles each way.
• 5 mile run Wednesday
• 10-15 mile run Fri or Saturday
• Upper body workouts in the gym 3 times a week.
• Add in some cricket during the summer and a 8th day in every week to rest would be nice.

It turns out that one of the worst things about the commute is that it is hostile to recovery. It is certainly harder than doing a single 36 mile ride each day with amost a full day's recovery and as the ride short there is a temptation to treat it like a short high intensity session. If I do that I find the 12 hours to the next ride is not enough and the rest of the week just gets worse.

It is possible to take the train in but it is slow, and not home as the train is too full to carry a bike. Taking the train doesn't help as it is either a slow unpleasent journey or I can get off early in the trip which leaves a nice tempting 7 mile ride through some quite up and down roads that just begs to be blasted as it is so short. If I do this it is worse for the rest of the week than doing the whole journey at a more moderate pace.

I also find that even though I know the calories I need to eat, by Friday/Saturday it is often the case that I haven't met that requirement so need Sunday to top up.

Bye

Ian

 

[13 rider]

Excellent post. Okay, I'm going to do the half century challenge next month. Easy in the summer, potentially grim in the winter! Thanks for the encouragement.

If you are reasonably flexible when you can ride you get 4 weekends to find a 2 to 3 hour weather window to beat the worst of the weather , Once you get a January and February ride in you only have to worry about November and December and when you've got 10 rides in already most people press on and get in done somehow
Look forward to seeing you on the start line the threads will be up before the New year

 

[13 rider]

One thing @Donger didn't say is if you go for one on the century challenges and fail to get a ride in during a particular month providing you've done a ride that would qualify for the lower distance challenge you can drop down into that one and carry on in the lower distance challenge to complete the year

 

[berty bassett]

is there a link to how to join this - could be just what I need !

 

[13 rider]

is there a link to how to join this - could be just what I need !

All the new threads will appear just before the New year so keep an eye out , if it's the half century your interested in let me now and I will tag you in when I post next year's thread

 

[Sea of vapours]

s there a link to how to join this - could be just what I need !

https://www.cyclechat.net/forums/cyclechat-monthly-challenges.169/
There's a sub-forum with al the various challenge threads in there. The rules for each are at the beginning of the relevant thread in most, or perhaps all, cases.

 

[robjh]

I've been doing the 100 mile challenge for the last five years, and have really enjoyed it - and the reasons for this would be the same if it were 50k, 50 miles or 100k. The rides themselves, at least in the summer, are only an extension of what I would be doing anyway, but the monthly nature of it gives me that extra push to go out and do it. This is particularly true in the winter months where I need that motivation to get up and out before dawn, but once I do, I never regret it.
I also enjoy the logging and sharing aspect of it on here, with that knowledge that you've got a little community sharing your goal and willing you on to achieve it.
Yet all my talk here of goals and achievements should not obscure the one essential thing - it's been bloody good fun.

 

[geocycle]

I’ve done the 50km/50 mile challenge the last two years. I don’t need much motivation to go for a ride if time and weather allows, but I don’t do club rides so this just helps create a bit of community. I’ve actually done several 100km rides every month this year as well although have not formally registered for the 100 km. The 100 km rides have meant me extending my normal routes and seeing some new places as a result. The points also add a bit of interest and encouragement to do a few more miles to grab the extra!

Thanks to the organisers!

 

[Domus]

I only started cycling in the summer of 2015 at the ripe old age of 61. I joined the 50 Km challenge in 2017 and have completed it ever since. It certainly has been an incentive for me.

 

[cyberknight]

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 Alpes, 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!

certainly motivated me today to get the metric challenge completed today when i could have easily sloped off home and a shorter than usual ride.I would like to do the imperial one but family life means it hard to organize it without a lot of earache

 

[Slick]

I dropped out the smaller of the challenges during covid as I was heading for my highest points tally ever when I was involved in an accident and was unable to complete. I was on target the following year and again failed through injury, but now I've committed to a wee summer tour to the football in Germany, I might give it another go to help regain some of my fitness back.