The 2016 Half Century (50 KM or 50 Mile) A Month Challenge - Chatzone

[NorthernDave]

September's metric half (and some) in this morning with an unexpected 72km.

So that's the imperial and metric halves done for the month, see you in October!

Only joking, report in the usual place.

 

[NorthernDave]

Another metric half this morning, making the most of the warm sunny weather while it lasts!
Added a bit more climbing in too, just for the heck of it.

Report in 'Your ride today' and off to the challenge page now to log this one.

 

[ColinJ]

Another metric half this morning, making the most of the warm sunny weather while it lasts!
Added a bit more climbing in too, just for the heck of it.

I am about to do the same thing, only my planned route is about 42 miles so I may decide to add a bit on at the end to get an imperial half century in.

The thing is, I have included a couple of roads that I have not done before and they look BRUTAL, and that is coming from someone who does a lot of tough Yorkshire hills!

Take a look on Streetview at the cobbled descent at Krumlin below the Scammonden crossing of the M62, and the climb back up the other side of the valley ...

I reckon that this ride will have at least 2,000 metres of climbing, maybe more.

I am going out now; I may be some time ...

 

[ColinJ]

Aaargh - that was tough! This 2 point ride was way harder than the pair of 3-point rides that I did in Scotland last week.

My strategy of telling you what I was going to do paid off. If I hadn't, I would have done the easy 14 km ride back from Blackstone Edge for a total of 64 km. Given that I was teetering on the brink of bonking, that might have been the sensible option!

Having promised to do the 50 miler, I felt honour-bound to do that. I didn't want to be going up and down the busy valley roads in the rush hour, so I rode down to Hebden Bridge and then took to the hills again to make up the distance.

The total climbing was less than expected at 1,625 m, but the severity of it made up for that! Lots and lots of 15%, several stretches of 20%, and I am fairly sure that there were a couple of short bits at nearer 25%!

The steep cobbled descent that I mentioned was scary! It is in the shade, so if there has been any rain, it will stay damp for a long time. Any hint of mud, moss or ice and it would be lethal ... I would recommend taking an alternative route or doing it in the opposite direction so at least you would be climbing up the cobbles.

I will update my challenge ride list later - I need a shower and food right now!

PS My legs were a bit tired from the climbing, but the muscles in my arms, shoulders and back were completely knackered! I pull very hard on the bars on steep climbs. My upper body is evidently puny compared to my legs ...

 

[NorthernDave]

Another metric half this morning. Good to get out but the weather is definitely starting to turn now.
Despite a few technical problems (Garmin Livetrack failed completely, MapMyRide had a hissy fit 2 miles from home and stopped recording the route although the timer kept going...) it was a good ride and just what I needed.
Plus it was probably my last chance for a qualifying ride ahead of the big Scarborough ride next weekend.

Reports will appear in the usual places.

 

[13 rider]

The @Osprey has risen just posted rides for Aug and Sept so 31 riders still in the challenge . Had him down as missing in action but better late than never

 

[kapelmuur]

My objective for this year was to complete a 100 mile ride and after doing it on 4th September I must admit that I lost my motivation to ride for a while.

However, a combination of some lovely late summer weather and the feeling that I shouldn't waste all that fitness has got me back into my 3 rides a week routine. To quote Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford I have "recalibrated" and my objectives are now to ride 5,000 miles by 31st December and to score a minimum 100 points in the challenge.

My thanks to the challenge organisers for giving me something to aim for for the rest of the year!

My ride yesterday followed a small section of the Tour of Britain (stage 3) route from Ashley to the top of Wizard Hill. I checked my Strava times against the professionals and, on average, they are twice as quick as me. But as they're half my age I guess it's OK

 

[Katherine]

My objective for this year was to complete a 100 mile ride and after doing it on 4th September I must admit that I lost my motivation to ride for a while.

However, a combination of some lovely late summer weather and the feeling that I shouldn't waste all that fitness has got me back into my 3 rides a week routine. To quote Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford I have "recalibrated" and my objectives are now to ride 5,000 miles by 31st December and to score a minimum 100 points in the challenge.

My thanks to the challenge organisers for giving me something to aim for for the rest of the year!

My ride yesterday followed a small section of the Tour of Britain (stage 3) route from Ashley to the top of Wizard Hill. I checked my Strava times against the professionals and, on average, they are twice as quick as me. But as they're half my age I guess it's OK

Well done. I must admit that since the 100, I've done a lot less cycling and in fact have only been out once a week, at weekends. Not managed to get out at all in the week.

 

[tallliman]

I think a big ride disrupts your routine and causes additional fatigue. Both of which can manifest itself in the following weeks.

 

[NorthernDave]

I enjoyed taking part in the inaugural CycleChat Leeds - Scarborough ride yesterday, along with one or two others from this challenge.
What a truly great ride it was too - great route, near perfect cycling weather and a tail wind that you can only normally dream of.

Reports in the usual places.

 

[13 rider]

Still 2 riders yet to post rides for Sept come on ladies I hope you've got them done and forgot to post them . Still a few days left

 

[ColinJ]

I enjoyed taking part in the inaugural CycleChat Leeds - Scarborough ride yesterday, along with one or two others from this challenge.
What a truly great ride it was too - great route, near perfect cycling weather and a tail wind that you can only normally dream of.

I second that!

 

[Effyb4]

Still 2 riders yet to post rides for Sept come on ladies I hope you've got them done and forgot to post them . Still a few days left

It was a close run thing this month. It came to the last weekend and I had planned a 40 mile ride on Sunday. Then I had last minute family commitments (mum always come first), so I did the ride Saturday afternoon. I have been feeling under the weather ever since, so completely forgot to post it. It is posted in the challenge thread now.

 

[13 rider]

It was a close run thing this month. It came to the last weekend and I had planned a 40 mile ride on Sunday. Then I had last minute family commitments (mum always come first), so I did the ride Saturday afternoon. I have been feeling under the weather ever since, so completely forgot to post it. It is posted in the challenge thread now.

Well done for staying with the challenge .

 

[Saluki]

30th September, so a bit now or never. Not really ridden this month as work, weather and general apathy got in the way. Lost a lot of my mojo since moving to such a hilly area. I took the roadie out and thought, I'll just go to Nanstallon, got there and thought that I'd go to Bodmin. Turned at Bodmin and got to the Wenfordbridge turning and took it. I got a mile or two along there and stopped to help a young couple with a flat, loaned them a pump and levers and donated a patch. Let the young man chap do all the work though, I'm not that generous. Rode a bit further and caught up with a chap who was only riding about 1mph slower than I. We started chatting and I rode all the way to Wenfordbridge with him. Topped the water up and turned for home. At my house, I figured that it would be a shame to not do the extra 6 miles and stay in the challenge, so headed through town and back onto the Camel Trail towards Padstow (into a horrible, nasty headwind) and battled 3 miles to the quarry. Stopped there, watched the water skiiers and then turned for home. 51.3km in several hours Who cares, it was a nice day.

Might have got a bit of my mojo back. Not a lot, I still loathe the hills, but now work has finished during the week and I only have weekend work, I will have more time to ride. I still hate hills. I know that I have said that already, but I really hate them so though it worth mentioning again.