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

[tallliman]

Well done @Saluki

 

[13 rider]

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.

Well done left it late but still in the challenge excellent

 

[13 rider]

Scores on the doors 31 riders still in no fallers this month excellent 3 quarters done its downhill from here . Keep on

 

[ColinJ]

I did a 55 km ride today and that one had nearly 1,100 m of climbing so it seems that the going rate round here is about 20 m of ascent per km. More if I make an effort to seek out the hills, less if I try to avoid them, though I can only really do that by sticking to the busy valley roads which I generally prefer not to.

It was sunny and mild here today so I decided to go out and do a half metric century. While I was out I extended the route to make the most of the good weather while it lasts. In the end I did 67 km. It felt pretty 'lumpy' so I have just checked my GPS; it says that I did 1,475 m of climbing so that route had 22 m of ascent per km.

I may manage to get another 50+ km ride or two in next week if the forecast for good weather turns out to be correct.

If all is well, I should be doing a 105 km audax ride next Sunday plus 20 km to and from event HQ. That will be a total of about 2,700 m of climbing - roughly as hilly per km as today, but 50% longer.

What I do after that for the rest of the year will depend on what kind of autumn and winter we have. Unless we have wall-to-wall blizzards, I should still get a few 50 km rides in but I won't be doing anything too challenging in poor conditions. (I have a new turbo trainer coming soon and will use that rather than ride in freezing fog, torrential rain, gale force winds, snow/ice etc.!)

 

[kapelmuur]

@ColinJ, what turbo trainer are you getting?

 

[ColinJ]

@ColinJ, what turbo trainer are you getting?

I don't know exactly because it is a gift from my cousin. He has bought himself a better one and is giving me his old one. I know it is a Tacx and it is a fairly basic model. My sister has it in her car and will be bringing it up next week. From what I remember, it looks a bit like this one ...

 

[steveindenmark]

I did my October half century yesterday and I'm not looking forward to November and December. Last weekend I was in shorts and t shirt paddling in the sea. Yesterday it was cold, wet and windy. Polar buff weather in fact. My road bike will be going to bed soon and I will be on a cable operated, alu bike for November and December.

I think the best advice is to get the rides in as soon as the month starts if possible.

Since taking on this challenge my cycling has improved massively. I have done lots more cycling, apart from the challenge. My 20km ride to work used to be a challenge and now its a doddle every day, even in head winds and driving rain.

I think I will be doing the century challenge next year. Pretty good for a 59 year old.

I will not be dropping out even if I have to scoot the last 2 rides and that's not a problem. :O)

 

[Katherine]

Like @steveindenmark, I'm also considering the 100k challenge. I've never ridden that far through the winter before, so if I can do them through the next 3 months, then I'll attempt the challenge in January. So this October, November and December will be my own personal challenge. I think 2 30ish mile rides with a warm café stop in the middle might be the answer.

 

[13 rider]

Go for it @Katherine and @steveindenmark I am doing both the half and full metric challenges this year and it certainly gets you upping the milage . The rides in Jan ,Feb were not to bad you just need to pick a weather window and like Steve I try to get the century ride in early so if you bail you've got other times to do it

 

[fatjel]

The 50k challenge has kept me going this year.
Had some injury and other issues this year and there have been times I probably would have stayed home if I'd had no reason to get the bike out
Next year will be another go at the 100 mile challenge and the rrty which I started in may

59 is the new 40 Steve.. Wait till you get to my age

 

[NorthernDave]

All this talk of next years challenges and here I am struggling to get rides in this month!

I had half a mind to get a qualifying ride in last Sunday, but my legs really weren't feeling it, so I called it off in the mid twenties.
Today I was up early(ish), wondering if I might squeeze in a ride.
The good news is that I got a metric half in, the bad news that my legs were still grumbling for a lot of the ride - it was only when I turned for home in Otley and climbed the A660 up to the Dyneley Arms that things fell into place and I felt something like. Despite all that I set a PB up the hill (3 miles of climbing), taking a full minute off my previous time so maybe it's all in the head...
That said, so glad that I STFU and got the ride done as I'd have been even more annoyed with myself for missing the opportunity and to be honest it was what I needed.
Not sure how much longer I'll be riding the Pro Carbon though - even though it was "dry" the poor bike was filthy by the time I got home. Might be time to get the Road Comp back out...

Report to follow in the usual place.

 

[Sbudge]

Like @steveindenmark, I'm also considering the 100k challenge. I've never ridden that far through the winter before, so if I can do them through the next 3 months, then I'll attempt the challenge in January. So this October, November and December will be my own personal challenge. I think 2 30ish mile rides with a warm café stop in the middle might be the answer.

In hindsight if I'd planned this better I'd have been able to do the 100km challenge this year...as it is I missed January! grrr.

Still, got over September's eternal (well it felt like that) cold and did my first decent ride in nearly a month this weekend, probably the last in shorts for a while too as it was ****ing chilly/windy/wet!

 

[Sbudge]

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 ...

I don't envy you that cobbled street descent! If I can't avoid the cobbles I'd much rather be going up than down.

 

[Sbudge]

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.

Great to hear you're getting that mojo back!

 

[MikeW-71]

Octobers ride is done!

I must apologise for not being more social, but I've been rather up-and-down lately and so riding has been rather sporadic. All things considered though, I'm in a better place than I was this time last year, so that's good.