The 2017 Half Century (50 KM or 50 Mile) A Month Challenge - Chatzone

[ColinJ]

Just found Long Causeway on Google maps. Looks more interesting than the road through Toddy.

Thanks for the tip Colin

You know where I am - I can show you or tell you about lots of good roads round here!

 

[Katherine]

I did 29 miles yesterday, it was quite a battle in the wind and I ran out of time or else I would have added those last 2 important miles!

 

[GuyBoden]

Rode to Oulton Park today, the Motor Racing circuit, it's always a nice ride and I like looking at the Motorbikes/cars whizzing around the circuit. My route uses the A49 as little as possible, it's a single road with big trucks.

 

[kapelmuur]

Rode to Oulton Park today, the Motor Racing circuit, it's always a nice ride and I like looking at the Motorbikes/cars whizzing around the circuit. My route uses the A49 as little as possible, it's a single road with big trucks.
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I'm doing a Sportive in September that includes a lap of Oulton Park, although I imagine that cycling around a motor racing circuit will be quite boring.

 

[13 rider]

I did 29 miles yesterday, it was quite a battle in the wind and I ran out of time or else I would have added those last 2 important miles!

Didn't you do that in 2016 aswell

 

[Saluki]

Evening everyone.
I did mean to do my 50km ride today as it was such a nice day. I just overcooked it by 15km and had an absolute blast. My climbing is improving, although I still hate it. So there.
Today I decided to ride the complete length of the Camel Trail, but in stages. I rode to Bodmin and then turned back on myself to go to Wenfordbridge and the Snails Pace Cafe for a cuppa and a breather. I then rode back to Wadebridge by road and made a better job of the climbing than I did last time, so pleased with that. I've shifted 17lbs over the last month which has to help. I stacked on a bit of timber between November and March due to various circumstances in my life and turned to Chocolate Hobnobs and cake to deal with those circs. Sorted now and the weight is dropping off.
At Wadebridge I got back on the trail towards Padstow and rode on it for 2 miles and then took the trail up to Quarryman's Hill and rode/walked/rode/walked/rode up that blooming thing to the Quarryman PH and then on to the A39 and to Padstow by road. Riding in to St Issy was brilliant, riding out - up that sodding hill - was not so brilliant. It was the ride/walk/ride/walk/ride scenario again. My knee was not happy on the steep gradients but was OK on the not drastically steep bits. No point buggering my knee up just for a hill, I reckon.
At the top I had a glorious ride into the top of Padstow, down the hill to town and then home on the Camel Trail. I took a detour up to Polmorla Village as I think that finishing a ride on 39 miles is not on.
The ride took me 3 1/2 hours averaging 11.3mph but with several metres of climbing, I feel that's is quite OK.

Hopefully another 50km this month and we really hope that May's ride will be in Lincolnshire.

 

[NorthernDave]

What a glorious day - seemed a shame to waste it, so my provisionally planned metric half became an imperial one - my first of the year if you discount last weeks imperial century.
I'll post a full report on the 'Your ride today' thread, but it's been absolutely ideal cycling weather out there and there were cyclists out on the roads than you can shake a stick at.

 

[steverob]

The best weekend of the year so far and any plans I had to do some really long rides went out the window, as I had to spend hours on the phone trying to resolve my father-in-law's IT problems. I did manage a late afternoon / early evening 50km on both the Saturday and Sunday however, so I shouldn't complain too much; it's just that it seems such a wasted opportunity. Also, first time I've had to use suncream this year!

 

[tallliman]

Frustrating that a planned weekend off the bike was so lovely. Still, at least I saw some cricket!

 

[GuyBoden]

I saw an interesting tree near the Church at Gawsworth. The ride was a bit cold, due to the westerly wind, but I had a very enjoyable day out.

 

[Saluki]

Back from a nice 34 miles, or 54.7km.
Hubster wanted a road ride and didn't fancy the local roads so he drove to Pooley's Bridge on the Camel Trail and I rode there and met him. We then rode home by road. Total nightmare as he was stopping every 1/4 mile. I was waiting at the top of the little hills and waiting and waiting and waiting. On one bit, just before Pencarrow House we had stopped about 1/3 of a mile from the turning. We started again and I got to the turning then waited for Hubs. After a bit I rode to see if he'd dropped dead on the 1% hill or something. I rode 1/4 mile before I got to him, walking up the road, pushing his bike.

We managed to get down the hills without stopping and then had a short ride on the A39 (always a bit hairy) and then took a side road off, a single track that is mostly downhill with one teeny, tiny little rise. I waited at the top while he walked. Even on the flat he was riding at about 6mph and whinging. About a mile from home I left him as I needed the loo and wasn't about to wet myself. He got in a good 10 minutes after me and I told him to ring the doctor as this is not normal.

I then cleared off back up to Pooley's bridge with the bike to get the car from the car park and drive it home again. When I got home, he hadn't rung the doctor. He still hasn't rung the doctor and probably won't. I suspect that he will die of Northern stubbornness.
The trail was packed with tourists on hire bikes. One numpty just rode at me on his hired e-bike jobby. I stopped but he kept on coming. I yelled "look where you are going" and he was so surprised to see me there that he wobbled and fell in a ditch. His family were killing themselves laughing. Bloke said it was my fault, being in the way, on the left hand side of the trail and all that. He was on the right hand side but coming towards me, so on the wrong side. He was very muddy. It's not rained for a few days so that clay mud is really claggy. I wasn't going to help him out, he was minging, and the smell

2nd 50km of the month. Hopefully my next 50km will be in Lincolnshire, but the council are so dang slow we might not move this side of Halloween.

 

[Domus]

Two rides last week just under the magic 50 kms one by just a few metres Still more than made up for it today, The cold wind off Morecambe Bay was horrible, 31.6 miles really took it out of me I got back to the caravan with shaky legs and feeling a little sick. It must be doing me good.

 

[kapelmuur]

The family and I have been on our annual pilgrimage to Flanders for the 'Cobbled Classics', for those not into road racing these are a series of top class 1 day races that take place in a small area of Flanders during spring and include 2 of the 5 of cycling's 'monuments' - the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

Flanders is a good place to ride a bike, there are segregated cycle paths, we have priority at roundabouts, can ride the wrong way down 1 way streets and motorists are respectful towards bike riders, probably because there are so many and cycling is an important part of their culture. The day after the Tour of Flanders the Flemish newspaper Het Nieusblad had a 50 page supplement reporting the race!

We were based in Ypres, on the day of the Gent - Wevelgem race both the elite men and women raced through the city and there were 7 other races starting and finishing there which meant we were treated to a festival of cycling.

As this was a family holiday I agreed to limit my rides to 90 minutes maximum, so no half centuries. However, the day after Gent-Wevelgem I had a ride over the steepest climb in the race, Kemmelberg. Well, the professionals made it look so easy! Actually the pro's ride up and down both sides, as well as riding 18 other 'bergs'

From Kemmel village to the summit is 1 mile with the gradient gradually increasing to 8% until there's a sharp left onto the cobbles for the last 400 metres which starts at 12% and reaches 25% at the steepest part. I just about managed to keep pedalling and was grateful for the 30 x 32 on my triple.

According to Strava I took 10 minutes 30 seconds for the mile. Race winner Greg van Avermaet took 3 minutes 38 seconds.

 

[Saluki]

My 3rd 50km ride of the month was today. As mentioned on another bit of the forum, I rode from Meeth to Braunton, along the entire length of the Tarka Trail and had an absolute blast.
Hubs is not very well at the moment but I reckon that he could easily ride from Bideford to Braunton with no problems as it is flatter than a flat place. It makes Holland look lumpy. Hope to give it another go in a fortnight. Not next week. Hubs needs N+1 and we need to go and fetch it. Not really N+1 as we hope to do the N-1 before we fetch the new chap.

The thing is, I must be getting fitter. I didn't notice that the first half of the ride was at all lumpy. The strava profile of the ride, shows a hill up and down. I barely noticed the bridge at Barnstaple as I rode over it. I stopped at the top and took a pic. When we got home, Hubs changed over the cassette on his Boardman roadie (the one he wants to put up for sale) and then wanted to take it for a short ride to make sure that it's OK and doesn't need a service, it doesn't. So, I grabbed my CX and joined him for a further 7 miles. I just didn't feel that I'd ridden 50km just a couple of hours earlier.

Maybe another 50km ride this month will be happening.

 

[13 rider]

My 3rd 50km ride of the month was today. As mentioned on another bit of the forum, I rode from Meeth to Braunton, along the entire length of the Tarka Trail and had an absolute blast.
Hubs is not very well at the moment but I reckon that he could easily ride from Bideford to Braunton with no problems as it is flatter than a flat place. It makes Holland look lumpy. Hope to give it another go in a fortnight. Not next week. Hubs needs N+1 and we need to go and fetch it. Not really N+1 as we hope to do the N-1 before we fetch the new chap.

The thing is, I must be getting fitter. I didn't notice that the first half of the ride was at all lumpy. The strava profile of the ride, shows a hill up and down. I barely noticed the bridge at Barnstaple as I rode over it. I stopped at the top and took a pic. When we got home, Hubs changed over the cassette on his Boardman roadie (the one he wants to put up for sale) and then wanted to take it for a short ride to make sure that it's OK and doesn't need a service, it doesn't. So, I grabbed my CX and joined him for a further 7 miles. I just didn't feel that I'd ridden 50km just a couple of hours earlier.

Maybe another 50km ride this month will be happening.

Cornish hill training finally paying you back