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

[GuyBoden]

I rode my 100km on Tues 23rd, I've been on holiday in Madeira for most of May, so I've done no cycling.

I can't believe how sore my legs were after the ride, my 100km route is the flattest Cheshire ride possible, I usually have no problems.

 

[Spinney]

One weekend to go warning at least most of us get a extra day . As of today we have 28 riders we rides posted for all 5 months . But we are 9 riders short of a full set . Time to it out there. Here hoping your injuries are mending @steverob and your bad back doesn't stop you @Rustybucket.

I've been on holiday for 2 weeks, with virtually no exercise! I meant to get my half century in before I went, but never got around to it.
Did my 16 mile round trip supermarket run yesterday, and legs were knackered at the end! Am going to attempt my flat metric half tomorrow...

 

[Rustybucket]

One weekend to go warning at least most of us get a extra day . As of today we have 28 riders we rides posted for all 5 months . But we are 9 riders short of a full set . Time to it out there. Here hoping your injuries are mending @steverob and your bad back doesn't stop you @Rustybucket.

Did 25 miles last weekend, hoping to do the 50k on Sunday! Have the painkillers ready!

 

[Salty seadog]

Finally got my May ride in, hadn't done a qualifying ride in a month. Working for two weeks in that time so they were out. Got on dry land yesterday lunchtime, rode to the folks for a dinner and then 90 mins later rode off to meet a few for the Wednesday ride which is usually around 30 miles. When I met them I had already got 28 miles on the clock, did the 30 with them and felt I had to bail when we passed near the start point and the train station, I was really feeling it after having not been on the bike for nearly 3 weeks. I was cajoled to carry on,and me and another guy dropped a few hundred yards off the other 3 who were charging on. "It's not a race, it's a ride" Barrie said to me a couple of times, which it is. I started to get the signs of cramp in the back of my thigh but it never came...."wait until you're in bed tonight" I told myself, it'll come.
Anyway, the hills were killing me even though they were just bumps really, got on the flat just outside Deal and Barrie said, " are you going to stop here?" as the train home goes through Deal, "Nah, were on the flat now" so i ground it out back to Sandwich to finish the 30 miles. That was me on just shy of 59 for the day, went to the station and it was half an hour wait for the train home so I thought sod it and took a pootle back to Deal to bring up the 100k and got the train from there after scoffing a sarnie from Sainsburys. Got home with 67 miles on the clock and one instance of the cramp biting me in bed which was horrid.

 

[Jon George]

I have to say I've found one of the most pleasant routes for a 50km ride around here that I've ever done. The views over the Suffolk countryside are exceptional and most of the route not too busy with other traffic. I'l try to get around to posting some pics in Your Ride Today (when I remember to stop to take some ), but today's was all about doing it as quickly as possible on Patsy #1 The Carbon.
Knocked 15 mins off my PB for this route . It's amazing how a lighter bike inspires more effort.

 

[Spinney]

I've been on holiday for 2 weeks, with virtually no exercise! I meant to get my half century in before I went, but never got around to it.
Did my 16 mile round trip supermarket run yesterday, and legs were knackered at the end! Am going to attempt my flat metric half tomorrow...

Metric half today.
Feels like cutting it fine!

 

[ColinJ]

I did a really pleasant ride with Littgull today. It was the sunniest day of the year so far so we took it very easy, as far as the terrain would allow anyway ... My first ride in 2017 with shorts, short-sleeved jersey, short socks on and no gilet/jacket. On a steep climb just before the cafe I was cooking from the heat coming back at me from the road surface.

We had scheduled a mid-ride cafe stop and decided to sit indoors because the tables outside did not have any shelter from the sun. It is a nice problem to have!

My total was 56 km. We hadn't gone out of our way to find hills but we still tackled nearly 950*** metres of climbing. It is like that round here - as soon as you decide to get away from the busy valley A-roads you know that is likely that you are going to be climbing A LOT!



*** According to my Garmin, that is. My mapping software made it nearer 1,150 metres but it seems to count the tiniest of undulations in the road so I prefer to assume 80-90% of what the software says.

 

[Bazzer]

Chuffed with my mileage this month, fitting it in between work and jobs at home. Mind it helps having a month without surgery and/or recovery therefrom. All being well will get a ride at or closer to 60 miles before the long weekend is out.
Removed the winter tyres of Schwalbe Marathon Plus a couple of days ago. Next ride I'll drop the pressure to 95psi and that should return the comfort I experienced before the Marathons were fitted last October.

 

[NorthernDave]

I've added the report to the 'Your ride today' thread, but what a morning for a imperial half century!
Absolutely "Scorchio" and the first month this year where I've managed a qualifying ride every weekend.

And almost better than that, I got home before the apocalypse hit so it was worth the early start.

 

[steverob]

There is a chance I might be able to keep myself in this challenge. Right now I'd rate my chances of doing a 50km ride before May is out at about 20%, but a chance is a chance and that's what I'm sticking to.

Went for my first ride on my bike* since the accident today, basically cycling back from the LBS** plus a loop round the local area, for a total of about 5 miles. Felt okay; obviously arm and neck are sore, but not that bad that would stop me from being able to ride a little further as long as I take it easy and stick to fairly smooth roads (by Buckinghamshire standards anyway).

My plan is to do about 10 miles tomorrow or Monday if the weather is amenable and then use the results of that ride as a guide as to whether I can go further on Tuesday or Wednesday (I have some time off work this week). Not going to push myself or take any silly risks - if I'm not up to it, then I'm not up to it and I'll accept that, but it would be nice to give myself a reason to get back on the bike.

* - note, NOT my first ride since the accident, just the first on MY bike; I did two (very short) rides on Boris bikes after work in the past week, just to see how I felt and they were fine.
** - LBS found no frame damage thankfully, just a slightly misaligned wheel and a bent rear derailleur which had to be replaced (annoyingly it was only replaced eight weeks ago after a mechanical issue - the amount I've spent with them this year, I'm solely responsible for keeping them in business I think!)

 

[13 rider]

There is a chance I might be able to keep myself in this challenge. Right now I'd rate my chances of doing a 50km ride before May is out at about 20%, but a chance is a chance and that's what I'm sticking to.

Went for my first ride on my bike* since the accident today, basically cycling back from the LBS** plus a loop round the local area, for a total of about 5 miles. Felt okay; obviously arm and neck are sore, but not that bad that would stop me from being able to ride a little further as long as I take it easy and stick to fairly smooth roads (by Buckinghamshire standards anyway).

My plan is to do about 10 miles tomorrow or Monday if the weather is amenable and then use the results of that ride as a guide as to whether I can go further on Tuesday or Wednesday (I have some time off work this week). Not going to push myself or take any silly risks - if I'm not up to it, then I'm not up to it and I'll accept that, but it would be nice to give myself a reason to get back on the bike.

* - note, NOT my first ride since the accident, just the first on MY bike; I did two (very short) rides on Boris bikes after work in the past week, just to see how I felt and they were fine.
** - LBS found no frame damage thankfully, just a slightly misaligned wheel and a bent rear derailleur which had to be replaced (annoyingly it was only replaced eight weeks ago after a mechanical issue - the amount I've spent with them this year, I'm solely responsible for keeping them in business I think!)

Very sensible thinking . Here hoping you can get it done

 

[Rustybucket]

Done it! Phew, still in the game!
Will post later in the official thread!
Back still dodgy but made 50k

 

[Saluki]

I took my freshly serviced roadie out for a play. Underwhelmed with the service, that lovely perfectly smooth shifting was not present and I gave up at 38 miles and got Hubs to bring me home. I tried rolling the barrels a bit to no avail.
I followed the route from last week's 50 miler to start with, kept going at Stixwould as far as Southney and met with Hubs (bearing coffee and a jam sarnie) and just put the bike in the car instead of carrying on.

The cafes around here are not much to be desired. One at the 20 mile mark, at Langridge, the Bridge Cafe was closed at 1.50pm on a sunny sunday. 10 miles up the road at Chapel Hill, the Riverside Cafe was shut as well. It said open but the locked door and all the lights turned off told me otherwise hence getting Hubs to bring a flask and butty to Southrey. The website for the pub there said that it was closed today until 6.30pm. That was a fib too as it was clearly open when I got there. Ho hum.

I have emailed Evans about their dodgy service. I have asked for a partial refund. They changed the cables, tweaked the brakes and forgot about the indexing. My right wrist is really bad at the mo so I can't twiddle a screwdriver without a lot of pain. I am not going to the bike shop in Conningsby and paying for another flipping gear service. I'll give it a couple of days and see if the wrist settles down.

 

[Katherine]

I took my freshly serviced roadie out for a play. Underwhelmed with the service, that lovely perfectly smooth shifting was not present and I gave up at 38 miles and got Hubs to bring me home. I tried rolling the barrels a bit to no avail.
I followed the route from last week's 50 miler to start with, kept going at Stixwould as far as Southney and met with Hubs (bearing coffee and a jam sarnie) and just put the bike in the car instead of carrying on.

The cafes around here are not much to be desired. One at the 20 mile mark, at Langridge, the Bridge Cafe was closed at 1.50pm on a sunny sunday. 10 miles up the road at Chapel Hill, the Riverside Cafe was shut as well. It said open but the locked door and all the lights turned off told me otherwise hence getting Hubs to bring a flask and butty to Southrey. The website for the pub there said that it was closed today until 6.30pm. That was a fib too as it was clearly open when I got there. Ho hum.

I have emailed Evans about their dodgy service. I have asked for a partial refund. They changed the cables, tweaked the brakes and forgot about the indexing. My right wrist is really bad at the mo so I can't twiddle a screwdriver without a lot of pain. I am not going to the bike shop in Conningsby and paying for another flipping gear service. I'll give it a couple of days and see if the wrist settles down.

Oh dear! Is your Evans in cycling distance, so you can ride there and wait while they index the gears and then ride round the car park to check it's right?

 

[Bazzer]

I took my freshly serviced roadie out for a play. Underwhelmed with the service, that lovely perfectly smooth shifting was not present and I gave up at 38 miles and got Hubs to bring me home. I tried rolling the barrels a bit to no avail.
I followed the route from last week's 50 miler to start with, kept going at Stixwould as far as Southney and met with Hubs (bearing coffee and a jam sarnie) and just put the bike in the car instead of carrying on.

The cafes around here are not much to be desired. One at the 20 mile mark, at Langridge, the Bridge Cafe was closed at 1.50pm on a sunny sunday. 10 miles up the road at Chapel Hill, the Riverside Cafe was shut as well. It said open but the locked door and all the lights turned off told me otherwise hence getting Hubs to bring a flask and butty to Southrey. The website for the pub there said that it was closed today until 6.30pm. That was a fib too as it was clearly open when I got there. Ho hum.

I have emailed Evans about their dodgy service. I have asked for a partial refund. They changed the cables, tweaked the brakes and forgot about the indexing. My right wrist is really bad at the mo so I can't twiddle a screwdriver without a lot of pain. I am not going to the bike shop in Conningsby and paying for another flipping gear service. I'll give it a couple of days and see if the wrist settles down.

Bummer. Really annoying when the indexing is out. At best compromised cadence or flicking of the levers to get the gear you want. At worst pelvis and cross bar having an unplanned meeting.