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

[steverob]

My December 2016 surge got me up to 91 points, so I think I will go for 100 points in the half century challenge this year.

The thing is, I am doing the metric century challenge in parallel with this one so points from rides of 100+ km will be siphoned off to that one.

Just checking, hang on ... Yikes - 50 of my 91 points last year came from longer rides. That means I would have to step up from 41 points to 100 points on 50s!

Oh well, (say) 50 * 50 km and 25 * 50 miles would do it.

One+ 100 km ride, two+ 50 mile rides, and four+ 50 km rides a month is more than I normally manage; it sounds achievable but I would have to be going at it consistently through the year.

That's interesting - looks like I'm doing the opposite to you with regard to points. My plan is to only upload one qualifying ride to the Metric Century thread each month and then any other rides I do that month over 100km (which will probably only happen April to September) will go into the Half Century thread as usual and get me my 3 points there. I'm not too bothered about point scoring in the other thread, just doing that one to complete the challenge.

 

[Katherine]

I'm going to endeavor to do a half century ride per month this year, I at least have a decent bicycle now more suited to that purpose. I'm in the States, so I may miss January and February due to inhospitable weather.

I shall have another go at this. It all went pear shaped in November as the weather was filthy and I wasn't well.

Good luck!!!

 

[Spinney]

Lovely sunny day here today, and forecast to be so for tomorrow. But I got some kind of lurgy (coughing, really tired most of the time, shivery) a couple of days ago, and although it's improving I still feel like spending half the day horizontal so that rules out bike rides as far too energetic! I've still got another 28 days, but it would have been nice to get January in the bag right at the beginning!

 

[Sbudge]

Well I'm in, will probably also try the metric century too but this is my 'home' I feel :-)

 

[Sbudge]

My first 50km in the bag . Hit the deck at 8 miles on some ice at 4mph . Thankfully no damage to the bike and just bruised elbow for me . Be careful out there . Should have waited until this afternoon but too impatient and went early that will teach me

I'm with you on the 'proper' way to start the year...with a bang. Black ice at the bottom of Wardrobes Hill. Lucky for me (unlucky for him) another ride had just come off so I was slowing down wondering why these two people were waving at me when....bang. Some bumps and grazes and a new softshell needed but otherwise fine. Hope you're all OK now.

 

[13 rider]

I'm with you on the 'proper' way to start the year...with a bang. Black ice at the bottom of Wardrobes Hill. Lucky for me (unlucky for him) another ride had just come off so I was slowing down wondering why these two people were waving at me when....bang. Some bumps and grazes and a new softshell needed but otherwise fine. Hope you're all OK now.

Hope you heal quick . My hip is now hurting and bruise coming out . My clothing doesn't have a mark on it .

 

[Sbudge]

Hope you heal quick . My hip is now hurting and bruise coming out . My clothing doesn't have a mark on it .

Thanks, you too. Yes, it's annoying that sometimes. I came off last year and had a tiny hole in my bibs. When I removed them (ok, peeled them off) later there was a palm-sized bloody graze! This time the softshell got a bit torn up on the elbow but the hip and knee grazes were both 'stealth'.

 

[ColinJ]

That's interesting - looks like I'm doing the opposite to you with regard to points. My plan is to only upload one qualifying ride to the Metric Century thread each month and then any other rides I do that month over 100km (which will probably only happen April to September) will go into the Half Century thread as usual and get me my 3 points there. I'm not too bothered about point scoring in the other thread, just doing that one to complete the challenge.

I am beginning to think that way myself!

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I've not cycled through the winter before (until now) but it's amazing what some winter kit and a little positivity can do... so I'm up for the challenge.
I've posted my first ride in the challenge thread this evening (with pics and map in "your ride today"! Bring on February.

 

[Milkfloat]

I've not cycled through the winter before (until now) but it's amazing what some winter kit and a little positivity can do... so I'm up for the challenge.
I've posted my first ride in the challenge thread this evening (with pics and map in "your ride today"! Bring on February.

You don't have to stop at one ride a month.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

You don't have to stop at one ride a month.

Indeed, but with a 5 year old, plus a wife that's just got into cycling and likes to get out as well, I can only guarantee doing that distance once in a while. Believe me, once in every month for 12 months is a challenge for me! But hopefully there will be a few months where there's more than one qualifying ride.

I know this much at least: I won't be troubling anyone doing the points tally.

 

[kapelmuur]

I really don't like riding when it's cold and grey, if it wasn't for the challenge I doubt whether the bike would be out of the garage until April.

Anyway, the forecast for today said it would be dry, so I set off and the rain came after half an hour. Joy!

I did carry on and finish 50km, it stopped raining eventually.

For info @GuyBoden, I approached the Chapel Lane bridge from the Bucklow Hill side, not much progress to be seen. I asked a contractor if the road would be open by next month - 'you'll be lucky' was his reply.

 

[13 rider]

I really don't like riding when it's cold and grey, if it wasn't for the challenge I doubt whether the bike would be out of the garage until April.

Anyway, the forecast for today said it would be dry, so I set off and the rain came after half an hour. Joy!

I did carry on and finish 50km, it stopped raining eventually.

For info @GuyBoden, I approached the Chapel Lane bridge from the Bucklow Hill side, not much progress to be seen. I asked a contractor if the road would be open by next month - 'you'll be lucky' was his reply.

Don't forget to post in the challenge thread

 

[Renmurew]

As its my last day of holiday before starting back to work I decided to make the most of the calm conditions and light winds, wrap up warm and head out to see if I could do another 50k cycle to double my points total so far. The temperature here isnt due to dip down to freezing until tonight so there was no frost or ice on the roads to get in the way of a lovely morning jaunt around Forfar Loch.

My initial goal from the challenge was to get 12 points. Ive never really cycled much in the winter and tend to be put off by high winds as I really just dont enjoy the slog on those days. If the weather turns colder for a stretch I could see me struggling to get a cycle of 50k in so I'm delighted to have been able to do two so early in January. Hopefully i'll stay motivated to get a longer ride in early in the month so that anything else feels like "icing on the cake" after that.

So, having set myself a target of 12 points, I've decided that this is maybe selling myself short a bit so I am upping that to....wait for it....13! Well, its my first attempt at this and I dont want to set myself up to fail right at the start lol.

 

[ColinJ]

Damn - it has been a nice sunny day here and I would have loved to have gone out and done a 50 km ride but my face was feeling numb from a trip to the dentist so I didn't bother.

More sunshine is expected tomorrow but it will be very chilly after a night below freezing so I think that I had better stick to busy gritted valley roads. Too many CycleChatters have been falling off their bikes these past few days and I do not want to add my name to the list!