The 2019 Half Century a month Challenge chatzone

[Supersuperleeds]

I started off by once the studded tyres went on the bike they stayed on until winter was finished. You can ride them when there is no ice it's just very hard work riding them.

I then moved onto having them on a spare wheel set, then I moved onto a winter bike

 

[PeteXXX]

Ice??!
My 50km+ problem was mud

Not an easy ride at this point!

By 'not an easy ride', I mean 'unrideable'

At least in wasn't freezing cold

 

[ColinJ]

Ice??!
My 50km+ problem was mud

View attachment 450814

Not an easy ride at this point!

By 'not an easy ride', I mean 'unrideable'

At least in wasn't freezing cold

Ha ha. I had a similar thing happen to my mountain bike once on the Rossendale Mountain Bike Challenge. I ended up throwing my bike into a deep puddle and leaving it to soak for a few minutes while I found something to scrape the mud off with!

 

[PeteXXX]

Ha ha. I had a similar thing happen to my mountain bike once on the Rossendale Mountain Bike Challenge. I ended up throwing my bike into a deep puddle and leaving it to soak for a few minutes while I found something to scrape the mud off with!

From a distance, the bridleway looked OK, especially if we stayed on the green bits.. Sadly, the plan failed

 

[ColinJ]

From a distance, the bridleway looked OK, especially if we stayed on the green bits.. Sadly, the plan failed

In my case, the route took us over a very unnatural looking 'hill'. I reckon it was a landfill site that had been sealed with a thick layer of clay. The damn stuff was incredibly sticky and dense!

 

[NorthernDave]

I know it's early days yet, but look at this...

Fingers crossed

 

[C R]

I know it's early days yet, but look at this...

View attachment 450974

Fingers crossed

Don't tempt fate talking about it. I am not even thinking of riding on Sunday, oh no, .

 

[Fiona R]

After being sensible at the weekend I managed to get out on a group ride today to Priddy. Light winds, sunny, a few snow patches on top of the Mendips still I thought it was going to be 40-50 km but ended up being 76km and 892m of ascent, although we went the long way round and not straight up West Harptree. Bacon baguettes, good company. Now having to work all evening after playing hookie

 

[ColinJ]

I had intended to go out and do a decent ride today but a 'friend' has generously donated her cold to me so I stayed in and felt sorry for myself instead!

It is turning out to be a slow start to my cycling year. I'll probably take several days to get over this lurgy, and then try to get a '50' in next week. I want to get my '100' (km) in ASAP after that because I hate leaving my challenge rides until the end of the month.

 

[Domus]

Another 50 today, trying to get as many rides in as possible before my surgery, hoping that any fitness I do have will aid recovery.
Not as long as I was hoping due to Mrs Domus suffering very persistent early morning nose bleed, leading to a stress induced Hypo. I eventually got out an hour later than planned to meet my mate for coffee in Costa in Leigh. I had planned a more convoluted journey there of at least 45 K but managed only 30.
Our return via the tried a tested route gave me a grand total of 53 Kms.

Mrs Domus had fully recovered before I left her, so much so in fact when I rang her from Leigh she was shopping in M&S in Bury.

Going away tomorrow, a couple of nights in the Cotswolds celebrating our 43rd Wedding Anniversary.

Back in time for the Chorlton Wanderers ride on Sunday.

 

[ColinJ]

Going away tomorrow, a couple of nights in the Cotswolds celebrating our 43rd Wedding Anniversary.

Oh, that means you must be at least my age (early 60s) - for some reason I thought you were in your 40s!

Enjoy your Cotswolds break.

 

[Domus]

65 on May1.
Pension not paid ‘till November

 

[ColinJ]

65 on May1.
Pension not paid ‘till November

Mine will be put back by a whole year. I have to wait until 2022.

 

[bluenotebob]

My first ride for 12 days yesterday – we’ve had a succession of too wet, too cold, or too windy days recently, which effectively precluded the possibility of getting out on the bike. I finally opened my ‘account’ for February with a 39km local ride – most of it was spent fighting the wind. Hopefully calmer weather next week will allow me to open my Challenge 'account' for February.

@ColinJ and @Domus – I’m 66 now, and I did wonder whether we should be in a ‘veteran’ class within this Challenge, with some sort of dispensation available .. perhaps along the lines of “yes, Bob, we know you were going to do an 85km ride yesterday but it was too windy. Hey, have the points anyway…”. Yes, I am joking.

Anyway, top marks for all those who’ve already ridden more than 50km in a day this month.

 

[NorthernDave]

Here's the problem.
At this time of year I only get to ride at weekends. Due to the weather, mainly ice, it's now three weeks since my last ride and despite turbo sessions I'm in danger of going stir crazy.

While tomorrow looks like being largely dry, it's going to be very windy - the Met Office reckon average windspeeds of 25mph and gusting well over 50mph.

That could be a bit lively out on the bike.
I've binned rides off at considerably lower wind speeds.

But...the forecast direction of the wind looks lined up pretty much perfectly with a straight run to York, 24 miles away. And imagine the average speed!

Obviously the return journey would be grim, but there is always the train home.
And if I got off a station further along the line I'd be able to add enough miles to get a metric half in.

For some reason Mrs ND isn't too keen on the idea.

What to do...?