The 2019 Half Century a month Challenge chatzone

[Sbudge]

Utterly glorious weather this weekend. This lingering cold meant I couldn't (and shouldn't) ride much but I couldn't resist taking Aurora out for her first ride. After a few minor adjustments to the bars she was just great. When I got back I realised I'd picked up a rear wheel puncture at some point but fortunately the only consequence was a line of sealant sprayed onto the frame before it sealed ... I do like tubeless.

 

[Bazzer]

Real life continues to poke my cycling life in the eye with a sharp stick, but a pre dawn ride before the day's jobs got me over the line for this month.

 

[Sbudge]

Real life continues to poke my cycling life in the eye with a sharp stick, but a pre dawn ride before the day's jobs got me over the line for this month.

Pre-dawn for a challenge ride? Now that's dedication!

 

[iandg]

First ride out on my new Surly LHT yesterday. Liked it so much I carried on riding for 50km

 

[Fiona R]

What a weekend, glorious weather. Gospel Pass on Saturday and a recovery ride on Sunday to Bath via Bristol/Bath Railway Path for second qualifying ride for this challenge this month. a 4 cafe weekend!

 

[13 rider]

Real life continues to poke my cycling life in the eye with a sharp stick, but a pre dawn ride before the day's jobs got me over the line for this month.

Brownie points earned for dedication but no real extra points

 

[bluenotebob]

I’d hoped to do another 50+km ride this month, but other things kept getting in the way. I made a pain au curcuma (turmeric bread) yesterday, and intend to make another pain aux noisettes (hazelnut bread) tomorrow, so today looked like my best chance to get out on the bike for 3 hours or so, before the weather changes on Thursday.

Up and over la Suais with a minimum of difficulty (wind-assisted) then down into Guilliers. Down the D13 to la Saudraie, then up through Kersamson and to St Vily. It was quite windy up there. Over to Crénion via Kerpiton and Crétudel, then onto the D129 then L down to le Val. Stunning views from up here again.

Down into Taupont and then down towards la Taude (of Taude Hall) then L to go around le Bois de Lambilly. Down through Vieux Bourg, then followed the route of the GR37 round the SW side of Ploermel to link up with the V3(S) Voie Verte at la Ville Colliott. Back up through Ploermel, Loyat and Trégadoret on the V3(S) – interesting gear selection on this part of the route, I’m being pushed by the wind – and into Mauron. Home via the D2.

Rough map of the route below ..

 

[lane]

Spent a couple of holidays in the vicinity of Lac au Duc nice area.

 

[PeteXXX]

Fun ride today..

Train to Berkhampstead, using my Senior Railcard for the discount, and riding the 106km back.
Lovely sunshine all the way.
Ride details posted in The Other Place.

https://strava.app.link/PLAeHAgEEU

 

[Slick]

I wasn't really expecting anything out of today especially as I was in the operating theatre yesterday even if it was for a minor procedure.

A rare day off, not allowed to drive and a plane ride tomorrow so I thought I'd best get the legs going and as the sun was shining it would be a shame to let the day waste. It was just a repeat of my previous loop ride but it was great to be out in the good bike and in shorts in February along the country farm roads apart maybe from the Ayrshire perfume was strong as all the farmers were muck spreading. Saw my first lambs of the season and watched a hawk hunting for a while before succumbing to tea and cake at the Dunlop Dairy. Lovely

 

[ColinJ]

Ha - the fine weather is finished for now. I have to have a blood test soon and my family are due to arrive PM. Rain is forecast and it is chilly. And, naturally, I have not done my 50 km ride for February yet... Damn! Winter kit back out and somehow squeeze a ride in before midnight.

I am not doing this again in March. I will aim to do my 50 km and 100 km challenge rides ASAP after my family go home. If so, I can start thinking about my first 'Lunacy Challenge' ride.

 

[ColinJ]

Ha - the fine weather is finished for now. I have to have a blood test soon and my family are due to arrive PM. Rain is forecast and it is chilly. And, naturally, I have not done my 50 km ride for February yet... Damn! Winter kit back out and somehow squeeze a ride in before midnight.

I am not doing this again in March. I will aim to do my 50 km and 100 km challenge rides ASAP after my family go home. If so, I can start thinking about my first 'Lunacy Challenge' ride.

Sorted!

I was on my singlespeed machine for this ride so I largely stuck to the flattish A646 and the A6033 valley roads. (10 m of ascent per km vs the typical 20 m per km on rides featuring the local hills.)

It WAS a bit chilly for the first 15 km but then the sun made an appearance for a while and it burned away the mist. The weather improved as I headed for Burnley but then I u-turned and headed back through Todmorden and continued to Littleborough where it was still cool and misty.

I was a couple of kms short of target when I got back into Tod the second time so I did a quick circuit of the town to clock up exactly the desired half metric century.

3 lazy winter months is enough - time to get stuck in now, even if the weather turns nasty for a while, as I suspect it WILL!

 

[Milkfloat]

1 week to go in Feb ,state of play we have 33 riders fully posted up and 10 riders yet to post a Feb ride , so a nudge for @ColinJ ,@Katherine ( just needs to update challenge thread done a ride ) ,@Milkfloat ,@Bazzer ,@LeetleGreyCells ,@Lilliburlero ,@demro ,@Ice2911 ,@L Q and @slow scot . Well done everyone February always seems a tough month .

Thanks for the nudge, despite being ill a lot of the month the stars aligned themselves on Sunday.

 

[iandg]

Just can't put this new bike down. Another 50km today. Heading down to Dumfries for a few weeks tomorrow and have my first 200km Audax in 2 weeks time.

 

[bluenotebob]

I opened my front door this morning … 10 degrees cooler than yesterday, I could hear the wind in the trees on the other side of the lake for the first time in a couple of weeks, and it was warmer inside my house than outside. Normal service has been resumed….

I wasn’t sure where I was going to ride today, nor for how long. The strength of the W wind was carrying me along at such a pace that I decided to let it carry me for one hour, then spend the next two hours or so getting home, and try and get another 50km ride out of it. After 64 minutes (in which I’d covered an astonishing – to me – 21.02km), I decided to turn into the wind and gradually ease myself back towards home. Easier said than done. In places my speed was below 8kph and on one occasion a gust nearly had me in the ditch. I ended up doing a partial circumnavigation of the western edge of the Forêt de Paimpont, and then a few kilometres of the V3(S) so as to position myself SW of home, to have a gentle ride back for the last few kilometres.

21km in the first hour at breakneck speed, then another three hours (including stops) to do a further 37km….