The 2019 Half Century a month Challenge chatzone

[Domus]

Very busy day today, I had tickets to take my three year old grandson Benjamin to see the Monster Trucks perform in Manchester Arena at 2.00pm. Looked at the weather forecast last night it was for a cold but dry start to the day with little or no wind, so alarm was set and I was off into the cold still air at 06.30.
The area around the Belmont and Yarrow Reservoirs when the sun came up on the still waters, was simply stunning, even the A6 was pleasant with the lack of traffic, coffee and Croissant at 09.00 with 46 Kms done was a very smug affair. Must do this again.

Ben enjoyed the Monster Trucks and when we got home number two daughter announced Evie and Ben are to get a little cousin in November.

A day to remember for so many different reasons. I feel very thankful and fortunate tonight.

 

[bluenotebob]

Another tour to the north of here today. I’m pushing further north with each trip. I had Broons in mind as an objective, but after 90 minutes or so of battling a cold and fresh N wind, I decided to head west and explore some quiet roads and little villages north of the Forêt de Hardouinais. I looped around to St Vran and came back south on the fast road through the forest – as it’s a Sunday, there were no lorries on the road, making it just a bit safer.

I followed part of the course of the ‘baby’ river Rance as I was heading west from Lanrelas. Here’s a photo of the river … much smaller than when it meets the sea between St Malo and Dinard. Some of you probably know the barrage on the Rance estuary.

Here’s a rough map of today’s ride..

 

[Noodle Legs]

May Done.

Left it late last month as I was focusing on the metric ton challlenge but got a half in reasonably early this time. Set off to meet a mate who wanted to put his winter Zwifting climbing skills to the test outdoors so it was off to Charnwood Forest and the little climbing delicacies that lie within.

He had already climbed Beacon Hill by the time we met so we tackled a few of the others in the area including Polly Botts, Warren Hill and Priory Lane (well 2/3 of it anyway). After that we had a few miles steady going around Bradgate Park into Anstey and then around Cropston Reservoir before turning off towards Rothley and Mountsorrel. Picking up the old A6, we had a steady recovery for a few miles til we got to Quorn then it was a left turn up Wood Lane past the quarry and into a nice steady drag uphill round the quarry before stopping off for a brew at a cafe at the top (the name escapes me!)

A quick 20 mins break then set off again back towards Rothley, Swithland and Woodhouse Eaves where we parted ways. This now meant it was my turn up Beacon Hill towards home so I settled in and cruised up quite effortlessly it has to be said. 38 miles in about 2:45 ish with 3,000ft of up- I’d say that his training had paid off very well indeed because nothing had beaten him!
https://strava.app.link/wxIamSn6sW
https://www.relive.cc/view/2346192241

 

[Domus]

Up at the caravan for a few days, cold and damp early morning so on with winter kit. The sun made an appearance around lunchtime on the climb up from Arnside to Silverdale it was about halfway up when I started to regret my choice of kit. Back in Grange met up with “senior management “ for coffee and ice cream then back to van for a nice hot shower with 70Kms and another point in the bank.

 

[aferris2]

May ride done. I'm back on the road bike so decided on a long one which can also count for the lunacy challenge. Met Office thought it would be cloudy all day, but I woke to bright sunshine so thought it would be a shame not to take advantage. Klimat thought it was foggy, so I guess no-one knows what the weather is going to do.
Decided to head to Bradwell because it's reasonably flat. Trouble is, it is not quite 100km for the round trip so I had to add a few extra loops. Stopped for lunch over looking the coastal flats just past the chapel of St. Peter. Lovely when the sun was out so long as you keep out of the wind.

 

[Sbudge]

May's 'half' out the way this weekend. A fairly easy loop made more interesting by hailstorms perfectly timed to the ascent and later descent of a 20%+ local hill .... conveniently called 'The Hale'. I'm not sure which was more unnerving, trying to grind up the steepest bit when the road was covered in small ice marbles or trying to come down it! Either way it made for a fun afternoon.

 

[cosmicbike]

My longest ride since I did the April metric century was yesterday, at a giddy 10 miles. Since today is my last day off work, and I'm looking to do the 100km next week, I figured I'd best get out today. BBC said rain showers at 1100hrs, so I was out just after 0900 and aiming for the usual 2 hr ride. Nowhere new, just Windsor GP, Ascot etc etc. The BBC wre quite accurate, and with 6 miles to go some gentle light rain. With 3 miles to go it got to that torrential, can't see anything painful rain. Soaked through in seconds I opted to keep going rather than stop and get cold. Just as well since whilst it eased off, it didn't stop. Home on 32.5 miles, cold wet and tired.

 

[Sbudge]

My longest ride since I did the April metric century was yesterday, at a giddy 10 miles. Since today is my last day off work, and I'm looking to do the 100km next week, I figured I'd best get out today. BBC said rain showers at 1100hrs, so I was out just after 0900 and aiming for the usual 2 hr ride. Nowhere new, just Windsor GP, Ascot etc etc. The BBC wre quite accurate, and with 6 miles to go some gentle light rain. With 3 miles to go it got to that torrential, can't see anything painful rain. Soaked through in seconds I opted to keep going rather than stop and get cold. Just as well since whilst it eased off, it didn't stop. Home on 32.5 miles, cold wet and tired.

'Like' for completing the half, not the cold, wet and tired bit!

 

[Banjo]

Mays 50 km done today.
Cold headwind and showers made first half hard work then sun came out and strong tail wind gave me a massive boost on the way home.

53KMS barry , St Athan , Siginstone Lampha ,Wick, St,Donats then home.

 

[NorthernDave]

May's ride is in the bag.
I had hoped to squeeze in a half while I was up in Northumberland this week but it didn't happen, so I seized the chance today on a variation on a local circuit.

Felt a bit brisk early doors, so I wrapped up with longs, layers and full finger gloves which I was starting to regret in the last few miles as it warmed up considerably. Still, it's done and the challenge continues for another month.

Full details over in "Your Ride Today"

 

[Domus]

First Fridays ride of 2019, a dry but bitterly cold ride from Bristol to Barry Island for a superb al fresco breakfast in quite warm sunshine as we were sheltered from the wind, a ride back to Cardiff for the train and a ride to and from Bolton station made up my distance of 147 Kms.
Ride leader Steve deserves special mention as he broke a spoke before we had crossed over to Wales but tweaked a couple of other spokes to get the wheel true and not only completed the ride but rode back again afterwards. All Upper Adrian performed his duties with skill and good humour and all waymarkers helped keep the ride flowing. The train journey home was less than perfect I was due to change at Wilmslow to get the Bolton train with 5 minutes to spare, we were late arriving at Wilmslow but the conductor insisted I was better off getting off there and catching the next Bolton train than staying on and connecting at Piccadilly. The staff at Wilmslow said no Bolton train was due and to catch the next Piccadilly train, in twenty minutes, Grrrrrrrrr
While I was waiting at Wilmslow John texted to say the Bolton train was in Piccadilly as he was waiting for his connection to Merseyside.
So I was almost an hour late getting home after almost 22 hours out of the house.
Cracking ride though.

 

[bruce1530]

Aborted ride this morning. :-(

Had a great 50 miler yesterday. Cleaned and lubed the bike afterwards.

Today I had less time, had planned 25k along the coast, turn and come back. Easy, and flat!

A couple of miles into the trip, I can hear a noise. Something mechanical. Can't work out what it is, or where it’s coming from, but it sounds ominous.

Only happens when I put pressure on the pedals. Doesn’t happen when freewheeling, or turning the pedals lightly.

Not predictable - doesn’t happen every pedal revolution, or every wheel revolution. Just a sort of grinding clunk.

And I couldn’t work out whether it was coming from pedals or chain or back wheel.

Tried cycling with no hands to take weight off bars and stem. Tried standing up to take weight off seat post. No change.

Stopped, checked every thing I could think of. All looks fine. Couldn’t reproduce the problem at the side of the road.

Pushed ahead. Problem got much worse. Quite concerned - was about 10k from home at this point, so turned. Couldn’t work out what had changed since yesterday - all I had done was cleaned and lubed the bike.

Problem continued to get worse - nursed the bike homewards.

And about 3k from home - the problem went away completely. One minute it was sounding like an old banger, the next it was completely smooth and silent.

So my planned 50k was a 20.

Got the bike home, checked it out thoroughly - all seems OK.

I think the problem has been two spokes rubbing where they cross. I generally have a dab of grease at these points, but yesterday I cleaned the wheels pretty thoroughly, and I’m guessing the residual grease from last year was washed away.

I’ve never been happy with that back wheel.

Fresh grease added, and a 30k test ride says all OK.

But I’d be cheating if I called that a 50....

 

[steverob]

So my planned 50k was a 20.

Got the bike home, checked it out thoroughly - all seems OK.

I think the problem has been two spokes rubbing where they cross. I generally have a dab of grease at these points, but yesterday I cleaned the wheels pretty thoroughly, and I’m guessing the residual grease from last year was washed away.

I’ve never been happy with that back wheel.

Fresh grease added, and a 30k test ride says all OK.

But I’d be cheating if I called that a 50....

Nah, I'd definitely count that. Done something similar before where I got a certain distance from home but had to turn back cause I thought I had a problem on the bike. By the time I'd got home, the issue had disappeared, so I gave the bike a quick once over and about 30 minutes later, headed out in the opposite direction to complete the distance I needed to claim a 50K. Now mine was all done in one Strava activity just with a pause in the middle (which was shorter than most cafe stops), so that made it a little easier to justify, but even if you did split the two halves of your ride, I think it's still good.

 

[13 rider]

Aborted ride this morning. :-(

Had a great 50 miler yesterday. Cleaned and lubed the bike afterwards.

Today I had less time, had planned 25k along the coast, turn and come back. Easy, and flat!

A couple of miles into the trip, I can hear a noise. Something mechanical. Can't work out what it is, or where it’s coming from, but it sounds ominous.

Only happens when I put pressure on the pedals. Doesn’t happen when freewheeling, or turning the pedals lightly.

Not predictable - doesn’t happen every pedal revolution, or every wheel revolution. Just a sort of grinding clunk.

And I couldn’t work out whether it was coming from pedals or chain or back wheel.

Tried cycling with no hands to take weight off bars and stem. Tried standing up to take weight off seat post. No change.

Stopped, checked every thing I could think of. All looks fine. Couldn’t reproduce the problem at the side of the road.

Pushed ahead. Problem got much worse. Quite concerned - was about 10k from home at this point, so turned. Couldn’t work out what had changed since yesterday - all I had done was cleaned and lubed the bike.

Problem continued to get worse - nursed the bike homewards.

And about 3k from home - the problem went away completely. One minute it was sounding like an old banger, the next it was completely smooth and silent.

So my planned 50k was a 20.

Got the bike home, checked it out thoroughly - all seems OK.

I think the problem has been two spokes rubbing where they cross. I generally have a dab of grease at these points, but yesterday I cleaned the wheels pretty thoroughly, and I’m guessing the residual grease from last year was washed away.

I’ve never been happy with that back wheel.

Fresh grease added, and a 30k test ride says all OK.

But I’d be cheating if I called that a 50....

According to the rules it counts as your allowed 24 hrs to complete and no rules about returning to base . If you claim it or not is up to you if you feel it's against the spirit of the challenge then don't claim it .I work on the rule if you think it counts then it counts

 

[bruce1530]

I’ll let this one go - “my rule” is that it counts as the same trip if you haven’t got changed into civvies in between. If I’d gone straight out after fettling, then it’d be OK - but I did a few other things first.