The 2019 Half Century a month Challenge chatzone

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
OP
OP
13 rider

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
Snuck a 50km ride today . Waited for a weather window after dinner and out the door at 12.45 as it had finally stopped raining . Did a standard loop to Wymeswold and got . Just got to my village sign and a puncture on 30.6 miles . Though crossed my mind to walk home and fix it there but the shame of it failing a 50km by 800mts so new tube fitted at the side of the road and home .32 miles done and didn't get rained in but need the overshoes so very wet roads and a couple of mini rivers crossing the road
 

PatrickPending

Legendary Member
Location
Leicester
Did Octobers on Saturday - not usually out on Saturdays but it seemed it would be the only dry day. Anyway

12th October 120Km - Blaby - Willoughby Waterlys - Ashby Parva - Gilmorton - Walcote -South Kilworth - Stanford - Cold Ashby - Naseby - - - Sibertoft - Marston Trussel - East Farndon -Lubenham - Gumley - Laughton - Gumley - Laughton (again) -Mowsley - Saddington - Fleckney - Arnesby - - Peatling Magna - Bruntingthorpe - Upper Bruntingthorpe - Walton - Kimcote - Gilmorton - Kimcote (again) - Peatling Parva - Ashby Magna - Countesthorpe

Quite nice, was originally going to go down to Brixworth but bike was making strange noises when going up steep hills so opted for a flatter route. Garmin 800 kept showing some sort of diagnostic screen too - in spite of resetting it many a time - it was useless so kept to routes I knew. Still good ride. Must remember to take something to eat next time I do rides this long.....
 

lane

Veteran
Short of time yesterday but managed a 50km ride. Contrary to weather report the weather on Saturday was a lot better than today so turned out to be a good call. Got out sometime after 3pm and it was a nice late afternoon, not raining, not much wind and about 13 degrees. Headed out to Kegworth, Normington on Soar and then a short climb and descent towards East Leake. Wind behind me on the way back. Decided to take a slightly longer route both out and back along the towpath from Sawley to Trent Lock. Definite signs of Autumn now:

IMG_20191012_173634538.jpg
 

cosmicbike

Perhaps This One.....
Moderator
Location
Egham
A rubbish couple of weeks once again, with more pain off and on the bike. A gingerly done 10 miles yesterday revealed no major problems, so I set out today on the commute bike for the metric half. Wanted to stay flat, so followed the Thames pretty much from Staines to Hampton Court. After all the rain I might have guessed the towpath would be muddy, and after getting a decent coating decided at Chertsey that the roads looked better. A steady ride with no excitement, the Bella Velo ladies were meeting at Bushy Park and passed me on my return leg at Chertsey, nice to see a group of ladies out, good group riding too. With 31.33 miles done, that's my longest ride in a month.
 

Domus

Guru
Location
Sunny Radcliffe
Up in Grange for a few days, spent most of Wednesday cleaning the wood decking so earned my ride today. Beautiful morning in Cumbria but wet roads covered with leaves made slow descending the order of the day. I even encountered wheelspin on a steep climb out of Coniston. The ferry was operating but the little coffee hut was closed. I managed a coffee and Ginger cake stop at the village shop in Levens. Managed 82 Kms and two points on a lovely autumn day.
 

Domus

Guru
Location
Sunny Radcliffe
Finished off my deck cleaning duties so enough brownie points for another ride. To Arnside via Witherslack, met Mrs Domus for lunch.

It takes me 90 minutes by bike, Mrs Domus uses the train it only takes her 6 minutes. Turned cold after lunch so no hanging around and back to the caravan with 73 Kms and one more point before the rain started.
Another lovely Autumn day in Cumbria. 👍
 

footloose crow

Über Member
Location
Cornwall. UK
Decided to cycle to Padstow (From Truro) this week.

My wife and father in law wanted to do the Camel Trail from Wadebridge to Padstow and as he is 82 and not very fit, I knew it would be a slow ride. So I came up with the idea of cycling to Padstow instead and meeting them there. The first ten miles was fine, quite hilly with leaf covered, muddy, excrement covered lanes but it went OK. The bit between St Newlyn East and St Columb Major (everywhere in Cornwall is named after Saints) was never ending hills. Up, down, up, down. Roads cleaner though and I could push on a bit. The last section descending from the spine of hills that bisects Cornwall from east to west and down to Ruthernbridge, I took too fast. Going around a bend I met two SUVs that occupied the entire width of the road.

Panic brake! Forgot I was using clipless pedals. Back wheel locked up, went one way and then the other. I scraped down the side of the first SUV between the hedge and the shiny metal sides, just glimpsing their horrified faces as I went past (I guess my expression was the same) and then slid past the second vehicle as my locked up back wheel overtook the front. The bike stopped. I fell off. Damn those clipless pedals. Luckily there was no more traffic. The SUVs didn't stop. Dust myself down, seem Ok. Nothing broken. Thats the tenth time I have fallen off my bike with clipless pedals but the first time for a month.

Two hundred yards later I got a puncture - so I stopped to mend it in a farm gateway. This isn't going well. I had been enjoying it, nice views, sunshine. The wheel is covered in cow dung. My new cycling top is now covered in oil and dung, possibly some mud too.

The phone rang 'Where are you? We are waiting for you...you said you would be here before us." Back on the bike, full speed ahead but something is wrong. The hydraulic brake on the back is dragging. I have a squeak and a hiss and it feels like I am going uphill on the flat. No time to fix it, I am late. On, on, down through the lanes and onto the Camel Trail near Bodmin. Head down, think of it as a spin session. I now have a Strava PB and I am in the top 20% for the first time in my life for the Camel Trail section to Wadebridge - with a dragging brake too. Arrive in Padstow, dirty, dishevelled, tired, in trouble and with a broken bike and accept lift home.

The next day the LBS confirms I bent the mech hanger when I fell off, that put the brake disc slightly out.

My wife has told me to take those "silly pedals" off. I have decided to buy winter tyres instead.
 

lane

Veteran
Don't think I will give that a like but glad you are OK. Hope you get the bike sorted soon. Well done for the PB with the break.
 
OP
OP
13 rider

13 rider

Guru
Location
leicester
A like for getting out not for your adventures ,glad your ok . I holiday in Holywell bay every year and now the area quite well and descending on the lanes is interesting to say the least . After a near miss involving loose gravel I descend with caution . So you do all he climbing and are rewarded with slow descending.
A belated welcome to the challenge . It runs Jan to Dec to get a star as per my signature . If you have done a 50km ride since Jan this year feel free to update the challenge thread .We are a friendly bunch and won't object to late entries . If not it's good training for 2020
 

footloose crow

Über Member
Location
Cornwall. UK
A like for getting out not for your adventures ,glad your ok . I holiday in Holywell bay every year and now the area quite well and descending on the lanes is interesting to say the least . After a near miss involving loose gravel I descend with caution . So you do all he climbing and are rewarded with slow descending.
A belated welcome to the challenge . It runs Jan to Dec to get a star as per my signature . If you have done a 50km ride since Jan this year feel free to update the challenge thread .We are a friendly bunch and won't object to late entries . If not it's good training for 2020

I am fine but thank you. I bounce well. I wasn't going especially fast but had been watching a GCN video the night before on You Tube about descending that seem to suggest I needed to try harder, go faster downhill and brake less. So I did go a bit quicker than normal. Have learnt lesson. You can't go fast downhill on a Cornish lane with blind bends, stone-walling-filled hedges and lots of slippery stuff on the road. And I should use the front brake more. And try to remember I am clipped in.
 
Top Bottom