The 2021 Half Century (50km or 50m) a month challenge Chatzone

[bluenotebob]

I’m off the mark in this Challenge for this year. Hopefully there’ll be no more very restrictive French lockdowns in 2021 and I can keep posting rides every month.

Today’s ride was 54km and I didn’t go more than 10km from home in any direction. I also managed to avoid any repetition – if repetition is defined as going along the same stretch of road in the same direction more than once.

North to Brignac, then a 7km clockwise loop around the village, then south right down to Guilliers. A little loop around Guilliers, then straight back north to Brignac then a repeat of the loop I’d done earlier but anti-clockwise. Then home .. and enough daylight left to be able to clean the bike outdoors.

 

[Domus]

Went out this morning with every intention of adding another point to my tally. However after climbing up the Ashworth climb to Owd Betts I was goosed. The wind was very cold at the top so I retreated down through Norden and back home with just 35 Kms done. First time up that climb, 5 Kms long with ramps of 13%. Had to stop twice as my heart rate went up to 184. Can't believe the KOM is 11 minutes.

 

[Saluki]

I managed to get a score on the board today. First 2/3 of the ride was great. There were some big puddles, one I walked around as it was too deep and muddy. I got around a yard or 2 in and was stopped by the mud. My waterproof Das Boot boots, are waterproof as I discovered while ankle deep in water. I walked round after scrambling over a gate and on to the raised verge.
All in all, I was having a great time and then my rear derailleur cable broke or came detached. One of the two. I was on the smallest cog as piling down a hill. At the bottom, I stopped, found a middle cog and tightened the screws up to keep the chain just where it was. Off I went again, uphill which wasn’t much fun. My rear tyre then felt odd. Yep, a flat. I walked to the top of the hill, found a lay-by area and started fixing.
Naturally, the valve collar thing was all gritted up and wouldn’t budge so I found the pesky hole with tube in situ and slapped a scab on it. There was way too much moisture in the air for it to stick, so I got out the glue and a proper patch and did a proper fix. A nice pair of MTB chaps came by and put the tyre back on for me as my hands were really cold and painful by then. I was so happy to see them. I would have got the tyre on and pumped but so happy to Have a little help.

10 miles home, stuck in one gear sp spinning like a mad thing on the flats and down and honking uphill. I got all the way up longwater lane in cog 7. Normally, I am in cog one or two (granny gear). I would have cheered at the top but my heart and lungs were trying to escape from my rib cage at the time. I bet heart and lungs were calling me some names!

Nice spin down back towards the city from there on. Zigzagging a bit to make the 50km as I was not failing the distance at that point.

My Genesis is now all clean. New chain and cassette has been ordered. I can get the gear cable from anywhere. My neighbour is very bike savvy so will ask his assistance. All my bike tools are in Downham Market at the ex’s place and I haven’t got around to replacement yet. I discovered that they were still there when I went to take my pedals off. All tools, spanners and everything. Oh well.

I am just happy that my January ride is done. It was fun and I will do that route again. I might get new tyres as that is the second time that I have had a tiny hole in a tune, in roughly the same area. I can find nothing in the tyre. Marathon Plus tyres but they must be 4 years old at least now.

 

[Jonjay]

That’s some effort to make the distance after all that.

 

[Saluki]

The puddle was quite large.

 

[Gibbo9]

Jan 15th, my better halfs birthday weekend so booked a nice hotel in the hot springs area. It's only about 15km away from home so she took an Uber while I cycled there, made a bit of a roundabout route so I could get the 50k done. Fortunately a lovely day for it and a very enjoyable ride. Nice getting to the hotel and sinking into our spring water hot tub.

View from the bridge over the Keelung River. The hot spring resort is just at the foot of the hills in the distance.

Post ride hot spring soak. Lovely day all round.

 

[ColinJ]

Went out this morning with every intention of adding another point to my tally. However after climbing up the Ashworth climb to Owd Betts I was goosed. The wind was very cold at the top so I retreated down through Norden and back home with just 35 Kms done. First time up that climb, 5 Kms long with ramps of 13%. Had to stop twice as my heart rate went up to 184. Can't believe the KOM is 11 minutes.

I've not yet done that climb but local rider @Littgull likes it and told me about it. I will go over there with him once the pandemic crisis has eased.

The road was closed for a long time due to a section of it collapsing.

 

[Domus]

Hi Colin, yes you can see the road has been reinforced and slightly narrowed by some hefty engineering about ⅓ up the climb. There is more work going on at the bottom at the paper mill lodge, temporary lights. Ahh that must be where I lost all that time, at the red light.

ps give me a shout when are doing it, I will join in if you don't mind

 

[ColinJ]

ps give me a shout when are doing it, I will join in if you don't mind

That would be nice - will do.

Unfortunately, I imagine it will be at least 6 months before things start to get back to normal. And that is assuming that the damn sneaky mutant Covid variants don't evolve to be vaccine-proof!

 

[slow scot]

Got off the mark yesterday with a ride of just over 50k. All on the main North Deeside Road as all other roads out of town are too icy. And the rest of the month is looking similar as the temperature is below zero every night.
Should there not be a handicap system in place for people doing this challenge who live in places like Taiwan? 😄

 

[13 rider]

Got off the mark yesterday with a ride of just over 50k. All on the main North Deeside Road as all other roads out of town are too icy. And the rest of the month is looking similar as the temperature is below zero every night.
Should there not be a handicap system in place for people doing this challenge who live in places like Taiwan? 😄

Some fool on here asked @Gibbo9 for photos so we get pictures of lovely blue skys while most of us and stuck in a British winter and all it brings ,And he's also got more points than me I'm sure I can find a technicality to disqualify him

Only joking @Gibbo9

 

[13 rider]

Welcome to the challenge @Pizza Man

 

[Houthakker]

Got my new seat post and fitted it so managed to get a 35 mile ride in on Sunday, all staying within 5 miles of the house. Am going to start looking for other routes to achive the same end if this lockdown carries on!

 

[Littgull]

I've not yet done that climb but local rider @Littgull likes it and told me about it. I will go over there with him once the pandemic crisis has eased.

The road was closed for a long time due to a section of it collapsing.

Ah yes, the Ashworth climb is a local favourite of mine. Since the initial lockdown in March 2020 in particular, I have ridden it at least fortnightly. It's 3.1 miles from the bottom to the top and although there is some short respite between what is effectively 3 separate climbs, if my stats are correct it works out to be almost 200ft per mile of ascent overall! I often include it as part of a 20 mile loop from home returning home via the long descent through Norden as Pete (@Domus) has referred to. For a longer ride I turn left at the top and ride the 5 miles to Edenfield then on to just near Rawtenstall where I take the excellent (largely off road but very good surfaced) NCN route along a few quiet roads and lanes then through the former railway tunnels to Whitworth, Rochdale and home.

Will be good to do the Ashworth climb with you both Colin and Pete when the pandemic is sorted.

 

[Gibbo9]

Got off the mark yesterday with a ride of just over 50k. All on the main North Deeside Road as all other roads out of town are too icy. And the rest of the month is looking similar as the temperature is below zero every night.
Should there not be a handicap system in place for people doing this challenge who live in places like Taiwan? 😄

The only handicap I need are my own legs these days . Does raise a fair point though, racking up the miles is very easy for me in comparison to you guys and girls back home. Whilst I don't see this as competing against you all, more of a test of my own abilities really, I do have a very unfair advantage given the crazy situations we all live in.