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

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Gibbo9

Veteran
A busy holiday weekend on the bike for me, around 230km cycled in the 4 days, I was hoping for more with another 100 planned for yesterday but time got away from me due to work faff.

Fridays ride was a nice stroll round to the girlfriends house for our Friday jigsaw night, don't ask, it's a long story :-) A really nice ride this one. It's only 6km to her house through the city but any excuse for me to add the extras to get my first 50 of April. Was a very nice evening and due to the holiday the riverside was very quiet indeed.

On Saturday morning my intention was to do the reverse route back home to add another 50, however at the 40k point I just felt terrific so decided to try for an 80k for the 2 points. At the 75k mark I had a gearing malfunction in that they stopped shifting entirely. Fortunately I was on the home straight which actually takes me past the shop where I bought my bike so I nipped in and they repaired it in about 2 minutes, cable had dislodged from the shifter I think. Anyway this then got me to 80k with about 8k left to get home so I thought find a few little loops down by the river and I would complete the 100. A fantastic few hours out on the bike, very quiet by the river and to top it off I also managed to clock my fastest ever 40k in 1hr 16 mins, around 4 minutes faster than previously. Not sure how though as I was just taking my time.

I didn't really have a plan for Sunday's ride and was wondering what to do when the girlfriend said she would like to ride round Duck's Head, you can see this on my strava link (https://www.strava.com/activities/5065995082). I knew that would be 37km so I went out first for a 13k dash then picked her up on the way past our house. Another very enjoyable ride and because I had the girlfriend along it was nice and steady with quite a few stops for pictures and drink breaks.

Why can't every weekend be like this ^_^

View from the bridge not far from the end of the ride on Friday, looking out of town, was a very nice evening
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Picture taken from the same spot but looking into town. A very smoggy evening in the city.
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View from the girlfriends apartment, you can see the riverside to the right of shot.
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The obligatory 'insta' shot (social media, it's the devil). She has christened the new bike 'Pen' ^_^
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Another 50km after the metoffice's prediction of cloud and wind turned out to be quite correct. Shame they didn't mention the snow.

Still, I headed off towards Shepshed and Belton where I grew tired of the headwind and so followed NCN6 for a whole around the back roads to Osgathorpe and then onto the wonderfully named Top Brand. Some snow flurries around this time but I decided to press on. To Melbourne and then back through Weston on Trent where I thought I'd investigate the new rail depot near EMA. Some nice cycle routes have been added but on looking round, the blue sky was now rather black. Coat put on as snow flurries soon turned into a blizzard. Headed home as fast as I could but was still covered in snow. Quite a horrid end but just shy of 35miles in the bank.
 

Willd

Veteran
Location
Rugby
A ride of 2 halves, well over 16mph average at half way with a tail wind, then hit the A361 for roughly miles 27 to 41, 10mph headwind, unforecast rain and some really sh!%%y tarmac, my next bike will definately have tyres wider than 23 mm :okay: Finished at 14.6 mph average with frozen feet :cold: It was much warmer in December :rolleyes:

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Domus

Guru
Location
Sunny Radcliffe
A cold start to the day that got colder and windier. "Don't go over Holcombe Hill" said a concerned Mrs Domus after a WhatsApp from number 2 daughter about snowfall just a few miles away. Anyway, just as I arrived at the top I was hit by a fierce hail shower driven by a strong headwind which got worse (and colder) as I picked up speed all the way to Helmshore, where the sun made a brief appearance. It came out again as I stopped for a short picnic in Stacksteads where spring has just arrived (see pic). The usual route to home via Whitworth and Rochdale for a nice hot shower and the final stage of the Basque Tour with 61 chilly Kms done. :okay:

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Jon George

Mamil and couldn't care less
Location
Suffolk an' Good
In keeping with my attempt to do a 50 miler this year, I intended to go out and extend the loop I've devised to forty miles, but got the feeling I'd gone out a bit underprepared when it started hailing only ten minutes from leaving my house. I was in shorts ... :blink: I curtailed my ride by a combination of deciding I'd had enough and getting lost trying to find a shorter route home, but still manged 38 miles.

I also paused for photographs. This at Waldringfield Heath.

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C R

Guru
Location
Worcester
Another freezing morning, this time with snow on the Malverns
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It almost looks like Switzerland, :laugh:.
 

Gibbo9

Veteran
Friday night was the normal jaunt to the girlfriends for jigsaw night, got there just before dark, showered, changed ready to go for dinner before we realised she had forgot to bring me any shoes. Hence an Uber home in my socks ^_^

I was really looking forward to Saturday morning. I have been keeping active since the start of the year and Saturday was my 100th active day (minimum of 30 mins exercise per day) so I had planned a route of just over 100 miles and 1025m of climbing. Up at 4am so I could have breakfast of scrambled egg and a nice brew before heading out. Departed at 0445 and had to cycle home first to put some air in my tyres then onto the route proper. All was well with the weather, dry but overcast but it was a little chilly (15 degrees).

Another 4k through town until I hit the first hill and everything changed. Whilst it wasn't raining the road on the hill was soaked through, this made the downhill ride extremely dangerous, this 6k stretch up and down usually takes me 16 minutes, over 25 on Saturday. I rolled down at almost walking pace. My back wheel went out on me twice , although I somehow managed to stay on the bike.

Once I'd reached the bottom I had decided that was enough of that, I was soaked through and very cold. I decided to head straight to the girlfriends as that was closer than my house. Once I hit the riverbank it was bone dry. I nipped into her house, changed my undershirt and socks and had a cup of tea. I had done 28k by this point so decided to go back onto the riverside to complete the 50 to get back home. Fortunately though, the riverside stayed dry and by the time I had done 50 I was enjoying myself again so devised an impromptu route in my head to get me the 100k.

I did happen to see a nasty crash whilst out. I was following a young lady down the off ramp of one of the bridges. They really are quite steep most of these so you have to be careful and cover your brakes at all times. At the exit of this ramp is a fairly tight right hand turn to join the main cycle path, she seemed in complete control but as she came off the ramp she just went straight on, panicked, gathered speed and collided with a fence post, this sent her over the top of the bike and into a tree. Obviously I pulled in and, fearing the worst, went to help her at which point she jumped up, dusted herself on and told me everything was fine. I hope she was later that evening because she really did land with a thump.

Not a bad days cycling all told. The weather is looking good for this weekend so Saturday could see me get that 100 miler in after all.

Stay safe folks and happy cycling.
 

Domus

Guru
Location
Sunny Radcliffe
A dry, sunny morning but with a chilly wind had me pondering my wardrobe choices. I wimped out with longs and long sleeve jersey. Good job too anything over 20 KPH my face and ears were numb, my poor aged knees would have been frozen. Speaking of which the first ice cream of the year was consumed with relish at Frederick's after a lovely ride through Belmont and Abbey Village. Very rare for me to take pictures but Belmont Reservoir and Belmont Village with Winter hill in the background were looking particularly nice this morning.
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