The 2024 Half Century (50km or 50 mile) Challenge Chatzone

[Bazzer]

April's ride done and the first ride of the year with fingerless gloves. I was iffy about shorts and could probably have managed, but perhaps next time.

 

[ColinJ]

I would like to get one in this week but the local forecasts seem to be... 'very wet', 'very windy', or worse still - 'very wet and very windy'!

A bit off putting...

 

[Domus]

Hoping for early Saturday morning.

 

[bluenotebob]

I managed a four-bike ride today – 52.57km in total (nearly 4 hours of cycling). The weather – as it has been for the last ten days or so – was pretty unpleasant. Rain: lots of it, and very gusty winds… but at least I got out and made something of the day, even though I’m absolutely cream-crackered this evening.

I’m not claiming this as my qualifying ride for April – hopefully I’ll get that done on Sunday.

I have a routine after my last ride of the day at this time of year .. light the fire, prepare dinner, shower, eat dinner, fall asleep in front of the fire. It’s surprising how often I go straight from step 1 (lighting the fire) to step 5 (falling asleep) – and waking up much later, un-showered and very hungry. I’m about to light the fire…

 

[13 rider]

April done managed to turn a 10 miles round trip to a cafe to meet my sister into a metric half 😁, Out in plenty of time to do some hills got to the cafe 5 miles from home with 20 miles in the bag and 1800ft of upness , so after a catch up and some brekkie it would have been rude not to add the other 11 miles so an extended route home for just enough 31.2 miles and April in the bag .

 

[13 rider]

March round up time we have 31 riders fully posted up for March ,1 rider yet to declare either way and unfortunately 1 faller @Ridgeback Roller has been off the bike due to a medical issue and didn't quite recover in time .
I can tell the weathers yet to improve as by the 8th of the month we only have just 10 riders posting an April ride ,come on spring where are you

 

[Slick]

March round up time we have 31 riders fully posted up for March ,1 rider yet to declare either way and unfortunately 1 faller @Ridgeback Roller has been off the bike due to a medical issue and didn't quite recover in time .
I can tell the weathers yet to improve as by the 8th of the month we only have just 10 riders posting an April ride ,come on spring where are you

Yeah, gales and horrendous rain is about all we have had so far this month.

 

[Domus]

It's even bad in Sunny Radcliffe, Off to Grange tomorrow, fingers crossed for a break in the weather

 

[Slick]

I'm almost definitely going a bit soft in my old age as I'm well used with commuting all winter, but now anyone getting a ride in during this wind and rain, certainly gets kudos from me.

 

[Spartak]

On holiday in West Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪
Nice ride yesterday to get my April 50km.

Left our apartment in Nieuwpoort and headed up the coast to Middelkere using the excellent Belgian cycle network. Then turned inland to the nice town of Veurne for a coffee.
Back to the coast for a beer in Koksijde before returning back to Nieuwpoort for lunch.

Cycling in this part of Belgium is fantastic ( & flat ).

I'd recommend to anyone looking for a chilled out tour.

 

[13 rider]

Do we get 2 points for 100km rides?

3 points for 100km (2 points for 50 miles) and extra cake at the end ( you have to supply the cake )

 

[Domus]

Finally a break in the weather. 👍
Arnside and back through LOTS of standing water. New café for me, Sandpipers in Arnside, crumpets with strawberry jam and good coffee. Recommended.
Very dirty bike when I got back, now nice and shiny, tucked up in caravan’s bike shed, aka spare bedroom. 👍

 

[Cathryn]

FOUR rides to add Just back from a lovely week cycling from Dieppe to Paris and back with my husband and son. Had a great time, utterly loved it.

5th April - 66 miles from Dieppe to Gisors. The skies were grey and it wasn't very warm when we set off but it wasn't raining. 50km on the most glorious bike path all the way to Forges-les-Eaux. Crepe stop in Neufchatel and mild panic when we realised what slow progress we were making. After Forges, we were on country lanes but they were glorious and the sun came out enough for me to get my arms out for the first time in 2024. Two punctures en route and I got a flat literally as we rocked up at the Hotel Moderne in Gisors, so at least I got to fix mine in the warmth and comfort of our hotel room.

6th April - 56 miles from Gisors into Paris and then on to our Airbnb in Boulogne Billancourt. Nicer day today as we climbed through pretty Norman villages, past dream houses and fancy chateaux. Up a big hill and boom, we were in the Paris suburbs. Roughly 25 miles of riding into the centre of Paris on either excellent bike paths or very safe, quiet roads. Blown away by the bike path infrastructure in Paris. Through the gleaming towers of La Defense and up the long boulevard to the Arc de Triomphe for photos. Through the chaos of Paris to the Eiffel Tower (for photos) and then a very slow spin to our Airbnb.

10th April - 62.26 miles from Boulogne Billancourt to Amecourt, a little village just north of Gisors. A day of two halves. A morning of city riding through the Bois de Boulogne and round the lazy bend of the Seine near Herblay and then back into the countryside. A morning of nippy wind but blue skies and then an afternoon of repeated rainstorms that hurt our faces and made us grumpy. Glad to get to our accommodation.

11th April - 56 miles back to Dieppe. Perfect Spring cycling. Blue skies. Sunshine. Blossom. Hares. Lambs. Very very happy.

 

[Spartak]

Another Belgian 50 km today.

After watching Brugge - De Panne & Gent Wevelgem last month I was keen to ride across the De Moeren, a flatland in West Flanders.

So this morning I headed south from Nieuwpoort to Veurne and then into a strong headwind across De Moeren which is famed for causing echelons in the peleton. Alas I was the only cyclist I saw on this section today.
A right turn led to a tailwind blowing me to Adinkerke and onto De Panne for a refreshing beer. To complete the 50 I then took a short free ferry ride across the estuary back to Nieuwpoort.

 

[bluenotebob]

Another 60km ride this afternoon – it was wonderfully sunny and warm for a change. Down to the Oust valley to check out the state of Eurovelo #1 after the recent extended rainfall.

I’ll put something in the ‘Your Ride Today’ thread later (and I'll also update the Eurovelo #1 thread).

As @Cathryn praised the Voie Vertes/Greenways in Normandy and Paris upthread, I thought I should include in a photo of my local one… and to say how nice it is that, after all these years of being the only one in this challenge posting rides in France, recently there have been lots of them!

The V3 near Trégadon quarry (the forget-me-nots were a brilliant blue .. but unfortunately the photo fails to capture it fully)