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

[bruce1530]

I'm in too.
This months been a difficult one - still low on fitness after the op, and weather awful. But today was forecast to be cold, dry, and a fresh breeze. It turns out that "fresh breeze" was a bit of an understatement.

Went out late morning, when wind seemed to have died down a bit. Followed the coast road north, on the cycle path where I could. Exposed, but wind was helpful - on my rear quarter. Headed out to the car park at Portencross - wind in my face for that bit, but it's only a couple of miles. Turned there, followed the farm road and bridleway to Hunterston, then along the main road to Largs. Made good time - 26k done - wind mostly behind me.

Quick cup of coffee, then turned for home. Wind had strengthened and moved - was now directly in my face and it was like cycling through treacle. The exposed coast road would be awful - and any other route involves ridiculous hills... So jumped on a train homewards.

A loop round the town, choosing sheltered roads, 34k done, stopped home for a quick "comfort stop". At that point the grandkids arrived for a visit, and the wind had strengthened. Didn't think I'd get a 50k in.

5.30. Dark. Not quite as windy. Back out for another try - 8k along the coast road, and back. 52k total.

 

[UphillSlowly]

I'm in too.
This months been a difficult one - still low on fitness after the op, and weather awful. But today was forecast to be cold, dry, and a fresh breeze. It turns out that "fresh breeze" was a bit of an understatement.

Went out late morning, when wind seemed to have died down a bit. Followed the coast road north, on the cycle path where I could. Exposed, but wind was helpful - on my rear quarter. Headed out to the car park at Portencross - wind in my face for that bit, but it's only a couple of miles. Turned there, followed the farm road and bridleway to Hunterston, then along the main road to Largs. Made good time - 26k done - wind mostly behind me.

Quick cup of coffee, then turned for home. Wind had strengthened and moved - was now directly in my face and it was like cycling through treacle. The exposed coast road would be awful - and any other route involves ridiculous hills... So jumped on a train homewards.

A loop round the town, choosing sheltered roads, 34k done, stopped home for a quick "comfort stop". At that point the grandkids arrived for a visit, and the wind had strengthened. Didn't think I'd get a 50k in.

5.30. Dark. Not quite as windy. Back out for another try - 8k along the coast road, and back. 52k total.

Good effort. Well done!

 

[Saluki]

I think that it’s unlikely to happen for me this month/year. I smushed my shoulder, somehow, and it hurts to walk and ride. Also in the throes of moving home. My stuff is in the new home but I need to scrub that place from top to bottom and dispose of all the rubbish and whatnot that they left behind - I’ll keep the treadmill though, it’s quite a good one.
With the wind, cold temperatures and pain, January has been pretty much a write off for riding excepting a couple of small rides. Never mind.

 

[13 rider]

I think that it’s unlikely to happen for me this month/year. I smushed my shoulder, somehow, and it hurts to walk and ride. Also in the throes of moving home. My stuff is in the new home but I need to scrub that place from top to bottom and dispose of all the rubbish and whatnot that they left behind - I’ll keep the treadmill though, it’s quite a good one.
With the wind, cold temperatures and pain, January has been pretty much a write off for riding excepting a couple of small rides. Never mind.

Hope the move all goes ok , Be a shame if you don't make it , Yes January has been a bad month and throw in health and life stuff you soon run out of time

 

[Saluki]

Hope the move all goes ok , Be a shame if you don't make it , Yes January has been a bad month and throw in health and life stuff you soon run out of time

There will be other years 🙂
The broadband engineer is coming (allegedly) between 8am and 6pm tomorrow so that’s not a riding day. On a building site for 9 hours on Tuesday.

 

[UphillSlowly]

Today's ride was mostly to see if the body was still working after taking a tumble a week ago. Details of that here Working well enough

 

[bluenotebob]

Good to know you've recovered from your fall @UphillSlowly

You've under-sold yourself on 'Points in All Challenges' - your total should be 6 points (not 4)

 

[UphillSlowly]

Good to know you've recovered from your fall @UphillSlowly

You've under-sold yourself on 'Points in All Challenges' - your total should be 6 points (not 4)

Thanks.

I may have misunderstood the finer.points of.the rules but I.thought I had:
1 PT for 1x 100k in.that challenge
3 pts for 3x 50k in this challenge

Previous discussions led me to think that 100k qualifying rides shouldn'tbe used for this challenge? Or perhaps that was meant to be that I couldn't just do a single 100k ride per month...+

 

[13 rider]

Thanks.

I may have misunderstood the finer.points of.the rules but I.thought I had:
1 PT for 1x 100k in.that challenge
3 pts for 3x 50k in this challenge

Previous discussions led me to think that 100k qualifying rides shouldn'tbe used for this challenge? Or perhaps that was meant to be that I couldn't just do a single 100k ride per month...+

I count the 100km rides in other challenges as 3 points and 4 points for the imperial tons ,
Any ride of 50km challenge can count in this challenge but it's accepted not to do a 100km ride and use that to count as a qualifing ride in both challenges and not do a separate 50km ride
Glad your on the mend

 

[ColinJ]

I finally got my first 2024 '50' done yesterday. (Actually a 52 km ride). The wind was forecast to be significant but it was stronger and colder than I was expecting. I was carrying an extra jersey and should have stopped to put it on but I couldn't be bothered to. By the time that I finally did stop, I had forgotten about the jersey so it never got put on. (It also never got put in the post-ride wash because, having been forgotten about, it remained in my pannier.)

I have created this thread about what caused me to stop...

I was riding my '6-er', which is a pseudo singlespeed bike. I rode it singlespeed in a 52/19 or 42/15 gear for years but enjoyed the bike so much that I decided to add a climbing gear (42/29) to allow me to tackle more interesting routes with climbs too severe for ss. The derailleur didn't work with just the 2 gears so I had to add 4 more to get the chainline and shifting right.

I still stick to 42/15 most of the time but the top 2 km of yesterday's climb to Blackstone Edge average around 7% with a peak of around 10%, so I treated my ageing body to the 42/29 gear for that; I can manage 7-10% for 200 m in 42/15, but not 10 times the distance!

There are a few little ramps on the route which I thought I could grunt my way up without shifting down. I did manage those. Another, called 'Steep Lane', was, er, too steep for too long and there was a cross/headwind coming down it so I went straight for the grovelling gear without even attempting it in 42/15!

That damn wind... It was cold, strong, and blustery. In theory I could do the climb remaining from the top of Steep Lane in 42/15 but I soon realised that the wind was was much more tiring than the hill. I had to use 42/29 to get up 3 km at only about 3% and it took me nearly 20 minutes!

The wind noise on the descent to Littleborough was deafening. I really felt that it was damaging my ears. I shouted as loud as I could "COLIN - CAN YOU HEAR THIS?" The answer - barely!! I still feel a bit more deaf than usual nearly 24 hours later.

I had planned to do another few little climbs on the home leg but it was getting dark and I was cold so I just whizzed back along the A6033 instead.

I felt good once I was home, washed, changed, and refuelled. Looking forward to longer, warmer rides in the spring though!

 

[AndreaJ]

A bit late but I’m in too, finally managed a 50km ride today, bad weather and life getting in the way at the moment 😊

 

[13 rider]

Well first month done ,We have 31 riders posted up for January, 1 rider I now has done a ride but yet post in @tallliman ,hopefully there are a couple of other late posters we will pick up
Good luck for February and here's hoping for some decentish weather ,watch out for February it goes quick only 4 weekends ,early banker ride advised

 

[bluenotebob]

watch out for February it goes quick

True .. but least this year February has 29 cycling days, rather than 28

 

[Aravis]

It's been apparent for a while that I need a new cycling challenge. I think that 100 milers in the depths of winter are beyond me now.

A nice idea I came up with is to do a ride of at least 50 miles in each of the 30 weeks of British Summer Time. I then realised that this fits well into the half-century-a-month challenge, provided that I can manage at least one such ride in each of the other five months.

January's contribution was completed yesterday, 50.7 miles on very familiar roads and in perfect weather

 

[13 rider]

Welcome @Aravis , I presume your aware you can just do a 50km ride one month and still complete the challenge , But if you want to do a half imperial century a month that's perfectly fine , Quite a few people set little sub challenges it's all about getting out riding