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

[bluenotebob]

Unfortunately I'm out of this challenge - I under went a minor surgical procedure end of February and perhaps slightly optimistically was hoping to be fit and healed sufficiently to slot a qualifying ride in before Easter. Afraid it's not going to happen.

That's tough - sorry to read that.

When you are fit and riding again, you'd be welcome to join us in the Annual Lunacy Distance challenge if you want - just port your rides over.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[Slick]

All done for March, due to a combination of work and family holidays without the bike. Been mostly concentrating on 100km+ rides as training for the Etape Caledonia with GLW.

On Sunday I was asked to co-lead a small group of riders on a rural ride from south Birmingham before a protest ride in Birmingham City Centre.
View attachment 725515
Had an amazing weather window for the whole day. The rural ride split into two groups as one rider had cycled up from London for the event, which was a precursor to the Annual Conference of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and didn't quite have the legs for out local hills and headwind.

Short vid of our rural ride here

Our group got home in time for coffee and cake then I dashed home and collected my 11 year old daughter and cycled into the City Centre to join a short protest ride on closed roads, finishing in Centenary Square. We were campaigning for "Clean, Green cities so our children can thrive".
View attachment 725516

View attachment 725517

Ace.

 

[Domus]

Son in law invited himself on my ride today as his mates were busy.
I think he was trying to kill me for my daughter's inheritance. Close your eyes and imagine Pogacar being chased by Billy Bunter on two flat tyres and sticking brakes.
First time out this year without a jacket but long sleeved jersey and gilet. 64.6 Kms, now for coffee, a lie down and a re write of the will.

 

[slow scot]

Apologies to @13 rider for my late post, but I didn’t think I’d get a ride in. Did a sunny and mentally stimulating 52 kms today that I didn’t think would happen. So still in the challenge!

 

[13 rider]

Apologies to @13 rider for my late post, but I didn’t think I’d get a ride in. Did a sunny and mentally stimulating 52 kms today that I didn’t think would happen. So still in the challenge!

Plenty of time theres a full day left ,well done 👍

 

[Cathryn]

Exactly.

I was talking to an old guy yesterday - a countryman - and he said that the 'old ones' will tell you that the week preceding Easter is always bad weather. I asked him what "they" said about the week after Easter .. "oh, the weather should start to improve", he replied.

Well, not this year it isn't .. rain forecast every day until 8 April - which is as far out as my forecast goes.

Thursday this week looks particularly nasty with a currently un-named storm due to arrive .. 100+kph winds forecast for the coast.

I think I'll spend the morning in bed - then light the fire, have plenty of candles ready for the inevitable power cut, sleep in the afternoon (if the noise of the wind rattling my shutters doesn't keep me awake) - and wait until early evening before venturing out on one of my mountain bikes. Maybe...

The storms definitely won’t be happening on Thursday and next weekend because I’ll be arriving in Dieppe and cycling to Paris and I am praying VERY hard about the weather!

 

[Cathryn]

Did an unexpected 50k yesterday because it was sunny and warmish! My son and husband joined me for a spin from Marlborough to Hungerford and back. Took the back road, the place where I was hit by a car last summer. Slight shudder as we passed the spot but actually really healthy to go back! Stopped at Tray’s Cafe where I had the best cheese scone of my life! Very very happy!

 

[ColinJ]

If I can finally stop myself solving more cryptic crosswords, playing puzzle games, and web-surfing, get out of bed and have something to eat, then I will go out and do a half metric century later today, taking advantage of the extra hour of daylight in the evening...

I have 2 possible routes planned. One is okay on my former singlespeed bike now that it has 6 gears. The other is more interesting, but tougher, so I would need to bring my CAAD5 out of hibernation and make use of its lower gears.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[Slick]

I do like a bit of jeopardy,will he won't he

Ponder no more, as I'm home and hosed by the skin of my teeth. I was fortunate with the weather, as I think this was my first ride in shorts and fingerless gloves, so it was a pleasure getting out. I bought a trailer from another member of the forum and I've been gagging to get an opportunity to use it, so I decided to head to Renfrew on a beer run, which isn't the most scenic run, but still enjoyable. You could feel the weight on the return journey but I now know the SWL of the trailer and its 2 kegs of Stella.

Cracking wee cafe stop in Bowling on the way home to take on just enough chocolate cake to fuel the rest of the ride home.

 

[ColinJ]

I have 2 possible routes planned. One is okay on my former singlespeed bike now that it has 6 gears

I did that one. It should have been fairly easy (for a 50 km route with 850 metres of ascent) but I hadn't checked the weather forecast! That damn cold blustery wind was back...

I struggled on the A58 up from Littleborough to Blackstone Edge. Normally, any wind on that climb is a helpful cross-tailwind but today it was against me; VERY much against me...

After I finally got to the summit I began the descent towards Ripponden. I can usually exceed 50 km/hr on that even freewheeling but today I had to pedal hard to get to 31 km/hr and then gave up and freewheeled at 20-25 km/hr.

My subsequent lanes loop had a cross-headwind section which was horrible. I started to regret my assessment that winter is over and overshoes are no longer needed - my toes were getting really cold. My hands and arms were also suffering but at least I could help them. I stopped and swapped my mitts for long-fingered gloves, and put on arm warmers.

Fortunately, my route started to turn to a more favourable direction. Now the wind was helping me rather than trying to blow me off my bike. I got wind-assistance to ride back up to Blackstone Edge and for the descent back to Littleborough. To illustrate the influence of the wind - I freewheeled all the way down and hit 67 km/hr in that direction!

I whizzed back to Todmorden and got here with 49.5 km showing on the GPS so I did a quick circuit of some backstreets to get up to exactly 50 km.

I have been back for an hour and a half but my fingers still haven't fully regained sensation after their Easter chilling!

 

[13 rider]

Well done @Slick, the anxiety was being to get to me I can rest easy now 😁

 

[Willd]

After today, I've now done 10,000 miles on the bike, since 12 April 2020 It's actually a few more than that, but I've lost my records from when I first got it. I've now noticed that the Cateye goes up to 99,999, but I don't think I'll be doing that Shoes need a clean too

 

[13 rider]

Well done @Jenkins 1st to post an April ride

 

[kapelmuur]

I‘ve been admiring this splendid Magnolia growing near the village of Ashley, Cheshire and thought I’d share the image.

 

[13 rider]

I have a magnolia tree in my late mum's house were selling ,the buyer first looked round earlier in the year ,after we've exchanged we've allowed them access for measurements etc and it's the 1st time they've seen the tree in full bloom, the lady said she'd all ways wanted a magnolia tree but never had a big enough garden she's so happy .
It's also the first year that I can remember a frost not knocking the blossom back hence the spectacular display