The 2025 Half Century (50km or 50 mile) Challenge Chatzone.

[sevenfourate]

I'm struggling too - been off work for 3 weeks, first Covid (yes, it's still out there, and for me despite being fully vaccinated it floored me for over a fortnight) then a secondary chest infection. Really dont know whether I'll get a ride in this month.

WOW ! I see you've completed the last 8 years. and the months this year leading upto today too of course. What an awful shame if you don't complete your amazing run.

First and foremost though - heres to your Health; and feeling better as soon as possible !

 

[13 rider]

Good luck both of you , but remember it's only an internet challenge don't push yourselves too hard and set yourselfes back

 

[bruce1530]

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. It worked!
I was resigned to dropping out of the challenge - still not feeling 100%, and lots of other things in the diary over the next couple of days. But I took an afternoon off work today, and went out. Chose an easy route - completely flat, along the coast, with "bail out" options (train) should it all go horribly wrong.

And kept the Garmin in my pocket - didn't want to be looking at speed, or the time, or anything like that. Just a slow, gentle spin along the coast.

Through the town, then followed the A78 for a few miles - sometimes on the road, sometimes on the cycle path. Minor road out to Portencross, stopping for a few mins just to take in the view. Then farm roads and a bridleway to the power station. About 20k.

Didn't fancy heading on to Largs, my usual destination, as the road was a bit busy, so headed home by a similar route. Through the town and along the seafront. Hadn't looked at garmin, guessing about 40k.
Stopped and had a chat with a guy who has just opened a bike repair place in one of the beach huts in Ardrossan. Only been open for a few weeks, but he seems to be busy. Good location, lots of passing bikes on the NCN75.

I was guessing I needed another 10k - and my favourite cafe was 3k away. Had something to eat and a coffee there, then home by a roundabout route.

Looked at the Garmin as I turned into my street- 49.6k - so rode to the other end of the street and back

So I'm in for this month!

 

[ColinJ]

So I'm in for this month!

That's the spirit!

 

[sevenfourate]

After a dire month work / health / life-wise ! ……I eventually got my sorry ass in the saddle @ 4.25am. And pedalled 😁

Off to Hopton / across the border from Suffolk to Norfolk I went:

Where I also found this (??????) Post-box topper:

Carrying on along the Coast - I caught the Sun-rising at Gorleston:

A genuine Banksy. This representing a grabber arm - and situated right next to some amusements where you’d no doubt find some inside !!

The old Lighthouse at Gorleston:

And onto Gt Yarmouth - where I cycled right along the Coastal path for quite some miles heading toward Caister:

And home inland / the Country route. Where I stopped at this old railway bridge at the back of Oulton Broad to inhale a few calories 😉

May 50k done (Eventually !!)

 

[13 rider]

A superb effort by @bruce1530 yesterday and @sevenfourate today got them both over the line after recovering from illness so everyones still in so 23 of us press on towards the halfway point

 

[sevenfourate]

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. It worked!
I was resigned to dropping out of the challenge - still not feeling 100%, and lots of other things in the diary over the next couple of days. But I took an afternoon off work today, and went out. Chose an easy route - completely flat, along the coast, with "bail out" options (train) should it all go horribly wrong.

And kept the Garmin in my pocket - didn't want to be looking at speed, or the time, or anything like that. Just a slow, gentle spin along the coast.

Through the town, then followed the A78 for a few miles - sometimes on the road, sometimes on the cycle path. Minor road out to Portencross, stopping for a few mins just to take in the view. Then farm roads and a bridleway to the power station. About 20k.

Didn't fancy heading on to Largs, my usual destination, as the road was a bit busy, so headed home by a similar route. Through the town and along the seafront. Hadn't looked at garmin, guessing about 40k.
Stopped and had a chat with a guy who has just opened a bike repair place in one of the beach huts in Ardrossan. Only been open for a few weeks, but he seems to be busy. Good location, lots of passing bikes on the NCN75.

I was guessing I needed another 10k - and my favourite cafe was 3k away. Had something to eat and a coffee there, then home by a roundabout route.

Looked at the Garmin as I turned into my street- 49.6k - so rode to the other end of the street and back

So I'm in for this month!

Brilliant effort. Kudos Sir 🙏

 

[bruce1530]

Brilliant effort. Kudos Sir 🙏

Likewise 😀

 

[PaulSB]

A good ride today. Out with my club C group. In theory this ride runs at 15mph average. In reality what happens is 5/6 B riders turn up and push the pace. I've given up moaning about this.

First 66 miles we averaged 17 and I felt comfortable sat in the group at 19 - 20. Did my turns on the front at 22/23 and then dropped back into the group. I peeled off at the end to ride home. I finished with 75 miles and 15.8 avg.

Not too shabby at nearly 71 and with riders 20 years younger. I'm happy I can still mix it at this pace. Once in a blue moon is fun but it's far from the riding style I want to do regularly.

 

[teeonethousand]

A superb effort by @bruce1530 yesterday and @sevenfourate today got them both over the line after recovering from illness so everyones still in so 23 of us press on towards the halfway point

Brilliant. 😁👍

 

[ColinJ]

The bad news is that I forgot that there are in fact 31 days in May so my early June qualifier did not qualify!

The good news is that I therefore got a bonus qualifier in for May.

 

[Jenkins]

One last 50k ride for the month today almost didn't get finished. At about halfway I started to head uphill only for (what I found out later to be) the chain's quick link to break. I always carry a spare, but for some reason it was a bugger to fit and at one point one of the halves disappeared into the roadside dirt whan it failed to join correctly.

 

[13 rider]

Off the mark for June and apparently the first poster 😁. Explored a few new roads instead of doing my standard loops very blustery out there

 

[bluenotebob]

If your rides get to above 12 or so on 1 page can we agree to start a new page with something like Jan to March completed , as I do a lot of rides I start each month afresh . I will try and monitor the post better and Pm people when they get too long

Well done @13 rider at being the first to post a June ride.

A couple of posters in the Challenge thread are still listing every qualifying ride they've done since January this year in full detail. It's unnecessary and it makes for very long posts.

Time to issue a general reminder about long posts?

Thanks, Bob

 

[Jon George]

As I believe I've mentioned in the past, about once a summer, I get up before dawn and decide to get a point in this challenge. I awoke at 4.30 this morning and gave it some thought.
I think you'll find that the time stamp for my post will tell tell what my decision was.