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

[teeonethousand]

Well done to @teeonethousand ,the 1st poster for Aug
A much delayed start for me as Friday is walking with friends day , so after a morning walk during which I got ☔ a bit wet so after dinner I waited for the rain to pass as I didn't want to get wet again , Finally out the door at 3pm to do my standard Upton Loop and I kept dry 😁

I only went early as they forecast rain by 11.00......needless to say it never rained at all here today. Bit windy though. I have started to really abbreviate the report of my route as they are probably meaningless to anyone 😁 I did have to do a loop of the village at the end to get the mileage in though .

 

[teeonethousand]

Worth any slight repercussions (I don't feel in a fit sate to even cycle around the block today, but on the plus side I've realised I've been a bit of an eejit and that the 1st isn't until Friday. ) as my wife coincidentally went down with the illness a couple a of weeks after my first jab (obviously not triggered from me as they don't use a live virus in the vaccination), and I was left in no doubt that I did better out of the deal.

Hi , how are you now😁

 

[13 rider]

[cough]

Very observant,everyone else missed my deliberate 😁 mistake , now editted

 

[Jon George]

Hi , how are you now😁

Thanks for asking. I went out yesterday with the intention of bagging a point, but felt that the necessary oomph still wasn't quite there. Turned out to be a good decision - the good speed I had on the initial outward leg was due to a strong tailwind that, of course, became an annoying headwind coming back (which would have probably wiped me out for the rest of the day if I'd been forced to face it for duration and the point I was seeking) and ... it also started raining just as I got home.
I figure I'm ahead.

 

[ColinJ]

I cadged a lift to Wellington (near Taunton) today and then cycled a quiet, lumpy route back to my sister's cottage in Devon.

The only big hill of the day was Wellington Hill which starts off gentle but gets steeper and steeper towards the top. The last few bends are over 15% and probably just graze 20% a couple of times.

The route was up and down after that first hill but not excessively so. I did exactly 60 km (about 37 miles) but with 'only'*** 715 m (about 2,350 ft) of ascent.

That was a route back to the south of Tiverton. I will do one north of Tiverton another time.

So, that's me in for August. I may not post about other qualifying rides during the month but will sum up at the end. Which reminds me... I haven't done July's report yet! I will do it this evening after our evening meal


*** If you live somewhere flat that probably sounds like quite a lot of climbing but if I rode 60 km in Yorkshire and/or Lancashire I would typically do 900-1,200 m and occasionally as much as 1,400 m!

 

[bruce1530]

For the first time in ages, I’ve managed to get a ride in at the start of the month, rather than being a tail end Charlie.

I had planned to get out early, but family stuff prevented that. Escaped about 3.30, nice run up the coast to portencross, hunterston and Largs. Roads very busy, so much of the journey was on paths.

Largs was busy, lots of tourists and day trippers. Got a coffee, sat and watched the ferry coming in for a few mins, then back by same route.

 

[sevenfourate]

4.59am out the door this Morning. Nice to get a bit of a lie-in tbh while first light is now semi-rapidly limping backwards….. 🤣

……all in order to catch Sunrise on the Coast. I was prepped, ready and willing to go yesterday Morning. But some slight drizzle upon opening the front door - saw me swap bold ambitions for a walk with the dog instead. Sooooooo glad I did now with the fab start to the day today👌

Pretty much a now standard 50km loop - riding up the Coast from Suffolk, into Norfolk; and taking in Gorleston, Gt Yarmouth and Caister. Before heading inland for the ride home.

Stopped for a bite to eat 10 miles from home on a bench by a pond - and had only sat down a few mins when i heard a guy I sometimes ride with shouting my name. He’d gone out on a spur of the moment ride: seen my bike - but couldn’t see me 🤣

Ended up doing a few miles together - which slowed me down a bit as I was trying and well on track to average 16-16.5mph.

Still. More miles and enjoyment under the belt 😉

 

[13 rider]

4.59am out the door this Morning. Nice to get a bit of a lie-in tbh while first light is now semi-rapidly limping backwards….. 🤣

……all in order to catch Sunrise on the Coast. I was prepped, ready and willing to go yesterday Morning. But some slight drizzle upon opening the front door - saw me swap bold ambitions for a walk with the dog instead. Sooooooo glad I did now with the fab start to the day today👌

Pretty much a now standard 50km loop - riding up the Coast from Suffolk, into Norfolk; and taking in Gorleston, Gt Yarmouth and Caister. Before heading inland for the ride home.

Stopped for a bite to eat 10 miles from home on a bench by a pond - and had only sat down a few mins when i heard a guy I sometimes ride with shouting my name. He’d gone out on a spur of the moment ride: seen my bike - but couldn’t see me 🤣

Ended up doing a few miles together - which slowed me down a bit as I was trying and well on track to average 16-16.5mph.

Still. More miles and enjoyment under the belt 😉

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Sub 2hrs 👍, mine you it's a bit flat 🤣

 

[sevenfourate]

Sub 2hrs 👍, mine you it's a bit flat 🤣

Thanks ! It is. Which means a niggly coastal headwind all the way home today. And no downhill bits to get a rest 😉

 

[sevenfourate]

****Edit: Mmmm.First ever ride in bib-shorts today too. A cheap pair - right shoulder strap (Non adjustable) felt ‘non perfect’ and twisted once (?). But overall a much improved experience over shorts I think 😁

Couple of rides more and I’ll make a decision of buying something better quality.

 

[13 rider]

Just back from my 3rd 50kmer in 3 days ,This one was slightly longer at 37 miles which when added up totaled a satisfying 100.2 miles so my OCD is in order . I may have had to go back out if it had added up to 99 and a bit 🤣

 

[sevenfourate]

It’s amazing to me how many of us (Predominantly ?) live our lives 31.069 miles at a time when sat astride our 2-wheeled tools of pleasure…..

I guess some ‘other rides’ don’t perhaps get posted…….making people’s eagerness to gain a point: appear greater. But if the thread was ‘designed’ to encourage people to ride - I’m imagining it’s as-such succeeded in many cases 👍

 

[iandg]

Cycled out to Moffat to volunteer at LEL. Few dog legs to make it 50km

View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/315748378?privacy_code=iXvBbNckZk3Rvf9t1JW74LQRbuROIX0X

 

[Jon George]

Had a bit of a bimble out to the roads west of Ipswich today, and found myself going down lanes I haven't visited since the beginning of COVID, so some years ago. I had it in the back of my mind to snaffle a point and consequently (based on my usual times for such a distance) went for one. After getting home, having some lunch and then doing a quick Google Maps calculation, I jumped on another bike and rode around the block.

This was one of the new sights I encountered.

 

[teeonethousand]

Second attempt at a local hill today. Sneck Yack Bank aka Boltby Bank aka ' the long hill with unmarried parents' goes up the cliffside of the North York moors..almost in a straight line. It's relentless and gets worse nearer the top. I walked about 50 yards at the top. I then cycled on a cross country route along the cliff top of the moors to Sutton Bank cycle centre where I checked out an electric mountain bike. The plan is to hire one for a day for a full on blast across the moors very old tracks to see whether this could be a new thing for me.

Coming home I still was 1m short so up and down the village again ..the neighbours will think I get all dressed up to just go up and down the street 😂😂

Windy but stunning views.