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

[Willd]

@Willd , have you posted today's ride in the correct distance thread ?

Yes, it's 50 km+ & weather permitting I have a couple more rides of around 80 miles planned this month, one of which will do for the 100 km thread

 

[13 rider]

September's monthly round up . Unfortunately we had 2 fallers in September . We have 20 riders fully posted up which leaves 1 rider yet up declare calling @Norry1 who I suspect has done a qualifying ride in .
Well done everyone
A reasonable start to October we all ready have 9 riders with a ride done and dusted

 

[Norry1]

September's monthly round up . Unfortunately we had 2 fallers in September . We have 20 riders fully posted up which leaves 1 rider yet up declare calling @Norry1 who I suspect has done a qualifying ride in .
Well done everyone
A reasonable start to October we all ready have 9 riders with a ride done and dusted

Nope, I'm afraid you are right I am a faller.

Had a major motivation failure - which I'm now over and then started a TrainerRoad Plan and am trying to stick to it - lots of 2hr rides but not the longer ones.

 

[13 rider]

Nope, I'm afraid you are right I am a faller.

Had a major motivation failure - which I'm now over and then started a TrainerRoad Plan and am trying to stick to it - lots of 2hr rides but not the longer ones.

With all the competitive racing you do I suppose you need a bit of down time at some point . Just a point you have been recording half imperial centuries ,if by chance you've done a metric half century in September you could still carry on within the challenge if you wish

 

[bluenotebob]

We have 20 riders fully posted up

That’s a bit lower than in previous years? And it’s remarkably low considering the number of people in the forum. There was a significant increase in forum numbers earlier this year – and I noticed that a couple of "new" guys entered this year’s MCAM challenge … but not this one.

Will you try and target some of the Bike Radar etc “refugees” at the end of this year to see if we can get the numbers up for 2026?

I know that @Donger tried to whip up interest in the Monthly challenges a while back – and it’s probably worth doing again. I tried to get more entrants into the 2025 Lunacy Distance challenge – I did find two more who subsequently disappeared from the forum – disappointing.

It’s hard work with little to show for it – but I still think it’s worth doing.

And it’s also the case that some in this HMCAM challenge can also do the Lunacy Distance – it’s not an “either/or” (unless someone misses a month, in which case they can continue in the Lunacy Distance challenge).

But there does seem to be a huge reluctance amongst forum members to engage in any of the Monthly etc challenges. Surely they’re not all fair-weather riders who only start riding in April?

 

[13 rider]

That’s a bit lower than in previous years?

Yes this year start list was the equal lowest since the challenge began with 24 starters down from a max of 44 in 18/19 in 2015 only 7 completed hopefully we will beat that at least . All the distance challenges are down in numbers this year but the metric century did get a increase from new members . If anyone has any ideas to increase participation feel free to speak up

 

[sevenfourate]

Not feeling great. First ride of any sort for over a month. That was tough. Still: 10 down…….2 to go 😁 And hopefully more to come in October.

My usual silly early start saw me passing the Suffolk Broads early doors:

My speed was so sensational down some back lanes; everything was literally a blur 🤣

‘We’ then arrived at Beccles:

…….via the Old Iron Bridge over the River Waveney: which denotes Beccles Border…..

Before stopping beside the Towns truly magnificent Tower:

And then feeling so-so rough: I just peddled until the front door came into view - taking no more pics 😟

**Documented from a warm bed feeling sorry for myself 😟

 

[ColinJ]

I am back down in Devon and had planned to do lots of 50+ km rides in my 13 free days here (the remaining day of the fortnight being reserved for a trip to the Midlands to visit my other sister). Unfortunately, I had completely forgotten that this has to be only a 1 week visit because my sister has other guests coming in what would have been my second week...

Drat - only 6 riding days here now!!!

I made a good start by nipping out and doing 50.1 km round the lumpy lanes near Crediton this afternoon. Around 680 m of ascent, so not super hard, but hard enough to require a reasonable effort, especially since there was a chilly, blustery wind blowing.

When I get back to Yorkshire next week I will post a list of all qualifying rides that I did during the visit.

 

[Jenkins]

Notched up my 100th qualifying ride of the year this afternoon.

 

[FrothNinja]

Brierfield to Clitheroe return on Tuesday. After previous weeks fail I managed to extend to 50 km. Rode out at dusk, and back in the dark but no aurora which I had been hoping for.
Got home quite cold but not too knackered - in fact I was still a bit buzzy at bed time and took ages to drop off.
Was quite foggy when I set out and a lot of incompetent drivers on the road. Some tit was weaving all over the road from the Nick to Clitheroe to stop me passing. They were almost T boned from the right by a van on the bypass roundabout because they weren't paying attention.
Really enjoyed the return run from the Nick to Sabden (overtook two cars!!!) then the ride along the Ridge.
Visibility on the descents was easier at speed because the damp beaded off my glasses. Along the Ridge on the way back was fun. Light on its lowest setting as it was turning the fog opaque on the higher settings. The effect of the the thick fog on sound and the sense of isolation it produced was unworldy. Remarkably chilly though....

 

[bluenotebob]

If anyone has any ideas to increase participation feel free to speak up

I have been trying to PM you with some ideas but there may be a bug (apparently you don't exist). I've reported the problem and hopefully I'll be able to post the PM soon.

 

[ColinJ]

When I get back to Yorkshire next week I will post a list of all qualifying rides that I did during the visit.

I am heading back from Devon tomorrow.

As planned, I did a 50 km ride on each of the 6 days that I had free.

They were pretty hilly rides, some more so than others. The average ascent per ride was around 775 metres (or 2,500 ft, for you diehard imperialists).

As usual, I criss-crossed the network of lumpy lanes SE of Crediton. I also did a couple of rides to the north of Crediton to Black Dog, one turning west from there, the other turning east.

I didn't do any of the longer routes that I had planned when I (mistakenly!) thought this was a 2 week visit rather just 8 days. I am currently not fit enough to do much more than 300 hilly km in one week, and I wanted to ride every day. I will come down again in the spring and stop for 2 weeks, which should give me time to fit some longer rides in.