The 2026 Half Century (50km or 50 mile) a month challenge chatzone

[kapelmuur]

Welcome @Osprey to the 100 month completed in the challenge club ,membership 9 , Myself ,@Spinney ,@Jon George ,@steverob ,@Bazzer ,@bruce1530 @Domus and @kapelmuur

Thanks for being keeper of the flame for all those years!

I only took up the challenge as an incentive to get the miles in for a planned 100 mile ride, but once I got into it it became addictive.

 

[sevenfourate]

Nothing outstanding to report here. Infact I’d intended to ride yesterday - but I’ve been feeling fairly average at best this week: so decided to defer until this Morning. Just so happened that fell into May 😁

So I had a ‘vision’ to make my next ride a Sunrise saunter over to the very quaint Town of Southwold; further up the Coast. And somewhere I don’t visit often…..

Not too many pictures today: but I did get a quick snap of the Green at Southwold overlooking the sea, presumably with some ancient defensive canons. And the dome of Sizewell B Powerstation in the very far background:

The sun started to rise. And standing there; I felt very tired only 20 odd miles in 🙄 - so grabbed some calories while I waited:

Boom ! This is why I got up early:

The lowdown. *Check out my ‘massive’ Suffolk elevation today 🤣

 

[teeonethousand]

@sevenfourate one day I will get up before you have finished your 50k 😂😂😂

 

[teeonethousand]

Today I got both my miles and my steps in. I went onto the North Yorkshire Moors from here and that always involves many hills and a main one up onto the top that is very steep.

Today's very steep one is very very steep..then gets steeper....and is one that I have failed at before ....and did so again😂 so walked the top bit. Even the walking was tiptoes and hard work.

Nice views though

 

[ColinJ]

@sevenfourate one day I will get up before you have finished your 50k 😂😂😂

He sometimes finishes just after I get to sleep!!

 

[sevenfourate]

@sevenfourate one day I will get up before you have finished your 50k 😂😂😂

I'm starting / opening up at work approx 6-6.15am right now. I was keen to ride this week.......and to also then free up whats forecast as a rubbish weather weekend here. And leaving silly-early to get to work on-time of course. Although thats not really ever too much of a chore if the weathers nice.

The flip-side is i bet i'm in bed before you



Enjoy your Bank Hol weekend

 

[VinSumRox]

First ride of the month, 60km out to Gordon for soup and cake and back, nice weather to start, rain started just as we got home.

 

[13 rider]

Well done @sevenfourate for once again leading the early morning charge in to Mays challenge . Well done to the other 3 more relaxed starters getting a 1st day ride in ,for once I won't be completing a ride on the 1st big family day so it will have to wait until tomorrow

 

[Jenkins]

Crossing the railway lines that many times in one 50k ride is amazing !

Were you getting the hang of it by the end ?

Crossing was the easy part, remembering if it was over, under or across was the problem.

As a frequent train traveller on that line and noticing how many bridges/crossings there were it was just one of those little fun challenges to plan & ride. I've done something similar in the past with the mainline from Diss to Norwich (14 crossings) and the various road bridges over the Thames (17 from Tower Bridge to Richmond plus another over the Serpentine ).

 

[13 rider]

11.05.26

73 kms

Vilvoorde - Antwerpen

https://strava.app.link/Vt5SNHPf52b

1 pt.

2026 Total : 5️⃣

I was wondering if you thought putting your distance in Kms would make me miss the fact you've done 45.5 miles without rounding it up to 50 miles 👍, you certainly can't blame any upcoming hills

 

[Spartak]

Working in Belgium and have taken my bike.
Nice ride from Vilvoorde - Antwerp dropping off my rucksack & seatpack in Elewijt then continued on thru Mechelen on wonderful cycle lanes. Headwind & drizzle all the way to Antwerp, but after stopping for a coffee & a beer at Bier Central near the train station, the sun came out, which gave me a tailwind & sunshine all the way back. Stopped in Mechelen Grote Markt for further refreshment before heading back to my hotel.

Cycling in Belgium 🇧🇪 is great, fantastic cycle lanes and cars stopping at every junction for you to cross, the bike is king here ... 👍

 

[VinSumRox]

Working in Belgium and have taken my bike.
Nice ride from Vilvoorde - Antwerp dropping off my rucksack & seatpack in Elewijt then continued on thru Mechelen on wonderful cycle lanes. Headwind & drizzle all the way to Antwerp, but after stopping for a coffee & a beer at Bier Central near the train station, the sun came out, which gave me a tailwind & sunshine all the way back. Stopped in Mechelen Grote Markt for further refreshment before heading back to my hotel.

Cycling in Belgium 🇧🇪 is great, fantastic cycle lanes and cars stopping at every junction for you to cross, the bike is king here ... 👍

View attachment 807998

View attachment 807999

We spent a few days cycling in the Ardennes, a really good area , quiet rural roads and wee villages.

 

[Spartak]

I was wondering if you thought putting your distance in Kms would make me miss the fact you've done 45.5 miles without rounding it up to 50 miles 👍, you certainly can't blame any upcoming hills

I'm a km type of man ... 😂