rb58
Enigma
- Location
- Bexley, Kent
The turkeys are ready for Christmas - they told me so themselves. Quite loudly.
The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone
- Thread starter Rob S
- Start date
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rb58
Enigma
- Location
- Bexley, Kent
All done for 2017. With @Trickedem as my riding buddy today, we skipped the rain, had largely favourable winds, and temperatures warmer than it has been of late. So, everything slotted into place as we headed to Tiptree on one of our regular routes for a half way stop and breakfast. On the way we paid homage to the turkeys as is tradition this time of year. They responded with their usual gusto. Such a shame! 
Apart from much faffing at the Dartford Crossing where the cycle transport was discovered to have a flat tyre, and the back up (such as it was) had no bike rack, we were incident free - although the Essex drivers did their best to make it otherwise. We held a good steady pace so as not to upset my dodgy knee.
So, that's the seventh year I've completed the challenge. As is traditional, I have vowed not to enter next year, but come the 1st January, I know what I shall be doing!!
Apart from much faffing at the Dartford Crossing where the cycle transport was discovered to have a flat tyre, and the back up (such as it was) had no bike rack, we were incident free - although the Essex drivers did their best to make it otherwise. We held a good steady pace so as not to upset my dodgy knee.
So, that's the seventh year I've completed the challenge. As is traditional, I have vowed not to enter next year, but come the 1st January, I know what I shall be doing!!
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Congratulations and a Gold Star to those that have completed the 2017 Imperial Century a Month challenge.
@rb58
@Trickedem
@Supersuperleeds
@13 rider
@Rickshaw Phil
@HLaB
@Dogtrousers
@Aravis
@Racing roadkill
I'm planning on doing my qualifying ride this coming weekend.
Then it's not long until the 2018 challenge.
@rb58
@Trickedem
@Supersuperleeds
@13 rider
@Rickshaw Phil
@HLaB
@Dogtrousers
@Aravis
@Racing roadkill
I'm planning on doing my qualifying ride this coming weekend.
Then it's not long until the 2018 challenge.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Well done to all, good luck to those still to finish
Just checking my stars are showing right. Well done everyone. And @ianrauk hurry up!
I have a gold star 
. Thanks to @Supersuperleeds for talking (bullying) me into the challenge and for his and @tallliman company on quite a few of the rides which certainly made it them easier . She's thanks for all the encouragement from everyone else Good luck to those still to get a ride in
. Thanks to @Supersuperleeds for talking (bullying) me into the challenge and for his and @tallliman company on quite a few of the rides which certainly made it them easier . She's thanks for all the encouragement from everyone else Good luck to those still to get a ride inWell that's my qualifying ride done for December and 2017's challenge complete. Another gold star for me
I was awake early this morning but was in two minds as to whether get out there and ride. The overnight weather report for for minus temperatures and rain during the day. If I didn't do the ride today then I would have had only two other days in December to do the ride, and one of those would have been the 31st.
So, I just got out there and got on with it. It was very cold, it was icy in places and frosty in lots. But the going wasn't that bad. So early on a Sunday morning meant very little traffic so progress was pretty swift. 10.30am I was in Ashford International Station warming up with a pot of tea, scrambles egg on toast and a huge choccy cake.
In Ashford Station, a tad frosty.
I didn't hang around for too long as both the Norwegians and the BBC both predicted rain from 1pm onwards.
I just reversed the route put my head down and turned the pedals. Once again little traffic made for swift progress.
Come 1pm the predicted rain did arrive but not heavy, more a drizzle. It wasn't to bad but did last the rest of the ride. I had chosen my clothing and footwear wisely though so I was toasty warm and dry the whole ride.
I walked in the door at 2.30pm. 101 miles on the clock and the challenge completed. Century # 31 for the year, # 228 over all and #85 Imperial Century month in a row. The bike was filthy.. but now all squeaky clean again.
Roll on 2018... it's just around the corner.
I was awake early this morning but was in two minds as to whether get out there and ride. The overnight weather report for for minus temperatures and rain during the day. If I didn't do the ride today then I would have had only two other days in December to do the ride, and one of those would have been the 31st.
So, I just got out there and got on with it. It was very cold, it was icy in places and frosty in lots. But the going wasn't that bad. So early on a Sunday morning meant very little traffic so progress was pretty swift. 10.30am I was in Ashford International Station warming up with a pot of tea, scrambles egg on toast and a huge choccy cake.
In Ashford Station, a tad frosty.
I didn't hang around for too long as both the Norwegians and the BBC both predicted rain from 1pm onwards.
I just reversed the route put my head down and turned the pedals. Once again little traffic made for swift progress.
Come 1pm the predicted rain did arrive but not heavy, more a drizzle. It wasn't to bad but did last the rest of the ride. I had chosen my clothing and footwear wisely though so I was toasty warm and dry the whole ride.
I walked in the door at 2.30pm. 101 miles on the clock and the challenge completed. Century # 31 for the year, # 228 over all and #85 Imperial Century month in a row. The bike was filthy.. but now all squeaky clean again.
Roll on 2018... it's just around the corner.
Last edited:
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Also done (and I felt done in afterwards...). Rode from Haslemere into London for the Xmas FNRttC. Would have ridden from home, but the Honda was in the garage to get the engine gremlins sorted, and didn't get done till 4pm ish. Stuck a few bits of extra mileage in, most deliberately, before getting to the South Bank. After eight miles back to St Pancras with Olaf et al & shivering in Starbucks for a while, set off back west at 4.47 am. Reached the end in Guildford at 9.30 or so, having stuck some extra mileage around the county town of Surrey to make up for the three and a bit miles in Putney/Roehampton I failed to record earlier on (whoops). I stuck to A-roads as I thought Plough Lane etc would be too risky. Ended up on the A3 southbound after Ripley after a wrong turn. Don't try this yourselves, folks.. Defrosted and ate many calories in Wetherspoons before dozing on the train home.
Same again next year? Absolutely!
https://www.strava.com/activities/1317504523
Same again next year? Absolutely!
https://www.strava.com/activities/1317504523
rb58
Enigma
- Location
- Bexley, Kent
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
Many thanks to @ianrauk for organising this once again.
I've been amused to see many pages of discussion in the Metric Century thread about possible tweaks to the rules, yet here.....nothing! The purity and simplicity of this challenge is plainly one its virtues.
But at the same time, I frequently regret that there's nothing to improve once a month has been successfully ticked off, which for most of us invariably seems to happen when the days are still well in single figures. Clearly there's nothing to stop us setting our own personal challenge, and maybe even talk about it here. It might even catch on...
Having managed two qualifying rides in January, I naturally wanted to maintain that through the year, and.....yeah, I did it! Even in the far off days of my youth I never managed a century in every month; it feels like quite an achievement.
I don't think I'll be doing three a month next year. I'd be better off trying to to improve in other ways.
Only a few days until January. I can hardly wait!
I've been amused to see many pages of discussion in the Metric Century thread about possible tweaks to the rules, yet here.....nothing! The purity and simplicity of this challenge is plainly one its virtues.
But at the same time, I frequently regret that there's nothing to improve once a month has been successfully ticked off, which for most of us invariably seems to happen when the days are still well in single figures. Clearly there's nothing to stop us setting our own personal challenge, and maybe even talk about it here. It might even catch on...
Having managed two qualifying rides in January, I naturally wanted to maintain that through the year, and.....yeah, I did it! Even in the far off days of my youth I never managed a century in every month; it feels like quite an achievement.
I don't think I'll be doing three a month next year. I'd be better off trying to to improve in other ways.
Only a few days until January. I can hardly wait!
- Location
- Egham
Well we like to make it seem a bit less of a challenge
Hopefully be joing this one in 2018, and I'll settle for a single one each month..
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I am going to attempt to not do an imperial century in January and lumber myself with them for the rest of the year! 
(I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for no unseasonably fine weather, or I might be tempted to do something foolish like tackling my 100+ mile route to Lytham and back ...
)
(I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for no unseasonably fine weather, or I might be tempted to do something foolish like tackling my 100+ mile route to Lytham and back ...
)
