StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Yup (and stop swearing
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The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone
- Thread starter Rob S
- Start date
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Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
Wednesday (30th) and today looked like possibilities. Early morning temperatures were forecast to be a bit higher and I didn't like the thought of leaving it to the very last day, when anything might come up to get in the way.
I'm sure medical opinion would have been against me. One doctor a few days ago said that with what I'm taking there's no reason not to do shortish rides. Now where would we be without a little creative interpretation?
The first thing I noticed when starting was that for what felt like normal effort my speed was a couple of mph down on what I'd expect. So to see this through a considerable length of time riding after dark was going to be needed. This was almost certainly partly due to medication, but it's not really in our nature to give up at that stage, is it?
I'd planned a nice route continuing the ABC Saints theme, but once I turned off the main road at about 15 miles it was looking extremely improbable. Turning onto a short but important section of very minor road there was a lot of thick ice, and in attempting to stop lost my front wheel and came down heavily on my right. The only damage to the bike was a broken rear light - one of many reason you should always have at least two - and I avoided extending my arm so my scaphoid and clavicle were safe. However I did land on my upper arm and my ribs took the full force. But once I managed to stand up - not so easy to work out how to do that when your lower foot is still clipped in - the ribs didn't feel too bad. So not time for a call home yet.
Having gingerly made my way back to the A38, my revised plan was to head up and down the main roads (traffic was reasonably light everywhere) and clock up the miles that way. So I headed towards Worcester, reversed at the first roundabout, then at the Upton crossing took the B-road to Pershore. There I did a nice circuit of the green and the magnificent Abbey.
Some of the road closure signing was contradictory, but drivers seemed to be using the Eckington Bridge road confidently in both directions so I did the same. There was a short flooded section, but the wheels of the car in front helpfully showed me a good line to take. From there I headed out on the Stow road, intending to reverse at the Toddington roundabout. At this point I was still only in the high 50s and not feeling good. The rib injury was clearly causing me to make adjustments affecting my neck and shoulders. Even simply mounting the bike and restarting was becoming difficult.
After reaching Tewkesbury my plan had been to cross the river and do the straightforward Upton loop which would have taken me pretty much to the exact 100. Normally I'd do that without a second thought, but in all honesty I wasn't feeling particularly safe and I decided to head straight for a spot near home, which I would reach at about 80 miles. I called to explain to my wife what I was doing, and set about touring local roads I'm reasonably confident of, with as little repetition as possible. I'd be hard pressed to remember a section of a ride I've enjoyed less. The numbers inched upwards agonisingly slowly, but as we all know as long as you can turn the pedals you will move forward. I stopped the clock at 100.47 miles, all happily uploaded and verified. A delicious fish pie was waiting to be served.
In all honesty this adventure was probably unwise and unjustifiably dangerous. But honour is satisfied in this strangest of all years - apart from the one about to start perhaps. Whether I'll be fit to join the challenge next year is not a question to consider at the moment. One thing I do always like to remember is that by the end of January the hours of daylight have increased by an hour, and it's a long month. Plenty of time for things to change for the better.
I'm sure medical opinion would have been against me. One doctor a few days ago said that with what I'm taking there's no reason not to do shortish rides. Now where would we be without a little creative interpretation?
The first thing I noticed when starting was that for what felt like normal effort my speed was a couple of mph down on what I'd expect. So to see this through a considerable length of time riding after dark was going to be needed. This was almost certainly partly due to medication, but it's not really in our nature to give up at that stage, is it?
I'd planned a nice route continuing the ABC Saints theme, but once I turned off the main road at about 15 miles it was looking extremely improbable. Turning onto a short but important section of very minor road there was a lot of thick ice, and in attempting to stop lost my front wheel and came down heavily on my right. The only damage to the bike was a broken rear light - one of many reason you should always have at least two - and I avoided extending my arm so my scaphoid and clavicle were safe. However I did land on my upper arm and my ribs took the full force. But once I managed to stand up - not so easy to work out how to do that when your lower foot is still clipped in - the ribs didn't feel too bad. So not time for a call home yet.
Having gingerly made my way back to the A38, my revised plan was to head up and down the main roads (traffic was reasonably light everywhere) and clock up the miles that way. So I headed towards Worcester, reversed at the first roundabout, then at the Upton crossing took the B-road to Pershore. There I did a nice circuit of the green and the magnificent Abbey.
Some of the road closure signing was contradictory, but drivers seemed to be using the Eckington Bridge road confidently in both directions so I did the same. There was a short flooded section, but the wheels of the car in front helpfully showed me a good line to take. From there I headed out on the Stow road, intending to reverse at the Toddington roundabout. At this point I was still only in the high 50s and not feeling good. The rib injury was clearly causing me to make adjustments affecting my neck and shoulders. Even simply mounting the bike and restarting was becoming difficult.
After reaching Tewkesbury my plan had been to cross the river and do the straightforward Upton loop which would have taken me pretty much to the exact 100. Normally I'd do that without a second thought, but in all honesty I wasn't feeling particularly safe and I decided to head straight for a spot near home, which I would reach at about 80 miles. I called to explain to my wife what I was doing, and set about touring local roads I'm reasonably confident of, with as little repetition as possible. I'd be hard pressed to remember a section of a ride I've enjoyed less. The numbers inched upwards agonisingly slowly, but as we all know as long as you can turn the pedals you will move forward. I stopped the clock at 100.47 miles, all happily uploaded and verified. A delicious fish pie was waiting to be served.
In all honesty this adventure was probably unwise and unjustifiably dangerous. But honour is satisfied in this strangest of all years - apart from the one about to start perhaps. Whether I'll be fit to join the challenge next year is not a question to consider at the moment. One thing I do always like to remember is that by the end of January the hours of daylight have increased by an hour, and it's a long month. Plenty of time for things to change for the better.
+1 well doneWell done @Aravis,Great effort
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Very well done.
Soltydog
Legendary Member
- Location
- near Hornsea
Well done. A triumph over adversity. Chapeau indeed.
Tribansman
Veteran
Heroic effort and great resilience 👍 bet it was agony once the initial adrenaline from your fall wore off!
Here's to a better 2021 for everyone... 🤞
Soltydog
Legendary Member
- Location
- near Hornsea
January rides are going to be 'interesting' due to tonight's announcement. Allowed out for local exercise, how local is local? If I take the challenge on it will just be local loops for me, 10-15 miles max from home
January rides are going to be 'interesting' due to tonight's announcement. Allowed out for local exercise, how local is local? If I take the challenge on it will just be local loops for me, 10-15 miles max from home
Exactly. It doesn't make any sense as usual.
But. we'll work around it to get a ride in.
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
All of us can demonstrate very easily that in normal circumstances we frequently ride 50 miles or more from home and back again in a single effort. If we are modifying our plans so that we remain much closer to home whilst still riding a similar distance, then I'd be happy to argue that this is "staying local".
So far we've been spared from arbitrary limits on time spent exercising or distance allowed from home. Let us hope that continues. Looking at the section "If you break the rules" in the latest guidance/regulations, I don't get the impression that those riding bikes whilst keeping themselves to themselves are the people the authorities are concerned about.
So far we've been spared from arbitrary limits on time spent exercising or distance allowed from home. Let us hope that continues. Looking at the section "If you break the rules" in the latest guidance/regulations, I don't get the impression that those riding bikes whilst keeping themselves to themselves are the people the authorities are concerned about.
Tribansman
Veteran
That's my plan too @Trickedem. If the icy/cold conditions persist, I may have to tweak the route to avoid any really minor/shaded roads.
I had planned on doing three or four centuries per month this year, but don't think this is in the spirit of the regulations, and multiple local loop rides would be boring anyway, especially as all other riding likely to be on the same roads.
Maybe time to dust off and tune up my mountain bike and build up my knowledge of local tracks, although I'm not in the most inspiring of areas for that...woods are about as exciting as it gets in Herts and there aren't that many of them with bike trails.
I had planned on doing three or four centuries per month this year, but don't think this is in the spirit of the regulations, and multiple local loop rides would be boring anyway, especially as all other riding likely to be on the same roads.
Maybe time to dust off and tune up my mountain bike and build up my knowledge of local tracks, although I'm not in the most inspiring of areas for that...woods are about as exciting as it gets in Herts and there aren't that many of them with bike trails.
I will also be keeping any long rides private on Strava. I expected there will be 'journalists' scouring Strava and the like to produce a story about how bad cyclists are.
Just watching local East Midlands news . Derbyshire police have fined 2 people for driving 5 miles to a reservoir for a walk !!! . Nottinghamshire police say that would be ok 
. News report got around to what is local ,your village or part of town is apparently the definition. Cycling got mentioned and the word local was raised again but the Notts police officer seemed really relaxed about cycling . So its clear as mud what you can do
If we are staying local could the not returning to home rule be relaxed ?
. News report got around to what is local ,your village or part of town is apparently the definition. Cycling got mentioned and the word local was raised again but the Notts police officer seemed really relaxed about cycling . So its clear as mud what you can do If we are staying local could the not returning to home rule be relaxed ?
