The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[Dogtrousers]

Took a day off work to redo my failed attempt from Saturday. What a perfect day for cycling! It was chilly - I don't think it got above 10 degrees, but not freezing. Dry, not windy, blue skies and sunny most of the time. Until, of course, it got dark. It wasn't sunny then.

I managed my visit to the Surrey Hills, but I'm not sure it was a great idea. I think I overestimated my ability to both do a ton of climbing and ride 100 miles. It took 10 and a half hours, and I blew up completely going over Tilburstow hill on the way home. The last 15-20 miles home from there, including Ganger's Hill, was a real struggle. Plus the lanes on the Downs were more busy on a Friday evening than I'm used to. So riding in the dark on busy country lanes, wasn't much fun, but I survived.

Now for a bath, pizza, and early bed. I'm done in.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've been fiddling with "collections" in Ride With GPS to make a map of all my rides. It works but isn't very clear. Or perhaps that's my defective colour vision. Here are my two so far

 

[Tribansman]

Did my second for Feb today, just squeezed it in to keep pace with my one a week challenge.

My first in Feb - so qualifier for this challenge - was on a much more amenable day weatherwise and a more pleasant route. Both on my single speed as it's my only working bike at the moment. Fortunate to live in a pretty flat area, although the headwind sections in the fens today were probably equivent to a long steady climb; brutal!

Good idea @Dogtrousers to map annual centuries. I'll see if I can use veloviewer for that as me and ridewithgps don't really get on.

Btw, I did map out a loop ride around the M25 that's been on my list for ages, I think it came to about 150 miles and quite lot of climbing through the Surrey hills and out Rickmansworth way. Thinking you'd probably be able to advise on the best route on the SW to SE section, given your manor, if I sent you the gpx file? You're welcome to join me if you fancy it on one of the long light summer days. As is anyone else nearbyish, even if just for part of the loop that's most convenient...

 

[Dogtrousers]

Btw, I did map out a loop ride around the M25 that's been on my list for ages, I think it came to about 150 miles and quite lot of climbing through the Surrey hills and out Rickmansworth way. Thinking you'd probably be able to advise on the best route on the SW to SE section, given your manor, if I sent you the gpx file? You're welcome to join me if you fancy it on one of the long light summer days. As is anyone else nearbyish, even if just for part of the loop that's most convenient...

Happy to have a look at your GPS. SW isn't really my manor so much as SE.

You're not alone in planning this. Unfortunately I don't yet have my pre-pandemic legs from when I planned this. I've been thinking about this for ages. Here's mine, I've test ridden most of it between Gatwick and St Albans (anticlockwise). My idea was to start and finish at Gatwick because of the good rail connections. I've worked hard to keep the climbing to a minimum.

Joining you on it might be a good idea. Let me know your plans but also rely on me wimping out. I'm an expert wimper-out. I'm also very slow which makes me reluctant to join others as I can't keep up/have to slow them down.

I hope this link works https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31964024?privacy_code=mtE4zJg3x9CUtdOY

If not here's a picture. In imperial units this comes to 172 miles, 8,248 ft. I managed to thread a flat-ish route through Surrey. The big lump is Ide Hill/The Greensand Ridge

PS there's a 300k Audax called "London Orbital". The nearest I've got to doing this is manning a control and stamping people's cards. Here's the route (not mine) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28340956

 

[Tribansman]

Happy to have a look at your GPS. SW isn't really my manor so much as SE.

You're not alone in planning this. Unfortunately I don't yet have my pre-pandemic legs from when I planned this. I've been thinking about this for ages. Here's mine, I've test ridden most of it between Gatwick and St Albans (anticlockwise). My idea was to start and finish at Gatwick because of the good rail connections. I've worked hard to keep the climbing to a minimum.

Joining you on it might be a good idea. Let me know your plans but also rely on me wimping out. I'm an expert wimper-out. I'm also very slow which makes me reluctant to join others as I can't keep up/have to slow them down.

I hope this link works https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31964024?privacy_code=mtE4zJg3x9CUtdOY

If not here's a picture. In imperial units this comes to 172 miles, 8,248 ft. I managed to thread a flat-ish route through Surrey. The big lump is Ide Hill/The Greensand Ridge
View attachment 630806

PS there's a 300k Audax called "London Orbital". The nearest I've got to doing this is manning a control and stamping people's cards. Here's the route (not mine) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28340956

That's a fantastic looking route, thanks! And agree Gatwick sounds a good place to start.

Will keep you posted on my plans, but thinking potentially weekend of/nearest to summer solstice as like to try and do a big ride there. Enough time to get nearer to pre pandemic fitness? No worries about speed though, happy to go at whatever pace, and this sort of ride needs to be slow and steady anyway.

Just checked the one I'd planned and it's nearer 200 miles and 12,000ft, so I'll ignore that and go with yours!

 

[Fiona R]

I'm just about recovering from Saturday. Originally I was going to ride an audax from Tewkesbury the previous weekend, new route and not ridiculously hilly but I'd had a chest infection so DNS. I didn't have to ride Wells and Mells audax for a third time, I could have done my own thing. It is one heck of a tough one, especially in winter. 4 nasty stabby %()%^&(*&^* hills and constant ups and downs in between! The first time I got back with seconds to spare in 2019 I rode it mainly on my own. I was better in 2020 having completed an RRtY in 2019. I actually got up King Alfred's Tower without walking. I was back riding in the company of others with 90 minutes spare. Saturday was seconds again. I was over official time but was OK in minimum audax time. I'm carrying even more weight and although fitness is building I'm still way off early 2020.

Saturday was WINDY. 100km into the headwind from home nr Bristol to Yeovil/Batcombe solo. Off the back of about 90 starters. West Harptree was harder than normal, already 85of 90 were in front when I reached Wells. I had to walk King Alfred and not just the last 100m. The headwind from Stourhead to Yeovil was horrific. Beans on burnt toast and a mug of tea, I was scraping round. I just kept telling myself I had to keep going, it was so far to call out the broom wagon and whilst I was still just on time I'd keep going. I bottomed out mentally at the last control in Mere even after 50km of tailwind. A Co op latte and a smoothie gathered me enough to keep going to Radstock, knowing the last tranche of hills were brutal too. In the dark I battled on, thankful that the forecast rain hadn't moved in properly. Survived Colliers Way into Radstock. Survived potholes and gravel and crept downhill, came off on one pothole very slow motion but not a soul about so no harm done. Resigned myself to the last 30km. Walked up Woolard and fell into the pub. Wimped out of riding 12km home. Type II-III.

 

[robjh]

Phew, got my ride for February in today, on what was going to be the last feasible day for me this month.

I love getting out before dawn on winter mornings so was out before 6, just me and the birdsong and a vague lightening on the horizon. I didn't pay enough heed to the temperature though and had soon found the spots of black ice on the hill roads into Essex and came off the bike at low speed about quarter to 7. I sat down and got myself together for a few minutes, then carried on but soooooo cautiously and slowly. Next came a puncture, and I took 45 minutes with cold hands as my pump de-cored a valve three times, until I patched the old tyre and put it back in. It was thankfully getting a bit warmer now with the sun up, and I lasted an hour until the next puncture.
Despite this dodgy start, it turned out to be a lovely day for riding as I climbed over the Chilterns between Luton and Hitchin, then negotiated some lumpy little roads through woodland near the M1 on the way into Ampthill. It was a beautiful crisp sunny day with the first signs of spring, and I cast off layer after layer as the temperature rose, but still needed my windproof gilet.
I do find though on circular trips on my own that the last stretch on familiar roads can become a bit of a drag and today was no exception, especially once I turned back into the wind, but altogether a great day out on the bike.

 

[robjh]

Happy to have a look at your GPS. SW isn't really my manor so much as SE.

You're not alone in planning this. Unfortunately I don't yet have my pre-pandemic legs from when I planned this. I've been thinking about this for ages. Here's mine, I've test ridden most of it between Gatwick and St Albans (anticlockwise). My idea was to start and finish at Gatwick because of the good rail connections. I've worked hard to keep the climbing to a minimum.

Joining you on it might be a good idea. Let me know your plans but also rely on me wimping out. I'm an expert wimper-out. I'm also very slow which makes me reluctant to join others as I can't keep up/have to slow them down.

I hope this link works https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31964024?privacy_code=mtE4zJg3x9CUtdOY

If not here's a picture. In imperial units this comes to 172 miles, 8,248 ft. I managed to thread a flat-ish route through Surrey. The big lump is Ide Hill/The Greensand Ridge
View attachment 630806

PS there's a 300k Audax called "London Orbital". The nearest I've got to doing this is manning a control and stamping people's cards. Here's the route (not mine) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28340956

Hi Dogtrousers, would you mind if I copied that London orbital route? Some of my Cambridge cycling crowd talk of doing this one day but we've never get ourselves organised to do anything about it. One day.... but your route could certainly serve as inspiration.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Hi Dogtrousers, would you mind if I copied that London orbital route? Some of my Cambridge cycling crowd talk of doing this one day but we've never get ourselves organised to do anything about it. One day.... but your route could certainly serve as inspiration.

Not at all. Although I'm still working on it.

I'm planning to ride some century length test rides round different parts in the coming months and then possibly the whole thing maybe in the summer. Or maybe not ... it's been on my to-do list for ages and has so far remained undone.

So I'll re-post the route when I've properly tested it

 

[sittingbull]

I got my February qualifier done today too

In comparison (to @robjh) it was pretty uneventful, nothing broke, snapped or fell off or went bang The only problem was my camera batteries died instantly and despite my attempts to revive them by warming them which brought the camera back to life It failed to save any pix

I set off early afternoon in a South Easterly direction towards Crewe into a relentless headwind, fortunately it was still there to push me home on the return leg and I needed it It's nearly 2 months since my last ton and it seemed a very long way.

Temps were fine until evening when I added another layer up top and swapped the Sealskins for some lobster claw gloves. I saw one gritter out spreading little round marbles all over the road

Good luck to those going tomorrow (or Monday)

 

[13 rider]

Managed it on my last chance . 102 miles from Leicester to Coventry and Rugby to grab some velo viewer squares .Was under dressed for the first third a bit chilly early doors ,perfectly dressed for the middle third and overdressed for the last third . But for February it was really a lovely day certainly a lot better than most of the month but still windier than I would have liked

 

[ianrauk]

Got my February qualifying ride done today too. The cold headwinds and Kent Oasts ride. An anti clockwise loop through Surrey and Kent.
A lovely day for it. Blue skies and sunny all day. The first half of the ride suffered from very naughty headwinds which made for tough going and making it feel colder than it actually was. Didn't stop a good few cyclists going out on shorts and short sleeve jerseys... masochists.
Anyhoo.. 104 miles on the clock for the day.
Century month #136 in a row

 

[Trickedem]

Well I really did leave that to the last minute. I had other commitments earlier in the month, but I had booked last Monday off work to do the ride. But then Storm Franklin put paid to that. To add insult to injury I also tested positive for COVID. So Monday 28th Feb, was my last possible chance.
I has originally planned to ride down to Margate, then turn South and make my way to Ashford to finish the day. But I soon figured that the strong Southerly winds would make that difficult. So I just did an out and back ride. The weather was great and quite warm out of the wind. It is a fairly flat route too, which helped with my lack of fitness.

So for now, my 12th year is still in plan.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6752123067
My route.

Obligatory Seaside Pic

A nice pint at my local micro pub to finish the day.

 

[13 rider]

Think all made it with half of us doing it over the last weekend !

 

[Dogtrousers]

March done. Rode from Gatwick to St Albans round the eastern side of the M25 route discussed above.

Not a great ride. Finished the ride very,very knackered and a bit dehydrated as I didn't ride past any petrol stations or little shops.