The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[Tribansman]

There are some nice little rolling hills to the south of me, into Essex and Herts, but nothing long or Quantocky or Mendippy or Dorsetty (my own spelling of those words ). But go north of Cambridge and it's flat, flat, flat.

Yep...heading into the Chilterns is probably the nearest we in Herts/(west)Essex/(south)Cambs can get to decent-ish climbs, but even they aren't long and/or steep enough to be really challenging.

Although there are those that claim that riding in to a relentless Fenland headwind can be as tough as the toughest of climbs. Psychologically at least, I think I'd agree...

 

[ianrauk]

Today's cycling shenanigans
April's Imperial Century Challenge ride done and dusted in glorious warm, sunny weather.
122 miles for the day, so a few handy future Eddington Numbers.
Imperial Century #4 for the year
#308 over all
Imperial Century month 137 in a row.
A perfect cycling day.
Map of the ride. red pre lunch, 64 miles, blue, post lunch 58 miles

Llamas or Alpacas?

Outwood in Surrey

Horne in Surrey

Look closely and you can see the towers and skyscrapers of London
The Shard to the left. Bishopsgate to the Shards right, The Docklands further right. Taken from Chelsfield, Orpington.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I got mine done yesterday. 104.31 miles in some lovely weather around the route I bailed from last month. I had planned to take the Raleigh but found a flat tyre when I went to get it out so it was the Dawes Galaxy instead which was lovely.

Ride write up here for those interested: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/post-6711642

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just updating my post in the challenge thread I notice my last three rides have all been 104 miles. I couldn't have got them all that close if I'd tried.

 

[robjh]

I did my April century yesterday, going to the same destinations - Clacton and Walton-on-the-Naze - as January but via a different route and this time in company. There were 16 of us from a local cycling group ( if you know of cycle-friendly cafés in Cambridge then you may guess which one), and we had a fantastic day with a fish and chips lunch by the sea, thick sea-mist at Walton, and then splitting for two trains home from Ipswich as we were too many for a single one (although Greater Anglia did very decently stretch the bike limits slightly for us). The inland temperatures turned quite warm in the morning and many of us were riding in summer gear for the first time this year, so that the fresh sea breezes came as quite a shock!
This is our group at Frinton.

 

[13 rider]

April's finally done ,just enough today 100.3 imperial miles . Leicester out to the edge of the peak District ,1 mile short of Ashbourne and back via Derby nabbing some velo viewer squares on the way . A bit lumpy with 5300ft of upness
Will update the challenge thread shortly

 

[Trickedem]

Left mine rather late due to family responsibilities, (mainly looking after Grandchildren). On Sunday 24th I travelled up to Selby in Yorkshire with @rb58 so that we could do a recce ride over a couple of days for the Fridays Challenge in June. Monday 25th was from Selby to Boston via Lincoln. Such a flat route, with only 1000ft of climbing over 100 miles. The route out of Lincoln is really nice along the old railway, we also went under the flight path at RAF Coningsby. They stopped the traffic with traffic lights whilst two landed, then let us go, but clearly they didn't expect a slow old cyclist, so the next landing was directly overhead as I was stopped on the road, sadly I didn't get a picture of this.
All in all a great days riding.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Left mine rather late due to family responsibilities, (mainly looking after Grandchildren). On Sunday 24th I travelled up to Selby in Yorkshire with @rb58 so that we could do a recce ride over a couple of days for the Fridays Challenge in June. Monday 25th was from Selby to Boston via Lincoln. Such a flat route, with only 1000ft of climbing over 100 miles. The route out of Lincoln is really nice along the old railway, we also went under the flight path at RAF Coningsby. They stopped the traffic with traffic lights whilst two landed, then let us go, but clearly they didn't expect a slow old cyclist, so the next landing was directly overhead as I was stopped on the road, sadly I didn't get a picture of this.
All in all a great days riding.

View attachment 642029

View attachment 642027

The water railway is a cracking route in/out of Lincoln.

 

[Trickedem]

The water railway is a cracking route in/out of Lincoln.

It certainly is. Really enjoyed it. Lots of wildlife to see.

 

[ianrauk]

And that's May's qualifying ride done and dusted. Out of the door at a silly 6.30am for a ride to the seaside. Camber Sands in Sussex in fact. And a lovely day it was for cycling too. Not too cold, very little wind and only the tiniest amounts of drizzle later in the ride.
So, scores on the doors. 120 miles for the day. So a good few future Eddington numbers in the bag. (5 more 115's to get to that number) Imperial century ride #309 over all. Imperial century month #138 in a row.

 

[sittingbull]

It feels like I'm playing catch-up Yesterday saw me squeeze in April's qualifier with 102 miles up through Ormskirk to Blackburn, I chose this route as I'm not ready for a Wales route but forgot just how hilly the Blackburn area is

The weather started perfect, dry and bright, but drizzle turned to rain at about the 50 mile mark. I've lost some fitness and found this ride quite a hard slog, getting home at 11:50pm, so only just qualifying for April

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I got my May qualifier done yesterday with a ride up to Lake Vyrnwy for the first time in 18 months. Great conditions for it - warm, dry and a fairly good tailwind on the way home. Really enjoyed that one.

105.75 miles, boosted a bit by having to go around a road closure both ways. The write up is here for anyone interested: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/post-6724734

 

[13 rider]

I got my May qualifier done yesterday with a ride up to Lake Vyrnwy for the first time in 18 months. Great conditions for it - warm, dry and a fairly good tailwind on the way home. Really enjoyed that one.

105.75 miles, boosted a bit by having to go around a road closure both ways. The write up is here for anyone interested: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/post-6724734

Bought back memories of my ride there last June which was inspired by your write ups and now I find out you only visit it every 18 months . I think I took the hilliest route from Oswestry and grovelled up the hills on my temp chainset with 53/39 gearing !

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Bought back memories of my ride there last June which was inspired by your write ups and now I find out you only visit it every 18 months . I think I took the hilliest route from Oswestry and grovelled up the hills on my temp chainset with 53/39 gearing !

If it wasn't for dratted covid I'd have been there a lot more often. I'm seriously thinking of going back next month with the Galaxy. (Although I haven't done my Ludlow century route for a long time either )

Well done getting up the hills on that gearing! I don't think there is such a thing as an easy route to Vyrnwy - every road seems to go over a big hill.

 

[Dogtrousers]

My century for this month was going to be Ride London, but then I realised that it's the last weekend of the month, so if for any reason it doesn't happen, I'll have problems. So I went out and rode my own version of the RL route. Quite pleasant, notable absence of hills. I had to battle my own way through central London at the start and end, no closed roads for me. That part of the ride was horrible but it had to be done.