The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[robjh]

I did August's qualifying ride on Sunday 3rd, the first day of LEL 2025, which I measured from the start of my batch of riders (07:30) to my first sleep stop (23:00).
This was quite an easy first day with a few little hills in North Essex followed by a rather dull slog across the Fens, mostly in drizzle and dealing with some headwinds, then in the afternoon the gentle hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds leading to the Humber Bridge which we crossed in the dark. I stopped only at the designated controls of Northstowe, Boston, Louth and finally Hessle, but we were well fed at each. I could see other riders for the entire way, and joined a group in the dark for the last descent towards the Humber.
Hessle control was busy to overflowing but I was lucky enough to get a mattress for 3 hours sleep before the next stage. You may have heard by now that LEL was paused then cancelled later on Monday, but that was another day.

Distance for this part of LEL : 189.4 miles, or 304.8 km.
My 171st century ride ever, and 80th consecutive month.

strava link

 

[ianrauk]

Like Rob above. My August qualifying ride was the first day of LEL 2025.
I had an earlier start, 5.15am. The first 189 miles to Hessle (I soon found out its pronounced Hezzle) was pretty much flat and I made quick and steady progress despite the continual headwind. I arrived at Hessle control at 8.30pm. Lucky to have a couple of friends from Hull come out to meet meto say hello and show some support.
Half an hour later I was on my way to Malton control, in the dark. A rolling ride at times in the pitch black. Pretty scary on the ups and downs. But slow and steady I got there at 12.45am with an additional 43 miles on the clock for a total of 232 miles for the day.
Then the proverbial hit the fan with Floris.
Imperial Century #357
Imperial Century Month #177

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I got mine done for August yesterday. 103.11 miles around north Shropshire at 14.2 mph average. One of those rides where it all just seems to gel and it was a pleasure to be out. If only it was always like that.

The ride report is here: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/post-7476786

Some snaps that didn't make it into the report:

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Somehow managed to post the above to the Metric Century thread. I'd had some wine but not that much!

 

[13 rider]

Augusts ton in the bag . I'd had this date in the diary for a while arranged to meet the family on the coast at Skegness or Skeg Vagas as us Leicester folk call it . Unfortunately the normal prevailing wind which nicely pushes you towards the coast was swapped for one form the North East meaning I had a headwind 😞 for nearly all the 105 miles making a tough day out . I nearly broke mentally one one long arrow straight stretch into a block headwind ,I was definitely questioning life choices at this point and cursing this thread ,but its done now so all good 😊

 

[footloose crow]

24 August

Phew! Just managed to get this ride done before it starts to rain for the next month (long range forecast). It has been a busy month; I became a grandad. After six months telling my son he had no idea what was going to hit him with fatherhood, it turns out I didn't know what grandfather-hood was going to be like either. Quite a hit for me too.

As it was the August Bank Holiday and Cornwall is pretty busy, I planned a route that avoided all main or even any 'numbered' roads. There were a lot of people trying to assassinate me during last week's rides, so I didn't want to take any (more) chances. Most close passes ever. Horrible driving.

Pros: the back lanes were quiet. They are very hard to find!

Cons: my Wahoo identified 40 significant hills. Thats one very 2.5 miles and most were double digit gradients up and down.

So I had a quiet ride but not one where it was possible to get into any groove and just tap away. It went well, the scenery was good and the weather amenable. I did have a minor meltdown around 120km in (I am fully metric now!) but a caffeine gel sorted that out.

It was a slow ride, average 20kmh or 12mph but in my defence it did have a lot of hills. Next month I will look for more undulating routes with the possibility of steady riding.

So thats probably the last summer ride. I wonder what September will bring?

 

[13 rider]

Congratulations on becoming a Granddad @footloose crow. On July's ride I went up into the peaks and did nearly 6000ft of upness over 25 wahoo climbs and on this ride I was comtemplating how I gained elevation compared to the 2 weeks riding in Cornwall and I concluded the relentless nature of Cornish up and down was much worse than the longer climbs of the peaks and also the descents in the peaks tend to be much better for line of sight so you get plenty of free speed rather than braking for multiple blind bends

 

[footloose crow]

Congratulations on becoming a Granddad @footloose crow. On July's ride I went up into the peaks and did nearly 6000ft of upness over 25 wahoo climbs and on this ride I was comtemplating how I gained elevation compared to the 2 weeks riding in Cornwall and I concluded the relentless nature of Cornish up and down was much worse than the longer climbs of the peaks and also the descents in the peaks tend to be much better for line of sight so you get plenty of free speed rather than braking for multiple blind bends

Thank you @13rider. I agree with that analysis. I would rather ride some of the long Alpine passes where you can get into a steady state rather than the constantly changing power inputs of short, steep hills. I find Wales to be similar to Cornwall in that respect.

 

[13 rider]

Am I first 😁 for a change . A local hospice charity does a local 100 mile loop around Leicestershire so I joined up months ago and really targeted this ride to give it a good nudge . Hoping to latch on to a group rather than struggling solo like normal . Clicked with 5 other guys within 5 miles and we rode almost to the finish together ,I got spat out the back at 95 miles as it became everyman for themselves. Anyway the result my fastest every ton ,100.65 miles in 5.39.22 ,17.8mph elevation 6045ft . I really didn't think I had that in me but the group worked so well together considering it was 3 mates and 3 randoms

 

[footloose crow]

Am I first 😁 for a change . A local hospice charity does a local 100 mile loop around Leicestershire so I joined up months ago and really targeted this ride to give it a good nudge . Hoping to latch on to a group rather than struggling solo like normal . Clicked with 5 other guys with 5 miles and we rode almost to the finish together ,I got spat out the back at 95 miles as it became everyman for themselves. Anyway the result my fastest every ton ,100.65 miles in 5.39.22 ,17.8mph . I really didn't think I had that in me but the group worked so well together considering it was 3 mates and 3 randooms

Well done - fast ride. I was tinking of you today as I did a ride to Holywell Bay. Very windy down here atm.

 

[13 rider]

Well done - fast ride. I was tinking of you today as I did a ride to Holywell Bay. Very windy down here atm.

Did you go down the hill just to come back up . After 2 weeks I hate that hill then each year forget of horrid it is 🤣 because I do it straight out the door

 

[footloose crow]

Did you go down the hill just to come back up . After 2 weeks I hate that hill then each year forget of horrid it is 🤣 because I do it straight out the door

Yes I did - I had never cycled there before so it was a goal for the morning. Gale force wind against me going back up. I could have been overtaken by a snail.

 

[robjh]

Am I first 😁 for a change . A local hospice charity does a local 100 mile loop around Leicestershire so I joined up months ago and really targeted this ride to give it a good nudge . Hoping to latch on to a group rather than struggling solo like normal . Clicked with 5 other guys within 5 miles and we rode almost to the finish together ,I got spat out the back at 95 miles as it became everyman for themselves. Anyway the result my fastest every ton ,100.65 miles in 5.39.22 ,17.8mph elevation 6045ft . I really didn't think I had that in me but the group worked so well together considering it was 3 mates and 3 randoms

Well done, faster than any ton I've ever done.

 

[robjh]

September's century done on Saturday 13th, when I took an early morning ride down to Witham in Essex (34 miles) and joined the Essex R&R 200k audax starting at 8 am. It was a windy day with quite a few showers forecast, but they largely failed to materialise except for one heavy and thundery downpour about 3pm, when I sheltered in a church doorway in Sudbury, and the day ended in bright sunshine for the very last part.
The route found a few hills around Danbury and later in the far north of Essex, but also did many miles on the flat as we went with then against the wind down to Burnham-on-Crouch. I spent a lot of time on the aero bars, which I installed for LEL but haven't made much use of until now, but somehow today they just felt right for the conditions. I finished in just over 10 hours, which has become pretty much my norm for a 200k audax without any excessive climbing or other challenges.
I considered riding another 34 miles home, but with my train ticket already booked I wimped out and let Greater Anglia take the strain for me.

Total 169 miles / 272 km for the ride. My 176th century ever, and 81st consecutive month.
strava here