The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[Donger]

That's June done. My 42nd consecutive month, and probably -after (1) my one and only 100 miler DIY ride, (2) the Tasty Cheddar audax and (3) the Winchcombe Falling leaves audax my 4th toughest ride ever. Doing a 100km is tough at the best of times when you are my size. Doing it on a scorching hot day on a club ride and having to do it about 2 mph faster than usual takes it up a level. Cheddar-Glastonbury-Wells-Cheddar Gorge-Burrington Combe-Shipham-Charterhouse-Cheddar-Axbridge-Cheddar. 100km with about 1,000m of climbing. Loved it anyway, but thoroughly knackered and might have given up if I hadn't had to get back to my car! The worst thing was that the club ride was 54 miles, so after our end of ride drink I had to leave the pub and go do another 8 miles out to Axbridge and back via Cheddar Reservoir with my mate Rich. Might return to doing my long rides on my own or with a small group of friends in future. Still in the game.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Finally, with today's second June metric century my metric Eddington number has increased for the first time in a year (I think). It'll be many months before that happens again - with a bit of luck I'll be able to find this post and see how long the next kilometre increment has taken ... This summer-like weather is certainly good for increasing the metric century count; that ride wasn't intended to be more than about 60k but it seemed wrong to head home when the weather was so cycling-perfect.

 

[ColinJ]

I just thought I'd better get another 100km ride in today, as I have been slacking recently. So that's a 100 miles or more on Saturday's Cheshire ride and 100km or more today.

A slight detour today @ColinJ to check out a cafe at Calveley, that could be useful on your Cheshire Ride.

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Edit: You get a pot of tea with the full Breakfast.

Well done! I'm saving myself for the Humber Bridge ride, though I have done some shorter rides since our Cheshire outing.

The cafe looks good, but the opening hours seem to be the same as the Marina cafe so it wouldn't have helped us in that respect.

For some reason, I didn't get an alert when you tagged me there.

BTW - I intended to ask you if you would mind becoming unpaid Cheshire ride consultant, similar to @Sea of vapours' role as unpaid Dales ride consultant? (I like looking at maps and coming up with route ideas but it is always handy to get the benefit of local knowledge. I think the second half of Saturday's route was better than the first half, which had a few roads which were busier than I like.)

 

[13 rider]

June's done part of an Epic weekend Friday 8th 128 miles Leicester to York via Newark ,Gainsborogh ,Goole and To Dunnington just outside York ,Saturday ,9th 125 miles ,Dunningham to York @ColinJ forum ride to the humber bridge and back then some extra miles for another 200km .Sunday 75 miles Dunnington to Market Rason over the Humber bridge again train to Loughborough ,Another 11 home all in all an Epic weekend Tired now . Thanks to @Supersuperleeds for the company and dragging me along at some points he does make a decent domestique

 

[Lilliburlero]

June done today with a 177 km round trip to Grantham. A rear sidewall blowout with around 50 miles to go was a little bit concerning , but we (well, group leader Dan) sorted that out by putting a patch on the inside of the tyre and thank heavens it held for the last 50 miles with around 50/60 psi .
Lots of climbing around the Bradgate area after 80 miles which was a bit of a bugger, but good training all the same

A couple of us stopped for a very pleasing pint of cold cider, 6 or 7 miles from home which was nice . A good days cycling, hard at times, but good

https://www.relive.cc/view/1629634199

 

[cosmicbike]

Dragged myself out of bed at 0515hrs to get this ride done today. Only normally get up that early for the imperial rides, but todays route went up near that London place and I wanted done early as I have work tonight.
A very urban ride through the delights of West London, the primary aim being to capture a number of Explorer squares. 114km done, and we're halfway there for 2018

 

[Fiona R]

That's June done. My 42nd consecutive month, and probably -after (1) my one and only 100 miler DIY ride, (2) the Tasty Cheddar audax and (3) the Winchcombe Falling leaves audax my 4th toughest ride ever. Doing a 100km is tough at the best of times when you are my size. Doing it on a scorching hot day on a club ride and having to do it about 2 mph faster than usual takes it up a level. Cheddar-Glastonbury-Wells-Cheddar Gorge-Burrington Combe-Shipham-Charterhouse-Cheddar-Axbridge-Cheddar. 100km with about 1,000m of climbing. Loved it anyway, but thoroughly knackered and might have given up if I hadn't had to get back to my car! The worst thing was that the club ride was 54 miles, so after our end of ride drink I had to leave the pub and go do another 8 miles out to Axbridge and back via Cheddar Reservoir with my mate Rich. Might return to doing my long rides on my own or with a small group of friends in future. Still in the game.

Very well done, that's pretty much my standard 100km ride from home, and as another not very small person who is always hanging off the back I totally get what you mean about the strain of going a bit too fast all day! I thought 1000m:100km was normal ratio though for a ride. The biggest mistake is to café in Cheddar then ascend the gorge. I blow up. Always go up Burringtton and descend the Gorge for café stop! 42 is a great achievement, still smarting over breaking my 25 month streak in Feb. Hardly ridden in June so far, hopefully put to right the next couple of weekends.

 

[Fiona R]

Made me go and check RideWithGPS. My last month without a 100k was Feb 2014, which puts me on a 51 month streak. Oh dear, that's worrying. That just adds extra pressure, now I know about it. The thought of breaking that streak ...

Ha ha ha join the self flagellation club of motivation. I did 2 in 2 days end of Jan, managed March by 10th after crashing in Feb. 2 planned next two weekends, so I am not letting myself let it go as April and May were also completed, although I tell myself it doesn't matter, who cares except me?

 

[ColinJ]

June is turning out to be a good cycling month. I have already done 205 km and 175 km rides on my singlespeed bike but they were pretty flat routes. I have 2 imperial centuries planned for the rest of the month and those will be quite hilly (about 2,000 metres each) so I will be making full use of the 30 gears on my Cannondale CAAD5!

The first of those 2 rides is this Friday, in case any of you are free, in this area, and fancy joining me and Littgull for 161+ km (100+ miles) with 2,000 m of climbing (6,600 ft) from Todmorden, or 100+ km with 1,600 m of climbing (5,250 ft) from Spring Wood picnic centre, Whalley? VERY scenic, and a leisurely cafe stop halfway. The forecast is currently looking pleasant.

The other one is si_c's North Wales imperial century ride from Chester to Llandudno a week on Saturday, subject to available rail transport and an acceptable weather forecast!

 

[GuyBoden]

Very strong wind on today's ride to Nantwich, I knew it was strong because I got to the Venetian Cafe in record time. I needed the full breakfast to do battle against the wind on the way back. A good excuse for a full breakfast.........

 

[ColinJ]

Very strong wind on today's ride to Nantwich, I knew it was strong because I got to the Venetian Cafe in record time. I needed the full breakfast to battled against the wind on the way back. A good excuse for a full breakfast.........

Would that be on top of the full breakfast breakfast and the full mid afternoon fry up ...? (I was losing track of how many you had on our Cheshire ride a couple of weeks ago! )

 

[Fiona R]

I thought all audax days were wet and or cold and or windy? Not yesterday. Was good and rode to start and finish (only another 15km )Bristol Randonnée 109km audax done and many new roads as rarely go east for some reason! Good job the 1400m of climbing were in the first two thirds as it was very hot after Castle Combe but mainly a downhill drift back on the Avon and Bristol/Bath railway paths. They were surprisingly uncrowded/straightforward on a sunny Sunday afternoon, for anyone who knows them in commuter/sunny weekend afternoon times. I think it may have had something to do with football

 

[GuyBoden]

I think today's ride was the hottest hundred I've ever ridden. Time for an ice cream............

 

[ColinJ]

I think today's ride was the hottest hundred I've ever ridden. Time for an ice cream............

I hope that you enjoyed it!

I am no longer heading off to Chester/Wales on Saturday and I have my family coming some time later in the day so I am toying with the idea of getting up really early, doing a metric century in the morning, and getting back before the sun gets too fierce.

I'll be pleased with myself if I do it, but I'll probably end up putting my alarm on snooze and going back to sleep!

 

[Sbudge]

Just back (Saturday night) from a week doing very little at all on Tresco ... though managed to do a couple of 20km rides on an island less than 4 km long! Went for a rather warm ride South of the river yesterday to try and start the month properly. Lovely ride but I somehow missed that I'd put Succomb's Hill in the route when I planned it, that came as a very nasty surprise.

As I passed the big Ann Summers warehouse I saw the road sign saying Succomb's Hill and thought "Why does that name seem familiar?", then round the corner and yes, swearing was involved! I got up it (never walked a hill yet) but it was very unpleasant, a real wheel-lifter in places.

I'm not sure if steep hills are worse when anticipated or a surprise....