The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[ColinJ]

A good walk - yes, if you could sort out the logistics of getting to the start and from the finish. Super if you could get dropped off at Wray/High Salter, and then picked up at Higher Wood House/Slaidburn (or vice versa). 22 km from Wray to Slaidburn, 13 km High Salter to Higher Wood House.

(As usual in that kind of terrain...) Probably better to avoid going immediately after prolonged bad weather. There were some expansive, deep puddles yesterday but I could imagine that after more prolonged rain a lot of them would have joined up, forcing you to bogtrot round them.

 

[gbs]

No tales of derring-do from me today but a 130k ride -Fulham to Brighton then to Haywards Heath. Total vertical gain was over 1700m; this may not impress the hard men of Yorkshire and elsewhere but it did impress me!

 

[Blue Hills]

Great public service there. Well, more precisely, great service to me ;-)

I've been intermittently considering doing that Roman road for a few years now. Both ends look fairly OK but I have always demurred for fear of the middle bit being less than OK. Good to know that I'd made the right call and can now stop even considering it since that doesn't sound appealing at all ! Good effort on your part

I would very strongly consider it.

I did it with colin (was originally my idea to do it i think though colin did the fine routeing) and was admittedly more keen on it thannhim. I didn't consider the walking a major problem as long as you take an appropriate bike and allow plenty of time/daylight. As colin suggests, not safe to do alone. And I wouldn't go when the weather was at all dodgy unless you are carrying shelter and prepared to get back (a day) late.
Get yourself out into the English wilderness. You won't be hung at the end of it - as the Pendle witches were - i understand that they were taken over that road to be hung at lancaster. Enjoy!

 

[Blue Hills]

Sounds like a fine walk and the photos are suitably remote looking. I shall do it one day without a bike I think. It's pretty long isn't it (long enough to reach from side to side ...). Those bits you've photographed look tolerable, whereas the bits you described above sound far less so! Thanks again for reconnoitring.

I'd take a bike. ** Lots of it is rideable. No great trouble to walk the bits that aren't with even a semi loaded bike, as mine was. You do need suitable shoes though. And a spare pair of socks might be handy. If you don't take a bike, a major issue to get to the start and end. For despite government waffle about northern powerhouse, public transport still getting worse. Even with a car you would really need 2, one at each end.

Edit ** the bike I did it on with colin cost £30 off ebay - kind of.

 

[Sea of vapours]

I'd take a bike. Lots of it is rideable. No great trouble to walk the bits that aren't with even a semi loaded bike, as mine was. Youndo need suitable shoes though. And a spare pair of socks might be handy. If you don't take a bike, a major issue to get to the start and end. For despite government waffle about northern powerhouse, public transport still getting worse. Even with a car you would really need 2, one at each end.

I may at least start to ride it sometime, probably on a dry day. I'm only 25km from one end and maybe 18km from the other so the plan is to do the two car thing sometime, when someone's here who feels like a fair bit of faffing about with cars and a non-trivial walk.

 

[13 rider]

Junes done, I'm in Wales for a few days so an hilly sportive got it done . 62.6 miles with 5692ft of upness. Started in Newport out to Usk over the Tumble climb and back to Newport . That's my 2nd 100 km in 2 days both hilly and another planned tomorrow.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I fear I may have to break my personally imposed no-double-counting rule. I'll only have the last weekend of the month available and I'm not sure I fancy either a 260km ride, or a two tons (metric and imperial) in a weekend after over a month with virtually no exercise at all. So one imperial it will have to be I fear.

 

[ColinJ]

@Bazzer - you just posted your latest 'Lunacy' ride and I noticed that all of them so far have been in Cheshire. If you are free on 20th July, fancy some company, and up to extending your July metric century by 20%, feel free to join us on my Cheshire forum ride from Dunham Town.

 

[Bazzer]

@Bazzer - you just posted your latest 'Lunacy' ride and I noticed that all of them so far have been in Cheshire. If you are free on 20th July, fancy some company, and up to extending your July metric century by 20%, feel free to join us on my Cheshire forum ride from Dunham Town.

@ColinJ I would love to as Dunham is within easy riding distance from my home and the ride should be within the capability of my legs. But would prefer to leave it open until possibly a day or so beforehand. - I shall be diving in the Red Sea (sans Mrs B) up to a couple of days before your ride, so domestically it might be a bit tricky.

 

[ColinJ]

Ah, yes, that might well be tricky! I'm assuming that Mrs B isn't into doing 119 km cycle rides in Cheshire...?

Anyway, you could decide at the very last moment and just turn up.

 

[Noodle Legs]

June Done.

First ride outdoors in over three weeks due to work, weather and family commitments and what a way to come back! Met up with some people I chat to on a Zwift Facebook group for a ride around the Peak District. Setting off from Bakewell it was climbing right from the get go and this was to set the tone of the ride throughout. A lot of the roads I’ve covered before on the Tour of the Peak sportive but some of which were in reverse- for instance riding up Mam Nick from Edale instead of down it, averaging 9% for over 1 1/2 miles with little kicks of 22% in places. The big highlight for me was finally defeating Winnats Pass, a stunning gorge within which lies a brutal 20% climb and on the UK top 100 no less. This was the third attempt having come oh so close last year and it was done in awful conditions with heavy rain, traffic and poor visibility, but I did survive and it’s a huge monkey off my back so to speak!

The hills kept on a-coming after a cafe stop in castleton and the legs were definitely fatigued but somehow I managed to dig in and beat them.

Overall, 102km in about 5:20, with 6,800ft of Up. And as you can imagine I didn’t break any land speed records doing it.

https://strava.app.link/kxRvtdryAX

https://www.relive.cc/view/2455524549

 

[cosmicbike]

June done, in completely the wrong clothing to start. Didn't take long before the gilet and arm warmers were off, something else to carry...
103km in the Surrey Hills, not as lumpy as some but I'll settle for the 1287m of upness, just over 20m/mile which is good going round here.
Also day 196 on the bike

 

[PeteXXX]

Several June metric centuries done, mainly as I was doing LEJOG. Is that cheating, getting 11 done in sort of one go?

Tough, physically and mentally, doing day after day long rides, fully laden, with a few back to back imperial centuries within the 15 days!

Sunny days

Damp days

Chillin' days

But always with Duracell Bunny helping me on my way. (he was presented to me by riding chums several years ago, as, apparently, I go on and on (presumably riding, not waffling!!))

 

[Dogtrousers]

June done. That was hot.

Chose my flattest regular route (Sort of South London to Gatwick, then East through Tonbridge and Yalding then up over the ridge to Sevenoaks.

Seems like 7 weeks off the bike hasn't actually changed my fitness, or lack of it, at all. Not noticeably slower or faster. Struggled a bit towards the end mainly due to the heat, but that's to be expected. And I always struggle towards the end of any ride no matter how long or short it is. It's what I do.

My post seems to have disappeared from the challenge thread. Maybe I deleted it by mistake or something. I'll need to re-do it which may take a bit of time

 

[Blue Hills]

Surprised that after 7 weeks off you set off for that today of all days.

Could have turned nasty?

Well done anyway.