The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[ColinJ]

That's unfortunate. Then again, one fewer thing to get done in a month, so you can be more flexible, and that has to be a benefit. One day, the weather may not be annoyingly grim too.

The clincher for me that I found myself seriously considering doing a local 1.3 km backstreet loop to stay off the main roads and get some shelter from the wind... I mean, come on, 79 laps of rows of terraced houses - no thanks!

PS Fittingly, THIS has just come up on Clubland!

 

[Fiona R]

HMMM... The horrid stormy weather hasn't helped but I can't deny that there were still several days when I could have squeezed a 100 km ride in.

I was going to go out on Thursday, when the weather here was still windy but was at least sunny and dry. That ride was scuppered by insomnia - I didn't get to sleep until gone 05:00 and then woke up several times before my alarm went off at 08:00. I had a blood test at 09:00 and then had to do some shopping. My plan was to rush home, get my cycling kit on and go back out on the bike. In reality, I felt like I had been hit over the head with a baseball bat so I went back to bed for a few hours but I still felt very groggy when I reemerged in the afternoon. I decided to check the forecast for Friday and Saturday - yesterday was foul, but today was looking ok so I planned to take advantage of 'leap day' and get my ride in at the last opportunity.

Except that I haven't... Bloody insomnia again! Tossing, turning, checking the clock until gone 05:00. I finally slipped off, but ended up being woken up every few minutes after that by the noise of the wind outside. More 'baseball bat head' this morning...

I have a guest arriving early evening so I didn't have enough time left to do my ride once I finally felt clear-headed enough to consider it.

And so... I am out of the challenge for this year!

TBH - I was feeling fed up earlier but now I feel relieved. I need to get my life in order and the 100 km challenge was one thing too many for me this year. I'll still get my monthly '50s' in and desperately want to complete the Lunacy challenge this time. I have 4 weeks to get ready for my first outing for that, my 100 mile ride from Garforth on 28th March. I will probably do a 100 km ride before then but can concentrate on building some fitness back up, and sorting my sleep pattern out.

I'm going to start getting up earlier, no matter how tired I feel. It might take a couple of weeks of feeling knackered every day but eventually I should settle into a more sensible regime.

Anyway - those of you still in, enjoy the rest of the MCAMC this year. Hopefully, I will rejoin you for next year's challenge.

If you would like to join me on any of my 100 mile rides this year, you'd be welcome to. I think about 10 of them will be forum rides, details of which will be posted 2-4 weeks in advance.

Good effort. Your health and sanity are actually more important.

I've just relinquished 50km as I only did 36km today, could not be bothered to stay out in a hailstorm to make it 50, had achieved a nice short ride with OH without actually getting wet. 129km so far this week. The other 95km this week all utility riding and commutes and every day I have been soaking and riding into and around gales. Jolly hard work. Relieved I got my 100km in with that club ride to Wales last Sunday. I should have had at least 3 x 50Kms and another 100km but weather stuffed those rides. Onwards...

 

[cyberknight]

Well Feb had bit the dust and no metric for me , got up today hoping to get it in then realized its march
Today looks a reasonable day too , although it was iffy if i would get out as a few weeks ago a radiator burst so we had to get it replaced and when they repressurized the system it caused a leak so we had to keep adding pressure till we could find it .Floorboards up hunting a pipe and now we have no heating or hot water till monday

 

[gbs]

This is the first time I have looked at this forum for some time. I am not surprised by the volume of comment re weather conditions. I do not recall such sustained adverse conditions in my long lifetime. Congratulations to those participants in the less clement areas outside the SE

I am still in the game but the vertical gain stats are not impressive. I have avoided the Surrey Hills and Kent fearing floods and fallen trees etc

 

[Fiona R]

Got a bit of a love affair going on with Wales at the moment. A friend put out a club invite to test ride the new "No Time to Yat" audax being held on Sun 15th March. Only I was interested, what a great if knackering day it was. Woke to an inch of hail lying and pink skies then the rain lashed down. I delayed half an hour and left at 8 slithering through the village but roads clear by Bristol, we arranged to meet at the official start time of the audax, 9am in Alveston. Quite surreal charging through empty Bristol and straight up the lethal at any other time A38 on the direct route. 25km down. Simon pulled in a minute behind me, turns out he had me in his sights the last couple of kilometres.

The route was over the Old Severn Bridge (strong gusty south westerly so a bit of jumping) up to St Arvans and then following the Wye up to Goodrich. We stopped in Tintern for a warming coffee, it was rather chilly but skies had cleared after a drenching. On through Monmouth and out the back to a feet soaking flooded stretch at Dixton. hope the BB is OK Surprised that we weren't affected more by the extensive flooding. The Wye was occupying vastly more space than normal. Then a glorious stretch of cinder ncn path to Symonds Yat. We tested the official cafe control at Goodrich Castle, excellent cafe. Home made soup and a huge cheese scone and copious tea. Then the climbing proper started, two huge hauls up to Ruradean and Upper Lydbrook. It was quite Alpine in places. rolling up and down to Chepstow, all into a very stiff headwind now but sunny spells and no rain.

We decided to push on and not have a third stop. Which was just as well as a puncture on the bike path in Chepstow took three inner tubes/45 mins to mend. The thorn had been found and extracted immediately, first two must have pinched. My tube (technically too big for his tyre) held and it had turned very bitter. 75km of hills and headwinds home (via Alveston again) was tough going on soup/scone and two Graze bars. I think we both hit the proverbial wall around Easter Compton riding into a near gale hailstorm. Crawled up to Blaise Castle and the Portway went on for ever (down the Avon and under the Suspension bridge) That bridge never seemed to get any closer. Staggered through the door and inhaled 3 ramekins of peanuts and a pint of tea. i could not even do another 3 kn to round up to an imperial, so 158km and 1500m of chugging uphill. Top day day out! Stunning scenery, some sun at last (although Storm Jorge still having a final hurrah), empty roads, glorious scenery and did I mention the scenery, and the hills?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Wet, windy, cold 200 audax ride 'A river too far' (! see below) last Sunday over Exmoor and the Quantock Hills. Helped to look forward to the afternoon which was forecast to be dry, which it was, to an extent. Kicker at the end (@200k) was a road flooded where we crossed the River Clyst. I had ridden through there a couple of years ago in similar flooded conditions (and spent the next week drying everything out and servicing hubs, rims etc) so, unlike others who rode through or waded through (bike on shoulder), I turned round and went (a not very long way) round. Last long ride for while, I fear. Thank goodness PBP was last year.

 

[KingswayRider]

Finally got my 100km ride done for the month! Some pretty horrible weather of late has meant the last 100km ride was in early February. Squeezing in a ride to make full use of a day off work. Dropped off the car for MOT & service & headed out. It was supposed to be dry & sunny all day & as I set off it looked drab & grey, with a strong headwind. As soon as I closed in on the Cotswold escarpment I was met with a fine drizzle, but the roads were still dry. As I headed south the rain worsened & I came across a few sections of flooded road. I finally turned north at Tockington, with the bulk of the climbing done & the wind finally behind me. Rode through the worst of the rain & wet roads & was getting pretty soggy, when all of a sudden it dried up & I was able to dry out before I got to the end of the ride. Run into Donger & JP as I was nearly back - Donger was halfway through his 100k, doing a split route - hope you finished Donger?

 

[Bazzer]

That's March done. I had hoped to do it the last time I did a long ride, but a sore backside put paid to that.
Today's was surreal in places. Seeing the forecast easterly, I decided to tackle the wind early on and reverse part of a route I had ridden many times and then add to that a reverse of a route I had ridden fewer times, before bolting on a known route home. It was most weird seeing route markers from the opposite direction and several I didn't recognise at all, to the extent I completely missed a left turn I had planned on taking.
Also riding through Tatton Park and Knutsford was very strange; the former in particular. Normally there are quite a few cars using the main driveway through the park, heading towards the car park; today none. Normally many couples and dog walkers; today 20 at most. Cyclists many; as usual.
The atmosphere was also probably affected by Manchester Airport. The control tower can be seen from Tatton Park and both it and Knutsford are on flight paths. As a consequence, stopping there for a snack/drink/comfort break, particularly in summer, is frequently interrupted by the roar of jet engines. Today the joy of silence, although a few miles from Tatton I did notice one aircraft beginning its approach.

 

[13 rider]

March's done 63 miles from home to Notiingham then Derby for some velo viewer squares .Lovely sunshine but the wind had a chill too it

 

[Brandane]

In view of Boris's recent televised speech announcing an effective lockdown, I have decided to withdraw from this years challenge. I know it was said that one period of exercise is permitted, but a single ride of 100 km is not, IMHO, in keeping with the spirit of what is being requested. It would involve travel outwith my local area, which is not a good idea and certainly not best practice. Let's hope 2021 sees an improvement in this situation, and also less rain and wind in the early part of the year. Stay safe everyone.

 

[gbs]

Brandane, I commend yr community spirit but I wonder if yr reasoning is correct. If we follow the 2m separation rule, do not enter cafes ie ride truly solo routes then we are most unlikely to receive any new virus or donate such to innocent bystanders. I do share your unease re travel to non-local areas not because of the infection risks but rather because of the logistical issues arising from an unresolved mechanical.

On a related point we must be more than usually cautious and not add to the stress on the NHS by crashing and requiring A&E and other services.

 

[Brandane]

The icing on the cake.... I slipped on steps last night and have cracked or broken a rib in the left kidney region . Any lingering thoughts I had of doing a 100km cycle in March just disappeared. It's going to be sore just getting on a bike! .

 

[gbs]

The icing on the cake.... I slipped on steps last night and have cracked or broken a rib in the left kidney region . Any lingering thoughts I had of doing a 100km cycle in March just disappeared. It's going to be sore just getting on a bike! .

That is very bad luck. I wish you a speedy recovery,

 

[Donger]

I had been averaging 38 miles per ride by the time the government's coronavirus lockdown instructions came out. Whilst I have been doing the Metric Century-a-Month Challenge for over 5 years now (63 months in fact), I have taken the decision to limit my rides to a couple of local loop routes that never take me far from home, and to limit ride durations to an hour or just over that. My last two rides have been of about 16 miles each. I do not see things changing much by the end of April, so my 63 month run will just have to come to an end. Today I spotted this excellent article, which struck a chord with my own thinking. Enjoy your exercise rides, everyone, but let us all cycle responsibly and in a way that doesn't get this privilege removed for all of us. [Ed. Not intended to be preaching or judgemental here. I know some of you live out in the sticks and have some wonderful open space all to yourselves. Personally, I won't be riding further from home than I could walk home if anything went wrong .... and I'm not going to be seen by my neighbours disappearing for hours on end.]

Stay safe everyone, and take a look at this:

https://road.cc/content/news/daily-...sfXtq3qBdOErkaj1RGjndG2RWZLKscma3NEn0QE2iHXf0

Cheers, Donger.

 

[gbs]

I agree with sentiments expressed by Donger. It is hard to see how to justify a 100k effort of presumably 4 hours or so given the advice therein. Perhaps this and the other longer distance challenges should be suspended in the interest of good citizenship. Obviously everyone will do, in an un-publicised way, whatever they feel is reasonable but CCForum may regret if it is seen to be implicitly encouraging what is now, rightly or wrongly, thought to be anti-social behaviour.

With regret I will join Donger and abstain.