The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[KingswayRider]

My intention today was to hit my 100x 100k's...on my new bike. Got a couple of miles down the road, into the darkness of the unlit A38 & the chain just suddenly let go. I thought it'd jumped off, so coasted along to a house with lighting outside, expecting to stop & put the chain back on. Got there to discover I was missing a chain entirely, so had to backtrack along the road in the wrong direction (stopped, spun bike into proper direction & stepped onto verge when a car came along). I managed to locate the chain in the dark & made my way home (one foot pushing off the kerb/ walking uphill bits). Offending piece of chain removed & split link fitted, but it wouldn't engage fully. Link tool wouldn't budge it & eventually resorted to stamping on the pedal to get the split link to properly fasten. Little time for a pre-ride by the time I'd sorted the bike, so missed out on a 100k today. Frustrated as I'd have liked to round things off with my 40th 100k ride of the year & hit the 100th in total. New bike rides nice though...

 

[Ajax Bay]

Well done to all completers:
@Sea of vapours @KingswayRider @Donger @Sbudge @13 rider @Goonerobes
Someone else can start a/the new thread for 2022: plagiarism encouraged.
Only suggestion for readability (for others) is for new bike chain losers to truncate description by maybe 25 characters aiming to keep each ride to one line.

 

[KingswayRider]

Well don to all completers:
@Sea of vapours @KingswayRider @Donger @Sbudge @13 rider @Goonerobes
Someone else can start a/the new thread for 2022: plagiarism encouraged.
Only suggestion for readability (for others) is for new bike chain losers to truncate description by maybe 25 characters aiming to keep each ride to one line.

They all fit on a single line on my laptop screen - I always check to ensure it fits. Are they over-running onto another line for other users? Apologies if so - maybe I'll attach just a Strava link for 2022

 

[Sea of vapours]

They all fit on a single line on my laptop screen...

As they do on mine; comfortably so.

Please don't change to just posting the Strava link in future as lists of places on routes makes the whole thing more interesting. We've had these discussions before and the more 'depth' and content we remove from the ride reporting thread the more anodyne and numbers-based the whole thing becomes, and thus it's overall less engaging. If people choose to view things on very small screens it really ought to be up to them to do something to compensate for that choice.

 

[KingswayRider]

As they do on mine; comfortably so.

Please don't just post the Strava link in future as lists of places on routes makes the whole thing more interesting. We've had these discussions before and the more 'depth' and content we remove from the ride reporting thread the more anodyne and numbers-based the whole thing becomes, and thus it's overall less engaging. If people choose to view things on very small screens it really ought to be up to them to do something to compensate for that choice.

@Sea of vapours - thanks for that, thought I was going mad. I do prefer to post a list of place names - would everyone click on a Strava link every time? With the local KCC rides I try to find the route less travelled. I know @Donger has sworn never to do any ride where I include Shortwood ever again & I've found a couple of descents that have required him & others to dismount, but I figure if I make it to the bottom (preferably still on the bike), then its all good (& that's on my puny 140mm rotors). A few place names conveys to someone glancing at a map (even if it just online in another browser) an approximation of where you went. Whilst a Strava link might be nice for others to be able to follow exactly, I know I'm guilty of not opening links. I can try to reduce text a little, but I'm using a 15" laptop, so not a massive screen & it works perfectly.

 

[Donger]

Wouldn't be remotely interested in just seeing a list of Strava links. The more place names I've never heard of, the better. Along with places I have heard of and can picture. Truncate to one line of what? The smallest screen of anyone taking part?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Apologies. Maybe I have chosen a larger font (14" laptop) and that's throwing them onto a second line for me): ignore me. Everyone else's are short enough for one of my lines. Please do not go just Strava.

 

[KingswayRider]

Should I use this...or this?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I didn’t take part in this , this year. Though apart from November I would have completed it.

Here is today‘s 100km across the Herts Essex borders through such places as Barwick Ford, Much Hadham, Brent Pelham, Great Chishill, Buntingford, Roe Green

Biblical rain and winds

 

[steverob]

Decided to create the 2022 thread as I've already done my first 100km ride of the year. Having intended to enter this challenge for the last two years but never managed to get the January ride done (did centuries every month last year except Jan and Dec), I thought I'd try and do it as early as possible to give me no excuses this time round.

Did a route where all the climbing was in the first half, as I knew I'd have a headwind for the second, so wanted to make that as easy as possible. What I didn't count on was the rain, which was certainly not on the forecast first thing this morning. Started when I got to about 30 miles and continued to about 50-odd, which considering that included me stopping off at a McDonalds and making a cheesburger last as long as possible in the hope that the weather might improve during that time (note - it did not), it meant that I got very wet. Still at least it means I'm up and running and can wait until February now!

 

[Donger]

I'm the opposite. I normally get in there straight away, often on New Year's Day, but it may be a while this year as I've come down with covid. A shame to miss the mildest ever start to a year. Hope it doesn't turn icy by the time I get back out there. Great to see a new entrant. let's hope there will be many more this year. Good luck everyone.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think the key to a successful year is to aim to get your ride in as early in the month as possible. Then if it doesn’t go well you have opportunities for another go before month end.

 

[13 rider]

Back in again for another year . Been struggling on the bike since the 2nd after tweaking a muscle ,longest distance since was 13 miles . But decided to give it ago today back felt ok and managed to get round just enough again as is my norm 62.31 miles out to the Vale of Belvior and back

 

[KingswayRider]

I've finally got round to posting my last couple of 100k's, taking my tally to three for the year. Having already hit my 100x 100k's, it says a lot that i couldn't be bothered to extend a recent 55 mile ride by just another 7 to earn another 100k. I'm at a point now where unless it adds to my 70+ mile tally, there isn't much point in scraping over the line for 100km's. 5 more for the 70+ Eddington.
Whilst I'm still chasing that objective, I'm now busy filling in the heatmap, with the help of Wandrer.earth
I'm leading the percentage of miles completed in a number of local area's & want to keep extending that lead in some area's & steal away the top spot in others. I'm at 85% of the Quedgeley area & 65% of Gloucester as a whole (354 miles in total). Whilst some of the chasing means plodding up & down cul de sacs, out of town, it means exploring those dead end lanes I'd otherwise just ride past & wonder where they went.

 

[Sbudge]

I was *supposed* to be doing an easy, warm January 100km while away in Portugal. Of course I came down with a real stinker of a cold (just a cold) that pretty much kept me off the (expensive) hire bike. Never mind, after a few false starts this year I've got 2022 going. Actually because I was stupid in 2016 and only started my 100km streak in February (half daft was that?) today marked 6 non-calendar years of doing 100kms every month.