The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[Donger]

Well I'm up and running. Threw in some hills, too. Not such a good idea though, as for a few minutes it started to snow up the Malverns! Rained incessantly (the BBC were right about that). Discovered my gloves and my overshoes are not waterproof. Over 6 hours in all, with a couple of snack stops. Arrived home feeling the same temperature as a Strawberry Whopper. After a long hot bath, I've only just thawed out. After that, there really is no going back. I'm in this for the long haul.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Not my greatest day.

I got up early, smug as a teetotaller on new year's morning, which is what I was, ready to open my imperial century account.

After 20k I got a puncture. No problem, wheel out, tube in. Bum. No pump. No problem - I had CO2. Just one cartridge. Now I bought the CO2 kit from Aldi ages ago as it was cheap. I'd never used it but how hard could it be? Screw canister into regulator, whoosh! gas everywhere. Valve was open. Numpty. I put what was left into the tyre. Tried riding it for a few hundred metres. No good. I borrowed a pump from some passing riders and rode home (downhill).

Having picked up the missing pump I set off again, along the same route (uphill again). All went well, if wet, for a few hours until I started to feel a wobble in the rear wheel every revolution. Holy moly! About a two inch tear in the sidewall of my tyre, along the rim. Not good.

Now, these things don't just happen on their own. I must have damaged the tyre in my failed attempt to ride underinflated. Numpty.

Fortunately there was a station a few km away. I rode there very very cautiously.

Now for the good news, I'd just snuck over 100k when I arrived at the station. So I'm in on the MCaM challenge!

 

[Milkfloat]

An inauspicious start to the challenge for me. Time is the big limiter for this challenge, so I need to make the most of any 'pass' I get. Today was chance, -3 degrees when I started and did not get much better. I don't mind the cold, but the ice is something I am not keen on. Took it nice and steady, lots wheelspins on the climbs and very slow cornering. Anyway, after about 30 miles took a corner very slowly and the bike went from under me. Damage to shifter, a scratched brand new set of pedals, my expensive bib longs and an overshoe got shredded.
Plenty of bruises for me too. I will log my ride a bit later, but I managed to limp on but I was tempted to call it a day when I went past my front door at 46 miles dropping off another faller.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Ouch @Milkfloat The "like" was for your resilience, not bruises.

 

[cosmicbike]

An inauspicious start to the challenge for me. Time is the big limiter for this challenge, so I need to make the most of any 'pass' I get. Today was chance, -3 degrees when I started and did not get much better. I don't mind the cold, but the ice is something I am not keen on. Took it nice and steady, lots wheelspins on the climbs and very slow cornering. Anyway, after about 30 miles took a corner very slowly and the bike went from under me. Damage to shifter, a brand new set of pedals, my expensive bib longs and my shoe over I still shredded.
Plenty of bruises for me too. I will log my ride a bit later, but I managed to limp around.

Ouch, hope it's not too bad. That's 2 fallers within 2 days. Fair play to both you and @13 rider for finishing the ride though

 

[Sea of vapours]

Reading the above, I'll definitely stick with my very-much-on-the-cautious-end-of-cautious approach to ice and wait 'til there isn't any again this year I think. Lots of numbers in the minus 1 to minus 5 range as I drove across the Dales this afternoon, so no cycling for a bit. it's annoying as I don't mind the cold as such, just the lack of grip between tyre and road surface :-\

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

An inauspicious start to the challenge for me. Time is the big limiter for this challenge, so I need to make the most of any 'pass' I get. Today was chance, -3 degrees when I started and did not get much better. I don't mind the cold, but the ice is something I am not keen on. Took it nice and steady, lots wheelspins on the climbs and very slow cornering. Anyway, after about 30 miles took a corner very slowly and the bike went from under me. Damage to shifter, a scratched brand new set of pedals, my expensive bib longs and an overshoe got shredded.
Plenty of bruises for me too. I will log my ride a bit later, but I managed to limp as tempted to call it a day when I went past my front door at 46 miles dropping off another faller.

Ouch @Milkfloat The "like" was for your resilience, not bruises.

^^^ Likewise.

 

[13 rider]

An inauspicious start to the challenge for me. Time is the big limiter for this challenge, so I need to make the most of any 'pass' I get. Today was chance, -3 degrees when I started and did not get much better. I don't mind the cold, but the ice is something I am not keen on. Took it nice and steady, lots wheelspins on the climbs and very slow cornering. Anyway, after about 30 miles took a corner very slowly and the bike went from under me. Damage to shifter, a scratched brand new set of pedals, my expensive bib longs and an overshoe got shredded.
Plenty of bruises for me too. I will log my ride a bit later, but I managed to limp as tempted to call it a day when I went past my front door at 46 miles dropping off another faller.

You would have to mad to ride today
Hope you heal quick kudos on finishing

Ouch, hope it's not too bad. That's 2 fallers within 2 days. Fair play to both you and @13 rider for finishing the ride though

3 @Sbudge has also been down today all of us were doing a challenge ride maybe the challenges should come with a health warning . The good news is were all ok and finished the rides

 

[tallliman]

Count me in again this year, a good challenge to keep motivated for the year. Disappointed that August was my trickiest month to get a ride in last year!

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I'm up and running. 102.7 miles done today and it was surprisingly pleasant out there, but quite muddy. A proper write up will follow shortly.

Having got the first out of the way I'm going to aim to tackle the imperial challenge and also log the rides in the metric challenge too (like I did in 2015) as there will no doubt be multiple rides in some of the months and I might even manage a metric double at some stage.

 

[Osprey]

Bagged my first metric century today, 71 miles in the mist and finished in rain. Still no frost or wind so I'll take that. January down, roll on Feb. The rest of my January rides will be in the metric half challenge.

 

[Dogtrousers]

@cosmicbike You might want to edit the 2016 occurrence in the splendid new thread you just started....
[Edit] And you've just assumed the mantle of policing the 2017 entries. Congratulations :-)

And I'll assume the mantle of grass / class sneak

Please sir, I see @Lilliburlero has just logged a ride which is just a link, in flagrant contravention of the guidelines. Not only that it's a bizarre link off to Gmail.

Lots of smilies because I know this kind of thing can be taken very seriously and give people the hump.

 

[Lilliburlero]

And I'll assume the mantle of grass / class sneak

Please sir, I see @Lilliburlero has just logged a ride which is just a link, in flagrant contravention of the guidelines. Not only that it's a bizarre link off to Gmail.

Lots of smilies because I know this kind of thing can be taken very seriously and give people the hump.

I have no idea what you`re on about

 

[steverob]

Both @Sbudge and I completed our January metric centuries together today (I'm sure he'll be along later to log his ride) in what were frankly miserable conditions - started in drizzle and mist and while the mist eventually lifted, the drizzle turned to on and off rain for most of the rest of the ride. While I'm sure I'd have still gone out for a ride of some sorts today, had we not pre-arranged this, I'm certain that I would not otherwise have done 100km in this weather!

Having said all that (and now that I have dried off and have feeling back in my toes), it was a really good ride with a real mix of terrain from main roads to country lanes, short sharp climbs and long drags, but at the same time, nothing too horrendous - my fitness level is poor at the moment and it really shows up when I try to tackle the bigger climbs in the Chilterns that I was able to do with not too much problem just a few months back. The penultimate 5 miles however were a real struggle for me as I got slower and slower up the last rise past Chequers (the final 5 were downhill, so that wasn't a problem).

We did also claim 1st (him) and 2nd (me) places on a short Strava sprint segment, which was nice. Full details of route in the main thread and also at https://www.strava.com/activities/825284072.

 

[Sbudge]

Both @Sbudge and I completed our January metric centuries together today (I'm sure he'll be along later to log his ride) in what were frankly miserable conditions - started in drizzle and mist and while the mist eventually lifted, the drizzle turned to on and off rain for most of the rest of the ride. While I'm sure I'd have still gone out for a ride of some sorts today, had we not pre-arranged this, I'm certain that I would not otherwise have done 100km in this weather!

Having said all that (and now that I have dried off and have feeling back in my toes), it was a really good ride with a real mix of terrain from main roads to country lanes, short sharp climbs and long drags, but at the same time, nothing too horrendous - my fitness level is poor at the moment and it really shows up when I try to tackle the bigger climbs in the Chilterns that I was able to do with not too much problem just a few months back. The penultimate 5 miles however were a real struggle for me as I got slower and slower up the last rise past Chequers (the final 5 were downhill, so that wasn't a problem).

We did also claim 1st (him) and 2nd (me) places on a short Strava sprint segment, which was nice. Full details of route in the main thread and also at https://www.strava.com/activities/825284072.

Lovely ride indeed Steve but good grief was it wet! The only snag with waterproof socks is that once the inevitable seepage down your legs happen the water just stays there. lol. I know that last long climb was a killer for you but at least you got a rainbow there as encouragement!

Oh, and just realised. That was my 12th month in a row with a metric century in it. I did my first ever in February 2016 so just missed the annual challenge...will do better this year.