The Metric Century (100KM) A Month Challenge ChatZone

[Fiona R]

Oops I did it again!

Club ride to Weston-Super-Mare, weather a bit better than yesterday, but still fairly wet and very windy but tailwind home today, very important distinction. So near another 100km I rode the length of the village and back uphill into the headwind to claim another 4km and another metric century this month.

 

[Sbudge]

Bit of a tough gravel and mud ride but well worth it. Took the Slate on a longish loop from West Hampstead through Welwyn Garden City, across to Ware, down the Lea Valley to Greenwich and then along the south bank until finally up past Westminster to home. The idea was to try and stay off public roads as much as possible and we probably managed about 70% of the distance that way. Lovely ride but sections like the NCR 61 were very muddy indeed and we got back looking like Swamp Thing's 'less fastidious' cousins. I must say I very rarely make cafe stops but this time the Waterside Cafe on the Lea Valley, 90km into the ride, was an absolute delight.

These NCR sections really aren't suitable for road bikes but otherwise they're great fun, well worth trying if you're in the area.

Animated version here: https://www.relive.cc/view/1380189772

 

[tallliman]

@Sbudge, is the lea valley path on on a road bike from Enfield to Walthamstow? Seem to remember it being ok but that was 20 years ago and I was much less concerned.....

 

[Sbudge]

@Sbudge, is the lea valley path on on a road bike from Enfield to Walthamstow? Seem to remember it being ok but that was 20 years ago and I was much less concerned.....

That section is a mixture of gravel and tarmac. The gravel sections are marginal in places for a road bike in my experience but a set of Gatorskins should see you through.

 

[Sbudge]

I've just been looking at my travel diary. It looks like I have only 2 possible days in April to get qualifying rides in...this is going to be tricky! And that assumes there's no mechanicals, illness, hurricanes etc those days.

 

[ColinJ]

Phew - January done. That qualifies as 'uncomfortably close to the end of the month'. I was beginning to think that I'd have to do something deviant like getting on the bike when it's already raining on the 31st !

Clear, blue skies and no wind at all. An almost perfect day which could only really have been improved by featuring temperatures in excess of 2-4C.

Well done!

My recent cold had lingered on longer than I hoped for so I wasn't able to take advantage of that fine Friday. Even yesterday I still wasn't feeling quite right, but the forecast was good for today and not so good for tomorrow, my only other opportunity to get the metric century in. So I decided to ride today and do the easiest possible 100 km route round here, taking as long as I needed to.

I actually felt pretty good until the 85 km point, when I coughed and spluttered a few times. My biggest problem was not eating enough and almost bonking on the final leg back from Littleborough. I limped up the drag to Summit and the long shallow descent back to Todmorden.

I got held up by many sets of temporary traffic lights today but the longest delay was in Hebden Bridge when the traffic suddenly stopped dead in front of me. (Oh, there's a most unfortunate pun there! ) I filtered along the line of stationary vehicles and discovered that the hold-up was a funeral cortege emerging from a side road. I did the decent thing and waited with everyone else.

I'll try to do more interesting routes for the rest of the year. I find the main road traffic stressful, more tiring than the riding itself in fact!

 

[Sea of vapours]

Congratulations That does look like a pretty grim route though, leaving aside the funeral element. Roll on the balmy, long days of February hey ...

 

[tallliman]

That section is a mixture of gravel and tarmac. The gravel sections are marginal in places for a road bike in my experience but a set of Gatorskins should see you through.

Cool, thanks! Might do it to tick off some veloviewer squares on Sunday!

 

[Sbudge]

Cool, thanks! Might do it to tick off some veloviewer squares on Sunday!

That section also takes you past the Café...it would be rude not to grab some cake in passing!

 

[tallliman]

That section also takes you past the Café...it would be rude not to grab some cake in passing!

I'm riding to catch the train from St Pancras, not sure 15 miles needs a stop!! Might find a cafe St Albans way though for Saturday!

 

[Sbudge]

You can ride the NCR 61 from St.Albans all the way to the Lea Valley/NCR 1 too. It's a lovely ride but very muddy in places at the moment.

 

[Elysian_Roads]

Not sure I could have left it much later, but have managed to squeeze in a qualifying ride for this challenge. Thought I was going to get rained off but it cleared up just before lunch, and also thought my Garmin was going to expire, but got home with 3% left. Can't say I enjoyed the headwind though but job done.

 

[Fiona R]

Well done!

My recent cold had lingered on longer than I hoped for so I wasn't able to take advantage of that fine Friday. Even yesterday I still wasn't feeling quite right, but the forecast was good for today and not so good for tomorrow, my only other opportunity to get the metric century in. So I decided to ride today and do the easiest possible 100 km route round here, taking as long as I needed to.

I actually felt pretty good until the 85 km point, when I coughed and spluttered a few times. My biggest problem was not eating enough and almost bonking on the final leg back from Littleborough. I limped up the drag to Summit and the long shallow descent back to Todmorden.

I got held up by many sets of temporary traffic lights today but the longest delay was in Hebden Bridge when the traffic suddenly stopped dead in front of me. (Oh, there's a most unfortunate pun there! ) I filtered along the line of stationary vehicles and discovered that the hold-up was a funeral cortege emerging from a side road. I did the decent thing and waited with everyone else.

I'll try to do more interesting routes for the rest of the year. I find the main road traffic stressful, more tiring than the riding itself in fact!

Very well done, and just as epic and heroic as an epic and heroic ride. Presume you're properly "in" for 2018 now!

 

[ColinJ]

Very well done, and just as epic and heroic as an epic and heroic ride. Presume you're properly "in" for 2018 now!

I am indeed, and to avoid a last minute rush on nasty roads at the end of February I am going out with @Littgull tomorrow to get my Feb metric century in! (A lot of much nicer hilly roads this time, though I will still have to do some busy roads to connect them up.)

 

[Fiona R]

I am indeed, and to avoid a last minute rush on nasty roads at the end of February I am going out with @Littgull tomorrow to get my Feb metric century in! (A lot of much nicer hilly roads this time, though I will still have to do some busy roads to connect them up.)

I had a feeling an early one for Feb may feature in your plans!