The Imperial Century A Month Challenge Chatzone

[Trickedem]

@Trickedem We crossed paths yesterday, just as you were getting into Lutterworth I went by the other way. That's another cyclechatter ticked off

I hope I at least smiled or gave you an acknowledgment. Did you just work this out via Strava? Or did you recognise me? I had a fantastic ride through Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. It was a beautiful day, with a nice tailwind and no rain. I particularly like Leicestershire and Northhants, with some nice quiet lanes and idyllic villages. Milton Keynes, was OK, as I kept to NCR 6, which goes mainly through parks and alongside the Grand Union Canal. Although I did stop at a Greggs for a steak bake and a yumyum.
The final part through Bucks and into Hertfordshire was also nice, with a few hills as I came into the Chilterns.
Very lucky to arrive at Watford with only a 5 minute wait for a train into London.

All in all a great day with some new scenery. England in the Autumn is beautiful.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I hope I at least smiled or gave you an acknowledgment. Did you just work this out via Strava? Or did you recognise me? I had a fantastic ride through Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. It was a beautiful day, with a nice tailwind and no rain. I particularly like Leicestershire and Northhants, with some nice quiet lanes and idyllic villages. Milton Keynes, was OK, as I kept to NCR 6, which goes mainly through parks and alongside the Grand Union Canal. Although I did stop at a Greggs for a steak bake and a yumyum.
The final part through Bucks and into Hertfordshire was also nice, with a few hills as I came into the Chilterns.
Very lucky to arrive at Watford with only a 5 minute wait for a train into London.

All in all a great day with some new scenery. England in the Autumn is beautiful.

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I'm pretty sure we both said hello. I thought I'd seen you by the photo you put on Strava and then I looked on Flyby to see where we passed.

 

[Aravis]

I'm pretty sure we both said hello. I thought I'd seen you by the photo you put on Strava and then I looked on Flyby to see where we passed.

As of yesterday I think, Strava have made a policy decision which severely impacts Flyby. It looks as though everyone has had the permission for Flyby switched off. You can easily switch it back on again but your list, for all your old rides as well as new ones, will consist of just yourself until a significant proportion of other users also switch it back on again. Neither Dani Rowe nor Nikki Juniper have done so yet.

It's nothing important of course, but I always like to have a look to see what other people were up to. I'm well aware it has been used for more questionable purposes.

I did October's ride yesterday, a least a layer short through somewhat misjudging the temperature which made it harder work. Enjoyable though it was to design non-repeating rides based on interlocking loops at the height of lockdown, I felt the need to go somewhere! Rescue would have been available had it been needed:

 

[ianrauk]

Today's cycling shenanigans brings up 120 months in a row of Imperial Century rides, or to put it another way, 10 years. Where did the time and miles go?
A great Kent ride to the beautiful Bedgebury Pinetum, only soured a little by drizzle most of the morning and a few very poor drivers, but we did see sunshine, only briefly but we saw it. It appeared, then disappeared.
I rode in the fantastic company and leadership of @Trickedem, who come up with the route, so it had it's fair share of ups and ups and ups, and some glorious downs. The last 10 years rides have mostly been in the company of Tim, along with @rb58 who was on his own ride today. So thanks chaps. Legends.
So, scores on the doors. A tad over the 100 miles. Imperial Century #14 for the year, month 120 in a row.
1 more to go for a new gold star.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Today's cycling shenanigans brings up 120 months in a row of Imperial Century rides, or to put it another way, 10 years.

Congratulations!

 

[Trickedem]

Today's cycling shenanigans brings up 120 months in a row of Imperial Century rides, or to put it another way, 10 years. Where did the time and miles go?
A great Kent ride to the beautiful Bedgebury Pinetum, only soured a little by drizzle most of the morning and a few very poor drivers, but we did see sunshine, only briefly but we saw it. It appeared, then disappeared.
I rode in the fantastic company and leadership of @Trickedem, who come up with the route, so it had it's fair share of ups and ups and ups, and some glorious downs. The last 10 years rides have mostly been in the company of Tim, along with @rb58 who was on his own ride today. So thanks chaps. Legends.
So, scores on the doors. A tad over the 100 miles. Imperial Century #14 for the year, month 120 in a row.
1 more to go for a new gold star.

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Congratulations on completing your 10th year. That was a tough ride for me, with lockdown fatness and fitness(lack of). I nearly didn't get up and do this ride, but I am so glad I did. The weather and wind were nowhere near as bad as forecast and the scenery was magnificent. I would recommend a visit to Bedgebury Pinetum in the autumn, it is fabulous.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

November done. Headed south west and got within 4 miles of Stratford. Got a cheeky veloviewer square by riding into a cul de sac onto the path and into the next street and back out onto the main road again so I didn't have to do a dead end

Just one more to go

 

[StuAff]

One to go…in view of The Rules, I stayed local-ish- west to Botley, north a bit, east to Bishops Waltham, back down to the top of Portsdown Hill, east as far as Fishbourne, then back west and assorted back-and-forth on Portsea Island for thirty-odd miles. Lost about 2 miles on the Garmin, but just made up that mileage because I wasn't sure how much was needed. Pace pretty rubbish again- 11.0 mph average, but never mind.

 

[Tribansman]

Got mine done too yesterday. Just one to go now, January seems a very long time ago!

Was a cracking day for it with the light winds and bright start. I made a really early getaway as had to be done by lunchtime-ish. Set off at 4am and by the time sunrise came I'd hit the fens and some glorious misty dawn views. Did an extended loop around Cambridge, almost over to Newmarket, including some off road and wooded trails mainly for the variety factor as it was a very flat ride.

Don't know what I was happier about when I got home: the massive pot of leftover bolognaise from the previous night's tea, or seeing Pennsylvania had been officially projected for Biden.

What a brutal year 2020's been for everyone, hopefully vile Trump getting booted out will be the start of a brighter 2021.

 

[Aravis]

I'm struggling with what might at one time have been called a nervous breakdown. For most of this month the idea of riding a bike has been totally unthinkable and at times I'd assumed I was out of all challenges, as if that seemed to matter at all.

This evening I'm relatively calm.

Without something like @All uphill's ABC Saints photographic challenge I don't think I'd have made it out of the door yesterday. I'd seen a possible quip based on "Holy Innocents", but that would have come to nothing if I couldn't complete the rest of the plan, and remarkably, that proved a big enough incentive to see me through the day. Mostly it was a case of just turning the pedals, never mind how slow, but I did it - 103.03 miles, starting and finishing in darkness.

This is St. Denys' Church, Severn Stoke during yesterday's brief spell of sunshine, with the top of the Malverns just poking out above the sign.

Perhaps I should add that my wife was fully supportive of this adventure, but I'm not sure she expected me to manage 100 miles!

 

[Trickedem]

I'm struggling with what might at one time have been called a nervous breakdown. For most of this month the idea of riding a bike has been totally unthinkable and at times I'd assumed I was out of all challenges, as if that seemed to matter at all.

This evening I'm relatively calm.

Without something like @All uphill's ABC Saints photographic challenge I don't think I'd have made it out of the door yesterday. I'd seen a possible quip based on "Holy Innocents", but that would have come to nothing if I couldn't complete the rest of the plan, and remarkably, that proved a big enough incentive to see me through the day. Mostly it was a case of just turning the pedals, never mind how slow, but I did it - 103.03 miles, starting and finishing in darkness.

This is St. Denys' Church, Severn Stoke during yesterday's brief spell of sunshine, with the top of the Malverns just poking out above the sign.

View attachment 558656

Perhaps I should add that my wife was fully supportive of this adventure, but I'm not sure she expected me to manage 100 miles!

Well done for getting out and I hope it helped.

 

[ianrauk]

I'm struggling with what might at one time have been called a nervous breakdown. For most of this month the idea of riding a bike has been totally unthinkable and at times I'd assumed I was out of all challenges, as if that seemed to matter at all.

This evening I'm relatively calm.

Without something like @All uphill's ABC Saints photographic challenge I don't think I'd have made it out of the door yesterday. I'd seen a possible quip based on "Holy Innocents", but that would have come to nothing if I couldn't complete the rest of the plan, and remarkably, that proved a big enough incentive to see me through the day. Mostly it was a case of just turning the pedals, never mind how slow, but I did it - 103.03 miles, starting and finishing in darkness.

This is St. Denys' Church, Severn Stoke during yesterday's brief spell of sunshine, with the top of the Malverns just poking out above the sign.

View attachment 558656

Perhaps I should add that my wife was fully supportive of this adventure, but I'm not sure she expected me to manage 100 miles!

Well done chap. Sometimes bike riding can be a great healer.

 

[Tribansman]

I'm struggling with what might at one time have been called a nervous breakdown. For most of this month the idea of riding a bike has been totally unthinkable and at times I'd assumed I was out of all challenges, as if that seemed to matter at all.

This evening I'm relatively calm.

Without something like @All uphill's ABC Saints photographic challenge I don't think I'd have made it out of the door yesterday. I'd seen a possible quip based on "Holy Innocents", but that would have come to nothing if I couldn't complete the rest of the plan, and remarkably, that proved a big enough incentive to see me through the day. Mostly it was a case of just turning the pedals, never mind how slow, but I did it - 103.03 miles, starting and finishing in darkness.

This is St. Denys' Church, Severn Stoke during yesterday's brief spell of sunshine, with the top of the Malverns just poking out above the sign.

View attachment 558656

Perhaps I should add that my wife was fully supportive of this adventure, but I'm not sure she expected me to manage 100 miles!

It can be hard to summon up the motivation to go out and ride at the best of times in winter, so great that you managed to get out and hope it helped.

It really can be a great tonic, even if just for a few miles. Just one to go for this year, you can do it!

 

[13 rider]

Got November's done today ,I've been completely lacking motivation to do longer rides for a couple of months ,still riding everyday but 2 hours is enough at the moment facing 6.5hrs in the saddle has no appeal . Genuinely considered quitting the challenge but in the week I read @Aravis post in the week and that's was enough to give me a kick up the bum beat the apathy and get out .Couldn't have picked a better November day chilly but sunny . Did struggle to keep heading away from home but just kept peddling and the miles slowly racked up . Thankfully the cafe at Rosliston was open for takeaways just as I was flagging . One more to go

 

[ianrauk]

Got November's done today ,I've been completely lacking motivation to do longer rides for a couple of months ,still riding everyday but 2 hours is enough at the moment facing 6.5hrs in the saddle has no appeal . Genuinely considered quitting the challenge but in the week I read @Aravis post in the week and that's was enough to give me a kick up the bum beat the apathy and get out .Couldn't have picked a better November day chilly but sunny . Did struggle to keep heading away from home but just kept peddling and the miles slowly racked up . Thankfully the cafe at Rosliston was open for takeaways just as I was flagging . One more to go

Good stuff. Really glad you're still in the challenge, along with @Aravis