New Metric Century Challenge

Do I get an extra point for my metric today? In the course of 'work' (checking locations for bikeability training) I was asked to haul 30kg of cargo between severn beach and our office in yate...in this wind and rain, surely I deserve some bonus action?!

Back from the Sinai just over a week ago now full of cold and "Cairo Belly". We only managed 2 "metrics" but the day of the 2nd started with alarm call at 1.30am and an ascent of Mt Sinai, back on bikes at 9.00am after chilling legs in the coldest pool in the known universe!, after 102km we had a (very) fast 13km downhill straight into the nights lodge and a beach bar! The day was renamed as quadlathon day, Climb Mt Sinai, Cycle 115km, Sea Swiming, and "one too many Stella"

a great challenge with a great group raising upwards of £50.000 for Heart Charity (BHF, CRY, Tiny Tickers)

a blow by blow account will be on the blog shortly.

si

December starting to look dificult to score a point currently.

First weekend I was ill with a virus and the second had agreed to meet up for a mtb ride.

Yesterday I had a hangover after the works do and it snowed overnight. Decided 100km return to Bakewell on the A6 might be dodgy so went out on mtb for a couple of nice hours on local hills. Away for Christmas and an audax on 2nd January. 28/29th December remain my last hope. I have scored each month since October 2008 and would like to keep up the achievement.

tricky one today, despite icy roads, dropping temperature, nearly last day of Dec. and a puncture, but got it done.

averaging 19mph or thereabouts for a 'swine flu survivor' whose not been out aint bad..good going.

gotta try and get my Jan metric in tomorrow i suspect.

Hi Guys, ive not posted on here before but been lurking for a while. Decided this is the year to attempt some big things so have taken up your 100k challenge to start things off (tho 2 months too late).

First big ride of the year should always be one to remember so I dragged a mate out and we took the MTB's on a loop of the local bridleways and disused railways. Despite being fantastic weather (for January) there was still a lot of ice on the tracks which forced us, willing or not, into the muddy verge for most of the first 40k. Thankfully the ice relented and we settled into a nice casual pace for the rest of the ride, quite a change from the manic pace of our usual MTB rides. With dark coming too soon this time of year the last 15k was done with the aid of lights and we were soon home after a re-fuel of several more choclate bars. Total ride, 114km - 70% bridleways, 20% tarmac cyclepath, 10% road. 10hrs door-to-door, 7hrs riding time.

Next 100k is going to be on the road bike!! and i think my mate might invest in some less draggy tyres :0)

Cheers,
Rich.

Was lovely to get out at the weekend, a nice training ride.
Feels good to be back out around the lakes and hills of north somerset

100k off road is a fearsome ride rich, nice one

that was the hardest metric c. ive done so far. had to get it done today as no other available days left in Jan,and other normal work/family/school run related stuff. anyhow picked a 15mile-ish loop about 12 miles away and battered myself round it 3 and a half times and managed my best time so far - 3hr.46, at an average of spot on 17mph. (on a single speed too, mind.)

"still gives you somefing to do dunit" as someonce once said to me.

that doesn't sound like much fun fringe

i haven't managed one for either december or january. plenty of shorter rides but nowt long. hoping to do the chippenham flapjack in feb though...

yeah by mile 47 i did think i should have stayed home and done some hoovering, but most of it was okay. chippenham flapjack sounds interesting, my march metric will be the LVIS Audax (28th march).

http://www.lvis.org.uk/news.htm

and there ya go, theres a post about it from yesterday..they get about them LVIS lot.

maybe next years MCC rules should include at least one off-road jaunt, or maybe a double point score..

or fixed, or a tricycle, or a, or a, or a..etc etc.

alright maybe not eh.

(good luck with the Arran metric btw DaSy, i once spent a week in Orkney and by day 2 i'd been up and down the same three roads twice)

cheers guys, it wasnt too hard really, think i was hyped up on adrenalin. Will be doing a proper offroad one in August as im entered for the Kielder100 (www.sip-events.co.uk/kielder-home.html), thats 100 MILES offroad! ouch!

Keep up the chat, its good for motivation when im sat in the office looking out at the wind and rain

Stato - The Kielder race is 4th September - unless you are after an early start;-)

Thinking of doing it myself if I an the UK at the time which is probable.

Got my January counter in last Saturday after an aborted audax on the 2nd (heavy snow in peak district).

ah yes, so it is. Damn these tricky calendars!

Hmm. I'm going to be on holiday in Melbourne on the 17th October, which is when their "Round the Bay in a Day" ride happens. The bay in question is Port Philip Bay, which is quite large. There are various options, such as clockwise or anti-clockwise, both 210 km. But to beat DaSy's 225.3 km I'd need to choose the 250 km option, which traces an extra peninsular. (Of course if DaSy does his day ride to Paris, that 320 km.)

Looks good fun. They get 15,000 cyclists attempting the various distances. You get a ticket for a ferry ride across the mouth of the bay.

I'm going to need to take my own machine down there if I enter. I don't fancy doing 200 km on a hired bike!

Afan Lodge - it was a nice weekend on the trails, been a bit tired last few days. I was stuffing bacon rolls and carrot cake at Glyncorreg as you pootled past probably.

Was thinking it would be nice on the road bike to up there - thinking of getting the train to Port Talbot and doing a spin over the summer. ALong with all the other plans....

Cheers Dasy, may take you up on it if I get my life sorted. (Mrs B's father was from Duffryn Rhonnda so I may be able to persuade her to visit her relatives...)

WOuld be a steady ride for yourself though!

Dasy - OK, lets try and sort something out when it gets warmer. Could do with some climbing training before a trip to The Alps in June.

OK Dasy - also planning a day trip to Ventoux during our week in the Alps!

Today was a lot of clibing in lovelt conditions in the snowy White Peak. Got dropped by the group on the climbs - I really need to improve...