New Metric Century Challenge

Peter S is back off his holidays.

DaSy - sounds like you've been living the dream

Good luck with the job hunt DaSy. My metric century challenge total is largely attributable to a bit of an employment slump of my own...

Today's ton was one of the most enjoyable yet. I joined the Brighton Mitre social ride, which split in two - fast & slow (although we were assured the fast wouldn't be all that fast and the slow wouldn't be all that slow). I chose the quicker group, still feeling slightly cocky after my LEJOG.

We set off at a brisk pace and it seemed to keep getting brisker - to the point where 'brisk' no longer seemed to quite do it justice. It was more 'quick' really.

Now I'm back on the beer there was none of the clarity of mind and body that I've been enjoying for the past few months. I was mildly hungover and a bit tired following a late, boozy night on Thursday followed by an ill-advised bout of late afternoon lager drinking at my kids' school summer picnic yesterday.

So the hills were hurting and the sweat was toxic, but I clung on and the grimace on my face slowly turned into a smile as the miles slipped by. The group thinned out near the end - particularly when the decision was taken to 'do Bostal' - Bostal Road near Steyning is a notorious local hill over the Downs that sensible people don't generally go anywhere near on bicycles, particularly when they've just cycled 50 miles.

Bostal was a sweaty grunt and I didn't particularly enjoy it, but the ride from Sompting back along the coast road to Brighton was an absolute blast. We were trucking along at 27-28mph in single file with the breeze behind us and big grins plastered across our faces (well, I had one on mine anyway - I suspect the serious Mitre riders probably just looked deadpan and effortless).

I was on the edge of my capabilities several times during the ride but could never quite bring myself to give up. By the time I got home I was knackered and aching a bit, but happier than I've been since I got to the top of Helmsdale a couple of weeks back. Ah, the recuperative powers of cycling

Peter S led his Annual CRC Sportif yesterday rather than making it a hilly route as in previous years, he decided just to include 5 big climbs.

For those that that know the Lancashire area we rode, the steep side of Jeffrey hill before tackling Nick O' Pendle from Sabden side then on to Waddington Fell and Boundary finishing off with that local legend that is Jubilee with a fast descent to give the legs a final stretch over Quernmore Valley. Peter also managed to include Three Steps and the 1 in 4 Brocks Bank as extras to spice things up on the way out to Jeffrey. His local knowledge is encyclopedic and he will no doubt be along later to register his latest metric.

i had a nice pootle out to wales on friday to go to a stag do in ystradgynlais (don't ask). lanes to the old severn bridge, then over to usk and abergavenny for tea and cakes at a friend's house. round the back of the brecons on the lanes then over to sennybridge and up over the crai pass. managed to stay up fairly late afterwards, too

Some metrics to add for me...

121km circular route from tarbes up the tourmalet (la mongie side) and back via lourdes

118km circular route from pau up the col du soulor and the col d'aubisque (in awful rain and cloud...couldnt see 30m in front of me which was interesting on the decent) and back to pau

Ive been back 24 hours and I miss it, I need to go back!

i managed a 130km loop up to St Brivals-Tintern-Trelech and back to brizzle..fun but no Tormalet i'm afraid.

That trellech climb isn't easy though fringe, i recall being handed my arse on that one

Id like to add my thanks to the hoards of norwegian and dutch fans who cheered me (and countless others) all the way up the last 6km past la mongie and left me almost deaf when I passed two guys in team sky kit! Hello to the chippenham wheelers duo that set up there viewing spot 2 corners from the top as well.

more or less. i didn't follow it to the letter, particularly the bit where i was cycling behind two shapely ladies and i went about five miles up the wrong road out of chepstow

the bit round the back of the brecons is jolly lovely though, chepstow to abergavenny is pan flat apart from the first climb and then you follow the brecon canal to pencelli before hitting the lanes

from there you can go over that climb just north of ystradgynlais or the one out the back of the town, they both go to the neath road.

the lanes up to the bridge are nice and quiet, and you can either follow the signposted route to the bridge (which takes you onto the western path via a slightly convoluted route) or ride towards the services (round the roundabout at the M48 junction) and skip onto the eastern path just before you get to them, that's the moped route. after that there's a decent cycle path as far as the big chepstow roundabout, watch out for glass on the underpasses though

i had a rather pleasant ride myself, great weather, gentle pootle down the strawberry line and then an all or nothing slog up cheddar gorge, back down the old bristol road, back up (to the mendips) fro wooky hole by the ebbor gorge road and then a skirt down to Ubley round Nempnett Thrubwell, and back home. job done for sept, except the circum navigation of the Avon Cycleway on the 26th with the CTC (plus many cake stops).

and next time i'm in Bath i'll check out Cadence cycles... seeing as i've not been there, BTW DaSy if yer ever in Bristol 'Strada' is the bike shop to go to..

Managed my September ride already, 104m (thats miles!) of the Kielder 100 mountian bike event. Lovely day and some great riding (apart from the Kielder sections of singletrack). Took me a dissapointing 12+hrs tho, was having back pain issues so had to keep stopping to stretch, it did mean however that my legs were pretty fresh for the whole thing.

Rich

Congratulations Stato, agree with DaSy that that is a tough assignment. K100 was on my list for 2011 but this week I have been invited to a wedding on that weekend next year. What is worse is that he is a mtb'er!

Got two in this month. Last weekend my chain broke an hour from home. I did not have my chain tool with me, though I did have a spare link. My compananion pushed me to Carsington bike hire to fix - I deducted the mileage from my daily total.

Today went to watch ToB on Hollinsclough.

Got in my 100km for October in today - a midweek one for a chance in glorious sunshine.

For the last six months I have been working my redundancy notice and today was my first day 'free'. Tomorrow I go on holiday for 3 weeks so will not get another chance in October - so I have managed a metric century for two years in a row - along with DaSy.

(Redundancy was a good thing for me, I was about to resign anyway and they beat me to it by a month - I get a nice fat cheque after 34 years service man and boy.)

So now got my pension to spend - enough to keep me on and off road. First big project is the Tour Divide is 2011!

Got my October metric in today with Peter S, stayed dry although it was a slog into the wind at times. Work is going to limit me for the rest of the month but I am sure he will crack off a few more.

Sorry, Dasy...will let you have the longest ride, but my 90 points and 10 counting rides in the month of October seem to outweigh your totals somewhat. Not bad for a pensioner enjoying life after a quadruple heart by-pass some 9 years ago!

214km ride, 2170m of climbing, in total the longest ride Ive done. Great weather for it considering what the forecast was.

Lovely ride today up to Monyash, Derbyshire. First time I have showed my arms this year! About 12 out including 4 ladies which was good to see, usually had 1 or 2 over the last year. This included 2 of the Rapha-Condor ladies team who were looking sprightly - must stand a chance in the upcoming races.

DaSy, i see you reign of the metric c. has been pretty much 'cancellara'd' by one 'peter s 1944'... 4220km and counting.