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Metric Century Chat

here's a thread for chat about metric century, so we don't have to post in the competition thread.

First things first. DaSy: not sure why you couldn't edit. posts get locked if someone replies to them, but that shouldn't have happened with yours. I'll see if can work out what's up.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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114 comments

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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I think the username above is appropriate if it's rhyming slang. I wonder if they can help me by supplying any of these for under £79.98?

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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sorry dasy, deleted it now so it's looks like you're raving about nothing  1

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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To be honest Dave, I don't need much help to look like that...

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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After last weeks aborted metric, due to a deluge of rain, an insane Mercedes driver, and the wasted effort it took me to drag him out of his window, it was nice to get back on track this weekend.

I was asked to lead a ride that I have done a few times solo, the Torture 80. It is a lot of climbing, on a series of 1 or 2km climbs, that are often around 17-18%. The 80 refers to it being an 80 mile route.

After lots of drop outs, we started with 4 riders, and after 40 miles we were down to just me and one other! He was definitely up for some hard work though, so we ended up doing the last 20 on the rivet and at least getting a metric in. I remember why I mostly ride alone again...

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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It's Halloween tomorrow, so will be time to start a new Metric Century Challenge.

Maybe we should change the rules to just be as many metrics as you can get in between the dates specified; that way it doesn't exclude anyone starting late, or who misses any particular month etc.

What do you think?

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canyonsi | 14 years ago
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think sounds good, as looking at having a bash this "year" and already know will struggle Feb & June.

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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crikey. if i do one every month i'm pretty sure none will be as hard as the first. 65 miles into a crippling headwind that tore the roofs off houses not 3 miles from my route. plus i got absolutely drenched. was going down to see some friends and had to spend the first hour of the visit lying down on their bed  4

i feel like i've been beaten up

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rcdavies | 9 years ago
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My log seems to have disappeared from the Comptetion page. Anyone else had this problem?

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mrmo replied to rcdavies | 9 years ago
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rcdavies wrote:

My log seems to have disappeared from the Comptetion page. Anyone else had this problem?

at the start of the comments press all, it probably shows the last 30 posts now?

i would suggest then using ctrl f to find your post

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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80 miles around a new route I hadn't tried before in the Beacons was wonderful.

Based around a loop I saw in Cplus a while back, took me from Skewen up through Brynamman and over the Black Mountain to Llangadog across to Llandovery, then Trecastle to Senybridge and Defynnog and back via Crai, Abercraf, Pontardawe and home.

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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sounds nice. i'm in derbyshire at the moment (carsington) and looking at the map any MC i get in (unlikely) would be a fairly tough one.

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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My second metric for the weekend saw me leading a group of riders from my mates shop, on a 4 hour zone 2 ride.

I earned myself a 90's Look KG171 in Once team livery, complete with Campag group and mavic handbuilt wheels. I pick it up today, and have to say that I think I earned it to be honest...

20 riders all wanting to show how fast they are when you are trying to keep the pace steady and in zone, then some sprint off and fragment the group! I stayed with the last man until 10 miles from home, at which point he wanted to stop and insisted I went on as he was happy to make his way home from there. I did a two up TT with the one guy who knew how to ride a zone 2 ride (which we now ignored and sat in zone 5!). As we passed some of the group of riders who had sprinted off an hour or so before, having bonked, we waved laughed and rode on!

Most of the others had called for lifts from wives and parents too it turned out. The only ones who came back in good shape were those who kept up a steady zone 2 with me....

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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I had a great ride on my new climbing route, dubbed the Torture 80, as it is an adaptation of Reading CC's Torture 40 ride in the Chilterns. I added 20 miles either end to get to and from, plus add in a couple more climbs.

It actually ended up as the Torture 90, as just as I was heading home on the last 15 miles, I was halted by a serious RTA that had the road closed off completely; I'd done 65 miles and just shy of 2K metres of ascent, only to be faced with climbing back up the valley on the longest climb of the day for the second time, and detouring 10 miles out of my way to get home. Still, shouldn't moan as someone else was having a much worse day than me for sure, hope all were okay, but it didn't sound good from what the Police were saying!

Rest tomorrow, and ready for another 85 miler on Monday.

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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I was going to say there's nothing worse than having to add in a detour at the end of a hard ride, but being involved in a RTA is clearly worse, hope everyone's okay. our MC on friday went to wales, so it did have hills in, but it went to wales via the flatlands of the severn estuary, so it wasn't too hard  1

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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Todays ride wasn't as frustrating as I'd imagined it was going to be. Everyone was warned there would be no lunch stop, no going back for stragglers, 85 miles at a steady zone 2, so anyone turning up knew what they were letting themselves in for.

9 started the ride, 3 dropped out at about 25 miles (seemed odd!), and the rest kept to plan pretty well. The owner of the bike shop I ride with had the most mechanicals I have ever experienced! Front tyre came off the rim twice, two punctures after that, stem bolts came loose and the handlebars rotated round on a climb and his shoe cleats came undone. I warned him about the dangers he put us fellow riders in, what with me nearly dieing laughing on several occasions, it was deemed best to take the piss just out of swinging range as his sense of humour was starting to leave him, obviously that was exposing an opportunity too good to miss!

The last 10 miles turned into a TTT but with a difference, I did an ITT and everyone else practiced there pacelines behind me, they were very good at it too.

We lost one man from that line at about 8 miles to go and never saw him again, but it had been agreed before hand that it was everyman for himself inside the last 10. All finished off in fine style with a 50+ mph descent of Streatley Hill...a nice 81 miles clocked in the end, and after Saturdays tough 90, I think it will be a gentle one hour spin tomorrow.

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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What a great ride I had yesterday, which took me out via Swansea and over the Black Mountain - this is such a nice a climb, mostly around 7% but the wind can make that feel a bit harder. The descent down the other side is fast and long, which has you keeping up with the cars for a good few miles.

On to Llangadog is a nice flattish run, but the road surface is awful, and has your arms falling to sleep due to the constant vibration. I caught up with another rider, a retired guy on a lovely custom-built road bike of the early 80's, and I rolled along chatting to him until Llandovery, where we went our separate ways.

From Llandovery it is a long drag, it must be around 10 miles, of constant uphill drag to Sennybridge. It's rarely over 3%, but it does start to get pretty taxing. the upside is the view is stunning.

From Sennybridge the route starts to turn back toward home into the centre of the Beacons National Park, and the toughest climbs of the day. A sign told me the main road was going to be going up at 16% , a fairly tough little climb, then I turned toward the main objective for the day - The Devils Elbow. I have come down this many times, but never gone up it!

Suffice to say it lives up to it's name, at never less than 11% and going over 17% in places, it is a tough climb, but also absolutely gorgeous. With that out of the way it is a stunning ride down the valley to Glyn Neath and then the rolling road back to Skewen and then home.

This is a great route, over 2K metres of climb, great views and some quiet roads (not the A40 bit though!).

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Jon Burrage | 14 years ago
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Lovely (if hard) ride today. Down from Bristol to clevedon, back up through congresbury to the airport, round the back to congresbury again before heading through to cheddar, up the gorge, back down the other side through burrington and back home along the a38 past the airport once again. Wanted to go further but got through my two 750ml water bottles way quicker than expected so kept it down to 111km.

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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After the first weekend I can remember that I didn't get out on the bike, I used my lieu time to good effect this afternoon and got a quick metric in.

A blast up to Windsor Castle, a loop round it and then back. The weather held out and I seemed to be going okay; I was convinced that all my training was to no avail after missing my weekend rides, so I'm relieved to find I can still pedal!

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Skardy | 14 years ago
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Finally got a century in, the first one since April. Cracking morning out with the local club and I coped surprisingly well on the climbs, I did come up a bit short so had to keep going round the block until I ticked over the 62.2 miles!

Definitely not going to leave it so long until the next one!

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Blackhound | 14 years ago
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My last three have been very different.
About a month ago I did part of the route of the Etape Caledonia a few days before the real thing. Beautiful course along Loch Tummel to Kinloch Rannoch. I lost my map out of the pocket on this section and took a wrong turning missing off the Loch Rannoch section. Ended up a few miles short so carried on up to the Killiecrankie visitor centre to make sure I got the metric century in. Rented a Giant Defy from Escape Route in Pitlochry for the day and it was a nice ride. A bit heavier then what I was used to with Tiagra level kit. Not sure of the retail price but if anybody wants a decent bike to get started on this would be a good reoomendation.
Missed out on the tack laden course as well.

About a week later I cycled from Stonehaven on the coast to Braemar via Glen Tanar and a hike a bike over a ridge. 67 miles on a full sus mtb with super views.

Last weekend was out with my mates into the Peak and did 64 miles. Had ot ridden with them since mid April as I have been away or doing some mtb events. Was nice to get on the Principia again and was riding better than I thought I might.

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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My Saturday long ride out was a loop I'd seen in the Comic a couple of weeks ago, as part of an interview with an ex-pro, Flavio Zappi.

It took me out via the Vale of the White Horse in Wiltshire, and then a right (rather than my usual left toward Lambourn)took me up toward Abingdon and Oxford.

The ride went through lots of quaint little villages, and eventualy popped out right in the middle of Oxford, and an interesting blast through the hectic town centre saw me outside Flavio's cafe - Zappi's (see my other thread about this experience - Zappi's Cafe).

Back through Blackbird Leys estate and Cowley, takes you through the industrial side of Oxford, then back out into the country for a picturesque run back home.

All in all, a great 101 miles, and a wonderful experience meeting Flavio.

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tibuan (not verified) | 14 years ago
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It's a one tough job to coach bikers this much. Im impress with this people handling these many people.
life coaching program

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hammergonewest | 14 years ago
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Heh!

Yeah coaching is one tough job… followed the link on blokeys post above to Life coaching in the South West, thought 'well their very New Age in the West Country… probably be somewhere around Glasto…' it's in Phoenix, Arizona.

Is the above post some sort of spam I notice there is a very similar one somewhere else on the site too?

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Jon Burrage | 14 years ago
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yeah I noticed those too...hmm

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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Well, that was some of my better metric's!

5 official metric centuries last week and 2 rides that only just missed by a few km's. They were also some of the toughest ones (to say the least), and consisted of the Col de Cou, Col de la Colombiere, Col de Aravis, Col de Saises, Col de Pre (twice), Cormet de Roselend, Val D'Isere, Col de L'Iseran, Col du Telegraphe, Col du Galibier, Col du Lautaret, Col d'Izoard, Col de Vars, Col de Restefonde, Col de la Bonette.

In total it was over 17,000 metres of ascent for last week. I don't think it's going to be quite the same riding in the Chilterns for the foreseeable future...

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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Sounds fantastic. What was it like riding with Obree?

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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Graeme Obree was a joy to get to know, he was pretty ill to start off with, he had a nasty chest cold or flu, so couldn't ride for the first couple of days, but he is as tough as they come, and was riding up the Galibier etc on the third day!

I have always seen him as an icon in the cycling world, and to get to know him was a real pleasure. He is really down to earth, and I'd like to think he became a friend by the end of the holiday. I will keep in touch with him, and if you are reading this Graeme, you know I'm expecting a certain package in the post!

I learned a lot from riding with him, and laughed a lot when talking to him.

I've also got to mention another guy on the trip that I really got on with; Ben from Bournemouth, who did the entire ride on a Charge Plug singlespeed! Chapeau dude...

Stuart from Essex also taught me a lot, and we paced many groups through the valleys and gorges together, it was great to ride with you mate.

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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Blimey, what gear was Ben pushing?

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DaSy | 14 years ago
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I think it was a 48x20 (mid 60's), he started with an 18 on the back, but the 20 made a bit more sense (to him at least!).

Mr. Obree taught him the pleasure of the zig-zag method of getting up the steeper sections, (of which there were many), and he would often overtake a group of French or German roadies on compacts, zig-zagging across the road on a 14% incline after a couple of hours of non stop climbing out of the saddle!

The fact he made the top of the Cime de Bonette was amazing, the top loop is a km of about 14% at just under 3000m high after hours of climbing. He really is a machine, and the funniest bloke I know.

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cat1commuter | 14 years ago
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That's hilarious, overtaking the all-the-gear guys on a Charge Plug.

Reminds me of a friend who was touring the Alps. He was heading up Alpe d'Huez on his flat bar hybrid, but got fed up with all the Dutch and German guys overtaking him on anorexic bikes. So he hid his panniers behind a barn in a field and headed on up, passing them all. (He says don't bother with Alpe d'Huez; it is boring. There are loads more interesting climbs, like the ones DaSy did.)

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