2018 Metric Century Challenge

amrushton · June 2018

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Svetty wrote:

Not many rack up 100points tbf - I don't think any system would help increase the total points scored apart from point inflation. I would suggest that anyone capable of riding several hundred kilometres in one go must train themselves in order do so

Not necessarily, I know quite a few who ride their bike a couple of times in June and then enter LEL and finish it... of course they have years of experience in long distance cycling and know what they are doing, but what I am trying to say is that you won't see them on the road every day trying to rack up miles in preparation, in the same way folks do ahead of the Fred Whitton or Ride London.

Personally I think training is aimed to racing and it's typically detrimental for long distance riding... I always have the impression that the least I ride in preparation, the better I do.

When my wife used to rack up the Audax miles, certain members of her club used to do low volume rides and build up esp in the PBP year. They disdained the idea of weekly rides for themselves as they had other commitments. Interestingly the ones who were riding every week (incl my wife) actually wore themselves out as they never got a chance to recover. She would do a 200 or 300km ride nearly every week - sometimes more and unless you are resting and eating properly you actually lose form

svetty · June 2018

amrushton wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Svetty wrote:

Not many rack up 100points tbf - I don't think any system would help increase the total points scored apart from point inflation. I would suggest that anyone capable of riding several hundred kilometres in one go must train themselves in order do so

Not necessarily, I know quite a few who ride their bike a couple of times in June and then enter LEL and finish it... of course they have years of experience in long distance cycling and know what they are doing, but what I am trying to say is that you won't see them on the road every day trying to rack up miles in preparation, in the same way folks do ahead of the Fred Whitton or Ride London.

Personally I think training is aimed to racing and it's typically detrimental for long distance riding... I always have the impression that the least I ride in preparation, the better I do.

When my wife used to rack up the Audax miles, certain members of her club used to do low volume rides and build up esp in the PBP year. They disdained the idea of weekly rides for themselves as they had other commitments. Interestingly the ones who were riding every week (incl my wife) actually wore themselves out as they never got a chance to recover. She would do a 200 or 300km ride nearly every week - sometimes more and unless you are resting and eating properly you actually lose form

Not sure Beryl Burton would agree with you - although given what happened to her in the end perhaps there is something in the 'wear yourself out' idea?

ugo.santalucia · June 2018

Couple of weeks back I rode BCM 600... about 24 hours of riding time. A friend with whom I rode many Audax in the past rode it too with his own pace and took him exactly the same time. That is not unusual, as we typically ended up riding together. This time we were never together.
The difference is that I had ridden 5500 km since January, including quite a few long rides (100-400 km) and he had ridden 300 km since january. Admittedly he had been running a lot, but no cycling.

That goes to show that, at least in long distance or endurance, specific training has zero effect on your ability to go fast or go far.

webboo · June 2018

Are the rides you are doing rides or are you doing specific training such as interval or hill repeats.

mrfpb · June 2018

wind700 wrote:

im in for 2018 after 2 year break.Good luck to all.
10/1/2018-101km-1 point
11/2/2018 -101km - 1 point.
13/3/2018 - 116km - 1 point
22/4/2018 - 101km - 1 point
Total 4 points

unfortunately I'm out this year due to an accident at work
Fractured heel and ankle damaged.
good luck to you all.

Ouch!

Sorry to hear that, I hope you're fixed and back on the bike soon.

ugo.santalucia · June 2018

Webboo wrote:

Are the rides you are doing rides or are you doing specific training such as interval or hill repeats.

I suppose you could say my commutes into work fit around a description of "interval", when I can be bothered and I am not shattered from some long Audax I did earlier... long rides are long rides.

My point is that (small) increments in my ability to climb fast or sustain a harder pace don't seem to give any practical gain over a long distance.
I could fit all my >200 km rides over the past couple of years in a graph of speed Vs average gradient and would get a 99.99% correlation.

Before you give me advice on what I should do to become better, I need to point out that I have no desire to be faster, I am just pointing out that training or not training in this context has little effect.

I like to do a long ride a few weeks before a very long ride to be mentally OK with the idea of a very long day, but physically it has no benefit.
Distance tends to flatten everything... folks way faster than me, who could do the Fred Whitton an hour faster than me, were only 90 minutes faster than me over 24 hours...

webboo · June 2018

I wouldn’t dare offer you advice

however I would be of the opinion that you just ride your bike rather than do any training.

ugo.santalucia · June 2018

Webboo wrote:

I wouldn’t dare offer you advice however I would be of the opinion that you just ride your bike rather than do any training.

I am certainly too easily distracted by the change of seasons and the different landscapes to pay too much attention to effort or numbers..

svetty · June 2018

ugo.santalucia wrote:

at least in long distance or endurance, specific training has zero effect on your ability to go fast or go far.

Really? So at least a century's worth of sports science is just plain wrong?

I bet Mo Farah et al are pissed off that they put all those training hours in when they could have just sat watching TV instead.

ugo.santalucia · June 2018

You can't really compare an athlete doing a 30 minute to 2 hour effort with a cycloamateur doing a 18 hours bicycle ride... nobody is trying to win medals here... what I am saying is that whether you ride a little or a lot it makes no difference to how long it will take or how painful it will be.

I suggest you try for yourself, if you don't believe me.. if you don't believe first hand experience, then what can you believe?

webboo · June 2018

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I suggest you try for yourself, if you don't believe me.. if you don't believe first hand experience, then what can you believe?

The Earth is flat :!:

pollys_bott · June 2018

jan feb mar apr may total
  9  10  12  11  12   54 Milemuncher1 (1,=)
  7  10   3   8   2   30 Runner2Cycling (2,=)
  6   2   5   4   7   24 Svetty (3,=)
  2   1   4   5   9   21 ugo.santalucia (4,+2)
  4   2   2   5   7   20 Manx Shred (5,-1)
  2   4   3   4   5   18 Cruff (6,-2)
  4   1   2   3   8   18 Dish_dash (6,+5)
  2   3   3   4   5   17 Davix (8,-2)
  2   4   2   4   2   14 Fat Cat (9,-3)
  3   2   3   3   3   14 Charlie Potatoes (9,=)
  3   3   2   2   4   14 diplodicus (9,+2)
  3   1   1   3   6   14 Pedylan (9,+6)
  1   1   3   3   6   14 Durrin (9,+6)
  3   2   1   3   4   13 Dorset Boy (14,-1)
  2   3   4   2   1   12 Kirkee (15,-6)
  4   1   2   2   3   12 Super_Davo (15,-2)
  1   2   1   4   3   11 ajdobbin (17,-2)
  1   2   2   2   4   11 TriggersBroom (17,+1)
  2   2   2   1   1    8 dandrew (19,-1)
  2   1   1   1   3    8 Mike Eye (19,+3)
  1   2   1   1   3    8 Pollys Bott (19,+3)
  1   1   2   2   2    8 Jdee84 (19,+1)
  1   2   1   2   1    7 whitehart (23,-3)
  1   1   1   1   2    6 Leedsmjh (24,=)
  1   1   1   1   1    5 Stanthomas (25,-1)
  1   1   1   1   1    5 Mrfpb (25,-1)
  1   1   1   1        4 Wind700 (27,-3)
  2   2   1            5 Webboo (28,=)
  1   1                2 TonySJ 
  4                    4 Exumanewbie (30)
  1                    1 Shoulder of lamb (31)

May sees many having their best month of the challenge so far, not surprising with the better weather and long evenings; net result being that the collective post over a hundred points in a month for the first time in 2018. The battle for third place hots up with Ugo and dish_dash in particular scoring well (nice write up on the BCM by the way Ugo). Enjoy the sunshine everyone

mrfpb · June 2018

I have to agree with others, the 2nd 100km is definitely a lot harder than the first! (Even when most of the hills are in the first half)

mrfpb · June 2018

dish_dash wrote:

Yep, I'm in.

26 May, 162km, 1,847m, ToW Day 1, 1 Point
27 May, 201km, 2,193m, Tow Day 2, 2 Points (yes I did do an extra 7km to get that extra point).
28 May, 172km, 2,945m, ToW Day 3, 1 Point

Isn't it within the rules to add up the three days for the points total? So you wouldn't have needed the extra 7km on day 2.

ugo.santalucia · June 2018

mrfpb wrote:

dish_dash wrote:

Yep, I'm in.

26 May, 162km, 1,847m, ToW Day 1, 1 Point
27 May, 201km, 2,193m, Tow Day 2, 2 Points (yes I did do an extra 7km to get that extra point).
28 May, 172km, 2,945m, ToW Day 3, 1 Point

Isn't it within the rules to add up the three days for the points total? So you wouldn't have needed 5he extra 7km on day 2.

Tour of Wessex is 3 stages... they are not individually long enough to qualify as "a single ride". BCM is different, as you ride 400 km, sleep 2-3 hours then you are back on the road... you virtually never stop... never get changed, never shower... normally don't even brush your teeth (although I did)... you take off your shoes for a few hours, that's all.

As for your previous comment... I know, every additional 100 km is harder than the previous... people prefer to ignore that in return for the simplicity of 1+1+1 etc... :roll:

svetty · June 2018

Give it a rest.......

mrfpb · June 2018

Svetty wrote:

Give it a rest.......

Maybe I should have used a smiley. My comment was tounge in cheek having just done my first 200km ride. Not wanting to scratch a sore.

ugo.santalucia · June 2018

Here's another idea to put everybody on a plain level field.. :twisted:

You need a 4 hour ride (moving time) a month to stay in the competition... 8 hours for 2 points and so on.
This way slower riders can score more points for the same distance and fast riders need to go a bit further to get their points.
Also, very hilly as well as off-road rides are rewarded.

Ultimately it is time on the bike, rather than distance that sorts the men from the boys.

cruff · June 2018

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Here's another idea to put everybody on a plain level field.. :twisted:

You need a 4 hour ride (moving time) a month to stay in the competition... 8 hours for 2 points and so on.
This way slower riders can score more points for the same distance and fast riders need to go a bit further to get their points.
Also, very hilly as well as off-road rides are rewarded.

Ultimately it is time on the bike, rather than distance that sorts the men from the boys.

Is it? That might be your opinion - but in my world, there's a vast amount of difference between the last 200+ ride I did (250km-odd, at just under 31k/h) and some of the slower long rides I've done (180km at around 25k/h), or some of the faster (but shorter) rides (127km at 41k/h).

None of what you've suggested would 'properly' address the difference in elevation between rides or the relative capability of riders up hills either.

IMHO, it's better left as it is - it doesn't need over-complication

svetty · June 2018

If it ain't broke......

diplodicus · June 2018

Cruff wrote:

IMHO, it's better left as it is - it doesn't need over-complication

This, very much this...

milemuncher1 · June 2018

Svetty wrote:

If it ain't broke......

Absolutely

mrfpb · July 2018

leedsmjh wrote:

back strain, then illness means I'm out ... good luck to the others propping up the bottom!

Sorry to hear that. Maybe next year.

pollys_bott · July 2018

jan feb mar apr may jun total
  9  10  12  11  12   8   62 Milemuncher1 (1,=)
  7  10   3   8   2  15   45 Runner2Cycling (2,=)
  6   2   5   4   7   7   31 Svetty (3,=)
  2   1   4   5   9   6   27 ugo.santalucia (4,=)
  4   2   2   5   7   4   24 Manx Shred (5,=)
  2   3   3   4   5   5   22 Davix (6,+2)
  1   1   3   3   6   8   22 Durrin (6,+3)
  2   4   3   4   5   4   22 Cruff (6,=)
  4   1   2   3   8   4   22 Dish_dash (6,=)
  2   4   2   4   2   4   18 Fat Cat (10,-1)
  3   2   3   3   3   4   18 Charlie Potatoes (10,-1)
  3   3   2   2   4   4   18 diplodicus (10,-1)
  3   2   1   3   4   4   17 Dorset Boy (13,+1)
  4   1   2   2   3   4   16 Super_Davo (14,+1)
  1   2   1   4   3   5   16 ajdobbin (14,+3)
  3   1   1   3   6   2   16 Pedylan (14,-5)
  1   2   2   2   4   3   14 TriggersBroom (17,=)
  2   2   2   1   1   3   11 dandrew (18,+1)
  2   1   1   1   3   1    9 Mike Eye (19,=)
  1   2   1   1   3   1    9 Pollys Bott (19,=)
  1   1   2   2   2   1    9 Jdee84 (19,=)
  1   2   1   2   1   1    8 whitehart (22,+1)
  1   1   1   1   1   2    7 Mrfpb (23,+2)
  1   1   1   1   1   1    6 Stanthomas (24,+1)
  2   3   4   2   1       12 Kirkee (25,-10)
  1   1   1   1   2        6 Leedsmjh (26,-2)
  1   1   1   1            4 Wind700 (27,=)
  2   2   1                5 Webboo (28,=)
  1   1                    2 TonySJ 
  4                        4 Exumanewbie (30)
  1                        1 Shoulder of lamb (31)

A month of glorious weather sees the collective submit another century of centuries to the total. Durrin climbs three places to join the scrap for fourth and ajdobbin also has a good month and climbs three places too. Enjoy the weather whilst it lasts... 8)

mikeeye · July 2018

Thanks for updating PB :-)

pedylan · July 2018

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Here's another idea to put everybody on a plain level field.. :twisted:

I'm in agreement with the view that says this thread should not be overcomplicated and that it isn't broken so doesn't need fixing.

If you'd like to see a challenge of the sort you describe then set that thread up.

ugo.santalucia · July 2018

pedylan wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Here's another idea to put everybody on a plain level field.. :twisted:

I'm in agreement with the view that says this thread should not be overcomplicated and that it isn't broken so doesn't need fixing.

If you'd like to see a challenge of the sort you describe then set that thread up.

If by overcomplicating you mean having to both multiply and add up, then yes, incredibly complicated.

The reality is that if you don't cycle enough to benefit from different rules, you don't see the point in having them...

mrfpb · July 2018

I'm out, as my attempt at a long night ride ended after 85km, when my second front light ran out of power. I'm away on holiday from today so won't get another chance.

I've really enjoyed the challenge, and I'm still going to try for a century each month for the rest of the year. I'll also have a go next year.

ugo.santalucia · July 2018

mrfpb wrote:

I'm out, as my attempt at a long night ride ended after 85km, when my second front light ran out of power.

Brave, but unprepared... never trust the manufacturer's claims... for my light they claim 3 hours at full brightness, never managed more than 2 and a half

cruff · July 2018

ugo.santalucia wrote:

pedylan wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Here's another idea to put everybody on a plain level field.. :twisted:

I'm in agreement with the view that says this thread should not be overcomplicated and that it isn't broken so doesn't need fixing.

If you'd like to see a challenge of the sort you describe then set that thread up.

If by overcomplicating you mean having to both multiply and add up, then yes, incredibly complicated.

The reality is that if you don't cycle enough to benefit from different rules, you don't see the point in having them...

I cycle enough to benefit from different rules. For instance, I'm pretty sure that if the challenge included an average speed element to it, I'd 'win' because I'd be fastest. However, it doesn't - it's just the number of 100km rides that 'count' - so I have no problem with the audaxers who churn out century after century at a slower pace than me being 'ahead'

(note use of quotation marks to denote irony... :roll:)

2018 Metric Century Challenge

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