Just a short write-up for this month’s metric century. I’ve been trying to clock some decent saddle time on the time trial bike this month, getting my body used to riding in that aerodynamic tuck again. That does mean it wasn’t the most interesting or eventful of rides. The focus was simply on riding with minimal stops while maintaining position.

This month’s hundred was almost entirely out into a headwind, then returning with the tailwind. I had planned it that way, but I hadn’t planned on the wind being quite so strong.

Heading North, the headwind was absolutely brutal. I was trying my best to stay low and aerodynamic, holding that position. It was tough going! The low speed for the power I was laying down was demoralising and by the time I had crawled out to Campania, I was a broken man…

I had actually planned to go further North, but I’d had enough of grovelling into the relentless wind so I quickly downed a gel and swung a u-turn. The return leg was a little easier to say the least! With the wind behind me I settled into a low tuck and soft pedalled my way back. I had to throw in a “blockie” to creep over the 100km mark, then it was back to the carpark for a well earned coffee and cake!

This was my first “hundred” on the time trial bike in quite some time, so it was rewarding to get it done and still feel pretty decent by the end. I wasn’t pushing at 100% so moving forward I need to focus on maintaining a higher power output over that distance. Oh and this is officially the last month of winter down here in the Southern Hemisphere, so I’m looking forward to some warmer weather! Bring on Spring!

Distance: 104.1 km / 64.7 miles
Total elevation gain: 580 m / 1900 feet
Average speed: 32.2 kph / 20.0 mph