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Old 07-23-14, 09:39 AM
  #919  
brianogilvie 
Commuter & cyclotourist
 
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Hadley, MA, USA
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Bikes: Boulder All Road, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Bike Friday New World Tourist, Breezer Uptown 8, Bike Friday Express Tikit, Trek MultiTrack 730 (Problem? No, I don't have a problem)

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Originally Posted by bobbyl1966
Hello how are you. This is my bike you think is okay for century? The most i have do is 40 miles and that is was around 2 years ago. Now i want do century. What is the best crank size and cassete size for century. this is my bike what you think. Is has 9 speed cassete
Lots of people ride centuries on road bikes like yours. Only you can decide whether your bike is a good century bike for you. The most important questions are:

Is the saddle comfortable for long rides? If it's a narrow racing saddle, and you find it uncomfortable after a couple hours, a wider saddle might be better.

Are the handlebars comfortable for long rides?

Is the riding position comfortable for long rides? If you're too stretched out, it might help to raise the bars.

Is the gearing appropriate to the terrain? Keep in mind that you'll be more tired at the end of a century than at the beginning. It doesn't help to know that you have a 9-speed cassette without knowing the largest and smallest cog. A strong rider could do a hilly century with an 11-23 cassette and a 39/53 crankset, but I wouldn't recommend it. My current long-distance bike has a 13-30 cassette and 28/44 chainrings, which gives me a low gear of about 25 inches. I really appreciate that when I'm climbing a 10% grade at the end of a long day. The top gear is only 88 inches, but at a cadence of 100, that's 26 mph (42 km/h); if I am going downhill any faster than that, I coast to save energy for the next climb.

I'd advise going out for some longer rides on the same kind of terrain as the century you're doing. If you can work up to 50 miles without feeling too tired or sore afterwards, then the bike is probably fine for a century. If not, change the gearing and fit as needed.
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