Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

I think he should ride 99 miles and then stop. Just to prove that he could do it if he wanted, but it really isn't that important to him.

I once did the equivalent in a high school typing class. I didn't get along with the teacher for various reasons, most notably that I didn't put much of a priority on the class but was forced to take it. If you typed so many words per minute and were under a certain number of typos, then you qualified to get a lapel pin. But to get it you had to raise your hands right after the 5 minute typing exercises, so that she could verify your achievement. I barely missed it a few times, and then one day I easily exceeded it. But I didn't raise my hand, I simply turned it in with everyone else.

She came up to me the next day, with this look of concern on her face, and said, 'I checked your paper last night and you qualified for your typing pin. But you didn't raise your hand yesterday for me to check it. Didn't you know you had to tell me then?' Yes, I knew. 'But now you won't get your pin!' That's okay because I don't want one. She stood there for a second, not knowing how to react, while my buddies sitting next to me were biting their lips and dying from not laughing.

I qualified two more times before the class ended, but just turned in my paper. She never said another word about it.

I doubt I ever, ever get that close to riding a century. But I would love to ride 99 and stop, even if it meant walking my bike that last mile to my car. Well maybe I would ride 9/10ths of that mile. No reason to have to walk so far.