Originally Posted by
aquateen
hey maryland folks! i was wondering what local centuries would be good for a 'first'. my buddy and i want to do one this summer and we were looking at the gettysburg and salisbury rides. any thoughts?
The Civil War Century, as Barry notes, is a tough ride if you actually do the century route (shorter options are available.) Even taking the "bailout" only cuts out the last of the big climbs (unless the route has changed since I rode it.)
The Seagull, on the other hand, is flat as a pancake, but that kind of terrain can inflict its own kind of pain over the course of 100 miles (and, yes, there are frequently weather issues.) It's also a huge century (7000-ish riders) and it attracts a lot of first-timers. Not coincidentally, there are often a lot of accidents.
A nice "not too hilly, not too flat, JUUUUUUST right" ride for your first century might be the Indian Head 100/Southern Maryland Century.
http://ohbike.org/century/index.htm I did it 5 or 6 years ago, and I'm really thinking I need to get back there again this year. It was a relatively small, very pretty, very peaceful ride.