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07-10-06, 09:46 PM
I did my first century ride the other day (few days late posting but whatever). I was up in the U.P. of Michigan up at houghton and my buddy got an email from a cycling list saying a few people were heading from houghton michigan to copper harbor and back, taking a few diffrent roads on the way up. Mile 18, was my first big climb. after that, I was good all the way up to copper harbor. Right outside of copper harbor the group of guys wanted to take brockway mountain at about mile 60ish. This is a 900+foot climb over only a few miles. It was honestly the most steepest climb I have ever been on. It was like a wall that just wouldn't stop. Finally once you get to the top, the road down was steep as hell but the pavement was SO bruttle you couldn't go more then 20mph.
Once we got back on the normal road, I was a little tired, but thought I was going to make it all the way with the group. However at about mile 80, I was in pain. At 85 we ran into another big climb and it was time for me to step off the pace. I had to go it alone. Said have a good ride and cya later. I climb really slow and tried to make it to the next town. Water bottles were almost dry and I was in trubble. So I ride for about 4 or so miles and finally run into a town. Turns out the other guys took a stop at that town and I cought back up to them. So I end up joining them. They were all pretty tired so we were moving pretty slow. There were 3 more climbs until home. First one seemed like it never would end. 2 climbs later, we finally get to the last decent and finally led to home. At that point I was so tired, I didn't even pedal. I just put myself in the most areodynamic tuck and waited. Eventually I get to mainstreet with a tail wind and flew through town. Finally we get to the end. 108.8x miles in just over 5 and a half hours.
This was the longest ride so far by 78 miles, and that was downstate where its flat as hell. It was defently a hard ride, but worthwhile. This is something that I wanted to do for a while and now I feel accomplished.
The conditions were sunny, low 70's at the start, and low 80's by the time I got back. Bit of a tail wind on the first leg, head wind on the way back.
Once we got back on the normal road, I was a little tired, but thought I was going to make it all the way with the group. However at about mile 80, I was in pain. At 85 we ran into another big climb and it was time for me to step off the pace. I had to go it alone. Said have a good ride and cya later. I climb really slow and tried to make it to the next town. Water bottles were almost dry and I was in trubble. So I ride for about 4 or so miles and finally run into a town. Turns out the other guys took a stop at that town and I cought back up to them. So I end up joining them. They were all pretty tired so we were moving pretty slow. There were 3 more climbs until home. First one seemed like it never would end. 2 climbs later, we finally get to the last decent and finally led to home. At that point I was so tired, I didn't even pedal. I just put myself in the most areodynamic tuck and waited. Eventually I get to mainstreet with a tail wind and flew through town. Finally we get to the end. 108.8x miles in just over 5 and a half hours.
This was the longest ride so far by 78 miles, and that was downstate where its flat as hell. It was defently a hard ride, but worthwhile. This is something that I wanted to do for a while and now I feel accomplished.
The conditions were sunny, low 70's at the start, and low 80's by the time I got back. Bit of a tail wind on the first leg, head wind on the way back.