Road Cycling - First century?

I was just wondering how old you were when you successfully completed your first century. How did it go? Were you alone?

I was 15. I had beautiful conditions. 24 degrees centigrade, 15km/h tail winds all the way (I went to my friends house in a different city). I did this in a group of 3 people.

I completed my first century 2 months and 10 days after buying my first road bike on 12/14/2002. I did 100 miles in 5:54 in 50 degree temps with 18-23 mph winds in the low country of SC.

Since then I've completed two more centuries, one with friends and one solo. Yesterday was my 38th birthday,

The summer of 2000 when I just turned 13. That was one of the most important times of my life as not only did I find my love of cycling but also over that summer I dropped 30 pounds and grew 5 inches. I rode it with just my dad, him on his 40 +/- pound 1979 Schwinn 10 speed and me on my 26 lbs steel steed. I'll never get him to change his ways, he will always be riding that old Schwinn. I guess its better that way for me as he would whoop my ass if he went to a lighter bike lol. Finally, two summers ago I converted my friend so I now have another riding partner.

I did my first century in 2001. I was 59, and had been biking less than a year. I rode the STP, Seattle-to-Portland, 200 miles in two days. It was a hard two days, but the indescribeable feeling when I crossed the finish line made the trip worth it. I'm doing it again this year, with my wife.

Davet: Good for you! Doing a century at 59 is something 99.9% of 20-year-olds can't do. I did my first century last year at age 64, and I'm hoping to do at least three this year. I just put some aero bars on my road bike, hoping that changing hand positions frequently will ease the hand numbness I experienced on my first century.

December 1999, on a VERY hot day, that would have made me 23 at the time. It was a solo 173km job, with around 16km of that on dirt roads (not that this is relevant). I found that I was really struggling at around 120km or so, but got stronger after that. Maybe it was the benefit of trying to pace myself throughout the ride.

Originally posted by Davet
I did my first century in 2001. I was 59, and had been biking less than a year.

Age 61, after biking a couple of years - that is an English century. Did several metric centuries before that -

see

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox/santafec.htm

My first century was in June of 1998, when I was 50. It was a club-organized century, and the weather was variable, but mostly cold and damp for that time of year. I had a few wet, hairy descents in the rain, and then when it cleared up I got to fix a flat with the bike covered in slick gray mud. 108 miles and 8400 ft after the start, I rolled into the finish area to be surprised by my wife, youngest daughter, her boyfriend, and a bottle of champagne. Since then I have done another 38 club centuries (solo or on the tandem--it only took a year for my wife to decide she wanted to do them too).

Last November in the Tour de Tucson. I had a massive flat caused by about 15 thorns (went through all my patches before I figured this out). I used my last tube , swore off riding the shoulder, and rode the last 90 miles without further problems (other then getting completely blown out in the last 15 miles and limping along into the finish line! Next time I am going to eat more!). I was an am 32. I just got back into riding my bike last August.

I did my first century at 16 back in 1981, the Sierra Century in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. I went on to do several centuries and even a DC before joining the Marines. My most recent was in Oct as part of Cycle North Carolina. I had forgotten how long 100 miles is on a bike but the feeling of accomplishment at the end is just as nice.

For anybody who hasn't done one, I would definately recommend finding one locally and work towards it as a goal.

I rode my first century in 1999 when I was 41. It was a sweltering 200% humidity September day and I bonked at about mile 80. Rain started gushing down, along with some exhilarating thunder and lightning. I got soaked and totally rejuvenated and I remember the pride I felt finishing. I've done several over the years since, but for me that feeling of accomplishment was unique to that first one. I've wondered since then if it might be a good thing to install showers at the last rest stop; total body soak works wonders.

I was just wondering how old you were when you successfully completed your first century. How did it go? Were you alone?

Great job for anyone, especially a 15 year old. Sounds like you did it right. Nice weather and with a support group.

As for me:
1988 Albany, Ga.(Pecan City pedalers) 98 degree temp, 100% humidity. Heat index of 105+. I was 28. It like to have killed me. I took a long break at the last rest stop, it would have been longer but there was NO shade. Got back to my father -n-laws and sat in the pool until dark drinking cold beer. It was great.

Keep it up. There's nothing quite like doing a century with a few friends.


Blake

Did my first one at the Hotter'n Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1995 at the age of 18 or so. IT lived up to its name that year: 105F on the road by 10 AM. Dont' know how hot it finally got, but I was a little uninformed as to how to properly hydrate and I pushed a good pace until the last 10 miles, when my bonked tail pedaled itself in. I've done a few since, and several metrics on my own. I try to make the RIde for the Roses every year now, and am pumped that it's in October. Austin's beatiful that time of year.

My 1st century was just 3 days ago, and still have the pain in my legs it took me 6hrs to finish it Im 37 yrs old. It was fum exciting and I love it a lot. I know Ill do it again :D

Gosh, I remember that one. It was a "Biking for Burns" ride. The ride started simultaneously at Lansing and Flint Michigan. They had a century option so a bunch of us who had never done a century decided to do it. So we rode from Lansing to Flint, we got an increasing head wind. We got to Flint. The people at the rest stop could not have been more impressed if we had bicycled from Mars. They even got us all to line up and took our photo (which was in the newspaper the next day!). The rest stop had hot dogs and that was i besides water and coke. eeeeeuuuuuwwww.

On riding back, the wind turned 180 degrees. It started to rain. I decided I was not going to get off of the bike. Dice sized hail started to fall and I took cover (I am not entirely stupid). Made it to the last rest stop and got some cookies but they were tearing it down (and leaving the other century riders behind me unsupported). Finally did make it home. So headwinds both ways, heavy rain, hail, photo in the paper sure made of a memorable century.