Great Lakes - '07 centuries for first timer?

I'm a 50+er considering my first century or two this year so I'm looking for mostly flat rides in MI/OH/IN (I'm in the Detroit area).

I know about the Hancock Horizontal Hundred near Findlay OH, but that's not till September. Any suggestlons for, say, June onwards?

Also, useful links for looking that sort of thing up would be helpful. I already have the LMB site bookmarked and can find most rides in Michigan.

Yes, I could Google but firsthand reports are nice.

Try looking though these:

http://www.mikebentley.com/bike/mwrides.htm

http://www.active.com/

Holland Hundred is pretty flat

http://www.macatawacyclingclub.org/hollandhundred/

You could do the Mad Anthony River Rally (http://toledoareabicyclists.org/content/view/48/94/) in Perrysburg, OH on 8/4. I haven't ridden it before, but I've ridden a lot of the route on my own and I can guarantee you it's flat.

August is still pretty late in the year, though.

Excellent list of Ohio tours:
http://www.ohiocycling.info/OBEC.html

Anything happening between Detroit and Cleveland should be pretty flat.

Thanks for the suggestions and links. I marked the Holland ride on my calendar (tentatively) and will check others.

I'm a 50+er considering my first century or two this year so I'm looking for mostly flat rides in MI/OH/IN (I'm in the Detroit area).

I know about the Hancock Horizontal Hundred near Findlay OH, but that's not till September. Any suggestlons for, say, June onwards?

Also, useful links for looking that sort of thing up would be helpful. I already have the LMB site bookmarked and can find most rides in Michigan.

Yes, I could Google but firsthand reports are nice.


I rode both the One Helluva Ride (http://aabts.org/ohr/), and the Assenmacher 100 (http://www.assenmachers.com/Assenmacher%20100.htm) centuries last year. The One Helluva Ride was my first ever century.

Between those 2, the Assenmacher 100 was flatter, with the website description of flat to moderate hills being quite accurate. The One Helluva Ride had a fair bit of hills.

The Assenmacher 100 leaves out of Swartz Creek, and loops west. One of the food stops, and probably the northwesternmost point on the ride is at Sleepy Hollow State Park. If you do this ride, take note that (at least last year), there were a few ~200 yard long stretches of gravel road in the park. Not the most fun to try to negotiate on skinny tires. Much of this ride is through Lower Michigan farm country, meaning flat and quite open. I believe that there were 4 food stops (cookies, fruit, etc...).

The One Helluva Ride leaves out of Chelsea, and loops through Dexter, Hell (hence the name), Stockbridge, Munith. I thought this ride was more scenic than the Assenmacher 100. There was a fair bit (by Southern Michigan standards) of climbing. Lunch was provided on this ride (sandwiches, cookies, fruit, etc...), at Portage Lake State Park. There were 2 other snack stops, along with the lunch stop.

Prior to the One Helluva Ride, my longest ride was 60 miles, with about a half dozen other rides in the 50 mile range. Both rides left me quite whupped at the end. Lastly, I felt that both rides were quite well organized. I hope this information helps.

There is also the Apple Cider Century in Michigan (Harbert County area), though 1) I havent participated, so I cant testify to the terrain, and 2) it isnt until september.

http://www.applecidercentury.com/index.html

There is also the Apple Cider Century in Michigan (Harbert County area), though 1) I havent participated, so I cant testify to the terrain, and 2) it isnt until september.

http://www.applecidercentury.com/index.html
CyLowe97 has ridden that twice before I believe. Good review from what I can remember.

This is a very fun & very well supported ride. Message me if you have any questions about it. I been involved for 11 years. Doing the century option on day 1 myself. http://www.msillinois.org/site/PageServer?pagename=07msbike_homepage&JServSessionIdr005=lccewa1392.app5b
Michigan & Ohio both have MS Bike Tours also.

Not of help to the original poster, but for other midwesterners looking for a good, flat, first century, the Old Mill Century in Oregon, IL is a good ride. It's about an hour west of the far west suburbs, southwest of Rockford along the Rock River. (The first time we did it, my wife and I did it on mountain bikes!)

i can vouch for the apple cider century. it was my first century - and i hit my double nickles a few days before the event. i had about 900 miles of rides last year before before the ACC including a few 50 mile rides and a metric century. so i felt well prepared.

last year the weather was perfect :: low to mid 70's, zero humidity and only a few windy miles. its a little hilly as i recall about 3/4's of the way through. and some of the road markings are a little confusing ( i ended up with 105 miles because i did a small loop twice ).

but the crowd was great and the rest stops were well stocked and at a decent distance. ( i would have put a few more porta pottys at the first stop because the lines were a little long and time consuming but thats a minor nickpic )

i stayed at a red roof inn about 30 miles away from the event because all the closer in places were taken but that wasn't a big deal.

as long as you're in decent riding condition the ACC was a great introduction to the 100 mile club.

good luck with your efforts. maybe i'll see you at one of the other recommended rides.

I have done this ride the past three years:
http://www.chippewavalleyride.us/index.htm
Mostly flat, and the scenery is great. Not to mention the brats and Leinies after the ride!

Many years ago, my first century was the Portage River Tour. This is a delightful ride, very flat and well run. I've done it a few times since and it's always a good ride. It's on June 24th this year and it should be a short drive for you to Elmore, Oh. You can find it here: http://www.ohiocycling.info/OBEC.html