Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Sea Gull Century advice?

Not sure if I'm in shape enough yet for this? I've been getting back into biking this summer, with my maximum ride so far being 30 miles on the hills of northern Baltimore County. 100 miles on the flat sounds easy at first, but then I'm trying to factor in the wind. Also on a hilly ride, you can coast virtually half the distance (the downhills), whereas at the Sea Gull you have to self-propel 100% of the way. I'm thinking too about the saddle-sore factor of such a long ride. I was thinking of riding the Sea Gull (if the wind & weather looks good), but maybe I should train more and wait till next year? Any thoughts/advice?

Not sure if I'm in shape enough yet for this? I've been getting back into biking this summer, with my maximum ride so far being 30 miles on the hills of northern Baltimore County. 100 miles on the flat sounds easy at first, but then I'm trying to factor in the wind. Also on a hilly ride, you can coast virtually half the distance (the downhills), whereas at the Sea Gull you have to self-propel 100% of the way. I'm thinking too about the saddle-sore factor of such a long ride. I was thinking of riding the Sea Gull (if the wind & weather looks good), but maybe I should train more and wait till next year? Any thoughts/advice?

30 miles to 100 *is* quite a jump . . . but those north Baltimore County hills are killer (until recently, I used to live in Sparks), and if you can do 30 miles there, you can probably do 50-60 flat miles without too much trouble. The Seagull does have a 62-mile option you can try if you're nervous about the 100.

Yes, it's almost always very windy for at least a part of the ride . . . but think of the wind as just being hills. Hills that you can't see, hills that you never know when they're going to show up, hills that you never know when they're going to stop . . . :mad: Oh, sorry, don't mind me. :D

The self-propelling/saddle-sore issue is a biggie. The Seagull and the Maryland chapter MS150 are the only two completely flat rides I do, and every year I swear it will be my last. :rolleyes: I make a point to shift into a higher gear and pedal standing up for a few minutes every 20 minutes or so. This gets your sitbones off the saddle, and will also let you (briefly) coast, if you're comfortable standing on your pedals while moving. Of course, doing this will wear your leg muscles down more than just sitting on your saddle and spinning the whole ride, so . . . have to find the happy medium.

Shore transit has bike racks on the front of their OC busses!
J/K

I answered you in the other thread, but I just remembered that the metric/ imperial split is about 10 miles from the beginning, so you'll have time to see how you feel that day (and then bail to the metric route if you have to.)

IMHO, scenery-wise, the metric is the superior ride (I've ridden them both a lot!)

Thanks to you both for the great advice. The trouble with deciding which route to ride at the 10 mi mark is I'll probably feel so good at that point that I'll be tempted to do the whole 100, and then maybe hit my wall around 70 or 80 mi. I'm thinking I may plan on the metric this year, and plan on the 100 next year after some more training. Have a great ride!

I'll be doing the metric, so keep an eye out for a Balto Bike Club jersey and my old, thrashed, mostly green Raleigh. Most of my rides are short (commuting to work) and then the Civil War metric last month.

If you're worried about saddle sores or rashes, try some Chamois Butt'r or Assos Chamois Cream. Both are good for keeping the interface between skin and chamois pain-free.