Road Cycling - First century

I'm doing my first century this saturday. My longest ride so far is only 35 miles. Me and a buddy are going to ride together and I'm looking for any tips, advice, or any suggestions.

I realize that my mileage is probably not high enough, but there is nothing I can do about it now :(

How old are you? My kids, who were 19 and 20, both completed an organized century with less miles than you. Break it up into 25 mile segments. Don't rest too long. Keep eating and drinking--especially if you don't feel hungry or thirsty. You'll do okay. It's the next day that you will pay, even if you are young. Good luck. Take motrin or asprin to lesson the butt pain.

You've got to get out of your saddle frequently. I've learned the hard way that the first thing that starts to hurt on a very long ride is your butt. As outofshape said, you must continiously eat and drink even if you not hungry or thirsty. Also, it's best to start storing up on those carbohydrates a couple days before your ride.

Good luck and have fun.

With a friend along to motivate each other the lack of prior mileage shouldn't be a big deal.

Swing by your LBS and pick up chamois cream, your rear will thank you.

cwdave, Did you ever ride Cycle North Carolina? I have done the ride for the last 3 years. I like the change of scenery. Started in Boone, in the mountains for a couple of days, then rolling hills, pine forests, then peanut/cotton/tobacco crops and finally the swamp lands by the coast. Last day is a coastal town. They usually have great entertainment/bands each evening, either in the camp or the town. I ran into another BF member "Beouwolfe" whom I met in 2002 on CNC for the first time. Oh well, just wondering. This year it rained 3 or 4 days, last year it rained too. I don't mind riding in the ride, I actually like it. It is the only time I sing on the bike. Singing, in the rain, I'm singing in the rain.

I did CNC last year and had a great time. Actually, after day two I started using Nutt'r Butt'r and felt better after riding the century than I did after the first two days.

What a great ride. The guys who put on CNC do a great job. I would have liked to ride again this year but just couldn't swing it with work stuff.

Hopefully I'll be back to the ride next year.

Dave

Get off the bike a few times to rest your rear, but like outofshape said, not for too long. I did a 135 miler last year with a longest training ride of 50 miles. We had to stop for water every hour or so. Just the minute or two off the bike to fill bottles was restful.

I'd rather ask here than at the bike shop.......but what is chamois cream? I assume it's some kind of anti butt chaffing cream (hahaha), but we know what happens when you assume. You make an a$$ out of Uma Thurman. Thanks for the advice so far.

Semper Fi dave!

Chamois cream is a butt chaffing cream. It really does work.

All that stuff the others said was true. Follow their directives.

Be sure to take plenty of snacks like powerbars and fruits and granola bars (for example), and plenty of water and drink frequently throughout your ride. The night before you go, eat A LOT of pasta, and quit eating after 9pm. You'll want to carbo load so you have plenty of energy the next day. Consider bringing Gatorade with you on your ride too- if you get the powdered kind, you can carry the powder in your bag and add to your water whenever. You'll end up with more gatorade that way.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

Koffee

I finished my century today and used alot of the advice you folks gave. Thanks, it really helped! I didn't get the chamois cream, but wish I would've. Most noticeable was the lack of energy my legs had whenever I hit an incline past the 65 or so mile mark. Felt fine on the flats, but man those hills were whipping my tail. I must've had to stop and pee 3 or 4 times within the first 50 miles. I thought that was a little much, but better than being dehydrated I guess. Anyway, again, thanks for the advice.

Great! And congrats on your century too! Good job!

So now, you have the time to get your cream so next time, you'll be ok with the chafing issues. Get a bottle asap so you're not running at the last second trying to pick it up.

Koffee

Good Job! What an awesome feeling, isn't it?

Dave