Peninsula Century - June 1

[Oroluk Lagoon]

I'm thinking of doing this ride, but it will be on a new bike I have yet to ride. Anyone else planning to do all or part of it? If you've done it before, how does the century differ from the metric and the 45 other than just the distance? I'll be starting from Gig Harbor. Are you starting there or at Southworth?

[Jacobi]

If this is your first century and the most you've done before is a metric, then I would highly advise against doing it on a bike you've never even rode. If you do some research, there is not a website, book, or magazine that would tell you to ride a new bike on your first century. I would guess that you would need at least two weeks on that bike with a long ride to see if you've worked out the bugs.

With that said, if you still decide to do the century, just have a great time, eat well, and ride safe.

-Barry-

[Oroluk Lagoon]

The decision for 100K or 100M came at about the 40-mile mark. I was feeling good and decided to go for the 100M. I made it without any issues other than the normal fatigue. I think what helped me do this on a new bike was that I took my saddle and pedals from my Mexico mountain bike and put them on the Roubaix. So at least my butt and my feet were in familiar territory. It probably helps that I rode over 2,500 mountain bike miles in Mexico this past fall-winter-spring season. If anything about the bike needs to be tinkered with it's the stem. I might try something a bit shorter and with less up-angle. I'm 61, 5'11" and have big feet (12s) so I went up one size on the bike to a 58cm. It all seems good with the possible exception of the stem length. See my other comments in the other thread on the Peninsula Metric.