Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Which century rides have the most riders? (prize for answers)

Hey gang,

I need some help scoping out participation trends on century rides.

Please list the biggest century rides in the U.S.

The 3rd, 7th, and 15th replies win a prize from VeloPress.

Thanks!

Dave Trendler
Marketing & Publicity Manager
VeloPress
www.velopress.com

Tour de Palm Springs

El Tour de Tuscon? (Although, technically, I guess you could argue that it's not a century, since they throw a bonus 9 or 10 miles on at the end. ;))

Seagull Century?

Bike NY

it's a double, but with 9k riders STP has gotta be up there!

I was just reading this today:
"Since 1974, it has become the Midwest's largest one-day century event with 5,000 cyclists participating in 2008"

That would be the Apple Cider Century in Michigan - http://www.applecidercentury.com/

Not sure if it's true, but that's what they say.

it's a double, but with 9k riders STP has gotta be up there!

+1 Not to mention they capped it at 9k and it filled up a month before the ride.

Another vote for Seattle to Portland. The Solvang century is also quite popular with 5500 riders.

The biggest I'm familiar with is the Hotter-n-Hell 100 in Wichita Falls, Texas. I think they had around 12,000 (on rides of various lengths) last year.

The BP MS 150, fm Houston to Austin, has 13,000 registered riders but starts from 3 different points. The Tulley start has a Century option.

Which century rides have the most riders?A good question.

A better question would be - Why hasn't Century Bicycle Riding exploded into popularity the way "the Marathon" has been marketed into to the mainstream of America. Why haven't bicycle groups and corporate sponsors lined up to profit from the "mystic" of riding 100 miles ("Century") in the same way marathon running has morphed in to city-wide circus parading?

Riddle me that -Joker. Will that be one of the point-blocks of the story? It should be.

I was just reading this today:
"Since 1974, it has become the Midwest's largest one-day century event with 5,000 cyclists participating in 2008"

That would be the Apple Cider Century in Michigan - http://www.applecidercentury.com/

Not sure if it's true, but that's what they say.

Apple Cider's a big ride. They may (or may not) get 5,000 people, but not even close to that do the whole century route.

Seagull Century on the eastern shore of MD caps out at 7,000 riders every year.

I think El Tour de Tucson has to be one of the largest - it was around 8,600 participants in 2008 (see this article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/7693/ ). Part of the reason is that it's one of the rides that draws national Team in Training participation. Not only do you get 9 bonus miles, but you also get to walk your bike across 2 dry river beds during the ride (I guess they're really gullies that the flash flood waters go through).


JB

The city to shore ms150 in new jersey was capped at 7000 last year. And that was a month or two before the ride.

The Flying Wheels Century in Seattle (billed us the warmup to the STP) is supposed to be the biggest century ride in the state of Washington. But the STP itself is bigger.

I think "Reach the Beach" in Oregon is the biggest ride there.

RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party) is large, too.

RAMROD in Washington is 150-ish miles, not technically a century, and is capped at 800 (?) riders, I think.

If I'm not mistaken STP 2008 had 10,000 riders, up from the usual 9,000.

Tour de France... 180 riders x 20 rides of 160km or more... okay, no, that doesn't apply here. :o

I know the answers, but since I'm not 3rd, 7th or 15th I won't tell ya! Ha!

Seagull has to be up there. Hotter than Hell Hundred is also a big event.

The Flying Wheels Century in Seattle (billed us the warmup to the STP) is supposed to be the biggest century ride in the state of Washington. But the STP itself is bigger.

RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party) is large, too.


Flying Wheels has a lot of people, but most aren't doing the century. There's 25/50/75 mile options that more people are riding than the full 100.

Isn't RSVP 180 miles? It's a big ride, but it's more like a 2 day 300k than a century.


If I'm not mistaken STP 2008 had 10,000 riders, up from the usual 9,000.

The limit was upped to 9500 last year. I've heard rumour of a 10,500 rider cap this year.

I second the Hotter'n Hell Hundred. 12,000 riders officially. A couple thousand normally join after the start line so they do not need to go through the trouble. Love the jets flying over.

A good question.

A better question would be - Why hasn't Century Bicycle Riding exploded into popularity the way "the Marathon" has been marketed into to the mainstream of America. Why haven't bicycle groups and corporate sponsors lined up to profit from the "mystic" of riding 100 miles ("Century") in the same way marathon running has morphed in to city-wide circus parading?

Riddle me that -Joker. Will that be one of the point-blocks of the story? It should be.

I agree. I think there is nothing more fun that having someone new to cycling join your group and then getting them trained up and ready to do their first century. The excitement of a large organized event often adds just enough motivation to easily take a new rider from 65 mile rides to their first 100 without even noticing.

Here in Ohio we have to work early in the year to get new cyclists on their bikes riding in cool and wet weather to get them ready for TOSRV in May. As an added bonus, after they get their first century accomplished they get their second century on the following day.

Thanks for everyone's help!

Tornado, Jeff Poulin, and Benge Boy please email me at dtrendler@competitorgroup.com with your shipping address, an email for UPS tracking, and your choice of any one of these books:

A Dog in a Hat by Joe Parkin
The Cyclist's Training Bible, 4th Ed. by Joe Friel
Training Plans for Cyclists by Gale Bernhardt (coming in May with info here: http://www.amazon.com/Training-Plans-Cyclists-Gale-Bernhardt/dp/193403018X/)

More info at velopress.com.

Thanks!

Dave Trendler
VeloPress

so dave, what was the official answer?