Road Cycling - My first century (well 84 miles)

So I attempted my first Century today. The forcast for the day was 90 degrees with a sustained south wind of 18 mph with gusts of 30 mph. The first few stretches into the headwind I got into a pace line and we managed to pull it off. After about 50 miles in we turn south again and maintain a paceline at 15 mph for about 5 miles. It was gusting a lot. After about 5 miles I just couldn't do it anymore and fell out of the pace line. I strugeled on for about another mile or so at about 10 mph and then saw a guy who was in my pace line had pulled aside. I stoped to check and the support van pulled up behind us and it already had 2 bikes and 3 more guys were pilling in. So I decided if their hitching a ride I should to. So we hiched a ride for the next 16 miles to the lunch stop. I did finish the rest of the ride without bailing though. :D I probably shouldn't have rode yesterday moring since it was just about as windy and we did about 38 miles. I know I'll do better next year though.

Ya gotta love those headwinds, I live up here in NW Iowa and we had the same kind of winds today, I rode 53 miles today and felt great until the last few miles when I had to turn into the wind.

I find that headwinds can be far more discouraging than the steepest hills, and I'd much rather climb than battle them.

Congrats on the 84 miles, though. Better luck next time for the century.

Next year? Try it again NEXT WEEK! Don't let tiime slip away.... you know you can do 84 miles, so it's likely you can do 100 with ideal conditions, so why not go for it? If anything, it'll give you a real sense of accomplishment! :)

Koffee

I find that headwinds can be far more discouraging than the steepest hills, and I'd much rather climb than battle them.

Congrats on the 84 miles, though. Better luck next time for the century.

I absolutely agree. Headwinds are the bane of my existance.

Congrats on a good attempt--you'll get it soon!

Next year? Try it again NEXT WEEK! Don't let tiime slip away.... you know you can do 84 miles, so it's likely you can do 100 with ideal conditions, so why not go for it? If anything, it'll give you a real sense of accomplishment! :)

Koffee

You're probably right about that. It's just a matter of finding some crazy fool to do it with me as I wouldn't want ot do that alone. I was averaging 17 mph before that last stretch into the wind and that was after the first 55 miles approximately. At the end my computer said my average was 15.5 mph, 38 mph max, 84.16 miles, and 5:28 minutes in the saddle. I wish it tracked average max cadence ect. I'm typically a high cadence rider and don't feel right with anything less than 80 and 90's being ideal. I know I mantained that except twoards the end of some of the longer/steeper hills.

Oh, does baby want a bottle.

Are we supposed to congratulate you for being a quitter? Want a Nice pat on the back for a good try? We have a word for what you did in cycling. Abandoned.

Set out for a hundred miles, then ride a hundred miles. No prizes for best try. Just a shameful drop of the head and sorry glances in your direction from those who accomplish what they set out to do.

Oh, does baby want a bottle.

Are we supposed to congratulate you for being a quitter? Want a Nice pat on the back for a good try? We have a word for what you did in cycling. Abandoned.

Set out for a hundred miles, then ride a hundred miles. No prizes for best try. Just a shameful drop of the head and sorry glances in your direction from those who accomplish what they set out to do.


Apparently everyone else who took the time to replay offered only support and encouragement. What's your problem? Everyone I know has "set out" to ride a specific distance and changed the plan in mid-ride for one reason or another. It doesn't make it any less of an effort worth admiration for trying. Every organized ride I've been on have had people drop out for one reason or another and no one thinks any less of them. At least they tried and that's what's important.

ewitz is just whining for attention (TROLL)...Thanks for sharing jthj, that's my goal, to do a century, and I appreciate you're sharing your experience. As Koffee said, you have a great springboard into a Century under better conditions!

Oh, does baby want a bottle.

Are we supposed to congratulate you for being a quitter? Want a Nice pat on the back for a good try? We have a word for what you did in cycling. Abandoned.

Set out for a hundred miles, then ride a hundred miles. No prizes for best try. Just a shameful drop of the head and sorry glances in your direction from those who accomplish what they set out to do.

Always an ass, or is today a special holiday for you?

Great job jthj! There's always a crab trying to drag everything else to the bottom.

Thanks guys! I know the people I road with didn't think any less of me. And they were all cursing that horrid wind. And I do plan to enter the next Century in my area. I just don't think there will be one untill next spring. In the mean time I plan to train train train.

do the century soon. you'll be obsessed with your PR, entering centuries and just riding them to beat your PR (with the right set of conditions)
i did the North Shore Century on sunday, 9/19. temps were in the high 70's, riding from Evanston (Northwestern campus) to Kenosha, WI where we do laps on the velodrome up there) then return. We had a sustained 12 mph tailwind going north. At 54 miles my buddy and i had a 20.6 avg. we really had to push on the way back, stopping only once to help this guy with a Cosmos dish wheel who flatted <he only had a tube with a low stem that wouldn't fit, so we swapped his out with one of ours to be nice> and rfinished in a healthy 5:14 for the 100, but our total was 106.

The weather conditions were perfect. And the potato soup @ mile 52 was great!!

then got dropped off at my 6 y.o.'s soccer game, where i am the coach and he scored the winning goal with 3 minutes left!!