Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - So I just registered for my first century, and now I'm terrified...

I'm sure that there is a never ending flow of newbie threads, but none of the ones I found really addressed my concerns, so I decided I'd just jump in and post one. Please be gentle, and I apologize in advance for being a tad long winded.

I just registered for the Civil War Century and I'm excited, but also more than a bit intimidated. My 'normal' riding consists of commuting to and from work as often as I can, usually 3 plus days per week in nice weather. Depending on my route choice, that involves between 8 and 20 miles each way. So far my biggest riding week was right around 100 miles, and my longest single day of riding was about 45 miles. But, honestly, it isn't the distance that has me scared. I have some history with endurance sports, and I know what I need to do to prepare for distance.

What's got me terrified is the hills!

The civil war century involves something like 7000 feet of climbing, which is a lot for a flatlander like myself. I've been tracking my usual rides, and the typical routes I take involve about 400 feet of climbing over a 10 mile stretch. This means I spend less than half as much time climbing as I anticipate during said century.

This brings me to my main issue: Choice of ride. Actually, I don't see that I have much of a choice. My stable includes two older mountain bikes (1 no suspension steel frame set up as a hybrid commuter, and a front suspension which is set up for recreational riding, including dirt), and my daily commuter (a Kona Dew Drop). The choice seems obvious to me; ride the Dew Drop. I will admit that it is quite heavy by road bike standards, though. The bike has disk brakes, and is equipped with a rear rack, fenders, lights and other usual commuting type gear. Of course, I can remove any or all of the extras, though the disk brakes are staying ;-). I should mention: I weigh 185 lbs, and while I hope to drop some weight as I train up, I don't expect to be a svelte 145 lb racerboy.

My Brother-in-Law (who is the prime mover behind this insanity) seems to think that I'm going to be sorry if I don't come up with something lighter. If I shoot for something lighter, my alternatives seem to involve a) borrowing something from someone, if I can; b) renting a road bike for the day/weekend; c) buying an entry level road bike at the LBS, or d) scanning Craigslist until I come up with something suitable. I'm not in a position to spend big money on a +1, and I have no intentions of racing, have no real need for a roadie on a regular basis, so I'm not going for a really awesome carbon or Ti frame, or anything else that drives me into big, 4 figure prices. Honestly, my budget is, at best, mid 3 figures. Overall, I suspect that I'm not going to gain much advantage over my Dew Drop at that price, which is why I'm here today.

Perusing the threads here, it looks like as many of you real distance guys are riding fully loaded rigs as lightweight racers. I'm not looking to set any records, win any prizes, or otherwise do much more than finish. Am I crazy to think I can do the distance on my ride and be perfectly happy? If so, my questions turn to what kinds of things I might want to do to prepare the bike for this task:

My ride is currently shod with 37mm hybrid tires (Conti countryrides, and they're actually stamped 1 3/8" if memory serves). The best info I can find at the moment, without actually taking the wheel off and measuring (a Rigida ZAC-19SL), indicates that I could drop down to 28mm tire, and I could certainly go for one with a better road profile. How much difference (if any) would new rubber make to my average speed, and especially to my ability to climb comfortably?

Next: This is a supported century, but indicators are that I should bring some basic kit with me, and I might well want some extra water capacity, etc... Does it make sense to leave my fairly heavy, Topeak rack in place for extra carrying capacity, given that I ride with it all the time, and anticipate riding with it for all of my training? I don't plan to ride with panniers full of gear, but I could throw some gear/water/snacks in a top trunk, and make my carrying job simple. How much water/nom should I expect to carry?

What else might I consider doing to improve my current ride to make it more century worthy? I'd probably rather spend money upgrading than getting a +1 that I might not use much.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

If your bike is comfortable ride it. If you have time do some hill training. The weight of your bike won't be as important as some fast rolling rubber. For 700c I like the Grand Bois Cypres which comes in a 32mm width - the key is the casing is supple which allows it to roll fast while being comfortable. You can see what your LBS suggests and what they stock - stay away from anything heavy and stiff - even if it is narrower than your existing tires it may not roll any faster.

Spend $120 on fast rubber and ride as many hills as you can. I wouldn't bother removing anything from the bike. Fenders or a rear rack are not going to make any difference in how your ride goes and you may appreciate the former if it rains.

Pfah, if you can do 50 in a shot, you can do 100. Just make sure to not push yourself, spin up the hills and coast downhill as needed. Eat, drink, and relieve yourself before it becomes critical. You can easily do a century on a heavier road bike, lots of people do them on much heavier bikes.

What is your gearing on the Kona Dew Drop?

You will need low gears for the hills.

Take the bike you ride the most.

Yes, 700 X 28's would take less energy to pedal and may be faster.
I switched tires on a 4200 mile tour, from 35's to 28's. Made a big difference for me.
Leave you rack on. You are not racing. You are Pacing so that you can finish.

IMO, leave the rack and fenders on while training. You WANT to simulate hills during training. Find some hills if you can. Carry extra weight. Fight headwinds.

Then a couple of weeks before the event, take the stuff off if you want, swap out tires, and go on a few rides to make sure your bike is still dialed in.

On a supported ride, I'd want to be able to carry two water bottles, a repair kit, and an hour's worth of food (lots more food if I had special dietary needs). If the weather forecast is iffy, I'd add foul weather gear (fenders + bag with jacket and such) to the list.

Agree w/RichardGlover - take the stuff off your bike.

Don't put a rack truck & extra gear on there -- 2 water bottles and one granola bar should be plenty for a supported century (or banana, clif, gu, whatever your favorite emergency food). There's always plenty of food & water.

Train, but try not to stress out about it, it's just a bike ride!

From a review on bike radar:
"Despite its all-in weight, the Dew Drop actually climbs well – the FSA triple chainset and 11-34 cassette give you a 24in granny gear that lets you spin sedately and comfortably up most climbs."

If your bike is the same, it looks like the Dew Drop will do you just fine in terms of gearing to get over the hills. You should be able to spin up any hills you encounter.

As RichardGlover mentioned, riding into a sustained headwind is a good substitute for hill climbing if there are no hills to train on nearby. Just concentrate on doing steady, sustained effort into the wind on training rides at a managable pace and you will be fine.

Taking off the rack and other equipment for the 100 miler is really your choice. You can carry everything you need for a supported century in your jersey pockets or in a small under-saddle bag, so the racks aren't necessary. If you feel faster with them off, take them off. If not ride it as is. Enjoy the ride!

I signed up to ride the Civil War Century several years ago. At the time, it was maybe the third or fourth century I had ever done, and I did it on a titanium-frame cyclocross bike -- not terribly heavy, but not super-light by roadie standards, either.

This was also the only organized ride on which I have ever DNF'd. On the third of the four big climbs, I was suffering major cramps in the calves, quads, and hamstrings of both legs, at the same time. (I didn't think that was physically possible!! :twitchy:) I ended up taking one of the bailout options back to Thurmont, which if I recall correctly resulted in a 72-mile ride.

The primary problem -- which is why this story is relevant to you :D -- is that although I was riding a *lot* at that time, I lived and rode primarily in the flatlands. There is simply no preparation for a big-hill ride that can substitute for . . . um, getting out and climbing big hills. :)

In your position, I wouldn't buy a new bike; stick with what's comfortable for you, lighten what you think you want to without spending too much cash, and just get out somewhere and start pointing that bike up in the air. Mere mileage practice alone won't do it.

The other problem for me was that I hadn't yet learned the nuances of how to deal with food and water on long rides, and, in short, I wasn't eating and drinking enough. The CWC that year was having some logistical problems; at one point, the little clot of riders I was in was approached by one of the SAG guys, who stopped us to fill all our water bottles, because the upcoming rest stop was temporarily out. (They were pretty much out of food when I got there, too.) The CWC organizers have since been more strict about enforcing the register-in-advance policy, and I don't think the ride has had any problems like that recently. Nevertheless, since then, unless it's a long-standing ride with which I've had multiple experiences (for me, say, the Seagull Century), I plan for the worst -- stash some emergency granola bars, maybe dig out the Camelbak or carry the third water bottle under the downtube.

It's a beautiful ride, with a little preparation you'll do fine -- have fun!

Your current bike should be fine. Gearing is already pretty low, 30x34. A lighter bike won't make the difference between finishing or not, but might let you finish a little faster. But you're not in a race. Keep the fenders for training and for the day of the ride unless they're easy to take off and no rain in the forecast. Keep the rack so you can have a trunk bag with room for spare gear.

Getting fast tires will make a difference, enough that it's worth spending some money on them. Tire size is uncorrelated with speed, as has been thoroughly shown in articles in Bicycle Quarterly and other magazines. It is strongly correlated with tire construction. Bombproof tires with thick rubber, layers of flat-proof stuff, etc. are going to ride like pigs. Tires that are optimized for speed like the previously-mentioned Grand Bois Cypres 700x30 (measured 32) will not be as bomb-proof, but will ride more nicely. How unbombproof are the Cypres? In about 5000 miles of riding them, I've had about three flats.

Your tires are probably not fast if they are designed like typical bombproof commuter tires. You may not be able to put small-diameter tires on your rims, so you're probably better off picking something like the previously-mentioned Cypres. If you don't want to spend $120 or so on a pair of tires, then the Panaracer Pasela 700x32 are a decent tire for about $20 apiece. Higher volume tires like 700x32 also can run at lower pressure so you'll have a more comfortable day. At your weight, assuming 35 pounds for bike +10 pounds for water, some snacks, and spares, your total weight is 230, and on 700x32's the optimal tire pressure for a rear-loaded bike would be about 95 rear, 80 front, based on Frank Berto's testing. I've ridden nearly 30,000Km of rides that are 200Km to 1200Km in the last five years, almost all on the Cypres or Pasela's.

Nick

I remember how difficult my first few supported centuries were. But what a sense of accomplishment! Recently I've come to the point that I can do them, unsupported and solo, without a second thought. A wonderful place to be, a place that I thought I would never arrive at. A lovely way to spend a Sunday.
Eat lots, drink plenty, pace yourself, have a great ride.
The nice thing about the supported rides is that there are hundreds, or thousands of cyclists out there with you.

(snip)
Nevertheless, since then, unless it's a long-standing ride with which I've had multiple experiences (for me, say, the Seagull Century), I plan for the worst -- stash some emergency granola bars, maybe dig out the Camelbak or carry the third water bottle under the downtube.


^^ This. You should also carry some cash to buy food if needed. I did a century that only had PB&J sandwiches at the stops. After the third control stop I couldn't handle any more PB&J so I stopped at a McDonald's and grabbed a hamburger and fries, which really hit the spot.

I've done the CWC twice. It's a great ride. Here's me going through Gettysburg:

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii159/JimF22003/796067552_f5Fsn-O1.jpg

I'm not familiar with your bike(s) so no comment there. On the ride, expect two or three fairly long climbs including one right out of Thurmont. There are also the usual rollers which can be steep and take a lot out of you. If I were you I'd find some way to work on the hills. Try to get out to Skyline Drive if possible, and some rides like the one that goes from Bluemont over 601 and back to Paris/Upperville.

A lot can depend on the weather. The first time I rode the ride had been delayed a day because of a tremendous storm that came through on ride day. It was very pleasant. The next year was great too, but was very hot and humid. The one long hill out of Smithsburg on 491 is completely exposed to the sun. I'm sweating just thinking about it :) For some reason there were tons of people with flats on that section as well. Maybe they were just faking it to take an unscheduled rest break :)

Don't want to discourage you at all. But don't underestimate this one. Do some good training this summer, and you'll be ready to go by September for sure!

My distance bike and sometime commuter is my Surly Pacer. It has full aluminum fenders, a small front rack and bag. It isn't light, but it is comfortable, and most of my riding right now is in the Berkshires, so I do a bit of climbing. Just ride your ride and you'll be fine. You've got plenty of time to get ready for this ride, take advantage of it and work on some hill training, get a few long rides in and just enjoy the scenery. I'm wishing I lived closer so that I could get in on this ride, looks like a good one.

Thanks to all -- lots of awesome advice!

Your input has definitely cemented my intention to just ride the Dew Drop. I will plan to spend some $$$ on better rubber for the big day (and, I think, a week prior, so I know they work!). Tires are definitely cheaper than a bike :-) I will, by necessity, do my training with the slow skins, and the with rack/fenders/extra gear on the bike. I will make the decision regarding accessory removal only as I get close to the big day -- given that my main training regimen consists of commuting with an extra 20 pounds of crap in my panniers, the bike weight should be the least of my worries.

As to the hills, for those of you who know the ride: My plan is to get out to Thurmont/Emmitsburg a few times for some training rides (I have family in Thurmont, coincidentally) to at least familiarize myself with the climbs. Rolling stuff I am familiar with -- I ride through northern virginia, which is nothing but rolling hills -- but I know I need to get ready for the sustained climbs.

I suspect I haven't chosen wisely as an entry into endurance riding -- sounds like even experienced folks have challenges with this ride -- but I will do my best to prepare wisely and well.

On the day of the event ride your own pace. Don't go out hard for the first half and crawl home the second half. Go at a pace you feel you can maintain the whole ride. If you have something extra in the tank the last 25 miles you can always charge home. Eat and drink as reasonable amount the whole way. It doesn't sound like you'll have trouble making it. What you are working on is how much fun you'll have on the ride.

Thanks to all -- lots of awesome advice!
...
I suspect I haven't chosen wisely as an entry into endurance riding -- sounds like even experienced folks have challenges with this ride -- but I will do my best to prepare wisely and well.

You have plenty of time to get ready for this, and there are hundreds of people who ride it, so you can, too. Northern VA hills will get you pretty ready, but do go up to MD and ride some longer, tougher climbs. I've never personally ridden the CWC, because our randonneuring club does a brevet called the Civil War Tour that is on roughly the same course at the same time of year but is 127 miles -- we do all the same climbs, plus a few more for good measure. Our Civil War Tour has about 7500 feet of elevation gain per hundred miles, so the CWC probably has about the same. What JimF said about the climb out of Smithsburg is true -- in my opinion it's the toughest climb of the day. Six miles and 720 feet, none of it shaded. I'm not sure if you do the MarLu ridge climb on the CWC, but that is one of the steepest climbs in the area--it starts at the intersection of US15 and Mountville Rd and ascends very steeply for the next 1-1/2 miles. Maybe worth riding up at least once so you know what's in store if the CWC goes up it. I'd suggest that you do your last couple training rides on the same tires as you'll ride the event, because that'll help you get a better feel for what it means to "ride your ride" on those tires. The biggest temptation with a big ride like this is to go out too hard, trying to keep up with friends or trying to keep up with other groups. You ride too hard, go through all the glycogen in your legs, get blown off the back anyway, and then spend the next two hours suffering, riding slowly, and trying to eat enough to get back into the game. Better to start out at an easy pace, enjoy the ride, finish a little more slowly, but spend a lot less time suffering.

Nick

You've gotten and taken a lot of good advice. I've done the Civil War 4 times and it's a gorgeous, and difficult, ride. The first two climbs, out of Thurmont on 77 and up South Mountain to the War Correspondents Memorial are difficult slogs. The third, on Ritchie Road off of 491, is the one that makes you want to take the bailout. Don't, because the fourth climb is just a short steep hill!
DO get practice on climbs and you'll be fine. The Baltimore Bike Club puts on the best century in the area. Remember to ride YOUR ride, not the one the others about you may be doing.

I've did the CWC 2 years ago and may ride it this year. Two days before the ride (busted right brifter!), I had to switch from my road bike to my commuter (Bianchi Castro Valley). While heavier, that bike has compact cranks and I had a 32T MTB cassette on it. 34x32 was what I needed for the worst of the climbs. I removed much of the commuting gear (racks, lights) but kept the fenders (came in handy as it started foggy and drizzly). Small "be seen" lighting came in handy, especially early in the day. Pace yourself, bring some energy bars or gells if you start bonking between stops, and you'll be fine. 2 24oz bottles are plenty and you go through enough towns to resupply if you run low. Ride support is excellent and the terrain is generally pretty. Make sure clothing & fit are dialed in as you're in for a long day. Pace yourself, no matter how badly you want to go just a little harder to stay with the group that just passed you.

After conquering the 1st 3 climbs, I will admit I cramped bad and had to walk up the middle of the last climb billDennen mentions. For the rest, sit & spin; stand when you need to give butt or one set of muscles a little relief. in NoVA, your shorter hills for practicing climbing are Hunter Station in Reston (~2 min climb), Woodburn off Dry Mill Rd in Leesburg (~ 5min), and Taylorstown and Stumptown (~10 min each) via Loyalty (rollers, lots of rollers and lousy pavement) north of Waterford. Some PPTC rides in MD and anything with "Mt Weather" in the route description in VA will get you hills similar to the CWC route. Skyline Drive from Front Royal is good for sustained climbing.

Definitely get lighter/skinnier tires - 28mm should be fine; I had 23mm Gatorskins on the Bianchi. Don't overinflate - some of the roads were chip sealed and I recall the year I rode CWC there was a detour on gravel that drove all of us on 23mms a bit nuts for approx a mile. Bring tubes, patch kit, and tools to handle at least 2 flats. The year I rode, a group of cyclists ahead of us hit an area of busted glass across from a convenience store. The SAG vehicle on the scene ran out of tubes and a several riders were stranded until they could get tubes or patches from other riders or a SAG with more tubes could arrive. Overall ride support is excellent and the rest stops were generally well-supplied.

Between CWC, PPTC, and Reston, I think CWC is the most challenging, the prettiest, and most satisfying to ride. Riding near/thru Civil War battlefields is a nice way to see them. BTW, Reston is on 8/21 (3 weeks earlier) and would be a great tune-up for CWC IMO. http://www.restonbikeclub.org/restoncentury/

Make sure your brakes are in good condition and adjusted properly. I had a problem with my canti's shuddering (turned out the stem wasn't tight enough against the headset) resulting in compromised braking - so I had to keep my speed down on the descents as I couldn't brake hard/fast. Probably safer anyway!

Just give it a shot, if you can't do it, no big deal.

Ride the kona dew. it's a good bike, my friend rides it as his main road bike.

You shouldn't need more than - tube & levers, water, and energy bar.

Take it easy up the hills

As others have said eat and drink alot. Put alot of time into planning out nutrition. On my first century I had one of those "oh god every muscle in both my legs is cramping" moments. Luckily I finished it out.

I'll be there this summer for my first civil war century and lookin forward to it.

But, honestly, it isn't the distance that has me scared. I have some history with endurance sports, and I know what I need to do to prepare for distance. You don't give your height, so there's no way to tell just how overweight you are and nor is there anyway to determine your power-to-weight ratio.

From some of the other comments, I understand that the CWC route involves very steep climbs. And 7,000 feet of climbing for the entire course. Unless you have appropriate gearing and bicycle fit, this amount of climbing could result joint injury or other unfortunate outcomes.

Your foremost priority should be testing yourself and your bicycle's fit by riding up very steep grades that approximate the steepness of the climbing you will encounter on the century.

If you simply attempt to "gut out" a hilly ride because you are tough, you may finish OK but end up with knee, back or other joint issues. On the other hand, you could always walk many of the grades and just take your time to finish but I doubt that's what you're thinking.

Don't overlook the possibility that poor weather could make the ride impossible for goof-balls to complete.

It's not until September, so you have plenty of time to train. Don't just ride your bike, train. I'd get the bike into event trim as soon as you think you can. Take off the rack, fenders, etc. Run Conti 4000s tires in 25c. Get used to it the way it will be. Gearing is plenty low. Don't worry about bike weight. If you train, you'll drop more weight than you could save by buying lighter. Most lighter bikes come with taller gearing. The more money you spend on a bike, the taller the gearing. Not always, but there is an amusing correlation.

Start working up a list on your computer of everything you will have with you on your century and what you will do the morning of. It's easy to forget important things, and easier to forget unimportant things that become critical later.

Machka has a good prep web page:
http://www.machka.net/articles/century.htm

Here's a detailed plan:
http://www.kanbike.org/pages/training.php
This is only 10 weeks, so you can draw up a clone with smaller progressions.

I recommend getting a heart rate monitor (HRM). This will help enormously by improving your ability to pace yourself, and to know how hard and how easy to go in training.

When you get some more base down, you'll want to do some long climbs similar to what the century will have.

It's not until September,
...
Run Conti 4000s tires in 25c.



Since Rigida ZAC19 rims are 24.4mm wide and are rated to take tires between 28 and 62mm, he might want to stick with a decent-quality higher-volume tire.

Since Rigida ZAC19 rims are 24.4mm wide and are rated to take tires between 28 and 62mm, he might want to stick with a decent-quality higher-volume tire.^ Good catch! Didn't notice that. In 28c, we've been running Rubino Pro Tech. Seem good. Really big fast tires like Grand Bois are very thin, but a new tire should be fine if your luck is decent. It's only 100 miles. I always look at a flat as an unscheduled break, anyway. Enjoy it, it's not a race.

never ever barrow or rent a bike for a long ride--- that could be a catastrophy!!!!! use the one your body is adjusted to. Also another thing you can do to train for this ride that you might be overlooking is eating during a ride. Its sounds like it is nothing , but eating enough to fuel you on a long ride takes some practice. not the eating part, but being able to ride right after eating. Try eating a big meal and then jumping on your bike and riding. It can be rough. So condition your self to eating while riding before this ride.

never ever barrow or rent a bike for a long ride

That reminds me. When I did the ride in 2009, I had JUST gotten my new bike. It was fitted well, but it put me in just a slightly different geometry position than my old bike with respect to my upper quads. It tended to work a spot on my leg muscles a couple of inches higher toward the hips than my old bike did. Wow were those areas burnt-out after the ride!

ride in high gears to simulate hills and ride heavy. Always try to ride into the wind also for added intensity. If you have any hills around at all you can do hill repeats as well. Everyone likes to tackle hills differently, I have friends that can just spin right up them, but me on the other hand I like getting out of the saddle early and hammering up. My mindset tells me the faster I get up the faster I get the downhill on the other side. When it comes time for your ride keep in mind how much is actually mental. Get plenty of protein and potassium and just grind it out man.

You don't give your height, so there's no way to tell just how overweight you are and nor is there anyway to determine your power-to-weight ratio.

Thanks for your input. Since you asked, I'm 5'9" -- My 'fighting trim' weight when I was 32 (and could run 6:30 miles for as long as I wanted to) was 165, but I don't expect to see that again anytime soon (I'll be 45 next week). Ideally, I'd love to be back around/ under 175, but I am not sweating that too much.


From some of the other comments, I understand that the CWC route involves very steep climbs. And 7,000 feet of climbing for the entire course. Unless you have appropriate gearing and bicycle fit, this amount of climbing could result joint injury or other unfortunate outcomes.

Your foremost priority should be testing yourself and your bicycle's fit by riding up very steep grades that approximate the steepness of the climbing you will encounter on the century.

I think my gearing and fit is appropriate; I have no fit related issues that reveal themselves on 20 mile rides, loaded with gear and after a long day at work, with plenty of steep (but short) climbs. But, of course, that's not the same as all day in the saddle, with several sustained climbs, even without load. I plan to do a shakedown training ride that involves some of the same climbs within the next few weeks (and several other times throughout the summer) -- and I hope that will reveal any subtle issues which might be out there.


If you simply attempt to "gut out" a hilly ride because you are tough, you may finish OK but end up with knee, back or other joint issues. On the other hand, you could always walk many of the grades and just take your time to finish but I doubt that's what you're thinking.

Don't overlook the possibility that poor weather could make the ride impossible for goof-balls to complete.

I do not plan to walk -- not eliminating it as a possibility, but I can spin pretty slowly up some very steep grades (I routinely do a short, reasonably steep, climbs -- 20%? ~1056 feet linear, ~212 feet vertical rise).

As to the weather: are you pointing out that riding in rain is harder than riding in clear conditions? or is there something more that I'm missing -- and should, therefore, be planning/ training for?

You have plenty of time to get ready for this, and there are hundreds of people who ride it, so you can, too. Northern VA hills will get you pretty ready, but do go up to MD and ride some longer, tougher climbs.

Thanks for the encouragement. I do plan to get up there and do the hills when I can, but I know I can't do it too often. I think I will take the advice of some others and do plenty of hill repeats locally. I have plenty of hills, just not a lot of long ones.


Our Civil War Tour has about 7500 feet of elevation gain per hundred miles, so the CWC probably has about the same. What JimF said about the climb out of Smithsburg is true -- in my opinion it's the toughest climb of the day.

I suspect you add one really intense climb that they omit. The route sheet seems to indicate 6900 feet of climb, over the entire 103 miles, which is slightly less intense (lie to me - tell me I'm right!) than your brevet.


I'd suggest that you do your last couple training rides on the same tires as you'll ride the event, because that'll help you get a better feel for what it means to "ride your ride" on those tires.

Good point -- I definitely will need to know what I'm getting into.


The biggest temptation with a big ride like this is to go out too hard, trying to keep up with friends or trying to keep up with other groups. You ride too hard, go through all the glycogen in your legs, get blown off the back anyway, and then spend the next two hours suffering, riding slowly, and trying to eat enough to get back into the game. Better to start out at an easy pace, enjoy the ride, finish a little more slowly, but spend a lot less time suffering.

I'm pretty solid on keeping pace. When I did distance running, I was the master of holding a pace throughout the run. I've also started too fast and blown up -- but that was a long time ago. I am competitive, but I've learned not to compete against anyone but myself in situations like this. I don't need to prove myself to the mini-peleton that goes past... I'm old, I'm slow, I'm fat but I'm here :-)

or is there something more that I'm missing -- and should, therefore, be planning/ training for? No, if you ever trained to the point of running 6:30s you're plenty powerful. But bicycling changes all the "contact points" - so things like blisters, wrinkles in clothing, chaffing can make a ride miserable if you don't lubricate to protect carefully.

Some on these things require experience to learn, and you have to anticipate, not just react after the fact.

Good luck, but I doubt you'll need it.

If you train, you'll drop more weight than you could save by buying lighter. Most lighter bikes come with taller gearing. The more money you spend on a bike, the taller the gearing. Not always, but there is an amusing correlation.

I had come to the conclusion on weight, and though I hadn't considered the overall question of more $$ = higher gearing, I had noticed that serious road bikes do without the triple, and certainly don't have a 34 in the rear, thus giving higher gearing by definition (saving weight and complexity in return).


Start working up a list on your computer of everything you will have with you on your century and what you will do the morning of. It's easy to forget important things, and easier to forget unimportant things that become critical later.

Thanks for the links -- They look to be very helpful, esp. for a noob like me.


I recommend getting a heart rate monitor (HRM). This will help enormously by improving your ability to pace yourself, and to know how hard and how easy to go in training.

I generally ride w/ a heart monitor even when commuting. It lets me know when I'm dogging it, or when I'm pushing, as commuting is my primary form of exercise. I've been going easy through the winter, but with the return of spring I'm looking to pick back up. My HRM is actually one of the early Garmin 301 GPS units, and I use it to track my rides pretty carefully (I know, I know - -what a nerd!).

Since Rigida ZAC19 rims are 24.4mm wide and are rated to take tires between 28 and 62mm, he might want to stick with a decent-quality higher-volume tire.

Thanks for the additional info! I had spent way too much time looking for the specs without success. I figure I'll check in with my LBS first, but at least now I know what I should be looking for.


I always look at a flat as an unscheduled break, anyway. Enjoy it, it's not a race.

As much as I'd like to avoid flats, I'll keep this in mind, just in case :-)



never ever barrow or rent a bike for a long ride--- that could be a catastrophy!!!!! use the one your body is adjusted to.

Also another thing you can do to train for this ride that you might be overlooking is eating during a ride. Its sounds like it is nothing , but eating enough to fuel you on a long ride takes some practice.

Two most excellent points! I hadn't really thought about figuring out how to eat enough and not too much. I don't want to bonk or puke :-)

DUDE are you joking, really terrified of a century????:roflmao2: They got SAG vehicles I am sure. I am pretty sure this is not life and death situation so what is the problem?

Don't worry about the bike. I've got a Dew Drop myself. Use all gears in the hills, it'll take a bit longer, but the most important thing when trying to keep the total time down is to make the stops short. An upgrade from the stock tyres might be a good idea, I'm using Schwalbe Kojak 35 mm. Less weight and less roling resistance than the standard CountryRides.

Edit: if you're looking for an upgrade, get new wheels. The stock wheels are heavy.