Fifty Plus (50+) - Decent Time for A Century - For A Fifty+? (Search not working...)

I've done centuries before, some at a reasonably decent average speed. But just for grins, I'm thinking of really hammering an upcoming event. It will be fairly flat, which should allow a good time. The attendance will be fairly low, though, so I half expect to do most of the ride solo.

Under those conditions, I was wondering what the Fifty+ group would consider to be (a) a good moving average speed, and (b) a good start-to-finish time?

Depends on course- weather- wind and you.

I am planning to do a 50 miler shortly and the organisers have set standards for Gold- silver and bronze.For a 50 y.o. the gold is set at 3.50--At 60+ I have an extra 20 minutes to get it. So 4hrs 10 and I should be able to do it.

Now the 106 mile challenge has 6hrs 50 for the 50 y.o. and 7 hours for the 60+.

I know the route and there will be about 5,000ft of climbing with one basket hill at the start and one at the end for both distances. The 50 miler will be within my grasp- the 106 miler will take me an hour longer at about 8 hours. Put in a bit of weather and even the 50 could be a struggle to complete anywhere near the time.

My local sportive is a 104 mile route with 7800 feet of climbing. The organisers aren't as kind to the elderly as Stapfam describes above, there are no timing concessions for over-fifties. The Gold standard is 5 hours 40 minutes, the silver is 6 hours 30, everything slower than that is bronze. I've done this for several successive years. There's no chance of me making gold, but I have usually managed silver.

I like to finish before the organizers go home. ;)

On a solo, flat century in good weather with no hard wind, I would be very pleased with a 17 mph moving average and 6.5 hours total time. I don't think I've ever quite accomplished that. My good century times are usually around 16.5 mph and 7 hours, but Saturday I was very happy to hit 100 miles at just under 8 hours and 15.3 mph.

I like to finish before the organizers go home. ;)

If they don't have the decency to wait for you to finish, why wait for their permission to start?

Come on up to Garrett County for the Fondo. I bet you won't hammer that ;)

I did the ride across Indiana (RAIN), which is 160 miles @ 20mph moving and 10 hours total time when I was 65. I don't think I could do that now at 70 though. In my 50's I did several centuries in under 5:30 total time.

Frank

I did the ride across Indiana (RAIN), which is 160 miles @ 20mph moving and 10 hours total time when I was 65. I don't think I could do that now at 70 though. In my 50's I did several centuries in under 5:30 total time.

Frank

Good for you. A 20mph moving average over 160 miles is a decent performance at any age.

I'd be sure to bring a flashlight!! :)

Sorry, I can't answer your question, but good luck.

A good time? When you finish.

A good time? When you finish.

I like this one.

Thanks for the replies so far.


Come on up to Garrett County for the Fondo. I bet you won't hammer that ;)


Hell-no! I chickened out of that last year, and I'm going to chicken out again this year :lol:

Seriously - I have so many other planned rides and mountain climbs that I doubt I'll fit the fondo into this year's schedule. But I'd like to do it next year.

Still - you've tempted me to go and research it a bit more...

As a solo rider: 6 hours on a flat Illinois route on a perfect day.

Thanks for the replies so far.




Hell-no! I chickened out of that last year, and I'm going to chicken out again this year :lol:

Seriously - I have so many other planned rides and mountain climbs that I doubt I'll fit the fondo into this year's schedule. But I'd like to do it next year.

Still - you've tempted me to go and research it a bit more...

I'm doing it again this year and live in flat country. Come on! It's a blast...on the downhills ;)

As a solo rider: 6 hours on a flat Illinois route on a perfect day.


6 hours total including breaks or 6 hours actual riding time? The reason I'm asking is I'm planning on doing my first century on June 2nd and a 16 to 17 mph avg seems like a good goal to shoot for.

One thing I would like to add. For us old guys, which is anyone on this forum, 62 here, times on the same course can change quite a bit even with similar conditions simply because some days you feel better than others. Add in the factor of how well you fuel and hydrate your body on that particular ride.

Also, solo is tough on a century. I have ridden solo and I have ridden in groups. You will be much faster in a group because of drafting, along with the challenge of keeping up with the group.

Personally, I am capable of a 5 hour century and I am capable of a 7 hour century. Depends on how much discomfort I am willing to endure that day, along with the factors listed above. I always keep total time from the start until I finish, not riding time only. Also, my average speed includes the time at a stop. More realistic that way.

Get with some fast guys and suck wheel

6 hours total including breaks or 6 hours actual riding time? The reason I'm asking is I'm planning on doing my first century on June 2nd and a 16 to 17 mph avg seems like a good goal to shoot for.

With 2 breaks, about 10-15 minutes for each for comfort & refill the bottles. (...but not at the same time;-))

I eat while on the bike and carry 2 or 3 bottles depending on how hot the day is.

Here are the cutoffs for making "platinum" with an organization that does several charity events here in Arizona. The elapsed times shown are for men and women respectively, and they take the hilliness of the course into acount. "Tour of Tucson Mountains" sounds hilly, but goes around the mountains, with less climbing.

El Tour de Mesa:
70-mile event: 3:00 3:15

Tour of the Tucson Mountains
73-mile event: 2:55 3:10

Cochise County Cycling Classic
234-mile event: 12:00 12:30
157-mile event: 2012 9:00 9:30
92-mile event: 2012 4:00 4:30

El Tour De Tucson
111-mile event 5:00 5:30

I like to finish before the organizers go home. ;)


If they don't have the decency to wait for you to finish, why wait for their permission to start?

You noticed I was joking, right?

While I do think ride organizers, myself included, have a responsibility to wait for slower riders to finish, there has to be some limit to that. I always post a time when ride support will end based on a very generous allowance. I have never had anyone out beyond the stated time limit, but at some point I would offer a SAG ride back to the start/finish.

I always keep total time from the start until I finish, not riding time only. Also, my average speed includes the time at a stop. More realistic that way.

Definitely agree about the total time from start to finish, but not so much about the average. I generally note my total elapsed time and my moving average speed as an indication of how I'm riding. The average including stops is easy enough to calculate as a side note, but I don't find it very useful to know it. Different strokes.

If they don't have the decency to wait for you to finish, why wait for their permission to start?

Well said. :50:

I've done six centuries so far this year, all with different results.

1. 01/07/2012, 104.6 miles, 3,625 feet of climbing, 6:04:06 riding time
2. 02/08/2012, 101.7 miles, 3,415 feet of climbing, 5:40:20 riding time
3. 03/03/2012, 104.4 miles, 7,608 feet of climbing, 7:14:24 riding time
4. 03/10/2012, 102.6 miles, 4,993 feet of climbing, 6:04:07 riding time
5. 03/24/2012, 209.5 miles, 8,632 feet of climbing, 15:55:11 riding time (a double century)
6. 04/07/2012, 103.6 miles, 7,690 feet of climbing, 7:22:19 riding time

Here's a photo of the crew at the start of century #6 listed above. This is Corona Del Mar with the Pacific Ocean in the background.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/bikephoto1/OCDeathRidePhoto.jpg

So, apparently, the flatter it is, the faster the century. No worries though, I'm in no hurry and I like to climb! In that case, OP DGlenday, your mileage (and times) may vary!

Rick / OCRR

Thanks for the feedback! My previous centuries were done at a pretty fast pace, but with too many breaks.

Based on the above, and on my past rides, I've set my targets - and will report back in 2 weeks time.

(Meantime - I'm gearing up for a fleche this coming weekend. That's 230 miles in 24 hours - but at a slow pace.)

What's the ride if I may ask?

I'm not fast. I have accepted that now :(

I don't usually track total time, just riding time because that's what the garmin shows. I'm usually too wasted at the end of the ride to figure out how many total hours it's been. I don't make a lot of stops, or take a long time when I do however.

My fastest ride ever was 5:32 (riding time) on a ride on the Eastern Shore of MD. I rarely come in under six hours. For a ride with lots of climbing it will almost always take me 7.5 hours or more. I did a ride on Saturday that looks a bit pathetic, but I really couldn't have gone any faster. It was 8:05 hours over 100 miles, with 10,100 feet of climbing, and a measly 12.4mph. I'm good with that :)

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/165754178

What's the ride if I may ask?

The ride is a small, annual century run by our local club - the Frederick Pedalers Spring Century - to be run on Friday (!) 4/20. We only expect about 30 to 40 participants.

I haven't been riding long, but the two centuries I've done were at 19.2 and 19.6 mph (moving) average, but with stops. The first was riding with a group, also on the Eastern Shore (the Bay-To-Bay), and very flat. The second was with a very fast group for about 45 miles, and solo after that, with rolling hills and one killer hill. There were several stops on both of these, and although I did not time them, I believe they came in around 6-1/2 hours.

So taking the above posts in mind, and based on what I think I can do, I'll aim for anything under 6 hours. And if I don't manage that, at least I'll have my goals clearly established for the next time!

You should be giving me advice. (Not that I would follow it) ;)

If they don't have the decency to wait for you to finish, why wait for their permission to start?

That's funny :lol:


Me, I rode my first century last August after 3mos of intense training. My longest training was 81mi and couldnt finish the 100 due to the heat. How long was the trip? About 8hrs. That is way too long even for me so I'll train again this year and see how I can improve that.

Doing a 5hr Century?? The very thought of it at this stage of the game just blows my mind as something unobtainable unless I train all winter in spin class while it's driving snow and 15deg.

I've done six centuries so far this year, all with different results.

1. 01/07/2012, 104.6 miles, 3,625 feet of climbing, 6:04:06 riding time
2. 02/08/2012, 101.7 miles, 3,415 feet of climbing, 5:40:20 riding time
3. 03/03/2012, 104.4 miles, 7,608 feet of climbing, 7:14:24 riding time
4. 03/10/2012, 102.6 miles, 4,993 feet of climbing, 6:04:07 riding time
5. 03/24/2012, 209.5 miles, 8,632 feet of climbing, 15:55:11 riding time (a double century)
6. 04/07/2012, 103.6 miles, 7,690 feet of climbing, 7:22:19 riding time

So, apparently, the flatter it is, the faster the century. No worries though, I'm in no hurry and I like to climb! In that case, OP DGlenday, your mileage (and times) may vary!

Rick / OCRR

Just a reminder that very few 50+ cyclists have the speed or endurance to improve on this.

Just a reminder that very few cyclists have the speed or endurance to improve on this.

FIFY However, Rick@ocrr has been doing centuries and double centuries for years and has millions of revolutions in his legs. I think his legs have evolved to breathe air directly without the use of lungs, heart or blood.:D

FIFY However, Rick@ocrr has been doing centuries and double centuries for years and has millions of revolutions in his legs. I think his legs have evolved to breathe air directly without the use of lungs, heart or blood.:D


My point exactly.

That's funny :lol:


Me, I rode my first century last August after 3mos of intense training. My longest training was 81mi and couldnt finish the 100 due to the heat. How long was the trip? About 8hrs. That is way too long even for me so I'll train again this year and see how I can improve that.

Doing a 5hr Century?? The very thought of it at this stage of the game just blows my mind as something unobtainable unless I train all winter in spin class while it's driving snow and 15deg.

I bet if you spent the winter improving your skate-skiing that would have a big impact on cycling come spring.

I bet if you spent the winter improving your skate-skiing that would have a big impact on cycling come spring.

Even though we have some of the best skiing in the region with the Boyne Country hills.....the only close to skating and skiing I do is iceboating and ice fishing.

So for us "really wimpy" types, what's the usual: MAX TIME, you can do a official CENTURY RIDE in, I thought it had to be under 12 hrs., I can't remember when or where I heard this from but it was years ago, under official LAW sanction rules, I believe??

So for us "really wimpy" types, what's the usual: MAX TIME, you can do a official CENTURY RIDE in, I thought it had to be under 12 hrs., I can't remember when or where I heard this from but it was years ago, under official LAW sanction rules, I believe??

Century events are not official Randonneur cycling events, and are not run under RUSA rules. Each Century event can set it's own time limit. Often sweepers are sent out to assist riders at the end of an event.

Randonneurs are required to finish events under official rules.

"Only the Audax Club Parisien has sanctioning authority for BRM events. The ACP registers all BRM brevets. Each brevet receives a verification number. These are assigned chronologically based on time of receipt. The ACP has registered these brevets since their inception in 1921. Only Randonneurs USA is authorized by ACP to organize BRM events in the United States.

Only Randonneurs USA has sanctioning authority for RUSA domestic events"

See: http://www.rusa.org/brvreg.html


"Article 9

Overall time limits vary for each brevet according to the distance. These are: (in hours and minutes, HH:MM) 13:30 for 200 KM, 20:00 for 300 KM, 27:00 for 400 KM, 40:00 for 600 KM, and 75:00 for 1000 KM. Additionally, riders must arrive at each checkpoint between the opening and closing time for the checkpoint. These times are noted on the brevet card with the information for the checkpoints".

Most rides have a time when all support is withdrawn. So if the ride starts at 8am that might be 5pm. If you finish after that time expect to come back to an empty parking lot and have to scrounge for food. lol

My on-road averages are usually about 19.5-21 mph on century rides. I usually stop, though; I figure I pay for the refreshements, I'm gonna get them (dagnabbit!) For example, last year I did the Holland Hundred, which was 107 miles and a relatively flat 1300 or so feet, at an average no-draft speed of 20.6 mph, for an on-road time of about 5:12. At last year's Helluva Ride, I only did 85 miles and averaged 20.2 mph. Hit every stop on both of them...

I loaf through centuries at 16 or 17 MPH in six hours and a half or even seven hours. That might not be a good time but that experiences have turned out to be very good times.

The idea of a five-hour century has no personal appeal. I enjoy pushing hard and riding long but not both at the same time.

Rode my first century last year in 8:59 + 1:10 rest time. Around 8400 ft of climbing on the ride. Getting ready for my second century in 6 weeks. Hoping to to do better.

The idea of a five-hour century has no personal appeal. I enjoy pushing hard and riding long but not both at the same time.

+1

How long is daylight that day?

For me- a 14 mph moving average is crummy, 15 mph is so-so, 16 mph is doing pretty good, and anything better is great. By "moving average", I mean average speed as shown on my bike computer, which omits all the stopped time.

I don't actually do 100-mile centuries that much, but with stops, around 7 hours would be pretty typical, and slower would be okay, too. On 200k, I recently did my best time ever at 8:13. Cold, heat, or wind will slow that down, hills (our hills, that is) not so much.

I've ridden enough to know there's always a bunch of faster people out there, so I don't get too worked up about beating them, but making a new personal best is cool. Next effort is to try to get a 200k under 8 hours on the tandem.

My expected time for a loop course, one where I finish where I start, is 20mph + 10 minutes for each 1000' of climbing. I can better that in a group but it's more course dependent then too. But generally, the formula works out for me when I'm in decent shape and not trying to hammer for the best time. So for example this weekend, NealH and I rode a 71 mile ride with 5400' of climbing. We had almost no group riding or pacelines so the expected time would calculate to 71 miles = 3:33 + 54 min = 4:27 ride time. Our actual time was 4:35 which is close and indicative of my current condition.

FIFY However, Rick@OCRR has been doing centuries and double centuries for years and has millions of revolutions in his legs. I think his legs have evolved to breathe air directly without the use of lungs, heart or blood.:D

Well, yes and no. Yes, I have been doing centuries since 1978 and doubles since 1984. And while I've never counted, I probably do have millions of revolutions in my legs.

All that other stuff ("legs have evolved to breath air directly," etc.) . . . no. In fact I have asthma and need to use an albuterol inhaler (unless it's hot out) before I ride.

Plus, I'm really no great athlete and I'm sure Hermes, AZTallrider, BluesDawg (and more!) would make short work of dropping me off the back in any kind of race situation.

Rick / OCRR

Well, yes and no. Yes, I have been doing centuries since 1978 and doubles since 1984. And while I've never counted, I probably do have millions of revolutions in my legs.

Plus, I'm really no great athlete and I'm sure Hermes, AZTallrider, BluesDawg (and more!) would make short work of dropping me off the back in any kind of race situation.

Rick / OCRR

There is certainly no shortage of avid cyclist at bikeforums.net. Very few cyclist complete as many century events as Rick / OCRR.

We also have at least one record holding RAAM competitor at Bikeforums. He doesn't blow his own horn very often, but Homeyba completed the 3,023 miles Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD coast to coast race in less than 8 days on a mixed tandem team in 2009.

Most people couldn't drive a car across the US in that time.

The idea of a five-hour century has no personal appeal. I enjoy pushing hard and riding long but not both at the same time.

I'm the opposite. I'd be perfectly happy to loaf thru a 10 mi. ride, but if I'm gonna ride 100 or more, I want to get off the bike as soon as possible. I really can't understand the rondo people who like to go 200+, riding a snails pace the whole time. And I lied about loafing on a 10 mi. ride. ;)

I'm the opposite. I'd be perfectly happy to loaf thru a 10 mi. ride, but if I'm gonna ride 100 or more, I want to get off the bike as soon as possible. I really can't understand the rondo people who like to go 200+, riding a snails pace the whole time. And I lied about loafing on a 10 mi. ride. ;)

This is a quote I can agree with. 8 to 10+ hour centuries would have no appeal to me. That long in the saddle for 100 miles would start to make the seat seem like a lethal weapon.

There is certainly no shortage of avid cyclist at bikeforums.net. Very few cyclist complete as many century events as Rick / OCRR.

We also have at least one record holding RAAM competitor at Bikeforums. He doesn't blow his own horn very often, but Homeyba completed the 3,023 miles Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD coast to coast race in less than 8 days on a mixed tandem team in 2009.

Most people couldn't drive a car across the US in that time.

I think I remember that 10wheels did more than 20 centuries in one month. He says he rides slow, but anybody that rides that many centuries is exceptional.

At the recent Solvang Double we knocked off the first 100 miles in 6 hours and a few seconds. Then the wind kicked up (seriously, 20 mph headwinds. I checked.) and it took 10 hours to do the second 100.

So, my answer is: it depends.

...
Plus, I'm really no great athlete and I'm sure Hermes, AZTallrider, BluesDawg (and more!) would make short work of dropping me off the back in any kind of race situation.

Rick / OCRR

I do not belong in that company. The people I helped get started riding last year now regularly drop me at will on our group rides. We'll never know what I would do in a race situation because I won't be there except as an observer. 7-8 hour centuries is my norm.