aham23

is it Sunday yet?

lets start talking about starting time. i vote for a meet up at 7am, near registration, and a depart around 7:15/7:20'ish.

later.

nvr

Dead link....is there an online registration at all, or can you register on the spot? I'm all up for meeting everyone at the start. This will be my first century. Does anyone know about rest stop intervals and food/water availability. I'd like to know how much crap I have to carry in my pockets.

Psimet2001 

If that's when registration opens then I am in. The earlier the better.

Psimet2001 

Looks like the site is down right now. We usually register day of event. The money you save from rainouts over the year makes it worth the extra fee and hassle standing in line.

Rest stops are usually about every 20 miles. I have a cue sheet from last year that I can reference for sure when I get home tonight. If you meet up with us then we can give you a lot of advice and encouragement to get through the whole thing.

I usually carry 1-2 gels or a gel and a pack of shot blocks, but I know my body and know what it's going to take to get me out of a bonk. On rides with a lot of new faces I usually bring a little extra just in case someone else needs something.

The stops are close enough that you would only need to pack what you would use for an emergency/bonk.

Psimet2001 

I mapped out the route on Routeslip.

Click Here for map of 100

Click Here for Cue Sheet showing where other routes deviate from the 100 route

I've ridden this thing twice - alone. I have usually struggled with it because it is an early season century and the wind is always a killer. After mapping this thing I realize that I have twice the climbing in my bike commute to work in half the distance.

If we can keep a group together we could really whip things up on this thing. For those that aren't sure about hanging, or the whole 100, the route is well designed for many, many bailout options.

Enjoy.

aham23

routeslip is never right on the elevation for any route i have ridden with the Edge. i mean is it really possible to ride 100 miles and not have over 1000 feet of elevation change. i dont think that is, even in Will County.

i ran across this profile of last years route that puts the evelvation gain at 2300 feet.


BikeJournal Forum



dont get me wrong, it is a totally flat ride as far as flat rides go. just not that flat. there will be an overpass or two to get out to the famed Beecher Loop.

*EDIT; cant get the profile pic to load, but just follow the link to the forum for the link to the pic


later.

CyLowe97

You're forgetting about the part of the route that will sap the average MPH more than a 30 mph headwind on the Beecher loop....

The Plank Road MUP

Flat as a pancake. Strollers, stray children, dog leashes, surly teens, all randomly wandering along. Stopping for a crossroad every quarter mile.

I'm not a huge fan of a ride on a MUP. This path is fine at 6 am, but by the time we'll hit it on Sunday it will be jammed. But that's..... okay.

jtm1631

Emergency Bonk, did someone call me?!?!

Psimet2001 

Just got word that the speedy guy I rode with last week is coming.
Don't know if he is planning on riding with us yet or not....I'm guessing not for long if he does.

Psimet2001 

I'm getting awful tired of being the only one posting in this thread...

Contacted the organizer of the ride to ask about the site being down. Here is her response:

Thanks for contacting us, and you're right, I know the website is down, real bad timing. You can go to www.signmeupsports.com to register on line, you'll probably find a lot of other rides and things to do at this website as well.
I hope this helps, and that you enjoy the ride.

I had asked her for a copy of the brochure and she included it as well. I am attaching it here.


I had to remove all of the pictures in order to make the file size small enough to upload. PM me with an E-Mail address if you want the full version.

aham23

like Psimet has mentioned you can register there and last year around 7am it was not real busy to do so. the stops were stocked with the basics like cookies, fruit, trail mix, sandwhiches, and so on. i normally take along one or two cliff bars and 3 or 5 Gels just in case i cant find any chocolate chip cookies. there will be 4 rest stops. for your first century this is a great one to tackle. later.

whitesox

hi, I'm new here So I take it this ride is worth it? I'm new to road riding this year... previously a runner, but am doing tri's and more riding this year. I did the Folks on Spokes a few weeks ago and did fine on the 63 mile loop. Hoping to shoot for the 70 here at the Sudden Century... would love to try for the 100, but not sure, hmmmmmmmm??

Anyway, I take it this is a good ride... and a fine ride for somone like me who avg's about 15mph??

Psimet2001 

Welcome. This is a well run ride. Some of the markings are really bad, but if you ride with us you won't have much of a problem (translation: I remember what turns I usually miss).

If you did fine on 63 at 15 solo then you are ready for the century riding with us. You'll fit right in. The way the route works you will have the opportunity to decide between the 70 and the 100 right before the Beecher loop. See the map I posted above.

I say go for it, and I hope to see you there.

CyLowe97

Oh crap! I forgot about the lack of turn markers for this ride.

I remember aham and me almost missing a left turn as two tri guys went FLYING by us. I hollered as loud as I could and luckily they heard me, or else they would have been in Bourbonais in no time....

Hopefully this year they decide to put some markers on the road and signs in the ditches more than 10 feet in front of the turns.

whitesox

markers bad, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! do they give you a map to follow??

Psimet2001 

Yes they give you a map. That's where I got the route that I plotted the map in routeslip with (the one I previously posted). The markers aren't horrible, but bad enough that it has bothered me both years I've ridden it...to the point of actually thinking about writting to the organizers.

S_DOG34

My schedule has changed and I will be home this weekend, so it looks like JD and I are in. We will be doing less than 100 though thank you very much. The Garmin shows speed going up and HR going down...I think my legs are coming back.

Psimet2001 

...unless your Garmin is lying to you. How well do you really know your Garmin? Is it really trustworthy?

Sure everything is great with your Garmin. It's telling you that you're going faster and climbing more, then next thing you know there's a $20 bill missing from your sock drawer and your daughter is knocked up. I've seen it a hundred times.....

Commuting again tomorrow. Depositing miles in the "I can't believe I'm doing a century this early again" bank. I hope my account balance will be high enough on Sunday to allow me to make a withdraw.

S_DOG34

Tommy Boy?

whitesox

oh okay, I see the map from the post above, thanks!!

CyLowe97

Quit sandbagging. Your 45-50 miles a few times a week commuting is going to completely destroy the rest of us. My miles for the last few days consist of a 7 mile workout roaming the subdivision after work.

And my pre-workout on Saturday is constructing a swingset, which may just sap me to the point where I skip the century route. Vamos a ver.

Psimet2001 

The commute in this morning was awesome. I could get used to this. Cars suck, the trail needs some serious work in spots, and I hate being without a car during the day (today I am relying on a supplier to buy me lunch - he promised and I have no backup), but to rattle off 25 miles before work even gets going is awesome.

Of course the morning leg is always downhill with a tailwind....

S_DOG34

Bag lunch. Cheaper and healthier...

aham23

i certainly do NOT want to be left out of the sandbagging club!

stupid work has actually required me to, well, work this week. no rides at all. i may have some time this afternoon, but the weather seems like it will not be in my favor. the weather looks like crap for tomorrow too, but i plan to get out for a short spin to loosen things up.

did someone say lunch? later.

Psimet2001 

I normally do, but today I need to do the whole lunch meeting thing with this guy. Problem is if he cancels I am left high and dry...

I hope the weather holds out. I still have my commute home.

Just talked to Speedy (I apologize if you ever end up joining BikeForums and read this - I mean it in the best way), and he will be there at 7am to start the ride with us. I've told him that we aren't going to ride that fast, and he understands, but I get this feeling that aham and him will disappear over the horizon.

If we're lucky CyLowe we can get to the stop before the beecher loop and if no one else is with us we can ditch it and say we did it....