My first cenury. Hotter 'N Hell 100. What do I bring????
 

Ok, I would like some first hand advice here.

What all would you bring if you were driving to Wichita Falls, TX for this century ride.

Don't include 'givens' like deodorant etc... Only cycling related items, for the ride, as well as the time leading up to it, and the time after it.

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Ok, I just realized, I need to learn how spell CENTURY correctly. (I accidentally left out the T)
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Do you bring an extra jersey? An extra tire? A 2nd set of gloves in case you lose one? What about your chain, what if you have 3-4K miles on it, and you get there and it bonks on you. Do you put a new one on before you go, or bring a backup?

I think you get the idea.

What do you take on the ride with you? How many bars or gels do you need to stash?

What different murphy's law scenarious do you plan ahead for?

Anything and everything that is of good advice will be greatly appreciated here!

I'll be driving in super-early the morning of from Dallas.

I normally ride with 1 tube, 2 levers, 1 CO2 cartridge, and one 3-in-1 allen wrench. I'm just planning on bringing an extra tube and cartridge. Thinking about adding a patch kit and a 3rd cartridge -- we'll see.

For fuel & hydration, I'll have 2 24oz bottles with a half-packet of Alacer Electro Mix, + 3-4 extra packets for refills. I'll also have 2-3 flasks of EFS Liquid Shot.

This is a very well supported ride with plenty of drinks, snacks and shop support every 15 miles. You should only need your normal ride kit.

3-5K on your chain! Time for a new one.

All the normal stuff.

A towel to help keep sweat off the car seats.

Maybe some powdered Gatorade instead of the watery Powerade they serve on the route. And the pickle juice didn't seem to help, either.

Make sure to have one water bottle for plain ol water to dump on your head if you start over heating.

As others have said, a well supported 100 mile ride doesn't require anything beyond your standard flat tire kit, multi tool and and a couple of water bottles. But you should make sure your bike is in good working order. Generally 3 - 4k miles on a chain is too much. Are your cables, brake pads, tires and cogs similarly old and neglected? If so, now may be a good time to deal with it.

Oh yeah, and a good thing to have if it really is hotter n hell is a tube sock. Buy a bag of ice at a convenience store, fill the tube sock and hang it around your neck. Give all the left over ice to your new found friends. It won't last long, but it'll feel great for a while.

I will have about 3K on my bike around the time of the century.

I have new tires, and I have maintained the chain and bike very well.

Do I still need a new chain? Should I have the cables replaced, or the Freewheel?

I'm not sure what needs to be replaced. I dont mind spending a little cash, especially if it means fewer mechanical errors in the longhaul.

John

Just measure the chain for stretch, if at 1/16th or so you are ok, if 3/32 consider a change, though realistically on a fairly flat century liklihood of chain failure at that mileage is small. Cables should be good for 8-12kmi, 'usually'. Most commonly they fray around the tight wrap on the barrel in the brifter. Freewheel?? Prolly cassette: good for at least two chains, maaybe three.
A change of clothes is nice: no sweaty stuff on the drive home. Baby wipes help clean off the sunscreen and sweat (take sunscreen and reapply every 30-40miles!)
after the ride.

Eat and drink a LOT during the ride, go your own pace and have fun. If you start to get sore, stop and stretch or just take a break. It's not as long as you think and if you just keep moving you'll be fine. Enjoy~!

Sounds like they have rest stops every 10 miles, so you may be pretty well covered. I'd bring:

• Camelbak
• frozen Gatorade / energy drinks, preferably in insulated bottles
• energy snacks and/or portable fruit (banana, apple etc)
• sunscreen
• 1 extra tube
• patch kit
• basic repair tools
• extra chain links or master links

Note: The Camelbak may make your back a little sweaty, but it will keep beverages cold much longer than even an insulated bottle.

You will also need to apply sunscreen at least once, possibly twice during the century. When you sweat, you will wash away the sunscreen.

And, of course, get your bike tuned up a week or two before the ride. This is not an event where you want to get stranded due to a mechanical. ;)

i haven't read what others posted, so sorry for repeats.

when i did my century (100 miles = 160km), there were rest stops every 40km where they served food. you'll need food. if this ride doesn't have stops where you can grab some food, you'll definitely need to bring some with you. I think Machka recommends like 250kcal/hour riding. I recommend more (400kcal), but it really doesn't matter. I'd eat a bagel every 40km - you'd need three bagels :P.

In my camelbak I bring:
patch kit
tire levers
hand pump
power link
spoke key
alan keys
adjustable wrench (might not apply to your bike if you have a modern one).

I drink around 700mL an hour riding. I do 30km/hour. You'd need something like 3.5L. That's a little much to bring for someone who doesn't have a cbak. Once again you can tank up at the rest stations. If they're 40km apart, you may want two bottles instead of one.

I don't bring a spare tube. I don't bring processed food (clif bar, for example). I don't bring sports drinks.

You might want the drinks/processed food to help handle the heat.

That's just me.

edit:

another thing you may want to consider. i find that bike jerseys are not the coolest things you can wear. the fabric is a little heavy, they aren't skin tight, and they flap in the breeze (slowing you down ever so slightly). You should try giving underarmor a shot. I find the sleeveless white tops to be VERY cool. If you're afraid of the sun you can go for a t-shirt style (you can choose colors too).

they're not too expensive either. 30-40$ CDN depending on what you get. I imagine it'd be even cheaper in the states.

you wouldn't need a spare one of these if you just stand around in the sun for five minutes after the ride. You'll prolly want to take a break anyways instead of going straight to the car. They dry out real quick.

Done this century a couple of times, it's a total zoo.

10,000 or more riders lined up at the start, if you want to get a good time
you have to start at the very front where large packs form. This ride is hot and they
usually have a death or two because of it, for this reason they close the back side of
the 100 mile course (Hells Gate) preventing the slow pokes from getting themselves in trouble.

There are all different abilities on this ride and you will see all manner of questionable riding styles.
The front part of the ride is like a race, they do not stop at any rest stops, when I did
it my second time I had two large bottles on the bike and three in my jersey, dehydration
cramps were coming on strong the last 10 miles. A huge camelbak is best if you don't want
to stop.

If you are going slower it's a fun ride, lots and I mean lots of people to chat with.
Porta potties are in high demand at the rest stops so you may end up waiting.

I recommend the ride for the experience but if you want to do a fast 100 miler you will
need a plan and some previous experience.

All great advice!! Thanks People!! I love this forum.