zacster

It wasn't that bad. I had a good time on this ride, even if it took almost 10 hours. There are a lot of stops along the way, you are on city streets so you should expect traffic.

UnfilteredDregs

Wasn't traffic as an issue. Just uneccessary step ladder left/right/left/right directions when just going straight a few more blocks would have worked, could have got through southern Brooklyn with far less lights, and some circuitous runabouts to beef up mileage.... Support was pretty good though. Queens has some nice riding... brooklyn is very much a PITA.

Someone had mentioned that the route hasn't been changed in 20 years...

zacster

That's not true. There have been changes every year. Some years there are more than others, but it is always a little different.

But yea, there are some spots where it would be nice if they just went straight through.

1nterceptor

Did it for the first time 2 years ago. The route is very similar.
I was a volunteer marshal for yesterday's New York City Century.
Rode over 100 miles(160 km.) on a Brompton folding bike. I listed
the parts I changed in the photo's comments:

100 Miles(160 Km.) on a Brompton by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Papa Tom

I was a volunteer at the Astoria Park rest stop. In my 5 years of working this event, I've never seen as many folding bikes as I saw this year. What's it like trying to climb those bridges on 16" wheels?

Steve B.

I love telling this story.

In the years before they had a start at Prospect, the route was heading over the TriBorough at around 75 miles or so.

As I'm carrying my bike up the first set of steps, I stop to help a father on a mt. bike, behind which and attached was the single wheel kid/pedaling thing that attaches to the seat post of the parent bike, so a 10 year old or so riding that. Attached to the kids single wheel unit was a Burley infant trailer with a baby in it.

So Dad, son, and baby all having done 75 or so, I can only assume - unless he picked up en-route, but you'd have to be pretty familar with the route to know how to do that. And you'd still need to get home from the Bronx.

All this stuff had get un-assembled and reassembled twice to get up the bridge steps. Then he/they had to continue. They might have bailed over the pedestrian bridge from Wards to Manhattan, but who knows.

That's a long way with kids and assorted trailers in tow.

1nterceptor

Were you sitting in between some women? I was going to say "Hi"; but wasn't sure that was you.
I thought I was "special" showing up with a Brompton; but another marshal did the 100 mile route
with one. Didn't have too much problems with the bridges or the small hills on the route. I do a lot
of commuting and weekend rides; they all have climbs. Plus, I lowered the gearing on my bike. In
this video you can see my usual climb; one of the steepest section in Manhattan. 13 minute mark;
bike path by Little Red Lighthouse up to the GW bridge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AT6...aIoDLA&index=7

Papa Tom

>>>>Were you sitting in between some women?<<<<

Most likely. I've got much longer hair now than in my avatar photo. Was I slumped over in pain from having made sandwiches from 7:30am to 5:30pm?

AristoNYC

Finished the ride, took about 7 hours. I'm happy since it was my first Century. Well organized & good group of riders along the way. I felt sick about 70 miles in, took a break & tried to get some sustenance in me to recoup. The last 30 miles were hell but I pushed myself & im glad I did.

UnfilteredDregs

Congratulations on your first, now hurry up and ride to Bear Mountain and back!

Papa Tom

>>>I felt sick about 70 miles in<<<

Are you the one who showed up at Astoria Park announcing that a "sick guy" was coming through. If so, I apologize for not taking you seriously!

wilfried

I take bridges all the time on the Brompton; it's no different than climbing them on any other bike, though on my three speed, I'm geared kind of high, so I tend to grind.

I can just make up the hill by the Little Red Lighthouse on the Brompton with standard gearing by standing on the pedals and pulling on the handebars.The I next hill further up by the road is impossible though; I have to bail and walk.

I've ridden 79 miles on my Brompton, but not a full century yet. One of these days...

1nterceptor

Actually you were kidding around with some riders and looked like you were having fun.
Thanks for making the sandwiches; that's pretty much what fueled me for the whole 100
mile route. PB&J sandwiches and the ice cream I had around noon.

1nterceptor

Yeah; that section is tough and a lot of riders walk it. Even in my video; it's hard
to see but that lady ahead of me is actually walking her "standard/regular" bike up.

zacster

I rode my geared Kuota but the woman I was with was riding a single speed. She had no trouble riding that although she did admit at the end she was pretty beat up by the hills. I wouldn't have known it from watching her.

There's that one hill going into Cypress Hills that is actually steeper than any of the others, including the bridges. She had a hard time on that, but we had just met up at that point and she wasn't letting on.

spesrf25

I did the 55. It was a fun ride. It was also the first time I've seen a cyclist get hit by a taxi! I couldn't believe how much of a ****** he was to the poor dude, but he got up and kept riding, thankfully.

AristoNYC

No, I wasn't that sick, I just felt like my body was giving out on me. Once I ate something and had some fluids in me I felt better, but I did have to push myself to finish the race.

cafzali

Just some advice that hopefully will help you... often what feels like conventional nausea isn't caused by lack of food, but rather water. Lack of food is often seen by a lightheaded feeling rather than nausea. As you ride more, you'll learn what the signals are that you're getting and how to appropriately address them.

AristoNYC

Thank you, that is definitely likely as I usually take in much more water.

zacster

Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty.

Solidjake

BUMP

I did 75 last year and I'm going to do the 100 this year (first century for me)

1nterceptor

NYC Century is a good first time century. Not as flat as Montauk Century; but not as
hilly as Gran Fondo, Bike MS NYS, Escape NY, etc.

Not sure if I'll volunteer as a marshal next time. Usually have to help a few riders with
their mechanical problems; mostly flats. I don't mind stopping to help; but if I spend 10
minutes on average per stranded rider multiplied 7 or 8 times - I lose close to 1.5 hours
of riding.

Jarrettsin

Do you know the route the 100 mile ride takes? The map on the website is not very precise.

1nterceptor

The route cue sheets are emailed to the volunteer marshals the day before the event.
I already got rid of both paper and email cue sheets a long time ago. Somebody uploaded
this; seems about right:

NYC Century 2014 - NYC, NY

Jarrettsin

Thank you that was helpful