Hi, just got back into cycling, this time with my own bike.
It's nothing great, a 1993 Ross Professional Gran Tour. It rides really nice (well, 5th gear has this chain jumping issue that I can't shake, taking it to a mechanic) and I've logged probably 40-50 miles in the last 2 days. I can ride 20-30 miles pretty easily as long as I'm not trucking along at 20 miles an hour. I'd say I'm doing a pretty decent speed the whole time (I'll get a computer eventually
).
With that said, do you think I'm on track to ride my first century in August? I heard a rule of thumb is that you should be able to ride 50 miles pretty comfortably. I feel like I'm not too far, maybe 6-8 weeks away from that.
What do you guys think? And as a side question, how much do you guys pack for it? I've heard everything from 3 water bottles and a wallet to loading up a small backpack or having a saddlebag. I'm a less is more kind of guy, so I think I'd be closer to the former, but I'd definitely bring a handlebar bag or something. What about you guys?