Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
Switching your pedals this close to a ride that you may already find to be difficult is probably a bad idea... stay with what you are used to as you won;t be able to dial in your fit on the fly.
If you have been riding 30 miles at a time and doing this on a regular basis and the 50 is not unduly difficult you might do well over 100 miles.
You can live with a less than perfect fit over 30 miles, but over 100 miles you will find out what is right and what needs to be changed.
The only way you can find out if you can do it is to do it and expect that you will have support along the way and many be able to ride with a group and save a little energy by drafting... just as long as you can do this safely.
Agreed on everything except the drafting unless it is easy for you.
Riding 100 miles requires far less fitness, strength, etc than most people think. What it does require is pacing. When you ride, your legs still need to feel fresh at the 50 mile mark. This means that you need to ride at a speed that feels easy or even slow.
On the day of the ride, it is fine to ride with others, but don't try to keep up with anyone. A lot of women double your age will blow by you, but if you let your pride take over, you'll be in for a world of hurt. The reason I recommend against drafting are because unless you feel like you're going slow when you're doing it, you may be riding too hard. The other reason is that it's likely you don't have the handling skills. I avoid groups on pure recreational rides like the plague because too many people lack the skills and it's just a crash waiting to happen.
Make sure you eat and drink plenty during the ride and you'll have a good time. BTW, the most I'd ridden before my first century was 15 miles. While that's not recommended, it worked out fine for me.