Third Annual Urban Century coming up!
I don't know the exact date, but it will be sometime over Christmas vacation. This is a supported ride -- supported by my having a cell phone in my back pocket, and by all the nice independent coffee shops in the Austin area. (Starbucks doesn't serve cyclists in the drive-through per corporate policy, so they are boycotted.) Route is undetermined. Leave the house maybe 8:00 am, ride to the veloway and do loops for some initial miles until I am bored stiff, meander through various neighborhoods with lots of zig-zagging and exploration, and gradually move towards Central Austin then North Central. When the bike computer and "MyTracks" show 100 miles I am done. They have been within 1% of each other, so credible. Much as I love tackling the steepest hills, I will tend to avoid them in this case -- 100 urban miles is enough. I routinely approach intersections and decide which way to turn spontaneously according to stoplight status. traffic and whim.
The last two times I did this, I went on a 10+ miles informal group ride with friends that evening, so almost 115 miles total.
Gear will be "road" bike, but which has straight bars, MTB shifters and platform pedals, t-shirt and levi shorts.
Last year finished about 4:30 which was well before the previous year. I am happy with it, though of course, there are those who do centuries in far less time.
Fuel will be lots of coffee, dark 86% or greater chocolate, coffee-shop snacks and maybe carry some mixed nuts.
Don in Austin