Interesting topic you bring up. What makes a good rider? Is it someone who can ride a century at a pace in the mid 20's? There are lots of good riders on this forum who don't even ride centuries. IMHO you need to be a good rider to ride a century in 8 hours or less. It's not about the speed, it's about the distance. Just see how well you do on your first one, then get ready for the next one.