Solo Century
 

Nothing on the club list caught my interest for Saturday, so I decided to ride solo. I decided I wold retrace last weekend's 70 mile ride and turn around when I got tired since the wind was supposed to be the same as last weekend and having a tailwind on the way in sounded good to me. I like group riding, the chatter, the shared work and the bigger the group usually the less work to go around. But I also like the small group ride, way easier to get 5 or 6 people in and out of a SAG stop than 20. The solo ride is another animal completely. It's just you and your bike against the wind. You decide on the pace, you decide on the SAG stops, it's all on you whether the rides gets done or not.

At mile 50, I felt good and had the wind at my back, so I started looking for short segments to add distance. Five miles here, take the loop around instead of the straight road. At mile 75, the most direct route to the truck was 9 miles and being 16 miles short of a century was just not tolerable so I put in an 8 mile out and back on a trail section.

It's been a few years since I did a solo century and I've been itching to do one since about June, but timing and weather haven't cooperated. My average speed wasn't going to win any records, but with almost 40 miles of trails instead of roads I'm not mad about it either.

The only century I've ever ridden was solo. There was a head wind for the last 12 miles or so. That was a rough 12 miles.

Sounds like a very nice ride!

you're lucky to have a trail network that has that many miles to offer.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dd5e319a96.jpg
Absolutely! The State has a grand plan for a 250 mile trail from the East coast to the West. My house is about 15 miles north and the county level plans include a spur of the trail that will go right past my office and a bike lane along the 2 lane 55 MPH road I live on. There are places where riding on the trail isn't a better option than riding on the road, but the thought of knocking out a 200K from home without being on the road makes me salivate a lil bit.

Great job! If I ever do a century, it will likely be solo. I can't find any group rides near me that I could keep up with or that ride at a time that works for me. I did my first half-century last weekend. Next up, metric century. Not sure I feel the need to do a full century.

I did two centuries which were organized rides. Not exactly solo, but I wasn't riding with anyone, either, at least for the last 50 miles each time. I might pace myself with other riders and strike up a conversation here or there, but I was basically going at my own pace the whole time. But the longest I've ever ridden solo was probably about 75 miles, one year when I was training up for said century ride.

And this year's third century is in the books. I made a lot of mistakes yesterday-it was overcast early so I didn't drink, when it did get hot, my hydration was problematic. Helping a (faster) rider out with his first century, which was fine unless there was a hill or headwind (and it was windy all day). My legs wanted to cramp, my asthma wanted to pounce. And I almost wound up as a hood ornament when I screwed up the apex to a corner and the bike went way wide. Not my greatest day on the bike, you can't win them all.

And now I know why I struggled so hard on Sunday. Some MFer gave me a cold. Started with a sore throat Monday afternoon, went home early yesterday and slept about 12 hours. Always a good sign when you get winded taking a shower.

One year I did 23 centuries as part of a century a month challenge. Got so that I could ride a century fairly easy. I would do 100 solo miles in 5:45 with a 30 minute break to munch on a sandwich. Some were organized rides but after spending money to go ride around people, I figured why not just do it myself?

Some flat centuries with 2,000 ft (?) 5:45 including an organized ride Palm Springs, easy century.

Then some that were more fun like 10,000 ft. 7:10 ride time, 7:38 official time as it was a timed event. Not bad for a 230 pound Clyde. :D