10 Wheels

100 Miles:

goldfinch

I had the 100 mile goal in the back of my mind a year or so ago. At some point I let the goal drop away. To ride a 100 miles means a lot of hours in the saddle for me as I am slow. I just decided that was too tedious a goal.

I do have a goal, I signed up and paid for a multi day ride with distances for four days of between 60 and 75 miles in a day. That is an aggressive goal. I figure that if I can do that I could ride a 100 miles. But I probably won't.

volosong

As 10 Winds said, a century (in the U.S.), is 100 statute miles, or imperial miles. There is some standard that says if one rides 95 miles, or something like that, it can be considered a "century". Not sure of the exact distance. A common ride distance is a "metric century", which is 62.1 statute miles and a double-metric century, which is 124.3

Myosmith

Off topic but if you click "Go Advanced" the carriage return works again.

WonderMonkey

A century is a goal of mine for two reasons:

1 - I want to be in good enough shape to ride that far

2 - The training to get to #1 will help me on my primary goal which is to become healthier.

CommuteCommando

For me it is. I did a metric for the first time yesterday, and it was a year later than I had set. My progress has been slower than many in here. I am in awe of any one who goes from sedentary to century in only four months. I guess I am just more pain adverse than others.
I could probably handle a flatish century right now, but there are few of those around here.

adrien

You bet. Started again seriously in 2004. First easy solo in 2006, took almost 9 hours. Then worked progressively through several stages -- latest was a double metric with 9000 feet of climbing (in 7 hours and change).

left 50 pounds on the road somewhere...

Shakeyone

I too am pretty awe-struck with the progress many on the forum make going from no activity to high mileage. Early in the season I can do more then 10% increase per week but I think that is just from a combo of going real short, muscle memory, and weather improvements. I don't ride during the off-season, because I lack the mental fortitude to trainer ride, plus having a POS trainer without the ability to calculate power and no HRM its somewhat useless IMO, so I use the time to "try" and focus on total body workouts.

March, April, and May I do get away sometimes making 20 to 40% increases but now I struggle like hell to make 5-10% increases, until the TDF starts where I can get 15-20% increases because watching it motivates me so strongly. This year I am enjoying using the 100 mile plus club to use the mileage and other goals to help push though the hard points. This months club post has goals other then just straight mileage so here I think we will see a number of Metric and Centuries listed as goals and IMO good goals they make and like I said in an earlier reply especially as interim goals.

Congrats on your first Metric! I started the month off with a day off, so I am kicking around the idea of getting my first of the year today. Don't worry about how much pain you can soak up, metric/century doesn't need to be a sufferfest, take your time dial in bike fit, training and nutrition, when you do how much pain you can withstand is meaningless as there will come a time when you can do it with minimum stress. Then when your ready and have some under your belt and ride them competitively then let the sufferfest begin!

Myosmith - Thank you! Not too much fun trying to sum everything up in one or 2 sentences. I did DL chrome too just incase I need a backup.

brwarrior

Are you doing the Climb to Kaiser? That's in the ball park for mileage and elevation I believe.

IBOHUNT

No, I'm reluctantly doing the Garrett Co (MD) Grand Fondo double a week before a race.

https://www.winthefight.org/granfondo...cal_double.htm

cafzali

The reason I would advocate doing a century is that it is one of those things that you'll always remember and when you think about how there's relatively few of those, for many that can be a compelling reason. Also, not all centuries are alike -- at least not unless you live in a pancake flat region. So you can continue to use centuries as a goal, while graduating to tougher routes. Doing an event with a number of other cyclists is nice too, as long as it's well organized.

Beachgrad05

For me I used events as goals starting with a 31 miler...I started seriously riding at end of Feb 2012 and did that 31 mile ride May 5 on the road bike I purchased April 6.

I like to challenge myself so signed up for a Metric in June 2012. Walked the "big" hills but I finished.

Did another near Metric on day 1 of MS ride with 40 miles the next day. First multi-day ride.

Signed up for Palm Springs Century (Feb 13) and the Tour de Cure Century (Apr 13). I completed both and enjoyed them. Not to mention the sense of accomplishment and pride.

Recently did the metric at the Great Western Bike Rally and that Cat 2 climb was HARD and I had to cross-train again (walk some). If the road was more like GMR with fewer car traffic it might not have been as hard...tho stopped to rest one time and looked up in trees to see a small group of cows and their calves.

I LIKE riding long rides...so for me more centuries and metrics will be on my goal list.

editorque

As a newbie to the forum, forgive me if I put my foot in it. I've been commuting for years in the 5-mile range and have been content with that. Recently I took a class that turned my commute to a 20-mile round trip. At the same time, I fixed up my sister's old Miyata for her and reacquainted myself with the feel of a proper road bike as opposed to an all-rounder town bike. Those two experiences reminded me of a 50-mile ride I went on last summer, and I suddenly need a road bike and want to be a little less destination-focused, i.e. meandering over hill and dale. My point is that, apart from weight loss goals, I think there needs to be a kind of physical insight, a sense of getting the mechanics at another level, to have mileage, or road riding for its own sake, to be a goal. For me anyway.

PubRider

about 6 months ago I said out loud to my girl friend, you know what would be Kool...

If I rode a hundred miles and we had a good laugh...


It's always kinda been on my mind since then. I only recently found out it was an actual thing.


In my opinion its a pretty kool goal and achievement. Not sure my low carb, gluten free diet could support it.


The last long ride I did was just shy of 40 and I was gassed.


When I do it I'm probably going to just do it at an event with all the nicety's of breaks, support and normal food...

eja_ bottecchia

BG5 you did great at the Tour de Cure century. You kept me and the boys (PJ and TH) going, especially on the windy (and boring) return leg of the ride.

A century is a good goal for a Clyde or Athena to set. Long distance riding is not particularly difficult as long as you train properly and set a realistic pace.

My friend rides double centuries, not the metric kind, and he is a Clyde.

Wooden Tiger

No. While it would be nice to ride a century and I would feel very proud of myself and very accomplished, it is not a goal. Would I like to be capable of riding a century? Absolutely. Am I willing to put in the training and effort to achieve the ability of riding a century? No, it's just not important enough to me.

The most satisfying cycling experiences to ever happen for me are the ones that have taken place while either a BMX bike or a mountain bike. The first one came for me when I cleared this big" jump as a kid, while the second one came a few weeks ago while out on the trail. The reason the most recent was such a great experience was because it was the first time I felt as accomplished as I did when I jumped that first "big" jump as a kid. Basically, I just relived that entire moment over and hadn't felt so accomplished at anything since that moment as a kid.

The accomplishment I felt from jumping that jump as a kid was far more special than any All-Star trophy or any other trophy I'd ever gotten, it was just a pure feeling of victory. I just relived that entire moment over again. The feeling of victory is far greater than any trophy you'll ever get. The feeling of victory is the one trophy you can't display on your mantle, yet it's the most special.

10 Wheels

Ready for my 5th Tour de Cure 100 on The Indy Track.( June 8th)

Wooden Tiger

We just had the TdeC out here this past weekend in Ranson, VA. While I didn't ride it, I heard the course for the century was poorly marked and instead of people riding 100 miles, they wound up riding 124 miles! I guess after doing a century and finding out I had to ride another 20+ miles, I'd be pretty livid.

MikeyBoyAz

I had 'century' as a goal of mine. I completed one last summer, and again in the fall. This year the goal is to chip off an hour or more off my last century time as I migrate out of the Clyde realm... Final goal will be a sub 5 hour total time century.

MRT2

Almost a double metric century.

jsigone

the problem with having a goal to finish a century is the next goal will be to do it faster

RWBlue01

My goal is to ride from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC (not in one day). Based on my calculations, I have a couple of 50 mile days in there.

I may get to a century, but probably not get there this year. I need to drop 50#s and then the rear and wrist can hack it.

IBOHUNT

Yeah, that's the bit that really sucks! Goes something like...

7 hr Century - check; maybe next time a sub 7 hour one. Will be tough.

6 hr Century - check; maybe next time a sub 6 hour one. Will be tough to average high 16 mph

sub 6 hr century - check; maybe next time a 5 hr 30 hour one. Will be tough. Dude, wait. What? 5hr 30 is 18.2 mph?

Aw holy crap! It better be all downhill, with the wind and not even a stop sign or a bridge overpass as a climb

RWBlue01

Sounds to me like you need a track to ride.

IBOHUNT

Nah, I'll stick to keeping my pathetic slowness on the roads. No need to stink up a track.