I will testify that Rick rode a double... saw him at lunch and on the 2nd loop of the Hemet Double Century on Saturday

I am. It is a road bike. Only with flat bars. Road bike gearing and 25mm Contis. I have the awesome Bontrager carbon trekking handlebars http://bontrager.com/model/04996 that give me a very comfortable 2nd hand position. I had a drop bar bike for the better part of a year and sold it cause I never used the drops and was more comfortable of my flat bar bike.

That being said, I have my eye on a Domane and we'll see if that comes to fruition.

I do think this sums it up. In my case, it was the training rides that helped me get my nutrition and hydration (mostly) figured out. And I'm lousy trying not to go out too fast.

Yes, it was fun meeting another 50+ forum member on the Hemet Double Century Saturday. Unfortunately didn't have a lot of time to stop and talk, and I guess AZ-Cyclist recognized me by my OCRR jersey.

It was a fun and fairly easy double, and I'll write a report, hopefully in the next few days and post it here (yes, of course with photos!).

Here is one of the Very Famous Isabelle Drake, my riding partner for the last half of the first loop and all of the second loop:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=311112Isabelle has ridden RAAM, Furnace Creek 508, Race Across Oregon, Paris-Brest-Paris, etc. and is still going strong at 59 years young! Hemet was her fourth double century so far in 2013.

Rick / OCRR

Nice meeting you Rick

Isabelle came over to talk to the leader of our group. She had good comments about the time station the Bullshifters operate for RAAM in Arizona every year.

Gary, lots of great suggestions here but just wanted to let you know what has worked for me.

I'm 59 and started riding 23 months ago with no riding experience since college. I did my first century and 200K brevet last May, a solo in unbearable heat and humidity but I finished. Guess my point is that it is doable.

I've done several centuries and one double century since then; plan more for the remainder of the year, have a 200K brevet this saturday. Also did 7,200 miles last year.

What really helped me improve, which I wanted to improve, was moving from riding solo most of the time to riding with small groups who I could not hang with initially. When I started riding with those groups I was getting dropped all the time and I really hated it, although I do not consider myself extremely competititve. I found it more difficult to push myself when riding solo but the group rides allowed me to really ramp up in about a 6-9 month period.

I have bonked two times on long rides and one was just last weekend on an 80 miler on Saturday. Sometimes I just don't eat properly; so learn how your body reacts to the ride, heat and weather conditions. What happened to me last weekend is I ate a light breakfast, was still down five pounds from Strep and a stomach virus in March and got with a very fast group...bad combination.

Those first 60 miles were pushing a 20 MPH avg. So I had to drop back at mile 60. I finished but not pleasant, but re-fueled and carbed up and did a strong 60 miler the next morning.

So I guess in summary what worked fo me: training with faster groups on long rides, getting in consistent miles, really understanding the nutrition needs (hydration and food) of my body the best I can. I also think I have a tendancy to overtrain sometimes. Two years ago I would have never imagined what I have done on a bike and I have learned to really enjoy it.

Good luck, it sounds like you have the inititive to do it.

Richard

Check this thread out:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ding-a-Century

I think the key to riding a century is being able to do 60-70 without much problem. Once you have enough miles to do that, the last 30 are easy enough -IF-, as others have said, you don't burn out early. Keep an easy pace, go up hills slowly, don't push hard and keep feeding your muscles with water and food. If your eating habits will take you 60-70mi, those same habits will take you another 30. For me, the biggest key becomes holding myself back from pushing too hard. If I burn up with a hard push up a hill, I can trash myself and my long term prospects then become poor.