1nterceptor

100 Miles(160 Km.) on a Brompton by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

one4smoke

I've done three. Two, on my Giant Roam and the other one on my Specialized Roubaix.

daoswald

My Cannondale Synapse has gone with me to 100 a few times. Going 60 to 85 on my long rides is more common for me mostly due to time constraints. I guess I need to get faster.

I've never felt like the bike is preventing me going these sorts of distances. It's a comfortable endurance bike.

livedarklions

Hey, where's @UniChris? Technically, though, he didn't do it on a bike.

UniChris

Lol, indeed. When I wasn't sure mid-summer that I'd actually manage it on the 36 inch unicycle I spent a while thinking about getting a folding bike as the easy way out. But finally managed in early August.

livedarklions

I've done literally dozens of solo centuries on my FX 3 this year. Bar ends are a necessity for those distances, otherwise it's a great bike for it.

woodcraft

And where's CPW?

He completed 51st century of the year last week.

livedarklions

My guess is he's biking.

indyfabz

This on 37c:

GuessWhoCycling

I agree! I have done a few 40 milers on the road riding my MTB just for something different. I have bar ends on it and the hybrid I had years ago. Bar ends are about the same as riding the hoods on a roadie imo. Allowing several positions on the flat bars. Good point!

indyfabz

And this on 23c:

indyfabz

And this on 23c:

spdntrxi

I'm retired from centuries...( I hope ) but I've done them all on road bikes.. Look695, Parlee Z5i, Parlee Z-Zero. 25c tires mostly but have done a few on 23/24c as well. I'm currently on a Parlee Z0 XD with 28mm tires... which gives a dreamy ride, but I search out sub 70 miles routes now... more the sweet spot. Although 70 with lots of gravel feels like 100miles +.

xraydog

2 Centuries (Amish Country Bike Tour) on my Specialized Sequoia

BlazingPedals

I've done so many centuries over the years that I've lost count of how many. But unlike a few others here, I rarely go much over 100 miles. In my mind, when you reach 100 miles it's time to put your feet up and have a beer! Anyway, I've done centuries on all of my bikes, from a Toys-R-Us KIA 12-speed to my lowracers. The hardest 100 miles I ever did was on a mountain bike with 2.0" slicks, the easiest on my avatar bike where I averaged 26 mph for the last 10 miles.

canklecat

I rode several centuries and a couple well beyond the 100 mile mark back in the 1970s-early '80s on a Motobecane Mirage or Super Mirage, an entry level hi-tensile steel road bike with something like 27", 1.25" tires. Those were all club rides, huge organized events with support. We usually stopped at least once for meals and loafed along. If I'm recalling correctly we finished within 8 hours or so. Those were always fun and I don't recall being uncomfortable. But I was in my teens and early 20s.

I've ridden only one full century since resuming cycling in 2015 after a long I-hate-us from cycling. November 2017. 105 miles, 8:20 hours/min riding time, 3,000 feet of climbing (mostly in the first 50 miles), 12 hours overall with a couple of long breaks including a group ride event restaurant meal. Took my Centurion Ironman road bike, 700x23 tires. Won't make that mistake again. It was fine for rides up to metric century length (usually 20-65 miles) but was torture beyond 75 miles. Mostly neck pain from an old injury. I've since raised the handlebar a bit, to 2" below saddle height, and swapped the 130mm stem (very stretched out riding position) for a 90mm -- much more comfy, but still not really suited for centuries. It's my workout bike, usually 20-30 miles as hard as I can go without collapsing.

No centuries or even metric centuries in 2018. Between injury (hit by a car) and illness I've kept my rides between 15-40 miles. Not enough energy for a longer ride to be enjoyable.

If I was to attempt a century or metric this year I'll take my Univega hybrid, which is in faux-path racer configuration now. Albatross handlebar, better saddle now, swoopy curved fork that's very springy over chipseal and rough roads, slightly longer wheelbase than a typical road bike. Nice compromise between a racing/TT bike and touring geometry. The albatross bar is surprisingly versatile and offers as many hand positions as a drop bar, and can be reasonably aero with the right stem and elevation.

That Univega currently wears 700x32 Continental Sport Contact II tires, which seem like they should be fast and smooth rolling. But they feel a bit harsh and sluggish compared with what I used to ride for a couple of years on that bike -- Conti Speed Rides, 700x42 nominal, actually 700x38. The tires weigh the same and the Speed Rides have very slightly more aggressive tread. But they feel completely different. The Sport Contact II are commuter tires, with nominal dimply/pebbly tread, thick tread and rigid sidewalls. The Speed Rides are basically Conti's dry weather cyclocross tires, scaled up from 700x32 to 700x42. Thin tread and minimal puncture shield, thin flexy sidewalls and a surprisingly nimble, quick feeling and supple ride for that type of tire. They ride much better than the unspectacular specs would indicate. If I do ride a century before Jan 1 I might swap back to the Speed Rides. My average speed is the same on both, but the Speed Rides just felt better.

But I doubt I'll plan to commit to a century before the end of 2018. I'll just go for a ride and see how I feel. If I'm still good after 40 miles I'll keep going. I'll probably do it on a casual group ride day. That'll add 20-30 miles at an easy conversational pace with good company. That helps pass the miles. I really prefer riding with friends for long casual pace rides. Solo, I get bored after 20-30 miles.

bruce19

I've done 3 centuries, a 2 1/2 day 250 mi. ride from Sebago Lake, ME to CT and a fair amount of big mileage days in Puerto Rico all back in the day. The bike I used for all but Puerto Rico was a Panasonic DX 2000. The Puerto Rico rides were on a Bianchi Squadra. I'd guess this was 30-35 years ago. I'm guessing tires were 700x23. Can't remember the brand.

TimothyH

Leinster

I did an annual charity century back in my school days; my bikes for those days included an MBK Mistral, a Peugeot Mont Blanc, and an MBK Super Mirage. The Mont Blanc and Mirage had 20c tires on pre-Celtic Tiger Irish roads.

Mor recently I've completed a few on a Schwinn Fastback Comp, and a CAAD10.

jlaw

I participated in my club's 'century weekend' this year - two days of riding, good catered food, and challenging courses - 25, 50, 62, and 100 mile options. I rode the 50. With 3000+ ft. of climbing it was a nice combination of challenge and fun - and plenty of other riders to ride with.

I rode this bike:

650bx38, 39/26 crank with 11-32 10 speed rear end. 1985 Trek 410 frame and fork.

kaos joe

I'm pretty much in awe of this.

clengman

I did the Mon Valley Century in 2014, my only one so far, on my World Voyageur, with 27 x 1 1/4. Around 7,300 ft of climbing. It took me about 8 hours start to finish including rest stops. Moving time was a little under 7 hours.

I had hoped to do a century on the Montour and Panhandle rail trails this fall, but I've been having some sciatica issues and can't really tolerate that much saddle time. Waiting on word from my doctor to start PT. Maybe I'll get to it next year. I'm hoping so.

CliffordK

Many of my bikes have done century rides. Lately I've done several century rides towing. A few century rides loaded.

Funny Bike.
700x23 Clincher Rear. 650x23 Sewup Front, at the time I did the century.



The Old Colnago Super has done a few century rides. Sometimes carrying panniers. Once it had towing duty, towing a Bike Friday trailer up to Portland.

Generally 700x25mm tires. Sometimes 700x23.




The "New" Colnago C40 has done several. Generally rolling light, but also occasionally getting towing duty. 700x23 or 700x25.



My Bike Friday has done at least one century ride, towing a trailer.
20 (451) x 28???



The Jamis Coda Conversion (700x32 Michelin Protek Cross Max) got two centuries.



Specialized Tricross. 700x35 Clement X'Plor Ush. OOps, the ride below was about 150 miles in 2 days. Possibly not quite hitting the century threshold on the second day. However, it did do another mixed gravel/pavement century.



Lightspeed 26" to 700c conversion. Either 700x23 or 700x25.

Machka 

Thanks!!

I rode my first century in 1994 ... and vowed never to ride another century again. Then I rode 3 in 1997, and it kind of took off from there.

jpescatore

My first century ride was as a 12 year old kid riding from Freeport NY to Montauk Pt NY with some friends one summer, after we noticed it was 100 miles away and that seemed like an exciting thing to try to do. I rode a borrowed Schwinnn Varsity 5 speed bike with a rear rack and bungee cords holding a sleeping bag, because we slept under a 7-11 overhang and rode back the next morning. If they were called "century" rides back then, we didn't know it!

Ten years later my first organized century ride was on a Schwinn Continental 10 speed. After my daughter was born I bought a Schwinn Crosscut hybrid, added bar ends and did many centuries and many miles pulling my daughter in a trailer in shorter rides.

Kids got older, I bought a Trek 520 touring bike and found that was much more comfortable for centuries.

I got older, bought a mid-life crisis Trek Domane SL6 carbon bike and did the Seagull Century (Salisbury MD) this year at age 61 and had my fastest time for 100 miles and felt the best afterwards!


L - Trek 520 R - Trek Domane SL6