Hammertoe

I am not trying to be a troll but there is a difference between the time it took to ride 100 miles and your riding time. I believe there was a consensus in a previous thread; a ride was considered a century if it was completed in a 24 hour period...

Many times on the boards I have seen low century times and read they had brought limited food and drink. Reading further, I find out they stopped to meet their group, stopped to have lunch, stopped to fix mechanicals, or finished a few extra miles to complete a century after the ‘official’ ride was over...

I am not taking away from the achievement of completing a century. It is something to be proud of but I would not boast of a 5 hour century if it took me 7 hours to complete...

Everyone could ride faster if they took a break at Starbucks every 25 miles...

Not that time matters (unless it is a race)...

So I decided to try a solo, unsupported, non-stop century...

I have done solo, unsupported centuries without stopping for food or drink but I would always stop once or twice to use the woods or stop at a light or stop sign...

No drafting, no stopping for food, no extra water, better hold that #1 and 2, and no stopping at those traffic lights and stop signs (For the record, there are only two traffic lights on the route and maybe 4 stop signs)...

Clip in at the start and unclip at the finish...and try not to stop pedaling...

My longest rides this year have been 65 miles as I am training for hill climbing races and long hours on the bike are not needed...

I woke up at 6:00 and had oatmeal with strawberries for breakfast. (It is strawberry season up here...mmm...fresh strawberries). A cup of coffee and a long time on the throne...

I decided to ride my trusty 2001 LeMond Maillot Jaune 853 steel with Dura Ace/Ultegra mix and a FSA SLK triple crank...




I brought two 24 ounce bottles of Heed and two liters of water in the CamelBak...

Set off at 7:10 with overcast skies and temps below 60F. I wore arm warmers for the first hour and a half. I kept the HR low and started slow. The temps warmed up into the mid 70’s and the sun poked through the clouds. The winds were gusty to 10 mph...

Luckily, I had no flats or other mechanicals. I had some minor aches and pains. My medial right knee continues to bother and my butt was a little sore...

I was successful and did not stop rolling or unclip the entire ride. I pedaled 99.9% of the time...

https://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3234349

I drank all the liquid and ate 2 Power Bars, 1 Clif Bar and 1 gel packet...

I finished the 100 miles in 5:45; the entire ride of 102.4 in 5:54 (17.4 mph avg). There was 6254 ft of climbing (Garmin total) or 7719 ft of climbing (Motion Based total)...

Moral to the story...

I do not have one...

botto 

nice bike.

nice ride.

unless it's a TT, century times are almost as worthless as the dollar is these days.

Machka 

First, I agree with your first few paragraphs 100%. If a person has to stop in the middle of a century in order to complete the century, that time has to be counted. And so far I'm one of those people who needs to make a stop or two in the middle of my centuries, so the times I post are my total times, including all breaks.

Second, CONGRATULATIONS!! You have done something I'm still dreaming of doing!! Well done!!

ViperZ

Nice solo ride, excellent time too : congrats

whalen83

Way to go. I hope to do another century myself this summer. A few summers ago I did my first century and a half all in one long grueling day and I know its fun but hard. Good job.

jpatkinson

Looks like you are very proud of your accomplishment, and it looks like you should be!

I completed my first century eight days ago, but it was much slower than yours! I rode 100 miles in a supported event (stopping for almost two hours total, in addition to almost eight hours of riding time, over a similar 8500 feet of climbing).

Seems to me that the 'success' is a relative thing!

I am 42 years old, starting cycling about once per week a year ago, cross training with MTB, running, and swimming. I have only cycled 450 miles this entire year -- a combination of road and mountain biking. I also ran a little over 100 miles, and have gone swimming who knows how far. Bottom line: I am very proud of completing my first century, even though it took me almost twice as long as you! It has motivated me to cycle even more, to continue to pursue improving my fitness, and to keep taking good care of myself.

When someone asks what I did that Saturday, I reply, "I cycled a century!" and I am proud of it, too.

aham23

nice ride. however, it is what it is, a 100 miles. a century can be a social event for some, where stopping at the designated stops is part of the enjoyment. others treat them like races. others do a bit of both. to each their own. later.

kmart

Nice weather there.

Now do it again in Texas (with the same 2 24oz bottles, no refills along the way) and I will be truly impressed

CdCf

I will never be able to complete a no-stop ride longer than maybe 50 miles. Simply because on any longer ride, I will need to eat, and I can't eat and ride at the same time. Not because of a lack of skill, but because I have a fear of choking.

Due to this, I often have to stop to eat without being at all tired.

2Tired2Shift

If you stop it's not a true century; it's more than one ride that add up to >= 100 miles.

ElJamoquio

Hell, I go through a 34 ounce bottle every hour in mild weather. Yesterday I went through three in an hour and a half.

For a century I'd have to have a tri-bike style seat-post outrigger, and I'd still be short 34 ounces.

jpatkinson

I went through 6.5 liters of fluids on my century -- and it wasn't hot out at all!!

I love how people have RULES about everything: if you stop, it isn't a century. Oy!

blanqui

An impressive ride, but I'd like to see you try this on a scraper bike.

Looneytuna

Congratulations on your solo unsupported, non stop century...

for me a century is 100 miles in a day, period!
I have done supported centuries with rest stops, solo and in groups. I have also done unsupported centuries in groups and solo. I have done centuries just because I was over 90 miles and wanted to say I did 100.. no matter how you cut it, 100 miles is 100 miles.

If its not a race, then why shouldn't I stop to get liquids or food.

You should stop at a red light or stop sign so that you will be able to finish the century...

ivegotabike

i second the motion for scraper bike.

cccorlew

No, you freely admit you stopped pedeling a moment, so it doesn't count. You also used gears, which are only for wimps, so it double doesn't count.
Post again when you man-up and do a REAL century.

PS
It's also not a century if you don't get a badly designed Tee shirt

fishmel

Nice job OP. That is a cool acomplishment. He went out to prove something to himself. I would like to try it someday, although I might trackstand at the stop signs and red lights.

DXchulo

You can easily do the #1 while riding (bonus points if you can hit the corn field). #2 might require a domestique.

Solo non-stop centuries are the best. From now on you're going to feel like a lazy bum any time you stop.

Machka 

It IS a very cool accomplishment ... not just a solo century (I do those all the time because there are very few people around here who want to ride that distance, and I know lots of other people who do those too) ...... but a non-stop century.

If I were going to do it, I'd have to officially start and stop the century about 3 kms down the road. There are 4 sets of lights before I reach the edge of town. Once at the edge of town, I could probably design a route which would have all right turns so I wouldn't have to worry about waiting for traffic before I could make a left turn. Hmmmmmm ... interesting idea ... now I'm itching to dig out a map and see what sort of route would work.

If I were going to do it, I think I'd also want to dig out my camelbak ... although drinking too much could present problems too.

ElJamoquio

Hmmm.... well *I* could just follow the lead of the pro peloton.


Not recommended for you, Machka.

kmart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQGLNPJ9VCE

Anyways, it's an amazing accomplishment. Congrats.

scarpi41

how did you plan your route? A good old map? or a site?

benbaconlewis

Well done. Sounds like an awesome day out.

Have my first nocturnal century (+20) lined up for end of July:

https://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/...chfaqs07.shtml

patentcad

I guess that makes my routine 110+ mile Saturday training ride a 'century'?

lvleph

I am such a fool that I never even thought of stopping. When I did my metric, I didn't stop except for the 1 min it took to run in a corner store and buy a gatoraide. Yes, I know it was a stop, but literally I walked in grabbed the drink, bought it, and hopped on the bike. If I had actually rested for any substantial amount of time, say 10 minutes it would have been much easier. It didn't even cross my mind that I could do that. Exactly I didn't even think I could do it. lol