pagliaci

As far as centuries go, I'm partial to the 1800s.

CyLowe97

Gotcha.

I was referring to the Pez Daily Distraction-like scenery we see on centuries.

What, you think we enjoy riding through endless corn fields for 5 or more hours??

botto 

i'd take corn over nothing, any day.

Rutnick

different strokes then...for some, training to do it and then to do it not just once but multiple times throughout the year IS the payoff and the reason to ride.

For me, 100 miles isn't that big a deal. Averaging that speed on a 100 mile ride isn't that big a deal. A 60 mile ride seems short. 100 is about right. Below 50 is more like a tease of a ride.

The most interesting 100 miler I did was back in december of last year.

The best ones are unsupported and sometimes solo.

beyond 150 miles starts to get interesting.

Now you have me sad because I have to work during the week and am stuck doing 36-43 milers during the work week.

If you don't push yourself, I see no reason to keep riding.

RoadToNowhere

Any ride is an accomplishment.

100 miles is good; some days, 25 is huge.

And many days, just to carve out the time with 3 teenagers, a job, and a husband who doesn't ride with me (yet), is a huge accomplishment.

Given the above, a scheduled, semi-organized group ride of 50-100 miles with a start time to commit to is the ONLY way I can justify getting out of the house for 4-5 hours at a shot.

Beth

mollusk

In the winter I end up with a lot of rides around 100 miles at low intensity to build base/lose weight. Some are 90 miles and some are up to 130 miles. During the spring and summer I try to do at least one ride per month like that. It helps break the pattern of hard/intense rides, interval days, and recovery rides. If it turns out to be a 90 mile ride I don't worry about it.

I've done so many century rides that I don't care about it anymore except if I am helping a century "virgin" complete their first one. In that case I make a big deal out of it and help them in any way that I can.

Ralleh

I rode 43 miles on Sunday and I was carrying 5 bananas and a lot of water. I can't really imagine carrying more crap than that, so it would have to be organized or something.

DataJunkie

Convenience stores are your friend. I rode 78 miles last Sat in 100F temps. Every couple hrs I was hunting down a store for water.
You also really don't need a heck of a lot of food for a 100 miles. Well... less than most of us think.

heads up!

i heard somewhere that a century is just what a real cyclist calls a "long ride." i agree.

RoadToNowhere

!!5 bananas for 43 miles?!!

B

powpow

Hey cool guy, please define "real cyclist."

Rutnick

dang, I did a 46 miler on sunday. zero stops. Zero food and just 2 water bottles. Yesterday, I did 36, zero food and 1 water bottle. Took it easy, average 19.5 and then went and played tennis for 1.5 hours.

Brian Ratliff

1+

No need for food on a 40 miler. I bring two bottles, but I'm relatively big and sweat a lot, and I usually have some left over at the end.

The Micah

I didn't say anything about a particular speed. My point still stands: you can always average faster speeds if you know you're riding only 50 miles compared to what you'd do to go 100 miles. Just like sprinters getting up to 50mph for short distances, but they don't try to do that for 100 miles.

After about 3 hours on the bike, I'm ready to take a nap and start the rest of my day. I've never been inclined to spend half or all of my day on a bike. Too many other fun things to do.

powpow

Are you practicing for some sort of competitive banana eating contest? I like bananas too, but five over 43 miles?

mollusk

Did you actually eat any of those bananas?

caloso

I did a semi-solo metric on Saturday but it sucked. Oh, wait, it wasn't a metric so much as it was a 62 mile road race and I flatted early, was off the back, and there was no food other than the two gels I was carrying.

Old Dirt Hill

The first century I did was last summer in preparation for a tour around Lake Michigan. I remember struggling to finish it but didn't feel too bad the next day. It was a huge mental accomplishment at the time.

The next century I did was a few weeks later on day one of the tour. I proceeded to cover nearly 1100 miles in a little over eight days (extremely tight schedule as I had to be back at work on the following Monday).

Ever since that tour, riding 100 miles just to say I rode 100 miles doesn't interest me. I've done other century rides since then, but usually only when touring. That being said, I would like to do a century a month as an ongoing training goal and to verify that I haven't "lost it."

do-well

I voted that I had completed at least one. My number is at two, I think. I did the first one a few months after taking up cycling. The group that got me into cycling was doing the Old Kentucky Home Tour, so I did what they did -- the 102 mile option. It was an experience. Not exactly more than I could handle, but I did get pretty loopy for 10 miles or so starting just before the big climb near the end (Pottershop Hill). It was a social event that year, and that's the way OKHT will stay for me, whether or not I do the century.

Last year, i did the 72 mile option, as I was recovering from mono. I might do the 50 mile option this year to accommodate the gf, who will be doing her first tour.

The other century I have completed was a pretty difficult and stellar ride from Louisville to Bloomington for the Little 500. I consider it stellar even though I blew out my hip flexor and was not able to do the return ride. Little in life tops cycling to a cycling event, even when you spend the weekend pedaling the rollers in Bloomington on one leg.

Having completed two, I have a take-it, or leave-it attitude about it now. If someone wants to ride 100, I'm game, although my schedule and riding ability work better for the metric century. I've struggled at the end of both centuries to the point where I've sworn them off. I know I will do another one (sooner or later), but they are not my bread and butter ride. I want to plan something special for when I complete this next degree, but that will probably be a tour and not some major one-day ride.

Flak

That's about where my long rides are atm. Not a big deal really, just a long morning in the saddle. I have 150 miles planned for this friday, followed by a 10k run. That'll be a big deal for me.

GuitarWizard

It's a good training ride

save10

Don't worry about it man. If you used two water bottles or ate a banana on your 40 mile ride people will rip on you because you aren't 'real' cyclist like they are. But that is how this forum is most of the time....negativity and pissing contests about hundred mile training rides in the snow.

speedybob

I like how simple it would be to say "I rode 100 miles on my bike" and have people be impressed, or know that you really achieved something. However, I wish there was some simple measurement for climbing. Im more interested in elevation and distance, but I cant just say "I rode a 7 mile loop with 3,000 feet of climbing at 8% grade last week" Its harder to visualize, and its less concrete than "I rode 100 miles." I will probably do one one day, but to be honest, it will be for the bragging rights only.

umd

I just point to the mountains that loom over town and say I rode up to the top of that.

mattm

there is, my friend, and it's called the "mountain pass!"

any other climbing is just rolling hills.. e.g. not impressive to outsiders.