rangerdavid

I am going to start training for my first century, which i hope to do at the beginning of next season. I would like to do a relatively flat course. I live here in the mountains, and i seriously doubt I could complete a 100 mile ride up here.

so, i'm looking for suggestions for one where the terrain is rather flat. I talked to a guy tonight who said there was one somewhere north of leesburg Virginia. I'll look for that one too.

Anyone have any suggestions? thanks in advance.



RD

newb242

HTFU it's just a bike ride.

10 Wheels

You can train on hills.
I flat century is about a 6 to 8 hour ride.

rangerdavid

of course I'll train here, I just looking for a race somewhere flat.

Jakedatc

If not less.. my first century was 6500ft climbing (aka not flat) and i finished in 7hr ride time with major mistakes in hydration and eating. my previous long ride was 62.

just ride progressively longer rides in your area and a flat century will be fine.

DataJunkie

Have you checked the regional forum for your area?

Jakedatc

Then you should change the title and tone of your first post.. it sure looks like you're asking HOW to train.. since it says "TRAINING for..."

rangerdavid

our local race has the following elevations:

ascent 6654
descent -6778

several seriously hard climbs in there. I seriously doubt I could finish this one. at least for a first one I'll travel somewhere to find one I would have a chance of finishing.

umd

So is it a "century" or a race?

banerjek

Just ride. When I did my first century, the furthest I'd ridden before was 15 miles on flat ground. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend preparing as little as I did, this will be much easier than you think if you just pace yourself. A lot of people overprepare. If you want to feel like you accomplished anything, don't be so well prepared that you've essentially already done it.

Just go for progressively longer rides where you live. If you can get to the point that you can ride for 3 hrs continuously and still feel like you have plenty of gas in the tank, you'll have no trouble with your planned century.

diziet

If you want more specific advice you have to give specific details:
what do you ride now
at what speed
how often
when do you want to ride the century
how fast
etc

johnny99

IMHO - if you are comfortable doing 30-50 miles in the mountains, then you can easily do 100 miles on flat terrain. Flat is so much easier than steep. The only things you have to worry about are wind and dehydration.

hrt4me

This is the flat one near Leesburg, Virginia: Potomac Pedalers century
(it was just last weekend)

This flat one is on the eastern shore of Maryland: Seagull century
(the weekend of Oct 10)

Machka 

Manitoba has the flattest century I've ever ridden ... it runs in August.

botto 

no need to wait until "next season", or mystify a number.

ride your bike regularly for +/- 6 weeks, then ride 100 miles.

unbelievably

Time in the saddle...

rangerdavid

Thanks guys. No, I do not intend to "race" at all. My objective would be to finish. I guess it really is just a "time in the saddle" issue. I'll keep plugging away at it. thanks for the links to the two events above, but I dont think I'll be at all ready in the next few months, thats why I was thinking about next year.

RD

botto 

only one way to know for sure.

CCrew

Seagull Century in MD too far? Ya got about a week to train https://www.seagullcentury.org

And it's flat. But that said, flat +15mph headwind I'd rather have hills. Easy century to break in on. Gramma could do it.

liquefied

Flat century = lame.

chrisvu05

https://www.clarksvillecentury.com

Clarksville, TN Fastest century in the country and pretty much pancake flat. I rode it for my first century ever at 260lbs and finished in 5hrs 32 minutes. The course record is 3 hrs 44 minutes.

botto 

urbanknight

My first century had almost 12,000' of elevation and was self supported (read: supported by water fountains along the way and a restaurant at mile 75). I just took my time and ate calories along the way. What to eat and when was determined on the shorter rides I did leading up to it, then I added a PB&J sandwich for the halfway point.

By the way, when I said I took my time, I mean I climbed many grades at 5-6 mph and took from 6am to 4pm to do it. I had a blast. To this day, it was the most fun century I've ever done. The flat one was boring and tough on my ass because I rarely stood out of the saddle.

brian416

I don't think there's any reason that you couldn't do a century where you're at now, the mountains there have steep climbs but are generally short compared to out west. If your longest ride right now is 50 miles, try doing 60 next weekend. Just keep adding 5 or 10 miles to your rides when you are ready to go further and before you know it, you will be doing 100 miles in the mountains.

banerjek

Anyone who can do 50 can do 100 in similar conditions unless the 50 just about finished them off. No need to be so dang timid.

Now going from a flat 50 to a hilly 100 would be another matter entirely.