RomeRider

I used to get excited when Gurney's seed catalog came out in January and the snow was 3 ft. deep in Maine. Now I'm a lot more excited about pulling out my map and figuring out where to ride my century rides this year.

I use GoogleMaps to lay out a route and figure mileage for me. I don't have any other sophisticated equipment. I plan to ride to places I want to explore.

My first century is planned for March 19. I'm going to ride a sort of figure 8 from Rome, GA over into Alabama and back. There will be some hills, but I'll mostly be in valleys between the arms of the lower end of Lookout Mtn.

In June I plan to ride a 150 mile ride from Rome to West Point Lake. My 14 year old son should be ready to go for that ride. We'll ride around the lake and end at a public beach for a welcome swim. The rest of the family can meet us there.

I think I'll plan another century in August. I think I will look east of Rome for that ride.

My final century will be in September and will be north through LaFayette, GA and circle back to Rome.

So...what are your plans? Winter is a good time to dream and plan.

FlashBazbo

I'm sure I will do a couple of unsupported centuries on and along the edge of the Cumberland Plateau and a couple of additional metrics. But my "organized century" schedule will include at least these:

Early May -- 3 Mountain, 3 State Challenge from Chattanooga
Mid-May -- Tour de Nash Metric in and around Nashville
Labor Day weekend -- Sunrise Century from Clarksville, TN

Mr. Beanz

No special plans as of yet. We have a nice long trail that leads to the coast. So with that and some riding along the coast, I can whip out 100 without any plans. But if I do plan on one, I'll more than likely do this one again. Last year was my fourth time but I really only do it as motivation to get into myself into some sort of shape.

RomeRider

Way to go Beanz. No mountains like that near me. Sounds like you have some beautiful places to ride there. I've only done unsupported centuries, mostly alone. I have had someone pick me up, but I mean no organized rides.

Mr. Beanz

Organized rides are fun but after a while, get expensive IMO (free t-shirts aren't free anymore either). Have had just as much fun riding a century with buds then having a BBQ after the ride!....You've got the right idea!

RomeRider

I have almost no spending money to do my recreation so I have to figure out ways to make it work. I can do century rides for pretty much free if I plan right. I bought a handlebar bag so I can carry enough food and a camera. I'm pretty psyched that my 14 year old son wants to ride with me. I've been riding mostly alone. I went to Craigs List and found him a discovery channel model of Trek 1000 for a great price and now he has a bike equal to mine ( with a lot less mileage). We'll start getting some rides in together as soon as basketball season ends at the end of February.

Mr. Beanz

We're lucky with the bike paths around here around here. This one is not as nice as the trail we frequent but on this irde, we rode from the base of the mountains to the coast and back, 72 roundtrip. An easy 100 if we had done some along he coast on Pcific Coast Hyw.

Some SoCal members and their jerseys. My wife is in the pink, I'm the camera man.. We ride and end up running into several others along the way.




Our usual trail. Wife in the blue, some other BF members too. We run into several members on just about every ride. Lucky cause the wife rides with me 90% of the time and does pretty well.

icyclist 

I'm a fan of organized centuries. I love the pageantry - all those colorful jerseys - as well as seeing so many fit people on so many awesome bikes, and the challenge such endeavors entail. (I think if I raced a bike, which I did a long time ago, I'd like rcing for some of the same reasons). Definitely I enjoy the camaraderie I experience on these long rides.

This year I'm signed up for

- the Solvang Century in March

- the Chico Wildflower Century in April

- and the Death Ride (in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains) in July, all in California.

And I've given vague thoughts to traveling to New York, at the invitation of a friend, for the Highlander century, around the Finger Lakes. Anybody ridden that one?

Last year I helped organize a century for a few other riders (with van support) on the Navajo reservation, in n.e. Arizona; I'd love to repeat that, but it will have to wait for another year.

RomeRider

Nice rail trail. Looks like you guys had a good time. We have a great rail trail in Georgia called the Silver Comet Trail that runs from near Atlanta to the border of Alabama where it becomes the Chief Ladiga Trail and extends another 30 or 40 miles. I've been on that a few times with friends riding as many as 70 miles. There is a pretty scenic cut through a hill which is neat. It is also mostly rural as you get closer to Alabama.

What kind of camera did you use? I'd like to have a helmet cam some day.

Velo Vol 

Cherohala Challenge.

There's a good chance I'll do the 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge.

Perhaps one or two other ones.

Cactuskid

I am driving to tour de Palm springs century ride tomorrow, never been but will meet with some of my club members to ride in our club colors! Phoenix Metro bike Club...will be in the 70's also SWEEEET !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCg3...layer_embedded

Machka 

You might want to pay a visit to the Long Distance Cycling forum: https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...stance-Cycling



There's the 2010 Century-A-Month challenge where people ride one century each month (you might be too late, unless you did one in January):
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...entury-A-Month

But if you are too late for the CAM, there's the 2010 Century Challenge ... do as many centuries as you can or want in 2010, in whatever months you want to do them:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...tury-Challenge

And if a century isn't quite enough for you, there's the 2010 Double Century challenge:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...(-Longer-Rides)

Mr. Beanz

It's not a helmet cam, I use a FLip video recorder and everything is done freehand except 30-40 mph descents on mtn rides. I use a handlebar mount on fast descents.

Handlebar mount

acaurora

Since I live in California -

--Registered--
Sierra Century
Chico Wildflower Century
Tour de Cure in Roseville Century

--Considering--
LiveStrong Century in San Jose
Auburn Century

RacerOne

Only two planned, RAIN (Ride Across INdiana) and Tour deCure at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I'll throw quite a few more in there though as opportunity arises.

Wylde06

The only one I have planned for now is the Tour de Cure in Brighton Michigan. Will be my first century. I know there are a few other organized rides around me that I have been considering...

rumrunn6

I can't imagine doing a century with significant hills. I did an 88 mile ride last year plus several 60 and 70 mile rides and hope to get a full 100 in sometime this spring and summer. I have one rail trail in mind in NY that might get me well over 100 miles, maybe 120!

RomeRider

rumrunn6 you can ride all the way out to the Berkshires on a 100 mile ride. Of course it is significantly uphill as you go past the Connecticut River, but I bet you can do it if you put your mind to it. It would be a beautiful ride I'm sure. The pass up the Mass Pike is almost 8 miles up to the height of land if I remember right.

banerjek

I prefer not to plan.

If this year is like others, I'll most likely do a few solo centuries in the Willamette Valley and along the coast, do a few with the local clubs, and I'll add in a couple hilly ones.

Can anyone recommend a good double in/near the PNW, preferably not a zoo like the STP?

Snapperhead

So far, I've only planned to ride the Civil War Century this year. But it's a long way off so who knows what will happen between now and then.

rumrunn6

RomeRider ~ map it for me?

you're right I'm sure but I love the fluidity of rail trails

JayhawKen

Either Blood, Sweat & Gears or Cherohola Challenge, Sunrise Century (Boulder), and Everest Challange. Plus maybe a half-dozen road races around Missouri and a few of the local centuries. This year it is all about training for EC.

Btw, has anyone found the registration page for Cherohola? The home page says sign up starts today, but did not see any active links on that page.

gazelle5333

I'm planning on doing my first century in late May weather permitting. I'm hope to go from the MA/RI/CT border south 55 miles or so to New London, catch the ferry across Long Island Sound, and then finish the century with another 50-55 down Long Island to visit one of my college friends for a couple days. Does the ferry ride cancel out the "century" classification?

madmike2010

I plan to make a 130 mile ride to Ocean City from Columbia, MD, at the end of July. It will be flat for the vast majority of the way, but I'm worried about having to deal with a headwind. I'll most likely do at least one century in May and again in June as well.

Velo Vol 

I think they're still trying to get organized. In fact, from the sound of a recent e-mail, they're scrambling to get help. I hope the event isn't in jeopardy.