rhm

Most of my rides are in the 30 to 50 mile range. This year I guess I rode over 60 miles, in a day, maybe a dozen times. For all the time I spend on this forum, thinking about bikes, and working on them, I don't spend nearly enough time riding. And most of my riding is still on my commuter bike, which is fine, but I don't like it much.

So, in an effort to change this, I have taken on the goal of riding a 'century', that is 100 (or more) miles in one day, every month of the upcoming year. I'm hoping to have various members of this forum join me for some of these rides, but no doubt I'll be doing some of them alone, because that way I can start and finish right from home.

Can I persuade anyone else to do the same?

If you ride a century in January, please post it here as a challenge to me. This will increase the odds that I find the time to get out there and do one myself. February, same. And March. By April, maybe it'll become a habit!

RobbieTunes

Great goal. I'll try to do this. I'll PM you.

I also have a 2011 trick to try:
My friend and I plan to ride some of the Blue Ridge Parkway in late April, early May.
We are both heavier than we want to be, which won't help on the Blue Ridge.
We are weighing in today, with cold-weather bike gear and the bike we intend to ride.
We cannot exceed today's weight, even with our camping gear, on the BRP ride.
Which means we have to lose enough weight between now and then to carry the gear we need.

RobE30

Considering that I'm still working on riding my initial century, I'm not sure I can keep your pace Rudi. But, I like your style! Perhaps by March or April I'll be up to it

raverson

18 degrees outside. I will have to decline.

Robbie, you are an animal in the nicest possible way.

pastorbobnlnh 

I've never ridden 100 miles in a day. The big question I've always had is; "How do you find the time?" Here in the NH mountains I'd need at least 8 hours and possibly 10. I just don't have that kind of spare time each month. This is especially true if I were to give it a go on a Saturday. I'd be of no use to anyone on on Sunday.

I share Robbie's goal and challenge. I started Weight Watchers on Dec. 1st and managed to loose 16 lbs this month. Have at least another 60-70 to go!

nlerner

Man, that would be awesome, but negotiating snowy, narrow roads for 7 hours or so doesn't sound very appealing. What will you Jan route be, Rudi? I have lots of flexible time this month!

Neal

gomango

This will be a welcome challenge.

I did four centuries last season before my knee surgery, which was unrelated to biking.

I rejoined a distance group that I was supposed to compete with last summer.

I hit the YMCA 5 times a week, and I have been cross country skiing every other day for the last three weeks.

We have a family pass for Welch Village, a local downhill ski area. We go as often as the kids' sports schedules allow.

When I start (outdoor) riding daily this spring, I should be in fairly decent shape.

I gained a ton of weight after my knee surgery and it is going bye bye this coming season.

Thanks for this challenge, it is a good kick in the pants for me.

Bring on the distances!

gomango

Congrats on the great start. I wish you luck and good fortune.

Slow and steady as she goes is my motto.

I'd love to get back down to 165.

rhm

Excellent, with Robbie in, I have serious competition.

At the moment, snow is the first obstacle. I'm on Long Island at the moment, where we got a goodish bit of snow, and my street is still covered with packed white stuff. But tomorrow looks like it'll be in the 40's. I'm heading out on my Moulton shortly to see what some of the smaller country roads look like; I'd like to do some centuries on my recumbent, but I'm not sure I'll feel safe enough on narrow ice-bordered roads. There is a chance, a slim one, I'll try for my first one tomorrow. More later!

jonwvara 

Jeezum crow, as we say here in Vermont. I'll be satisfied if I get weather to go on a 15 mile ride in January, let alone a century. But I agree, it's a very worthwhile goal. Good luck with it.

nlerner

Jon, you just gotta do that 15-mile loop seven times!

Neal

danec99

Wow, 100 a month, I failed to do my "several times" in 2010. And I am in CA. Good goal and good luck. I am giving 2010 one last shot today, I have a 100 mile route planned and am letting the sun up a little to clear the "black ice."

rhm

Hey, you, New Englanders, I know what your problem is, you Puritans! Going for a hundred mile ride is an indulgence, a pure hedonistic pleasure. That's why I do it, and you guys with all your excuses, the day's too short, the snow's too high, deep down you are just afraid if you do something that selfish, that much fun, you'll suffer for it on judgement day. Ha, see, I have you figured out!

Now, pardon me for a little while. I'm getting on my bike, 16" wheels and all, to see how them thar roads are.

buldogge

Last year, I only rode metrics. This year, hopefully, I will ride the full centuries instead.

I really need to either a) get on the trainer more or b) get back on the road...otherwise...I'm gonna be carting around 10# extra this spring!

We have a 5-century series here in STL that runs mid-May to early-October...the heat-of-the-summer ones can be a bear though.

southpawboston

Wow, impressive! At your current rate, you'll be there soon! I've lost 40 lbs and have reached my goal of 160, but that took me three and a half years! Roughly a pound a month.

-holiday76

well, like i said before, I'd be happy to try to get one or two in with you.

Failing that, my commute that I'll be starting on Monday will have me doing a century every 3.25 days. Does that count ?

Barrettscv 

I'm in. I have done a century a month for 18 out of the last 24 months, so adding a ride each winter month will be the challange.

It's 50f today in Chicago and I have a ride planned.

Michael

Ex Pres 

Did my first "double metric" and my first fixed gear century this past summer.

Gotta say - I'm really not much good past about 70-75 miles in my hilly, but not mountainous terrain. Give me 4 good hours in the saddle and I'm ready for a beer.

But go for it. Maybe you'll go all out & get into the brevet thing after a few months.

pastorbobnlnh 

Don't you love our excuses!?! I'm really curious about finding the time for the ride, and how much recovery time is needed after wards?

Thanks Anton. It will be interesting to see how much easier the hills are around here when I'm down by that much. The test will be how long it takes to climb the nine mile hill.

nlerner

Hmm, how about a century a month in 2011 and on a different C&V bike each time!

Neal

buldogge

Show-off...

No can do (presently...ahem).

rhm

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I could probably do that. I don't think I will, though. A century on my Schwinn New World would be quite a chore. I don't have a non-C&V bike I'd ride a century on.

EEEEEnyway, I'm back from a quick spin up to Riverhead to check out the conditions.
The snow is cleared from a lot of the minor roads, but there's still not much of a view, because

the hill blocks the view.

Other roads are a bit more challenging:


It's very pretty, at any rate:


But going 30 miles took almost four hours. I'm not sure I want to do a century in these conditions. The Moulton is a good bike for this kind of snow; the low center of gravity and step-through-ish frame make it pretty easy to ride on frozen slush, which is what a lot of the roads are. It's not really slippery, but when the wheels dig in you sometimes have to dismount in a hurry. The FW hub is not shifting very well, though... I'd better open it up and see what the innards look like.

Pastor Bob, you have basically hit the nail on the head, asking how one finds the time. In my case it was a matter of negotiation. I told my wife this plan a couple months ago, and she agreed to it then. Several of her friends have overweight husbands and I think she takes surreptitious pride in having a thin one. But at any rate, she agreed to it, so now I just have to follow through with the plan.

Recovery is not really an issue. I tend to feel a bit groggy, in the best possible way, for a day or two after riding a century; but if I needed to do another century the day after, I could do it. Riding a century is a time commitment, but not really an ordeal. You have to start early, eat regularly, and expect the whole thing to take pretty much all day. That's pretty much it.

RobbieTunes

45 degrees, but not that much snow on the roads. drrobwave and I just had to go out for a spin.

Sorry about his photo, his phone is high-tech, while mine is just a phone... he's really a handsome lad.


For those who care, 88 Ironman Carbon, 93 Miyata Team Carbon. Good old carbon.



Yep, as Rudy said, I'm in. I hope to ride some of these with my local C&V'ers: drrobwave, norskagent, roccobike, maybe a guest ride if ExPres comes home for a family reunion, and lsdmt, and his sister (who did 10 centuries in 2009 on a hybrid).

January, on my birthday.
February, hopefully in Dallas, a couple of days before NAHBS. I've got 5 days to kill between appointments.
March, with drrobwave
April, 43 miles to Greenville, NC, enter the 25th Fiesta Biathlon (5k run, 15 mile bike) and ride 43 miles back.
May, the last couple of days on the Blue Ridge Parkway should find a 100-mile day.
June is uncharted territory, but I'm thinking beach.
July 4th will be 12 to the local gathering, Spirit of '76 with them, 12 home.
August will be ride 50 to the Cup 'n Cone in Cary, 50 in the ride, with a time trial in the middle.
My wife can get me home.
September, the Cotton Country Century in Greenville NC
October, the Durham NC Habitat for Humanity on Halloween
November, ride 22 miles to Wilson, do the Whirligig Ride, then 22 home, see where the speedo is, finish it out.
December. No clue. If I'm still alive, I'll figure out something.

Boy, it sounds easy. Rudy, I think we're in for it.

There has got to be someone else with the same affliction.

pastorbobnlnh 

Robbie, is drrobwave the fellow I share an occupation with?

You guys who went riding today make me sad. I cleaned parts on a '68 Raleigh Record I'm restoring for my daughter's boyfriend's dad. Now that's devotion!

RobbieTunes

Why yes, yes he is. (I have really been watching my language.)
We both have teen children. Biking is an alternative to shooting them.

Oh, and 2010 weigh-in, with bike, cold-weather gear, shoes, and helmet: 200 lbs on the nose. That will be the rolling weight on the Blue Ridge. I sure hope it's a lot less Robbie, at least a tent and sleeping bag's worth, by then, or it could get uncomfortable.

Don't be sad. My nose ran the entire time.

I'd restore my son's girlfriend's dad's bike, if he had one.
I'm much more worried about his shotguns.