I'd like to do a century in the next year. I typically ride 100-150 miles a week with 20 mile daily rides and a 30-40 mile Saturday ride. The 30-40 mile rides are 1400-1500' elevation gain, so no completely flat riding around here. I'd like to work up to my first century and I'm trying to figure out when and where. I'd like it to be cooler weather and flatter.

I've heard that the Hotter'n Hell is the best first one to do because of how flat it is, but I don't want my first one to be in 100 degree temps. I'd like to do it in the fall or spring if possible since the temps will be cooler. Any coming up that are good starter centuries? Well supported, decently climbs? Thanks in advance.

have a look at the Shiner GASP in May.

I'd suggest HHH is not a good first one. Sure, there's very little elevation change, but the heat is brutal. Unfortunately, that's the only organized century I've done in Texas. cuda2k? where you?

There are probably a hundred or more centuries in Texas (visit my website's event calendar Texbiker.net) through out the year. I do the HHH every year. Lately it has not been so hot but I don't consider it a flat century (I live in Houston). There is one in Waco and several around Dallas.

Katy Flatland Century in July is, as the name implies, pretty flat. This year (only time I've ridden it) was overcast for most of the day, so the temps weren't too bad. Once they cleared though, the heat started cranking up fast.

Thanks for all the info so far. Any others?

Agreed. Also the number of riders is large. Very large. And some of the riders aren't all that experienced. There were many wrecks the year I did it. Also there were a lot of water bottles dropped on the road - about one per mile that I saw. You don't want to ride over a full water bottle.

Check out the Waco Wild West and the Kerrville Easter Tour.

The HHH can be sort of variable. It's late enough in the summer that you're often past the peak heat, and it can be rougher riding in late July. And, it does have rest stops every 10 miles. It was the first century I did, and that was on a Worksman cruiser bike.

In addition to the organized centuries, you might also consider the randonneuring rides. Here in the Dallas area, we're normally riding something each weekend. Watch those rides, and get into one of the flatter ones and go for it. If you haven't seen anything prior, there's a brevet on December 20th that is reasonably flat. Watch the weather is the main thing there, strong north winds (or cold or wet) could make it a challenge, but if it's actually decent weather, it'd be a good ride. You'd probably want lights for that, due to the shorter days.