My First Century – what do I need to know?

[americancyclo]

With most organized centuries, it’s really like doing 4 or 5 shorter rides (20-25 mi), with food and drink in between. The best thing that anyone ever told me about longer rides, is that you need to be mentally prepared to be in the saddle for about 8 hours. That and chamois cream.

I’ve been using dznuts for a few years, but I also have heard that diaper creme works in a pinch.
padded shorts
water bottles

might also not be bad to get an idea of elevation gain, although some of those wine country rides focus more on the wine than the century.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I’ve read a lot of articles that say “you should be able to do X amount of miles” to be ready for a century…X is usually something like 70 or 80 miles. However, before my first century, I did an 80 mile solo ride the weekend before and was completely worn out and miserable, then I did the organized century and got to ride in a small group, and barely felt winded. So having someone to ride with really made a huge difference, since long rides are a mental challenge probably even more so than physical. But since you have so much time to get ready, take a couple of weekends in the fall and spring to test your limits, even if it’s just riding on the W&OD, you’ll get an idea for your physical and mental tolerance levels…but really, it doesn’t take much “training” to do a century unless it has crazy climbs or something.

That said, going from lots of short rides to a pretty long ride is a serious jump in miles…I think just being in the saddle for the extended time will be the biggest physical challenge. If you’re renting a bike or using one that isn’t yours, make sure it fits well and the saddle is comfy beforehand (maybe take your saddle with you?). In my experience, saddles that are perfectly comfortable for 20 mile rides can quickly become torturous without much warning.

[jrenaut]

I definitely need some padded shorts that work. I have one pair, love the shorts, but can’t walk at all with the pads in. I won’t go into detail, but it’s very uncomfortable.

[Rootchopper]

I break down long rides by commutes. My commute is 15 miles each way so a metric century is two round trips to the office. A full on century is about 3 1/2 round trips. I can manage my commute without thinking so this sort of mind math helps.

All the advice you’ve gotten so far is spot on.

1. Eat and drink. So you don’t bonk.

2. Ride with others. This helps the miles go by.

3. Good shorts. Good saddle. You really don’t want saddle sores or an aching butt at mile 75.

Pace yourself. It’s not anywhere near as hard as running a marathon, especially if you do 1, 2, and 3.

[creadinger]

Don’t get stuck placing all your emphasis on whether your legs are ready for 8 hours of riding. You should also make sure your back, hands, arms, shoulders, and neck are prepared as well. They will have to support your upper body and head for that whole time and they can get just as tired and sore as your legs. It also helps to figure out what type of food, and quantity works for you on long distance rides and it’s best to figure that out ahead of time.

My perspective is, if you test your limits on your own and do a few long, potentially grueling rides to make sure you’re in shape, then the century will be nothing but fun. You can ride in pacelines, chat with friends during more leisurely periods and overall enjoy yourself and not have to worry about whether you’ll have to call the SAG wagon 3/4 of the way through or push through the pain. It’s also fun to pass people who are riding nicer bikes than you, or at least look like they should be faster – you’re just in better shape.

[dbb]

Can’t help but wade in. It is a wine ride after all.

Make sure you pair your foods appropriately with the wines you might consume. May need to experiment to determine the ideal pairing of wine and a Clif Bar. I’d likely favor a zin or a syrah

Have fun!

[Tim Kelley]

@jrenaut 30154 wrote:

I definitely need some padded shorts that work. I have one pair, love the shorts, but can’t walk at all with the pads in. I won’t go into detail, but it’s very uncomfortable.

That sounds like an issue. The padding shouldn’t restrict your walking movement.

And follow Rootchopper’s advice. Eat more than you think you should eat and drink more water/sports drink than you think you should. Take it easy and enjoy the ride.

[mstone]

@dbb 30172 wrote:

Can’t help but wade in. It is a wine ride after all.

Make sure you pair your foods appropriately with the wines you might consume. May need to experiment to determine the ideal pairing of wine and a Clif Bar. I’d likely favor a zin or a syrah

Have fun!

I think “Clif Bar” is tremendously oversimplified. The pairing for, say, a white chocolate macadamia is going to be very different from a panforte. I’d advise staying away from anything with chocolate or a sugar topping unless you’re looking for a challenge.

[krazygl00]

Some really good info already in this thread. Ditto to the “taking it easy” advice. With the scenery, the excitement of riding in a group, and the support, the ride will probably go by faster than you’d expect. Don’t skip rest-stops! Finding a group or paceline to ride with helps keep your mind occupied and makes it a lot more fun. Sometimes hanging with a fast group makes you less tired because it ups the excitement, it’s challenging and really soaks up the miles in no time.

I’ll just add, “there are two halves to a century ride: the first eighty miles and the last twenty”.

[vvill]

On any ride of distance, it’s important for me to eat and drink enough. Bonking is bad. The other thing is not riding too hard too early. It’s ok to ride hard in parts but make sure you don’t go too hard for too long. Pace yourself. Riding with others is also really important – more than 2 hrs alone gets reaaaally boring for me.

I also tend not to have anything caffeinated until at least 50-70 miles into the ride, which is when I might need it!

[krazygl00]

@vvill 30206 wrote:

On any ride of distance, it’s important for me to eat and drink enough. Bonking is bad. The other thing is not riding too hard too early. It’s ok to ride hard in parts but make sure you don’t go too hard for too long. Pace yourself. Riding with others is also really important – more than 2 hrs alone gets reaaaally boring for me.

I also tend not to have anything caffeinated until at least 50-70 miles into the ride, which is when I might need it!

Wow that is sooooo not me. Must have caffeine! No coffee, no start

[pfunkallstar]

Espresso GO GO at the start makes the first 20 fly by. Also, if you are in a pace line for the next 80 miles or so it REALLY isn’t that bad. Ample chamois cream, food, and friends make a century work. A solo century, no support, no people, is living hell.

[eminva]

@pfunkallstar 30221 wrote:

A solo century, no support, no people, is living hell.

I have done this a couple of times at least and kind of enjoy it. I hasten to add that I stay within the greater DC area so I’m always near a 7-11, water fountain and mechanical help. It’s fun and not just for lone wolves.

Liz

[consularrider]

@eminva 30224 wrote:

I have done this a couple of times at least and kind of enjoy it. I hasten to add that I stay within the greater DC area so I’m always near a 7-11, water fountain and mechanical help. It’s fun and not just for lone wolves.

Liz

Must depend on personality preferences. I’ve had 12 days of over 100 miles of riding this year, only one of which was strictly solo. That said, I frequently spend large parts of century group rides on my own. Maybe I just don’t play nice with others, or I can’t get comfortable adjusting my pace to someone else’s for long periods. I also tend to turn 30 to 50 mile group rides into much longer rides by riding to and from the event.

I also start a century ride day with a large home brewed espresso about 45 minutes before I head out.

[creadinger]

@pfunkallstar 30221 wrote:

A solo century, no support, no people, is living hell.

= FALSE

I’ve had some of the best times on long rides by myself. Spending quality time with me, myself, and I out in the countryside is something I relish.

[Author]

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