Training for 1st Century Ride in 2014

[BikenRound]

I am planning/committing to complete a century ride next year. SO far my longest ride was about 45 miles and on a hybrid. I’m buying myself a new road bike and will be looking to start training sometime early next year.

I was wondering if anyone else was interested in joining up to train or if experienced riders have tips on training plans and what race would be good for the first ride.

Thanks in advance.

Topic

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Tim Kelley 72192 wrote:

Hills can make you stronger, but there is something to be said about training for what you’re racing. The downside to doing hills for a flat course is that you tend to coast on the downhill. There is no coasting in a flat course. If you stop pedaling then you stop moving, especially with a headwind. So yes, do some hill riding, but if you’re doing a flat course, then focus on the consistent and constant grind of pedaling.

Rule 23.

[Tim Kelley]

@TwoWheelsDC 72193 wrote:

Rule 23.

The course is flat if you hold 300 watts going uphill and downhill.

[consularrider]

@creadinger 72179 wrote:

… If you haven’t discovered it yet, the W&OD is a great training ground. I would be most people here have used it at some point to train for a long goal ride.

The W&OD could also be call the “7-11” century since there are so many of them conveniently located along the trail that can be used as rest stops and refueling stations.

[baiskeli]

My advice:

– look up a training schedule. I found one in Bicycling Magazine. There was an easy one for just making it 100 miles, and a harder one for if you wanted to breeze through it. I did the easy one and still had no trouble. The longest training ride was something like 60 miles, but there are only a few of those.

– register and get hotel space for the Seagull EARLY. It is very popular and the town is small.

[JimF22003]

Good luck, and have fun.

Just a comment on terminology: none of the events we’re discussing is a “race.” Except for a few high-level events (“Grand Frodos” as somebody called them) they usually aren’t even timed, let alone events where you are actually competing with anybody but yourself.

Take it at your own pace, and don’t let anybody goad you into turning it into a race.

[dbb]

@Tim Kelley 72194 wrote:

The course is flat if you hold 300 watts going uphill and downhill.

If you are trying to hold 300 watts, I’d recommend the higher wattage bulbs (like 150s) so you don’t have to hold as many.

[cyclingfool]

@dbb 72222 wrote:

If you are trying to hold 300 watts, I’d recommend the higher wattage bulbs (like 150s) so you don’t have to hold as many.

Better yet, get compact fluorescents so that 300 watts is actually only 60 or 100.

CF bulbs… the e-bikes of lightbulbs?

[BikenRound]

Thanks for all the feedback. Guess its time to find some people to do these long rides with.

[ebubar]

Great thread! I think I want to try a century in 2014. Logged just short of 3000 miles in 2013 (first year of commuting) and think this would make a good goal. I’ll be training by virtue of bike commuting, but might be up for some training rides with you at some point!

[Author]

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