# The Flattest Century 2012



## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

If you live in the northeast, and you like cyclling, then this is a bucket list item for you.

The Flattest Century in the East

Aside from rides like the PMC, BBC and MS you won't find a larger more well supported organized ride anywhere. And the price is far more reasonable. $35 for non-members, $25 for Naragansett Bay Wheelmen members.

Registration for members is currently open. Registration for non-members opens on May 1st. There is a limit of 2000 riders and the event fills up in about a week so I recommend registering on the 1st if you want to ride.

I will be there (again) this year. This is an awesome ride. If you've ever considered doing a century then this is a great option for you.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Already registered. :thumbsup:


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

A good riding buddy of mine also registered already. A couple of my coworkers (non-members) will also be riding and a bunch of the group ride regulars also typically register.

I am not going out this time and doing the first 50 at a 19.5 pace. And I am not ashamed to say this, but I was with two women and they totally smoked me.


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## NitroDuck (Jul 1, 2007)

I was all set to register, until I saw that it's on the same date as the Narragansett HIM

I will be doing my first century at the North Shore Tour de Cure in May with my fiance. She will be holding me back time wise, and I'm looking for a good organized ride that I can do.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

torch511 said:


> And I am not ashamed to say this, but I was with two women and they totally smoked me.


No shame at all. I've ridden with some pretty strong gals - respect to all riders and levels of ability who are out there trying to improve themselves, especially those with a low level who go out, that takes more than just physical strength.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

so what did you like about it? I'm open to be convinced otherwise but 35 dollars that as far as I can see isn't going to charity to go on a bike ride with 2000 other bikes clogging up the road doesn't sound so great to me. 

I didn't look all that closely at every detail.....di I miss something?


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

It's not for everyone. Either you like being around a whole mess of cyclists or you don't. And that is cool with me.

What I like most is that for me it's like the annual cycling reunion. Most of the cyclists I know do the ride so I get to touch base with a lot of people. And even though there are 2000 cyclists, there is no mass start so I've never gotten the "clogged" feeling out on the ride. This is in stark contrast to the PMC where the first 50 miles is like riding in a peloton. And not only do I get to meet up with all my old friends, I always meet plenty of new ones along the ride.

As for the 35 bucks, you get the T-shirt, and the rest of the money goes toward food, support and all the necessary permits. Me personally it's worth it.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

thanks for the info. I was considering checking it out just to see what type of pace I could do a flat century in (I've done tons of centuries but all with lots of hills). although I did discuss it with some guy I ride with who's done it and he said the course is prone to wind so it's not necessarily fast even with it being flat by NE standards.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

Sounds like a nice ride. Wish we had something similar down here earlier in the year.


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

Jay, your buddy would be correct. 

The first half of the ride you can haul, but the second half is by the coast and gets pretty windy. I don't mind that. I ride along the coast down in the Mattapoisette/Wareham and out onto the cape quite a bit so I don't mind the wind, and it's where riding with others really comes in handy.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

If you live on Cape Cod or the South Coast, wind is a fact of everyday life.


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## ornoth (Oct 9, 2005)

Also, don't be misled by the name. There's more total ascent (>3000 feet) on TFCE than there is on the PMC route from Sturbridge to Bourne. The name's a red herring.

Although there are definitely nice parts of TFCE, after four years of it, I think I'll try the ETA's Maine Lighthouse Ride (same weekend) instead.


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

I have to check my log when I get home (at the movies right now) but I think the PMC leg from Sturbridge to Bourne has 4100-4400 vertical. Most of it in the first half. TFCE has about 3300, but yes, it really is not all that flat. No long climbs but constantly rolling terrain.

EDIT:

If you map out the rides on ridewithgps.com, Day 1 of the PMC has about +4600 ft, while TFCE has +3600. If you look at people's GPS tracks, then you can find a pretty diverse range of numbers for both rides. I prefer to map the rides as from ride to ride it gives you the most consistant comparison. I have never found any specific info, but I believe mapmyride uses less sample points and you get less accurate elevation data but again, if you map all your rides with it (not uploading gps data) then you would still get a good comparison.


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