# Is the Seagull Century doomed again this year?



## pmf

Today the weather forecast in Salisbury for Saturday is 90% chance of rain. Up from 40% yesterday. Looks like hurricane Matthew is going to head up the East Coast. 

Last year would have been 23 in a row had they not cancelled it. 

I rode it in a nor'easter in 2006 which was pretty miserable. 

How old do you have to be to say 100 miles in the rain, maybe not?


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## MaxKatt

Noted that same 40 to 90 change.

NYC and we're southbound come hell or high water. And it looks like that high water is highly possible.

The world has rain. Ride. Riding is almost always the right decision. 

You can do a million rides in the bright sun light. You'll only do a few in terrible conditions. I find they are the more memorable better adventures. Embrace it.


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## jacksdad

Looking bleak but if they host it I'm riding it. 

Honestly more concerned about high wind than rain. Though it will be a cold rain most likely.


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## jacksdad

Whoa major change in path timeline, maybe we will ride after all!


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## pmf

Precip now down to 50%. It's headed in the right direction! We paid for the hotel in Ocean City -- definitely going.


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## Rajarajan

I am also keeping an eye. Today is the last day for me to cancel my hotel reservation without paying a fee.


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## pmf

Looks like it's going to veer to the east after making it to Cape Hatteras. Now they're saying 50% chance of PM rain. I'm, now leaning towards riding my new bike. I wish they would have this ride 3-4 weeks earlier. Seems like every year I'm watching some storm, or worrying about it being cold. 

We got a ocean front room at Ocean City. Unfortunately, it's the hot rod car event this weekend. ******** in noisy cars.


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## jacksdad

uh, no ******** can't afford the high dollar toys these guys have. 

these are retired cops and the like.

be glad you weren't here last weekend. 'H20' is the fast and the furious kiddies. fart cans as far as the eye could see.


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## pmf

jacksdad said:


> uh, no ******** can't afford the high dollar toys these guys have.
> 
> these are retired cops and the like.
> 
> be glad you weren't here last weekend. 'H20' is the fast and the furious kiddies. fart cans as far as the eye could see.


Looks like a pretty ******* crowd to me. They all set up lawn chairs on the sidewalk of the strip and drink beer. ******** come in all shapes, sizes and income categories. 

That H20i thing was at Ocean City in 2014 during the ride. As much as the hot rod bunch annoy me with their loud engines and squealing tires, these guys were way worse. A bunch of 20-something hipsters driving around in tricked out Mazda and Volkswagen coupes. Totally pathetic.


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## pmf

Back up to 80% again ...


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## jacksdad

90% now.

Rule 9 is in effect!


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## Rajarajan

So the question is would you do the century/metric ride in rain? I dont think I have the appetite for it - not when hundreds of other bikers (with different levels of handling skills) are around you. Its one thing to do a part of it while its raining - but doing the whole ride in the rain - I dont know. Still watching the weather.


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## jacksdad

strangely the weather on either side of Sat looks good. hoping the rain slides one way or the other.


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## crit_boy

pmf said:


> I wish they would have this ride 3-4 weeks earlier. Seems like every year I'm watching some storm, or worrying about it being cold.


The calendar for centuries in the area is full. 

RBC Century: Aug 28
Shenandoah Mountain 100 (MTB): Sept 4
The Indian Head 100: Sept 5
Civil War Century: Sept 10
Back Roads Century: Sept 18
Alpine Loop Grand Fondo: Sept 25
Cannonball Century: Sept 25
Culpeper Century: Oct 1
MOCO Epic (75 mile MTB): Oct 8 and 9

On the other hand, there is nothing from late June until late August. Could move to the middle of summer.

I have a couple riding buddies signed up for it. Hope the rain holds out b/c they are crazy enough to ride it in the rain.


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## jacksdad




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## Rp3

I don't mean any disrespect, but I'm not sure how this event gets so many participants. I haven't done so I truly don't know, but I have avoided it simply because of the amount of riders. 

I live on the shore and for the life of me can't figure out the SeaGull's draw. Is it the flats? Is it the 2 century routes? 

I hope anyone that did it in the rain today was safe and enjoyed it.


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## bigrider

Rp3 said:


> I don't mean any disrespect, but I'm not sure how this event gets so many participants. I haven't done so I truly don't know, but I have avoided it simply because of the amount of riders.
> 
> I live on the shore and for the life of me can't figure out the SeaGull's draw. Is it the flats? Is it the 2 century routes?
> 
> I hope anyone that did it in the rain today was safe and enjoyed it.


I live in MD and don't understand the draw either. I have ridden the shore a lot and have no desire to ride it with a group that big with a bunch of squirrels and fast pace lines dodging each other.


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## jacksdad

Did the metric today. My first seagull. The fun is seeing so many bikers in one place. Got in a paceline for part of the ride and had a blast with the group. Very practiced group that clearly rides together a lot. They had one guy who was in charge and he kept it pretty tight. Great time riding with them. 

The rest stops were well stocked and some had live music. Standard fare of bannanas, fig newtons, awful bagged bagels (once you've had real bagels nothing else suffices), etc. 

My big disappointment was at the end. You ride into a courtyard smelling grilled food and you think 'thank goodness!' Then you see the sign with prices. 

Wtf? The biggest event I did this year and it was the only one that wanted to charge me for food at the end. Not at all impressed with that. The tour de talbot had really good pulled pork, beer and the rest stops had box upon box of energy gels, chews, you name it. Yet less than 1/4 the attendance. 

It's fun being a part of something so big but I have to agree I'm not sure why it's so big.


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## kgregg

jacksdad said:


> Then you see the sign with prices.


I rode my first Seagull Century (metric century route) yesterday in a slight drizzle much of the time. It was a great ride. Hope to ride 100 miles next year (i need more training first). No idea why this ride draws all the ppl it does. How much did the food cost? My friends and I enjoyed a few $5 beers at the finish then went home. No one was really hungry after eating all we could at rest stops. Cheers, kevin


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## jacksdad

I think $5 burgers etc. 

We went to evo and had a great meal afterwards instead.


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## pmf

bigrider said:


> I live in MD and don't understand the draw either. I have ridden the shore a lot and have no desire to ride it with a group that big with a bunch of squirrels and fast pace lines dodging each other.


It spreads out pretty quick. I'd say the first 10-15 miles are pretty crowded, then it's not so bad. I think a lot of people do it because it's a tradition. It kind of marks the end of the cycling season. And for a lot of people, being flat is a draw. It's a pretty easy century. 

It's the first one I ever did, so I keep coming back and doing it every year. This was the 25-th time I've done it. I don't rate it as a great century, it's just something my wife and I do every year. We have my parents watch the kids, go to the beach and get a nice hotel, have a nice dinner, do the ride and drive home Saturday night. 

This year, it appeared that Hurricane Matthew scared everyone away. I've never seen it so sparsely attended. Even though it rained a little, it was one of the better Seagull Centuries I've ridden. 

Did anyone catch the guys handing out "free beer" about 6-8 miles form the end? If it was a little warmer, i would have stopped.


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## jacksdad

pmf said:


> Did anyone catch the guys handing out "free beer" about 6-8 miles form the end? If it was a little warmer, i would have stopped.


heard about them.

kinda puts the whole '$5 per beer' at the event in sharp contrast. Seagull folks got $70 x 7,000 or so in entry fees and charged $5 per beer. Some random bar that got $0 x 7,000 gave it away free.

gotta be the 'let's stay downee ocean hon' factor that makes it big.

the t-shirt is very nice quality too. 

i'll do it again next year but will be planning to hit Evo again afterwards for some great food.


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## pmf

jacksdad said:


> heard about them.
> 
> kinda puts the whole '$5 per beer' at the event in sharp contrast. Seagull folks got $70 x 7,000 or so in entry fees and charged $5 per beer. Some random bar that got $0 x 7,000 gave it away free.
> 
> gotta be the 'let's stay downee ocean hon' factor that makes it big.
> 
> the t-shirt is very nice quality too.
> 
> i'll do it again next year but will be planning to hit Evo again afterwards for some great food.


I'm not so sure the ride does that beer garden BBQ thing at the end. It's a relatively new development. I remember one year, someone was selling hot dogs and hamburgers at the last rest stop. I haven't done many centuries where there's substantial food at the end. And when there is, the people doing the metric usually eat most of it by the time I get there. The food at the rest stops is decent. Besides, I have to get in my car and drive 3 hours home, so happy hour has to wait. At least the t-shirt is decent.


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## MaxKatt

Saw the free beer but tea-totalers pedaled on. 

1st SeaGull. Liked it. Shocked at how flat it was. Didn't know that much flatness existed in the world. Pretty much that whole peninsula apparently.

Saw comments it was sparsly attended. I was going to say it didn't seem thick with riders. With that said, we set out just before 7am start to get ahead of pack and worsening weather. 

Honestly, if you're a stronger cyclists...just go out at 6:45, skip the first rest or two and keep a quick pace and you should stay out front of the madness...no?

Happy to actually see some wild horses. Liked the guys and the shelled tandems. Late in the game...we passed a guy trailing a huge (10'?) cross with something about "keeping our eyes on Jesus." Quite a site. Cross had a wheel on the bottom. 

Rain largely started after we were done and rolling away. We skip post ride stuff.


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## pmf

Yeah, its flat as a pancake out there. The whole area was the bottom of an ocean at one time. Don't be fooled though, it can get windy. I remember one year it was really blowing and I was going like 12 mph in my small chain ring. I looked back and there must have been 10 guys on my wheel. 

Usually the fast pace line groups get there and start right at sunrise. I like to avoid these people because its not safe going 25 mph in a paceline with so many people of varying skill levels. I leave around 8:00 and still usually encounter some pacelines. I saw very few pacelines this time. it really was an unusual Seagull. There was a group of 6-8 ponies right next to the road after the bridge to Assateague. That's unusual too. Usually all the evidence you see of them is some piles of horse plop. Sometimes you see one or two in the distance. 

The cross guy is there every year. So are these two guys on this weird recumbent tandem that has them seated back to back. 

I never stay for the after ride stuff, except to take a shower in the gym. I like the t-shirt this year.


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## MaxKatt

pmf said:


> Yeah, its flat as a pancake out there. The whole area was the bottom of an ocean at one time. Don't be fooled though, it can get windy. I remember one year it was really blowing and I was going like 12 mph in my small chain ring. I looked back and there must have been 10 guys on my wheel.
> 
> Usually the fast pace line groups get there and start right at sunrise. I like to avoid these people because its not safe going 25 mph in a paceline with so many people of varying skill levels. I leave around 8:00 and still usually encounter some pacelines. I saw very few pacelines this time. it really was an unusual Seagull. There was a group of 6-8 ponies right next to the road after the bridge to Assateague. That's unusual too. Usually all the evidence you see of them is some piles of horse plop. Sometimes you see one or two in the distance.
> 
> The cross guy is there every year. So are these two guys on this weird recumbent tandem that has them seated back to back.
> 
> I never stay for the after ride stuff, except to take a shower in the gym. I like the t-shirt this year.



Yes, someone told us that typically headwinds are a much larger problem, and that ironically...hurricane Matthew that everyone feared creating havoc actually apparently created some atypical dead air space...and that this SeaGull was the least breezy they could ever recall.


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