# Finished my first Century+



## bb1857 (May 13, 2012)

Rode and finished my first century yesterday! It was so much fun and I was able to tag onto a nice pace line with a good group of guys. Ride was originally scheduled for 105 miles but I decided to miss a turn and make it 113 instead! Oops! Definitely got pretty warm as the day went on but the ride was great. Felt really good afterwards too which I was a bit surprised about. Can't wait for the next one!

Distance - 113.9 miles
Time - 6:09
Avg Speed - 18.2 mph
Elevation Gain - 1394ft 
Avg Temp - 89.7


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## Scott B (Dec 1, 2004)

Nicely done! Glad you had fun and were able to really enjoy the ride.


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## bb1857 (May 13, 2012)

Thank you Scott. Can't wait for the next one!


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

Awesome job. Centuries can be addicting.

You need to get yourself to someplace where there is some vertical!


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

bb1857 said:


> Rode and finished my first century yesterday! It was so much fun and I was able to tag onto a nice pace line with a good group of guys. Ride was originally scheduled for 105 miles but I decided to miss a turn and make it 113 instead! Oops! Definitely got pretty warm as the day went on but the ride was great. Felt really good afterwards too which I was a bit surprised about. Can't wait for the next one!
> 
> Distance - 113.9 miles
> Time - 6:09
> ...




yeah i did my first a few weeks ago, took a little detour going up, was forced to take another coming back, all told about one fifteen. 

my legs went queer for a second later that night, but next day i was fine. was gonna do it again before a bug got me. as soon as i'm clear though, i think i am heading north again...


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## Cannot (Jun 27, 2012)

I'm new to the road bike, and always wondering how many miles do you take a break when you ride long distance??


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## jroy (Jul 26, 2011)

Cannot said:


> I'm new to the road bike, and always wondering how many miles do you take a break when you ride long distance??


that would depend on your personal level of fitness and desires. if you are a stronger rider, don't even bother stopping. if you must or want to stop for a break, it would be whenever and forever how long you want to stop for.


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## bb1857 (May 13, 2012)

Cannot said:


> I'm new to the road bike, and always wondering how many miles do you take a break when you ride long distance??


The other thing to keep in mind is what do you consider a long ride? A long ride for you or others may be 20 miles but that may be a sprint for others. If you are talking about a century ride and you haven't done one before then I would say take advantage of every stop available if it is a supported ride. Seems a lot century rides have 5-6 stops or so.


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## Oxy (Jul 2, 2012)

Awesome job!!
I am attempting my first century July 21st. 
The stops on this route are supposed to be every 15 miles or so.


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## vfr (Jul 14, 2012)

Congratulations. Nice average speed there.


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## Firefly911 (Aug 31, 2011)

Awesome job for your first century! We are hoping to do our first one in about a month...can't wait!


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## Timmer1978 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Endurance bikes*

The idea of doing a century ride sounds like a lot of fun. Does anyone here use an endurance bike for these? Or do you just use a pure race bike. I ask because I'm looking at buying a new bike in October and the new Trek Domane looks very interesting.


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## BCP (Nov 3, 2011)

Congrats! Century rides certainly can be addicting, as mentioned above.


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## xjbaylor (Dec 28, 2006)

Timmer1978 said:


> The idea of doing a century ride sounds like a lot of fun. Does anyone here use an endurance bike for these? Or do you just use a pure race bike. I ask because I'm looking at buying a new bike in October and the new Trek Domane looks very interesting.


The Domane would be a great bike for fast centuries. The Felt Z-series, Cannondale Synapse, Cervelo RS (or R3/R5), Spec. Roubaix, Look 566, etc. would all be similar. Racy bikes, with geometry and ride tuned for comfort.


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## wisco0890 (Jul 13, 2012)

Great ride! I've only done 50 mile rides hope to do a century soon.


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## drodrigueznyc (Mar 30, 2012)

congratulations man!

awesome work..

I did my first century in May and also did 112 miles because our group took a wrong turn too! did the Montauk Century...

awesome experience.. we stopped a couple of times but for no more than 10min... you can't rest too much... just enough to wee, fill up the bottles and grab a bite...

they changed the route this year and added a few hills to make it more challenging..some were a little tougher than expected but all in all it was great and exhausting...

i already signed up for a few over the next few months...

work hard, play hard!! :thumbsup:


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## Mdeth1313 (Nov 1, 2001)

1394 vertical feet - that's flat. My "flat" centuries end up with over 4000 vertical feet.


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## bb1857 (May 13, 2012)

yeah it was very flat. Some rollers here and there but nothing to get you worked up. I do my short rides around 15-16 miles around my house and get the same 1400 ft of climbing. Not mountainous for sure but enough to get your attention!


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## RideAddict (Jun 9, 2011)

Still - 18 mph is a good number over 100 miles. Nice job!


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## Erion929 (Jun 10, 2010)

Mdeth1313 said:


> 1394 vertical feet - that's flat. My "flat" centuries end up with over 4000 vertical feet.



Maybe that's why I'm having difficulty getting to my 1st century.....my longest is 70 miles, two times, whereupon I'm struggling to get home. Both times there was no way I would get to 100 miles. But my route gives me 4400 vertical feet in those 70 miles....and it takes me 5 hours. Maybe I should detour to some flatter ground somewhere in the middle of the route.:idea:

Still, bb1857, congrats on your ride! :thumbsup:

**


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## bb1857 (May 13, 2012)

thanks RideAddict!! It was fun.


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## donttazmebro (Dec 26, 2007)

Erion929 said:


> Maybe that's why I'm having difficulty getting to my 1st century.....my longest is 70 miles, two times, whereupon I'm struggling to get home. Both times there was no way I would get to 100 miles. But my route gives me 4400 vertical feet in those 70 miles....and it takes me 5 hours. Maybe I should detour to some flatter ground somewhere in the middle of the route.:idea:
> 
> Still, bb1857, congrats on your ride! :thumbsup:
> 
> **


trust me if you can do 70 you can do 100

Basically 100 is a mental thing i guarantee 100% that if you are in a group ride and you are feeling it at 70 miles you will "will" yourself to do the last 30 miles.

You won't know how you did it, and your body will hate you for it but after that initial 5mins of "im going to die" you will be so amped you will be planning your next century before you fall asleep that night.


Congrats to the OP on the century, sure it was flat but no one can take 100miles away from you no matter what


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## Rip Van Cycle (Jun 11, 2012)

*Oh yeah, add me to the ranks of the "Century" riders*

_Pace_ my post here, Sunday August 12 was just too fine a day not to try something special (for me, anyway).

I went from my home in the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia to the shore- and back. 
My map-measurements conservatively estimate my journey to have been 102 miles. 
[No, I don't have one of those cyclo-computer doodads (yet).]


donttazmebro said:


> You won't know how you did it, and your body will hate you for it but after that initial 5mins of "im going to die"...


Yeah, I guess...
The "reach" was wonderful. Nice day, wind quartering and helping, very slightly downhill (obviously)- I thought "this is great! Even if I don't lose any more weight, improve my resting pulse rate, or lower my lipids, this is pretty pure- and I'm loving it." 

Then came the "run." Wasn't too long before I was in "hang on" mode. Took three mini-breaks on the way back to help me keep it together. Stayed after it, and dragged my BMI=32 @ss back home. Didn't return quickly- but I did return... and am planning strategies to put in a better one next time!


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## steviej (Aug 15, 2012)

I agree! Nice avg speed. Congrats!


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