# Did it! First Century. 19.0 mph avg.



## bobthib

We'll it's now in be books. Did the KID (Kids In Distress ) Century Charity ride yesterday. Started from South beach, Ft. Laudedale at 7am. It was about 60 and breezy. A head wind, of course. Rode up A1A for almost 50 miles after starting by doing the 17 st bridge. Twice. 

Stopped at about 35 miles. Avg. to then 19.4. Food and refreshments and a much needed potty break. Reorganized with the club and got back on the road. Pace slowed slightly and got to the turn around and the avg had dropped to 18.7. We now had a 45 deg wind that helped a bit, for a while anyway. One gust was so strong that it lifted my front wheel and moved it 2"! 

Stopped at the same point, now 70mi and refueled. Average back up to 19.1. When we took off I tried to stay near the front. I was hoping we would still have enough of a tail wind that I could move the ave up a bit. Not so. The winds continued to shift and swirl so it was tough going again. Hung with the fast group doing 23 to 25, but after 20 miles, at the 92 mile point, I couldn't hold on. Dropped and caught a group doing 19 - 21 and finished with them. Had to circle the parking lot as the ODO read 99.7 as I entered. Needed to get that 100.0 Crossed the finishline - 5:15 ride time, 6 hrs elapsed time.

Had some food at the finish, but had to get home to bbsit my grandson. After I took a short nap, guess what? He wanted to go outside for a bike ride!  What we won't do for the grandkids!


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## MCF

Cool. Of the 100 miles how much did you pull? Next goal should be a solo century in 5 hours - including breaks!


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## Premium

Nice job! I am working up to my first century.


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## CameronC

Congrats, quite an accomplishment. Impressive speed also !:thumbsup:


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## bobthib

MCF said:


> Cool. Of the 100 miles how much did you pull? Next goal should be a solo century in 5 hours - including breaks!


I took my turns pulling on the first leg, and a little less so on the 2nd leg. On the final leg I got dropped from the 23-25 group and ended up solo and picked up some wheel suckers at a comfortable 19-21.. At about 92 miles "the wall" jumped up but:a good samaritan came along and pull all of us for 7 miles. He started sprinting at the last mile, and we just make our way in.

Don't know about a century in 5 hrs INCLUDING breaks. I think 5 or less ride time is the next century goal.


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## Mr. Versatile

Very impressive speed, especially for your 1st century. From your description it sounds like you were in a pretty large group going about the same speed. That makes it much nicer. Congrats!


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## bobthib

Mr. Versatile said:


> Very impressive speed, especially for your 1st century. From your description _*it sounds like you were in a pretty large group going about the same speed.*_ That makes it much nicer. Congrats!


Started with the A group, by invitation, but that didn't last long. By 5 miles out I knew that was over. Linked up with a good group of about 8 riders and did then next 30 at 22-24. And that was into a headwind of 6 - 8. 

At the first rest top the club wanted to try to get a good solid B group riding at 18-20 which we did till the turn. I was feeling strong and wanted to take advantage of what should now be a tail wind. I tried to stay near the front of the pack and hang on to any break-aways. That didn't last too long. When to break outs hit 25 I couldn;t hold that long, and the winds were now across and not much help.

Finding a good group it important. I was lucky most of the time.


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## DionSF

*elevation gain?*

Very impressive speed! Being a Bay Area rider, I'm curious about how much elevation gain you did (there aren't many flat rides around here). Any idea?


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## thumbprinter

i'm wondering about the elevation gain too... impressive time for any century, let alone first.


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## bobthib

DionSF said:


> Very impressive speed! Being a Bay Area rider, I'm curious about how much elevation gain you did (there aren't many flat rides around here). Any idea?


One of the group just ahead of me had a garmin. here's the info.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20214580

I hung with this group from the 34 mile point to about 75 or so. I ended up about 10 min behind. I also exactly 100.0 mi on my odo. Not sure why she was 1 mi short. I did circle the parking lot to make up .3 mi.


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## crazyc

Congrats on the ride. I checked out the garmin elevation of 1276. That
must be from going up and down the 17th St bridge 30 times. I lived in 
Dania for 3 years and could not find anything that could be considered
a climb. But anyhow dealing with those winds does take skill and strength.
Keep up the good work.


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## FatTireFred

thumbprinter said:


> i'm wondering about the elevation gain too... impressive time for any century, let alone first.




A1A means it's gonna be pretty flat


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## bobthib

crazyc said:


> Congrats on the ride. I checked out the garmin elevation of 1276. That
> must be from going up and down the 17th St bridge 30 times. I lived in
> Dania for 3 years and could not find anything that could be considered
> a climb. But anyhow dealing with those winds does take skill and strength.
> Keep up the good work.


CrazyC, thanks for the kind words. As you know, So Fla is flat enough to roll a penny across, but we did to the 17 twice to start. There were a few other bridges and overpasses on the route, and lots of dunes above Boca. I mapped the route on RideWithGPS.com and it reported about 400 ft of climb. 

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/19250

I'm suspicious about that because we did the 17th at mile 3 and again at 6. The elevation histogram shows 7' I know that bridge is no Alpe d'Huez but it's a bit more than 7'! 

The garmin calculates elevation of the GPS triangulation while RWGPS uses Google Maps and Geologic survey data which does not include man-made structures like bridges.

In any event, as you well know, So Fla is not the place to train for the TDF but the winds along A1A constitute "So Fla hills" I was hoping that we would have a 50 "climb" heading north, and a 50 mile "coast" on the way home. Unfortunately the winds shifted and we had mostly a crosswind. When we got back to Broward Co, the high rise condos produced some nasty swirling winds. All part of the fun. At least it didn't rain!


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## bobthib

I have to admit, I never expected to be riding a bike at age 62, let alone a road bike! I always thought it (road biking) looked like a stupid sport, and those outfits!


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## crazyc

Flat or not I do miss the year round riding down there. Up here in the north east
the ice and snow have begun and I have zero tolerance for the cold. So it's
3-4 months of trainer work. Enjoy the road.


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## natethomas2000

I have never done a century, but I'm curious about how people interpret what a century actually is. 

My view is that is an uninterrupted ride of 100 miles. Stopping, in my mind, takes away from the accomplishment. 

I did several metric centuries this year - a local loop of 62 miles - without breaking, and I'm building up to my first full 100+ miler, but I'll do it without stopping. An average speed can be inflated if you get to take several breaks along the way.


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## FatTireFred

natethomas2000 said:


> I have never done a century, but I'm curious about how people interpret what a century actually is.
> 
> My view is that is an uninterrupted ride of 100 miles. Stopping, in my mind, takes away from the accomplishment.
> 
> I did several metric centuries this year - a local loop of 62 miles - without breaking, and I'm building up to my first full 100+ miler, but I'll do it without stopping. An average speed can be inflated if you get to take several breaks along the way.




you can stop... having lunch and a nap might make it questionable to some, same way 'metrics' are just 62-milers


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## waldo425

Not bad at all. Sounds like you did it in a fair time and didn't have any problems.


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## deadlegs2

natethomas2000 said:


> I have never done a century, but I'm curious about how people interpret what a century actually is.
> 
> My view is that is an uninterrupted ride of 100 miles. Stopping, in my mind, takes away from the accomplishment.
> 
> I did several metric centuries this year - a local loop of 62 miles - without breaking, and I'm building up to my first full 100+ miler, but I'll do it without stopping. An average speed can be inflated if you get to take several breaks along the way.


You have to stop for water at some point..turning off the computer at rest stops takes a little away from the accomplishment.. A 5 hour century does not include an hour at rest stops.


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## MCF

deadlegs2 said:


> You have to stop for water at some point..turning off the computer at rest stops takes a little away from the accomplishment.. A 5 hour century does not include an hour at rest stops.


You can stop and take breaks during a century for water and restroom and it still counts as a century. If you stop for an extended period and actually do something that is not ride related, it is no longer a century. A "5 hour century" is five hours to gp 100 miles. If it takes 5'10" then it is not a 5 hour century. People can do 22mph and take brief brakes and do a five hour century.


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## bobthib

deadlegs2 said:


> You have to stop for water at some point.*.turning off the computer at rest stops takes a little away from the accomplishment.. A 5 hour century does not include an hour at rest stops.*


It's all a bit subjective, I guess. I was riding with the club, and they stopped 3 times for 15 min ea. I had to stop the first time to shed "excess weight" in the potty, but the other stops would have been a lot shorter than 15 min if it were up to me.

None the less, at 62 and just starting last Feb, I'm pretty darn happy with my performance. Best part is I felt great Monday and Tuesday.


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## Pablo

This thread illustrates that there are lies, damned lies, and accounting. 

100 miles/6 hours = 16.67 mph

Nevertheless, to the OP, good work!


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## MCF

YOU LIE!!! Hahahahaha....


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## asad137

Pablo said:


> This thread illustrates that there are lies, damned lies, and accounting.
> 
> 100 miles/6 hours = 16.67 mph


Depends if you include the time spent stopped or not. Riding time indicated by the OP was 5.25h, which gives a 19.0 mph avg as written.

Asad


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## deadlegs2

MCF said:


> You can stop and take breaks during a century for water and restroom and it still counts as a century. If you stop for an extended period and actually do something that is not ride related, it is no longer a century. A "5 hour century" is five hours to gp 100 miles. If it takes 5'10" then it is not a 5 hour century. People can do 22mph and take brief brakes and do a five hour century.


Actually a century is an organized event not "me and my buddy rode 100miles this weekend" Finishing a century is still finishing even if you stopped at every rest stop..On the bike time vs total time is another issue.. Having your average speed erode while you wait in line for water or the restroom is just the breaks..Once you stop your computer at a rest stop you might as well ,,have a meal , take nap, get a massage,, an IV infusion etc..


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## MerlinAma

deadlegs2 said:


> Actually a century is an organized event not "me and my buddy rode 100miles this weekend" Finishing a century is still finishing even if you stopped at every rest stop..On the bike time vs total time is another issue.. Having your average speed erode while you wait in line for water or the restroom is just the breaks..Once you stop your computer at a rest stop you might as well ,,have a meal , take nap, get a massage,, an IV infusion etc..



All these rules for what is and isn't a "century" and the related time are where?


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## Jwiffle

natethomas2000 said:


> I have never done a century, but I'm curious about how people interpret what a century actually is.
> 
> My view is that is an uninterrupted ride of 100 miles. Stopping, in my mind, takes away from the accomplishment.


Guess it is then physically impossible for me to do a century w/o a bladder bag, because I can barely go 2 hours w/o stopping to pee, much less 5. And it is difficult to actually carry enough food and water to sustain myself for 100 miles. I suppose if I stuffed my mtb camelbak, I could carry enough.

For that matter, I hope I don't run into any red lights when I ride a century. (although that is pretty easy for me, as I can always hit the Skyline Drive for a century ride)

Short stops to pee or eat do not detract from the accomplishment of riding a century. By short, I'm thinking no more than 1/2 hour, give or take; if the focus is still the ride, the break is legitimate. Now, if you stop for a couple hours to get a haircut, do some Christmas shopping, or whatever, you may more acurately describe your ride as several rides that happen to add up to 100 miles.

to the OP: great job, and I'm not sure I could manage a century at 19, even with a group. I can average solo on the loop from my house at 20 for 25 miles. Maybe I could in FL, but I'm up here in northwestern VA. Centuries are awesome!


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## crazyc

I must disagree. A century is a century no matter if it is organized
or just with a group of friends. Stopping is not a non-qualifier. I have
never seen an organized century with rolling support and the vast
majority of us i would guess do not want to carry 5 hours worth of
food and drink. And most of us do not want to pee off a moving bike.
Even the pro pelatons stop to pee. If you want to be an iron man and
go non-stop all the power to you.


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## MCF

Stopping BRIEFLY for ride RELATED issues (bathroom, snack, water re-fill, flat tire fix, bike repair, etc. etc.) is OK. If you stop, chain your bike up and have a nice sit down lunch for an hour, then no, you had multiple rides and NOT a 100 mile ride.


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## MerlinAma

MCF said:


> Stopping BRIEFLY for ride RELATED issues (bathroom, snack, water re-fill, flat tire fix, bike repair, etc. etc.) is OK. If you stop, chain your bike up and have a nice sit down lunch for an hour, then no, you had multiple rides and NOT a 100 mile ride.


This is somewhat entertaining as there was a lot of talk a few weeks ago about marathon participation. Old school runners actually "ran" the marathon but there are more people now who "do" a marathon, even stopping for lunch and taking 9-10 hours.

But still say they "did a marathon".

I'm basically only competing against myself so my rules apply - to me. I've ridden centuries where my group stopped at every rest stop for 20 minutes that were harder, at least mentally, that a 5 hour century with two quick pit stops.

Let's stick with riding and having fun. It you want competition, enter an official race. Even those have different rules.

In reality the weather on any given day has more to do with how hard your ride was than artificial guidelines we want to impose. I've ridden a sub four hour century (total time - organized event) BUT it was one way, BIG tailwind and a 1,000 foot net drop in elevation. Certainly nothing to really brag about given the conditions.

It *was* a fun ride!


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## bobthib

MCF said:


> YOU LIE!!! Hahahahaha....


A bit harsh, don't you think? 

If I had not disclosed every detail of the ride, perhaps your assertion could stand. But I think my explanation of the ride constitutes full disclosure. If you would care to point me to the Amateur Road Cycling Association, Rules Governing Century Reporting, I'll be glad to comply.

Baring that, please let me know what how long it takes you to do your first century when you are 62. :thumbsup: Oops, wrong finger. My bad.


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## rangerdavid

excellent, and congrats to the OP!!! nice work, and impressive time too!! any special training, or did you just keep your miles up in the weeks preceeding the race?


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## deadlegs2

It makes me wonder how many people talk about doing sub 5 rides that spent an hour at rest stops...I always wondered why I never saw them on the road. 

The timing chips many rides use puts the issue to rest..


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## MCF

bobthib said:


> A bit harsh, don't you think?
> 
> If I had not disclosed every detail of the ride, perhaps your assertion could stand. But I think my explanation of the ride constitutes full disclosure. If you would care to point me to the Amateur Road Cycling Association, Rules Governing Century Reporting, I'll be glad to comply.
> 
> Baring that, please let me know what how long it takes you to do your first century when you are 62. :thumbsup: Oops, wrong finger. My bad.


I am reporting you for a personal attack on RBR,..hahaha...usually the hahaha means sarcasm. I was referencing the incident with Obama. Chill out - old man. Hahaha..or not!

I bet you are one of those old guys that 'beats' everyone on group rides, am I correct or what!?


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## deadlegs2

bobthib said:


> A bit harsh, don't you think?
> 
> If I had not disclosed every detail of the ride, perhaps your assertion could stand. But I think my explanation of the ride constitutes full disclosure. If you would care to point me to the Amateur Road Cycling Association, Rules Governing Century Reporting, I'll be glad to comply.
> 
> Baring that, please let me know what how long it takes you to do your first century when you are 62. :thumbsup: Oops, wrong finger. My bad.


You did disclose and quantify..You did good..Congrats.. All arguing on this subject has nothing to do with you.


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## thumbprinter

congrats again to the OP and ignore these folks with their narrow definitions of what a century ride must be. riding 100 miles in a week is no small thing and doing it in a day counts as a significant accomplishment no matter how long it takes. who really cares if you stop for lunch or not. if thats how you roll then so be it.


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## deadlegs2

What a century is, is not so much the issue as what an average speed is. You could ride 100miles but turn off your computer every time you go up a hill and have a great average speed. This isn't brain surgery.. There is total time, and riding time. There's no sense in bragging up an average speed on ride time except to others speaking of ride time but I've heard many do it. No one would want to hear someone say they kicked your butt averaging 19.4 to your 19.1 when you finished 45minutes earlier.

I still don't think a century is any 100mile ride.. If you say "I don't race I do centurys" most people would not think you just went out by yourself or with a few others and rode 100miles. "I did a century this weekend"---"oh yea where?" ---"oh up and down the bike trail 10 times" NOT...


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## bobthib

rangerdavid said:


> excellent, and congrats to the OP!!! nice work, and impressive time too!! any special training, or did you just keep your miles up in the weeks preceeding the race?


Ranger, Thanks for the Kudos. I am very happy with what I have accomplished in the last 8 months at a my age.

First, it was not a "race." in the strict sense of the word. It was billed as a charity ride, and no mention was made for any of the position placements in any of the catagories. If some one was timing arrivals, I did not see them, nor did I check in anywhere at the finish. I wanted my odo to read 100.0 so I rode around the parking lot for .3 mi to get there.

Second, regarding training, thanks for asking. I'm hardly the athletic type, and I don't "train" with anyone, but here is what I did. Take it for what it's worth.

I try to ride 40 miles a day, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Most weeks.

On Tuesdays and some Thursdays, I ride solo and do heart rate intervals. 6 min at 90% max, 2 min recovery. 6 sets. Got that from a buddy that pays a trainer big bucks each month.

On Saturdays, I ride pace lines at the fastest clip I can sustain, for as long as I can sustain. I try to stay with the A group for as long as I can. Lately that's been about 20 mi. When I get dropped, I ride solo until I can link with the B group.

I try to do a metric once a month.

Beyond that, I try to get to the Gym when I can. Been a bit sketchy lately.

My advice: Work with a trainer at least for a little while. I did before I got into biking. You don't want to dive in too quickly if you are out of shape like I was. Always push just a little harder. Set realistic goals, and work until you meet them. THen set the bar a little higher.

At 62, I'm not sure my goals can continue to be longer, harder, and faster. Soon it will be managing the inevitable slow decline. FOL! HTFU or die, I guess.


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## bobthib

MCF said:


> I am reporting you for a personal attack on RBR,..hahaha...usually the hahaha means sarcasm. I was referencing the incident with Obama. Chill out - old man. Hahaha..or not!
> 
> *I bet you are one of those old guys that 'beats' everyone on group rides, am I correct or what!?*


Hahaha! Thanks, MCF. :thumbsup: If we take all this too seriously, we're in big trouble. 

Am I the old guy who beat everyone in the group? Hardly! Even the 50 yr olds kick my butt. None the less, I am pretty happy with what I have been able to accomplish since Feb. 

I've never been a "jock" but I at my age there is not a whole lot of other 62 yr olds that I've found that can keep up. And if the can, well more power to them.


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## jpdigital

*great job!!*

Forget whose using what math to figure out what you're alleged avg. spd. was. What you did was _very_ impressive, and I wish I could accomplish something like that if I were only 8 months in to road cycling, especially at your age (no offense, it's meant to be a compliment!) :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## fast ferd

*Congrats, whether he's 62 or 26*



MerlinAma said:


> I'm basically only competing against myself so my rules apply - to me. I've ridden centuries where my group stopped at every rest stop for 20 minutes that were harder, at least mentally, that a 5 hour century with two quick pit stops.


I like what MerlinAma has to say. He's the voice of reason.:10: So the same applies to our fellow RBRer, bobthib, who performed beyond his own expectations. Impressive indeed.

My buddy and I rode the Palm Springs Century a few years ago. Flat terrain with maybe 1,000 feet of elevation gain. For us, it worked out to 104 miles in 4:59 riding time. Lots of wheelsucking of fast groups, although we did our share of strong pulls. Some guys at the front are just insanely strong, pulling the group into a headwind at 24mph for miles on end. Our strategy was not for hitting a personal best, because we wasted a few stretches just noodling along admiring the "scenery.":ciappa: 

Nowadays, my longest rides run about 50 miles. Or about how long my bladder or two water bottles will last. I'd love to do a century without stopping - oh, how I hate stopping - but it just is not practical.


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## MCF

Yeah...regardless of everything - GREAT JOB! I have been riding for years, and at this current state, if I had to do a century, there is NO way I would do it as well as you did, or possibly even finish!!


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## Pablo

asad137 said:


> Depends if you include the time spent stopped or not. Riding time indicated by the OP was 5.25h, which gives a 19.0 mph avg as written.
> 
> Asad


That's the point. He rode 100 miles in six hours.

Did I ride a "century" in my 30 mile a day commute last week? I think not.


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## gravediggingaditch

Congratulations on your achievement! 

I was there for the ride and it was my first Century as well! What a beautiful ride to achieve the accomplishment!! Near perfect weather! 

While I managed to do it with no stops, I've got thirty + years on you. I sure hope that in thirty years, I'm still able to complete a century. Congrats again!


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## viciouscycle

Century's can be done with no stops and what food you pack, 3 bottles, 1 in a jersey pocket and pitch when empty, gel shots, gel etc etc, you just have to train and get used to it. Hydrate starting at least 6-7 days before the ride, eat right before the ride..etc etc. Depending on temps of course. Eating right will also help eliminate bathroom stops. For me 5-6 hours on the bike is very doable with no bathroom breaks.


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## bobthib

Thanks to one and all, even those who question my math. I was very happy and amazed with myself. I'm looking forward to my next century, the Tour de Cure in FEB. I have not decided yet if it will be a "try to beat your personal best" hammerfest, or 100 mi "club ride."

It's easy for the A riders in one sense. They ride hard and make short or no stops. I would like to try that, but my 1948 fuel pump and carborator (heart and lungs) can't keep up with the newer models. 

That leaves me to ride with B or B+ riders, and they seem to want to stop about 35 and 70 miles for 15 min or so, eating, drinking, and hob-nobbing. Meanwhile I found myself saddled up and chomping at the bit.

As one person suggested, I could try "solo" that is not in a pace line. Perhaps. I do, however, enjoy the pace line, pulling and resting. I like riding with people I know and trust in a pace line, but they are the ones that take the long breaks.

In any event, I plan to go out, have fun, enjoy the ride, and if I do post, I'll be sure to report clearly. I don't mind taking the heat, but I don't like being call a liar, especially when there is no clearly defined "set of rules" for charity events like this. 

To that end, perhaps some one should consider drafting a STICKY some of these contentious definitions.


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## Hank Stamper

That's great, definitely something to be proud of. And forget it being good "at my age" as you say. Loads of people of all ages would be rightfully proud of that.

As for the side debate on what a century is, your math, Florida being flat and concern how much pulling you did: "Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS) is a perceived tendency to discredit or disparage those who have achieved"

It is what it is.....who cares about some definition. It's not as if he was claiming to have kicked the butt of someone using another definition. He said what he did and that's that.


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## serious

The title is misleading no matter what. Average speed becomes a little less impressive when riding in a group and meaningless when it does not account for stops.


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## MerlinAma

serious said:


> The title is misleading no matter what. Average speed becomes a little less impressive when riding in a group and meaningless when it does not account for stops.


Serious "ly"! Even more misleading if the temperature is below 90. Or maybe above 32?

And just meaningless if there is under 10,000 feet of climbing.

In fact, unless 2/3 of the participants didn't finish, I just wouldn't admit I participated in the event at all.

So for your second century, the title should be "19 mph average - not including stops - riding in a group - temperature 101 degrees - 10,100' climbing - etc, etc."

And never ever say you enjoyed the ride. Otherwise it could not have been hard enough.


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## factory feel

I did a century. It took me two weeks and it was Metric, but I did it!


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## fast ferd

*Something worth considering*

Rest stops longer than a stoplight lull during any ride don't help that much. Muscles tighten a little and you lose your rythym once back on the bike. It's not like after a 15 minute break that one ramps it right back up to 19mph or something. One can easily argue that it hurts their riding time. In my opinion, I think it does.

This makes bob's accomplishment more amazing. Although next time,bob, please do it in a driving rain with 20,000 feet of climbing.


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## Pablo

MerlinAma said:


> Serious "ly"! Even more misleading if the temperature is below 90. Or maybe above 32?
> 
> And just meaningless if there is under 10,000 feet of climbing.
> 
> In fact, unless 2/3 of the participants didn't finish, I just wouldn't admit I participated in the event at all.
> 
> So for your second century, the title should be "19 mph average - not including stops - riding in a group - temperature 101 degrees - 10,100' climbing - etc, etc."
> 
> And never ever say you enjoyed the ride. Otherwise it could not have been hard enough.


Serious has a very good point.


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## bobthib

Pablo,
Thanks for the kudo. BT


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## bobthib

> This thread illustrates that there are lies, damned lies, and accounting.
> 
> 100 miles/6 hours = 16.67 mph
> --------------
> YOU LIE!!! Hahahahaha....
> -------------
> The title is misleading no matter what. Average speed becomes a little less impressive when riding in a group and meaningless when it does not account for stops.


Well, I've given it some thought and I think I understand. According to your logic, Alberto Contador won the Tour de France with an average speed of 4.06 mph.

2174 mi divided by total elapsed event time of 535 hrs = 4.06 mph.

I think I'll enter next year.


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## Hank Stamper

Not just that but I saw Contador drafting on parts of the Tour. He's got a team. I do a lot of solo rides so I'm not impressed with him.


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## serious

bobthib: *Well, I've given it some thought and I think I understand. According to your logic, Alberto Contador won the Tour de France with an average speed of 4.06 mph ... I think I'll enter next year.*

Give it some more thought. For starters the TdF is a stage race ...


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## Mr. Versatile

serious said:


> bobthib: *Well, I've given it some thought and I think I understand. According to your logic, Alberto Contador won the Tour de France with an average speed of 4.06 mph ... I think I'll enter next year.*
> 
> Give it some more thought. For starters the TdF is a stage race ...


Gee! I watched some of it. It looked to me like it was run on roads. It must be one helluva stage.


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## Oxtox

century times achieved while pacelining are bogus.


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## bobthib

> century times achieved while pacelining are bogus


Further to my other comments on this post, here is the beauty of RBR Forum (and others like it)

Opinions are like a$$h0les. Everybody has one, and no one really cares about anyone else's!

The irony of this is that if it were REALLY true, RBR forum and all such sites, would die.


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## Germany_chris

:mad2: Gotta love rodies can't you all just be happy for the guy


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## Pablo

bobthib said:


> Well, I've given it some thought and I think I understand. According to your logic, Alberto Contador won the Tour de France with an average speed of 4.06 mph.
> 
> 2174 mi divided by total elapsed event time of 535 hrs = 4.06 mph.
> 
> I think I'll enter next year.


No. It's the denominator based on the unit you yourself established. Everyone agrees you rode 100 miles. To get a rate of speed, you need to establish the time to get miles per hour. I pick the total ride time because, in my understanding, the whole idea of a "century" is riding 100 units (either miles of km) in one ride. It's absurd and self-serving to select out parts of the ride when your speed is zero, thereby increasing your "average" speed. It would be equally absurd to get an average speed on any ride by selecting out time to fix a flat or to slow down for a stop sign. I'm ok with saying your average speed is 16.67 mph, with average moving or riding speed being 19.0 mph, or whatever it was, but to flip this presumption is is disingenuous and contrary to what a "century" is, in my opinion.

You analogy to a stage race just doesn't work because a stage race like the Tour is 21 individual rides. If the Tour was not broken into 21 individual rides, then the average speed would be as you suggest. 

All in all, however, as the countless threads re speed prove, speed is a pretty meaningless metric for most road riders due to variables of wind, elevation gain, and group dymanics. For example, a 100 mile ride from Boulder, Colorado to Estes Park and back has a lot more elevation gain and will just take a lot more time and be done at a slower speed than a group ride on the flats. For me, the bigger accomplishment is riding 100 miles (or whatever arbitrary about that is selected) in one ride (or whatever the goal may be) and having fun. 

Don't forget that this is a road bike thread, full of roadies, in the winter, so roadies will latch onto anything halfway interesting and/or disputed to avoid having to think about getting on their trainers.


----------



## Hank Stamper

Pablo said:


> No. It's the denominator based on the unit you yourself established. Everyone agrees you rode 100 miles. To get a rate of speed, you need to establish the time to get miles per hour. I pick the total ride time because, in my understanding, the whole idea of a "century" is riding 100 units (either miles of km) in one ride. It's absurd and self-serving to select out parts of the ride when your speed is zero, thereby increasing your "average" speed. It would be equally absurd to get an average speed on any ride by selecting out time to fix a flat or to slow down for a stop sign. I'm ok with saying your average speed is 16.67 mph, with average moving or riding speed being 19.0 mph, or whatever it was, but to flip this presumption is is disingenuous and contrary to what a "century" is, in my opinion.
> 
> You analogy to a stage race just doesn't work because a stage race like the Tour is 21 individual rides. If the Tour was not broken into 21 individual rides, then the average speed would be as you suggest.
> 
> All in all, however, as the countless threads re speed prove, speed is a pretty meaningless metric for most road riders due to variables of wind, elevation gain, and group dymanics. For example, a 100 mile ride from Boulder, Colorado to Estes Park and back has a lot more elevation gain and will just take a lot more time and be done at a slower speed than a group ride on the flats. For me, the bigger accomplishment is riding 100 miles (or whatever arbitrary about that is selected) in one ride (or whatever the goal may be) and having fun.
> 
> Don't forget that this is a road bike thread, full of roadies, in the winter, so roadies will latch onto anything halfway interesting and/or disputed to avoid having to think about getting on their trainers.


Actually I think what's self serveing is feeling the need to rip down some guy on his semantics who simply was happy about a ride and figured what better place to share it than a road bike forum. I doubt he'll make that mistake again.
And what you're 'okay' with some stranger saying on the internet or not is pure comedy. Are you with some Government word use approval board or something? Give it a rest. He said exactly what he did and picking apart words used to describe it is childish at best.


----------



## Pablo

Hank Stamper said:


> Actually I think what's self serveing is feeling the need to rip down some guy on his semantics who simply was happy about a ride and figured what better place to share it than a road bike forum. I doubt he'll make that mistake again.
> And what you're 'okay' with some stranger saying on the internet or not is pure comedy. Are you with some Government word use approval board or something? Give it a rest. He said exactly what he did and picking apart words used to describe it is childish at best.


I gave the guy props several times. However, I, and many others, were discussing an interesting point regarding how speed is calcuated, which is quite a topic re road biking, if you haven't noticed. I'm "okay" with it based on my opinion, as I made clear. Without opinions, in your apparently suggested whitewashed RBR, we all say nothing and have nothing to read. The whole point of RBR is opinion and discussion.

If you don't want to open your claims to potential public scrutiny and discussion, don't post them on the interwebs. Fishing for compliments is a perilous endevour on the webs.


----------



## Triker

bobthib said:


> At 62, I'm not sure my goals can continue to be longer, harder, and faster. Soon it will be managing the inevitable slow decline. FOL! HTFU or die, I guess.


Congrats on a great ride!

I just did the El Tour de Tucson 108 mile "Century" in November; since it was chip timed there is no arguing the time or average mph. All stops are included in the time, traffic, potty or whatever. You don't even need your own computer. Look up bib number and you get a number. Everyone counts time the same.

Oh and 62 isn't that old. I'm 60 and finished that ride in under 6 hours no problem; without a ton of training or drafting; and there were plenty of guys my age and your age that did it faster.

Just keep upping the ante.


----------



## viciouscycle

Triker said:


> Congrats on a great ride!
> 
> I just did the El Tour de Tucson 108 mile "Century" in November; since it was chip timed there is no arguing the time or average mph. All stops are included in the time, traffic, potty or whatever. You don't even need your own computer. Look up bib number and you get a number. Everyone counts time the same.
> 
> Oh and 62 isn't that old. I'm 60 and finished that ride in under 6 hours no problem; without a ton of training or drafting; and there were plenty of guys my age and your age that did it faster.
> 
> Just keep upping the ante.


I just finished my 3rd El Tour, and I saw where a 63 yr old did the 108 miles in 4:26 and change, I guess I have a few more years in my legs after seeing his results.


----------



## Triker

viciouscycle said:


> I just finished my 3rd El Tour, and I saw where a 63 yr old did the 108 miles in 4:26 and change, I guess I have a few more years in my legs after seeing his results.


Yeah, that was John Howard. If you do not know who he is, look him up—a legend.


----------



## fast ferd

*I wouldn't doubt it*



Triker said:


> Yeah, that was John Howard. If you do not know who he is, look him up—a legend.


I met John Howard at Interbike in the mid-90's. Super nice guy. His accomplishments - including an Ironman win - make him one of the best American athletes of all time.:thumbsup:


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## CalypsoArt

Hey bobthib, Congrats on completing the ride. Forget the absurdity of the ***hol* posts. I'm always amazed at the childishness on this forum disguised as attempts at accuracy and spreading on knowledge. 
One of my group actually did the same century with you. He said the wind was brutal, and he was equally elated to have completed it. Keep it up.


----------



## Oxtox

were there any prizes, medals, trophies, or cash handed out to riders finishing with certain 'average speeds'?

if not, then who cares how it was calculated...

John Howard hit 152 mph...max speed, not an average.


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## bobthib

Calypso, thanks for the kudos. The wind was pretty nasty, at one point on the return a cross wind gust actually picked up my front wheel and moved it 2" That was scary. At least it wasn't a head wind at that point.

I don't care about the "critics." I was out to accomplish a couple of personal goals and I did. THAT"S all thats really important. That and the $250 or so I raised for Kids In Distress.

To the critics point, I would welcome a USGA like amateur cycling association that defines rules for events, statistics, etc. Right now the UCI does that for the pros, but each amateur event sets its own rules and stats. Without standardized definitions, anybody can claim anything. This gives me TWO things to improve upon. ;^)


----------



## viciouscycle

Oxtox said:


> were there any prizes, medals, trophies, or cash handed out to riders finishing with certain 'average speeds'?
> 
> if not, then who cares how it was calculated...
> 
> John Howard hit 152 mph...max speed, not an average.



Prizes (small trophy)for the top 3 men, women, tandem.
Also, every one who finished in under for 5 hours men, 6 hrs for women have a reserved starting spot for the next 3 years, Platinum Spot. Everyone else is on a first come first served starting spot. I lined up at 3:00 am and slept on the pavement till the 7:00 gun, you can leave, but the bike must stay to "reserve" the spot. 5500 riders rode the 109 miles.

My times.

07.............5 hrs:12 min
08.............5 hrs:16 mins
09.............4 hrs:51 mins


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## deadlegs2

My times.

07.............5 hrs:12 min
08.............5 hrs:16 mins
09.............4 hrs:51 mins[/QUOTE]

Is that ridetime? or total time?


----------



## bobthib

viciouscycle said:


> Prizes (small trophy)for the top 3 men, women, tandem.
> Also, every one who finished in under for 5 hours men, 6 hrs for women have a reserved starting spot for the next 3 years, Platinum Spot. Everyone else is on a first come first served starting spot. I lined up at 3:00 am and slept on the pavement till the 7:00 gun, you can leave, but the bike must stay to "reserve" the spot. 5500 riders rode the 109 miles.
> 
> My times.
> 
> 07.............5 hrs:12 min
> 08.............5 hrs:16 mins
> 09.............4 hrs:51 mins


FYI - Viciouscycle is reporting on another event, not the 2009 Kids In Distress Inlet Challenge. (Great job, BWT, vicious!)

I don't even know if there were any awards or medals given. This was a charity ride, not a race. Bedsides, I didn't hang around. I had to go to be with my 6 yr old grandson in the hospital so his dad could go to work.


----------



## viciouscycle

deadlegs2 said:


> My times.
> 
> 07.............5 hrs:12 min
> 08.............5 hrs:16 mins
> 09.............4 hrs:51 mins


Is that ridetime? or total time?[/QUOTE]

These were my total times, this ride has 2 sand crossings as well, each maybe 1/4 mile long where you have to dismount and carry the bike cycle cross style. Mile 9 and mile 48

Sorry, this was for El Tour De Tucson, I did not mean to hijack the thread. :blush2: :blush2:


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## Fltplan

bobthib, nice job on the century, no matter what they say. You will find that on this board, more than any other board I've been on in multiple facets (car racing & pilots), these guys can be very harsh and have bigger egos than either of the above (hard to believe, I know). I always think to myself, there is no way these guys would talk to someone in person the way they type on this board. 

Back on topic, all my grandparents were gone by the time they were 62. The most impressive thing is if you just picked up biking or any form of physical fitness recently. I know a lot of people who are 60+ and are in great shape, but they have lived that lifestyle their whole lives. When someone is from an older generation and an older mentality (absolutely refusing to do any form of exercise for 40+ years), it's so impressive to change that way of life. Either way, nice work on the bike.


----------



## deadlegs2

Fltplan said:


> bobthib, nice job on the century, no matter what they say. You will find that on this board, more than any other board I've been on in multiple facets (car racing & pilots), these guys can be very harsh and have bigger egos than either of the above (hard to believe, I know). I always think to myself, there is no way these guys would talk to someone in person the way they type on this board.
> 
> Back on topic, all my grandparents were gone by the time they were 62. The most impressive thing is if you just picked up biking or any form of physical fitness recently. I know a lot of people who are 60+ and are in great shape, but they have lived that lifestyle their whole lives. When someone is from an older generation and an older mentality (absolutely refusing to do any form of exercise for 40+ years), it's so impressive to change that way of life. Either way, nice work on the bike.


If there was a ego of the day award you'd be in the running.


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## Fltplan

deadlegs2 said:


> If there was a ego of the day award you'd be in the running.



uh oh, another social outcast. Here we go....


----------



## deadlegs2

Fltplan said:


> uh oh, another social outcast. Here we go....


I'm curious...what would have been your preferred reply to that other thread? "Oh yea dood you are clearly a CAT 2 already...no need in suffering any indignity at the hands of spode ex racers, cat 5 4s and 3s? surely the race organizers will see your Madone/w Record and your black socks and put you right into Cat 1/2?"

No doubt there are some egos here..You should fit right in with the best of them.


----------



## Fltplan

deadlegs2 said:


> I'm curious...what would have been your preferred reply to that other thread? "Oh yea dood you are clearly a CAT 2 already...no need in suffering any indignity at the hands of spode ex racers, cat 5 4s and 3s? surely the race organizers will see your Madone/w Record and your black socks and put you right into Cat 1/2?"
> 
> No doubt there are some egos here..You should fit right in with the best of them.



Thanks for the compliment. Way too much time you have on your hands. You should recognize this from the other thread. "Move along now, nobody wants to play with you."


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## deadlegs2

You're welcome.. It was still the only honest comment you got.


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## TBaGZ

Wow, there are some serious *******s here!

Good job man! Seems like you made pretty damn good time to me!


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## Kurious Oranj

Nice job! I could not imagine my old man doing that (well, he is a few years older than you).


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## bobthib

Kurious Oranj said:


> Nice job! I could not imagine my old man doing that (well, he is a few years older than you).


Kurious, I could not imagine *ME* doing this 8 years ago when I had cancer and chemo. The chemo almost killed me. I looked like Uncle Fester (Google it if you don't know who he is) on the adams family, bald, sunken black eyes.. 

I called it "crap and nap" because going the the bathroom took so much out of me I had to take a nap afterwords. I couldn't walk 100 feet!


----------



## muscleendurance

bobthib said:


> Kurious, I could not imagine myself doing this 8 years ago when I had cancer and chemo. The chemo almost killed me. I looked like Uncle Fester (Google it if you don't know who he is) on the adams family, bald, sunken black eyes..
> 
> I called it "crap and nap" because going the the bathroom took so much out of me I had to take a nap afterwords. I couldn't walk 100 feet!


Thats great that you managed to keep that back so late in the thread! - I bet some of the *guys* here are feeling pretty crappy about themselves now ~ or actually knowing the types they prob aren't!



bobthib said:


> Well, I've given it some thought and I think I understand. According to your logic, Alberto Contador won the Tour de France with an average speed of 4.06 mph.
> 
> 2174 mi divided by total elapsed event time of 535 hrs = 4.06 mph.
> 
> I think I'll enter next year.


I think that went over a few heads :wink5: nice  

anyway was wondering how the thread kept afloat ~ now I know  

Well done I was impressed when you said you're age 62, but the cancer story elevates it to another level altogether :thumbsup:


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## Zachariah

Great ride, OP! My first solo is this Sunday morning. I'll report, once I survive it!


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## bobthib

Zach, best of luck. Looking to relive my experience with your report. Just be sure you included your ELAPSED TIME AVG SPEED as well as your RIDE TIME AVG SPEED so you don't get beat up like I did. Somewhere their is a rule written... ;^)


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## Zachariah

First solo century is finally done now. I over-hydrated and took eleven freaking pee breaks. Eleven unnecessary stop/start cycles seriously hurt my finishing time. Also, that 1000-pound head, legs and arms thing hit me at mile 80. Ride data below:

Miles = 101.07
Ride time = 6.41 hours
Elapsed time = 7.43 hours
Ambient temp = 51-69 degrees(was expecting 75, so I under-dressed)
Avg speed = 15.0mph
Bike = 2009 Cannondale CAAD 9/7 - Full Ultegra, Ksyrium

Three years ago - I was obese(means broke!), high on methamphetamine, smoking two packs/day with congestive heart failure, morbid hypertension(195/130) and was not able to circle my street block twice without suffocating. I did it only to prove drugs, alcohol and tobacco didn't thoroughly ravage my 45-year old body(used for 22 years non-stop). Next century...I'll work on under five hours with LESS pit stops!!!


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## serious

Good job *Zachariah*, but your average speed is 13 mph. 

I just wanted to make sure *bobthib* does not feel like we only picked on him.  We are an equal opportunity forum.


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## bizzybone485

Congrats on the ride! I'm jealous. haha I'm looking forward to do one some day after i finish my carbon ultegra mix road bike. Funny part is that i was just at south beach all day yesterday with my cousins from Cali. Thanks for sharing.


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## rdtompki

Finishing a century at that pace and/or elapsed time, paceline or not, is an accomplishment. I was an avid runner more than a quarter century ago and we would seek out "easy" marathons in search of a personal best, but also enjoyed those races with substantial climbing. Riding centuries (except for the rest stops) appears little different. My wife and I have just started to do centuries on our newly purchased tandem in our 60's. Just finishing is accomplishment enough and if we're able to progress to the point of being able to tackle tough, climbing centuries I would consider that a huge accomplishment regardless of rest stops or average speed. The beauty of this sport is that you can derive tremendous satisfaction in so many different ways.


----------



## bobthib

rdtompki said:


> Finishing a century at that pace and/or elapsed time, paceline or not, is an accomplishment. I was an avid runner more than a quarter century ago and we would seek out "easy" marathons in search of a personal best, but also enjoyed those races with substantial climbing. Riding centuries (except for the rest stops) appears little different. My wife and I have just started to do centuries on our newly purchased tandem in our 60's. Just finishing is accomplishment enough and if we're able to progress to the point of being able to tackle tough, climbing centuries I would consider that a huge accomplishment regardless of rest stops or average speed. *The beauty of this sport is that you can derive tremendous satisfaction in so many different ways.*


Well put. Some seem to think their way is the only way.


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## bobthib

serious said:


> Good job *Zachariah*, but your average speed is 13 mph.
> 
> I just wanted to make sure *bobthib* does not feel like we only picked on him.  We are an equal opportunity forum.


I feel so much better now!


----------



## 528126

*no water stops required*



deadlegs2 said:


> You have to stop for water at some point..turning off the computer at rest stops takes a little away from the accomplishment.. A 5 hour century does not include an hour at rest stops.


I carry 98oz of water and have been able to make 117 miles without stopping. I did that on one of my long rides when I figured out I couldn't break my speed average set the previous year.. figured I have to do something different.. come up with some record for myself.


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## LostViking

Just stumbeled across this thread - very impressed with the OP's (bobthib) first Century.

Saddened that his post fell victim to people stroking their own egos.


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## Pablo

LostViking said:


> Saddened that his post fell victim to people stroking their own egos.


So, you're saddened that one person's ego stroking was outdone by that of others?


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## Rhymenocerus

RoadBikeReview, where you come to have your cornflakes $h!t in...


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## antonlove

To the OP, that was an incredible time for a 1st time Century rider at your age. I aspire to ride like you in 37 years. It's guys like you that inspire me to ride longer and faster. Now that was a few years ago, are you still riding centuries?


----------



## bobthib

antonlove said:


> To the OP, that was an incredible time for a 1st time Century rider at your age. I aspire to ride like you in 37 years. It's guys like you that inspire me to ride longer and faster. Now that was a few years ago, are you still riding centuries?


Anton, thank you for those kind words! Yes, I am still riding centuries. Next sunday will be the 2nd for 2011, the Broward County Tour de Cure. Last year I did it in under 5 hrs. Note that, like the first century, I was in a pace line/peleton and while I did some pulling, much of the ride was in the "warmth of the peleton."

Note also that we had a police escort. That is a HUGE advantage, as we only stopped 3 times at 3 SAG stops.

Finally, So Fla is dead flat. There are NO hills, and only a few bridges/overpasses.

I did a metric this past sunday, but I rode my tandem with a 71 y/o stoker. We did really well for the first 31 miles, but then he bonked.

Keep riding. Push your self in small increments, and always strive to do your best. Read up on training and nutrition.

I wish I had started when I was your age. I'm limited in how far I can improve because of my age. You are not.


----------



## antonlove

bobthib said:


> Anton, thank you for those kind words! Yes, I am still riding centuries. Next sunday will be the 2nd for 2011, the Broward County Tour de Cure. Last year I did it in under 5 hrs. Note that, like the first century, I was in a pace line/peleton and while I did some pulling, much of the ride was in the "warmth of the peleton."
> 
> Note also that we had a police escort. That is a HUGE advantage, as we only stopped 3 times at 3 SAG stops.
> 
> Finally, So Fla is dead flat. There are NO hills, and only a few bridges/overpasses.
> 
> I did a metric this past sunday, but I rode my tandem with a 71 y/o stoker. We did really well for the first 31 miles, but then he bonked.
> 
> Keep riding. Push your self in small increments, and always strive to do your best. Read up on training and nutrition.
> 
> I wish I had started when I was your age. I'm limited in how far I can improve because of my age. You are not.


Thank you for your kind words. As for me, I'm afraid I'm past my prime now. I ran track like many others who have taken to cycling. I was fairly good at that, but perhaps I should have tried cycling 20 years ago.


----------



## bobthib

antonlove said:


> Thank you for your kind words. As for me, I'm afraid I'm past my prime now. I ran track like many others who have taken to cycling. I was fairly good at that, but perhaps I should have tried cycling 20 years ago.


Perhaps you should have 20 yrs ago, but there is no time like the present.

I think somewhere we are mixed up in some math. You said that aspire to be like me in 37 years. I'm 63 so that makes you 26? Hardly past your prime. Even if your are 36 or even 46 you can be an A or A+ rider if you wish.


----------



## antonlove

I'm 26. I was just saying that if I started cycling when I started sprinting, maybe I would have seriously taken up cycling. Who knows? But Track & Field was good to me. I loved my track career.


----------



## dracula

bobthib said:


> We'll it's now in be books. Did the KID (Kids In Distress ) Century Charity ride yesterday. Started from South beach, Ft. Laudedale at 7am. It was about 60 and breezy. A head wind, of course. Rode up A1A for almost 50 miles after starting by doing the 17 st bridge. Twice.
> 
> Stopped at about 35 miles. Avg. to then 19.4. Food and refreshments and a much needed potty break. Reorganized with the club and got back on the road. Pace slowed slightly and got to the turn around and the avg had dropped to 18.7. We now had a 45 deg wind that helped a bit, for a while anyway. One gust was so strong that it lifted my front wheel and moved it 2"!
> 
> Stopped at the same point, now 70mi and refueled. Average back up to 19.1. When we took off I tried to stay near the front. I was hoping we would still have enough of a tail wind that I could move the ave up a bit. Not so. The winds continued to shift and swirl so it was tough going again. Hung with the fast group doing 23 to 25, but after 20 miles, at the 92 mile point, I couldn't hold on. Dropped and caught a group doing 19 - 21 and finished with them. Had to circle the parking lot as the ODO read 99.7 as I entered. Needed to get that 100.0 Crossed the finishline - 5:15 ride time, 6 hrs elapsed time.
> 
> Had some food at the finish, but had to get home to bbsit my grandson. After I took a short nap, guess what? He wanted to go outside for a bike ride!  What we won't do for the grandkids!


Firstly congrats to your accomplishment at age 62.

Secondly, I am hit hard my the assumption that only a 100 mile ride without pee and "pop into petrol station shops" counts as a true century.

For me a century is:

a) At least a 150 km ride (I know it should be around 160km or so)

b) Or at least a 5--6 hour ride 

I agree a 30 minutes break does thwart the exercise. However, I do not see any problems with a 5 minutes pee stop or 5 minutes stop to buy some chocolate bars in a petrol station shop.

I do a century (point a or b) nearly every Saturday and often a second one again on following Sunday.

Although I think the best measure would be the power output over the 100 miles instead of average speed. By the way for me the average speed during a century is: the ride time with respect to ridden kilometers. My odometer stops at my 5 minutes pee brake and will not account for it in the final average speed. My odometer also stop at red traffic light.


----------



## budmol3

For those of us who don't race and don't plan on racing. (I used to race in the 70's - only time I ever broke a bone (collarbone)) the idea of spending 5 hours in a pack isn't very appealing. I do track average speed and total time but that is only for comparison to previous efforts. I guess having a fast time obtained by drafting is worth the risk to some people but not to me.


----------



## Marcus75

bobthib said:


> We'll it's now in be books. Did the KID (Kids In Distress ) Century Charity ride yesterday. Started from South beach, Ft. Laudedale at 7am. It was about 60 and breezy. A head wind, of course. Rode up A1A for almost 50 miles after starting by doing the 17 st bridge. Twice.
> 
> Stopped at about 35 miles. Avg. to then 19.4. Food and refreshments and a much needed potty break. Reorganized with the club and got back on the road. Pace slowed slightly and got to the turn around and the avg had dropped to 18.7. We now had a 45 deg wind that helped a bit, for a while anyway. One gust was so strong that it lifted my front wheel and moved it 2"!
> 
> Stopped at the same point, now 70mi and refueled. Average back up to 19.1. When we took off I tried to stay near the front. I was hoping we would still have enough of a tail wind that I could move the ave up a bit. Not so. The winds continued to shift and swirl so it was tough going again. Hung with the fast group doing 23 to 25, but after 20 miles, at the 92 mile point, I couldn't hold on. Dropped and caught a group doing 19 - 21 and finished with them. Had to circle the parking lot as the ODO read 99.7 as I entered. Needed to get that 100.0 Crossed the finishline - 5:15 ride time, 6 hrs elapsed time.
> 
> Had some food at the finish, but had to get home to bbsit my grandson. After I took a short nap, guess what? He wanted to go outside for a bike ride!  What we won't do for the grandkids!



So I should train with a group next time? That's killer speed!


----------



## bobthib

Marcus75 said:


> So I should train with a group next time? That's killer speed!


Training with a group helps indeed. Saturday Club rides help with pace line, and pulling certainly builds strenght and endurance.

The thing that really helped most was doing wind sprints. I ride with a group at 5 am on tues and thurs. We do 4 or 6 wind sprints. Makes a huge difference in about 3 months.

I also train with some tri guys. They do various intervals with short rests. I can't hang with them unless I'm drafting. Just too old.


----------



## WaynefromOrlando

Pablo said:


> No. It's the denominator based on the unit you yourself established. Everyone agrees you rode 100 miles. To get a rate of speed, you need to establish the time to get miles per hour. I pick the total ride time because, in my understanding, the whole idea of a "century" is riding 100 units (either miles of km) in one ride. It's absurd and self-serving to select out parts of the ride when your speed is zero, thereby increasing your "average" speed. It would be equally absurd to get an average speed on any ride by selecting out time to fix a flat or to slow down for a stop sign. I'm ok with saying your average speed is 16.67 mph, with average moving or riding speed being 19.0 mph, or whatever it was, but to flip this presumption is is disingenuous and contrary to what a "century" is, in my opinion.
> 
> You analogy to a stage race just doesn't work because a stage race like the Tour is 21 individual rides. If the Tour was not broken into 21 individual rides, then the average speed would be as you suggest.
> 
> All in all, however, as the countless threads re speed prove, speed is a pretty meaningless metric for most road riders due to variables of wind, elevation gain, and group dymanics. For example, a 100 mile ride from Boulder, Colorado to Estes Park and back has a lot more elevation gain and will just take a lot more time and be done at a slower speed than a group ride on the flats. For me, the bigger accomplishment is riding 100 miles (or whatever arbitrary about that is selected) in one ride (or whatever the goal may be) and having fun.
> 
> Don't forget that this is a road bike thread, full of roadies, in the winter, so roadies will latch onto anything halfway interesting and/or disputed to avoid having to think about getting on their trainers.


If anyone wants to play the average speed game for a SERIOUS race, the TDF is not the one to look at. Instead, check out the Race Across America. In that race, Jure Robic averaged 13.86 for 9 days, 0 hours and 46 minutes covering 3005.1 miles. That accomplishment by the way, was 12 hours in front of the 2nd place finish. 

Rest in peace Jure Robic, you were and are the man.


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## vkmbt7

really awsome... keep dat one goin u wil reach more higher levels.//////////


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## JAC526

Some people really suck...you know who you are.

Great job to the OP and always remember that haters are going to hate.


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## Marcus75

But how do you keep that up for 100 miles (going with the pack) and plus you mentioned this as your first....You must be superman!!!


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## bobthib

We took 3 rest stops on that ride. That really helps. I only like to stop for about 5 min to stretch refill bottles, and wolf down some PB&J sandwiches, otherwise I get stiff.

I March I did the Tour de Broward, 100+ mi. I did my longest non-stop ride - 79 mi, We missed the 40 mi rest stop and about 9 mi later I got dropped from the peleton. I ended up riding solo for about 20 mi unitl a young couple passed and I caught their wheel. We stopped at the "80 mi" rest. That was tough.


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## hdbiker

Great job bobthib!!! 
In one post you alluded to the fact that you might soon be on the downside of aging. I've ridden with very fit cyclists who are over 70. I am 65 and just did a century in very similar time to yours. My goal was to finish in less than 6 hours including stops. I made it in 5 hours 43 minutes. Total ride time average 19.2 mph according to my riding buddy who has a gps. I, like you, now have a goal of 5 hours riding time.BTW, I do plan to stop a couple of times for a nature break.
As for all the controversy that you encountered for this post, opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one.


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## bobthib

Hdbiker, thanks for the kudos and the encouragement. I've done a number of centuries since, and one, where we had a police escort, we did finish with and average moving of just over 20 mph. ET was like yours at 5:43 with stops. I didn't want to, but I also didn't want to loose the police. It's nice to ride 30+ mi at 20+ with out stops.

I have a 128 mi ride on Nov 5th which I'm billing as my b'day ride (2xage), although it will be a few months early. Last year I did a 126 miler about a week after my bday. Been doing 150+ mi a week, 2 mornings with 30 and 40 y/o triathletes. Doing what I can to keep up. lol.

Despite all the effort and a pretty good diet, I've got marginal high BP and Cholesterol, thanks Dad. GP put me on liscinopril for BP which works but I cramp up on hard rides in hot weather. Cardiologist put me on Crestor (R) for Chol, but it was killing me. Legs began to wear out early, and when stressed felt full of lactose. I cut the dose in half to 12.5 mg to see if that helped. It didn't.

We had about 5 days of rain and when I got out again on fresh legs I found I could not produce power under stress. Legs hurt even though they were fresh. 

I also noticed that I was loosing core strength. After about 10 mi of riding my hands were numb. I've been off of Crestor altogether now for 6 days and for the first time in months both of those symptoms are gone. Did a 60 miler today in under 3 hrs with no fatigue. Don't yet know what I'm going to do for the cholesterol. Have to see the cardio again.

Regarding the "hitting the wall" comment, I still (along with Joe Friel) believe we all have a "peak performance curve." If I'm not at mine, I'm approaching it. And, unfortunately, when I do, the best I can hope for is to ride it down. 

Granted, there are 70+ guys that can run circles around me, but their peak performance curves are just higher, or have a slower downward slope. That's ok. I'm just happy to get out there and do my best. And when I consider most others my age, I'm very happy with my performance. I'm sure you are as well.


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## IBOHUNT

Congrats to any that can put on 100 miles in a day regardless of stopping. At 52 and overweight I've been as far as 77 on my 30 pound mountain bike along the C&0 canal and that took me 7 hrs. I can ride the mb 40 miles in ~2:45 on the road (~800' elevation change according to ridewithgps )

I am looking to get a road bike for Christmas and hope(!) that I can do a century next July regardless of how long it takes.


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## antonlove

bobthib, you are an inspiration to me. I just wish the older guys in my riding group were more like you. They refuse to ride any faster and say that they can't because of their age. All but one of them is younger than you. But, the oldest guy who rides with us can really hang. 

I would understand if they couldn't ride any faster, but I've seen them do it before. When I suggested that we do speed training, one recommended that we shoot for an avg of 14 mph.  I suppose everyone's definition of speed is different. When I ride by myself, my average is usually 18-19 mph. 

It seems that our group will inevitably split between hammerheads and clydesdales. :mad2: I was really hoping that we could somehow compromise. Two of us have completed a century in under 5 hours with help from a paceline. We'll help the other hammerheads reach that goal, but I was really hoping that we could all ride as a team to the finish.


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## Wood Devil

MCF said:


> Cool. Of the 100 miles how much did you pull? Next goal should be a solo century in 5 hours - including breaks!


Or better yet ... No breaks! :thumbsup:


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## jaelinfunk

very nice speed for a first time


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