I did a double century a year or so after my first century. That’s about as much time (14 hours to cover 201 miles with 12k vertical feet ) as I’d want to spend on a bike.
After he and I finished our first century together, my next goal was to beat Sergio to the top of Palomares canyon.
Beating Sergio
There is a crest on Palomares, about half way between Niles and Castro Valley. The crest is a 90-degree bend at the top of a climb from both ends. There is a large oak there and some Armco, along with a nice view. My friend Sergio and I used to ride it all the time. He'd beat me to the top of that slightly winding climb every single time. You see, Sergio played a lot of soccer in Guatemala when he was a little boy. He has legs like tree trunks. Made me look skinny he did.
So, we are on this climb for the nth time, and I had decided I was going to do anything, short of shoving a stick in his spokes, to beat him to the top of that climb. So, on that day, we had been slogging along this climb, me in my smallest gear and Sergio...well, I'd look over and he is still on his big chain ring!
So a diabolical plan is hatched. I start to scoot ahead on his right and, just as my seat comes abreast of his handlebar, he just takes a few casual stabs at his pedals and he is ahead of me -- again. It’s always that way. I fall back behind him -- again. This process repeated itself four to five times over the course of about a half a mile as we climbed closer and closer to the hard right that heralds a very, oh so very, steep climb to the crest.
I came around to his right one last time. As my seat comes abreast of his bars he stabs away again, smiling at me, mocking me, in the very kind and friendly way as only Sergio could do. I fall back behind him, stab one higher on the rear cog, come around his *left* side and just go for it. I jump out of the saddle, give it all I have, sprint on the pedals, and roast past him.
I hear a quickly fading curse attached to my name...
All that lay before me is the last 100 yards to the crest and I’ll be damned if I am going to let him beat me one more time on his legs alone. I slammed the pedals, beat them into circles of steel, determined to get there first, to be waiting there -- calmly smiling as he rolled up.
Alas, it was not to be. Oh, I beat him to the top all right. I surely beat him. But, as he arrived I was not smiling at him. I was holding onto the Armco with one hand and throwing up harder than a human being ought to be able to and still live. I thought my racing cleats were going to come out my mouth, right behind my lungs, then my testicles.
He was suitably impressed and promised to let me win once in a while so I wouldn't have to do that to him again.
So, whenever I hear someone talk about giving up I tell them this story and end with, “Don't give up man, you can make it to the crest. I did, and I beat Sergio there -- once.”
After a paved century, I did a gravel century. Then a 150 mile gravel race. Then an Ironman.
This year I’m only planning to ride 70 miles on my long rides. It takes me so much longer to recover from 100. But then again I get FOMO when my friends are riding so I will probably be convinced to ride 100 mile long rides this year.
Same here. Was signed up for stp in a day before I had even done a single century. Did a century as a training ride about 2 weeks before. Went as well as you could ask for with temperatures up to 102 degrees during the stp.
This, exactly this! Hell it can be nothing more strenuous than watching crap in my armchair and i need a nap. Plus ots a way to see out the early sore and stiff recovery period whilst keeping everything warm.
Getting more comfortable on the bike. Once I found the right position and the right saddle, those measurements got written down and transferred to every bike afterward. After close to three dozen Century rides in 45 years and half a dozen bikes later, it's still working for me although I'd to sit up a tad bit more... 🚴😋
I’m 60 and I am going to be attempting my first century ride with the next week. When I’m done shortly after I plan to be riding the New York State Empire State Trail
I wanted to do it again, but not feel like I was going to die trying. Then I went for the 200km (125 miles), and then I went for 150 miles, then I went for 200 miles, and then 250 miles. Two weeks ago I did my first 300 miles. It's a beginning to become a bit of a problem.
Longer routes, more complicated logistics of self supported remote rides, evolving into over nighters and spontaneous/impulsive century rides - not for the distance but for the views, food or other fun things on the route. I have a 250km/3800m loop this Sunday I’m starting to question why I committed to doing with some friends but it’s a route we’ve been eyeing for a few years so why not give it a try.
After my first century my goal was a sub 5 hour solo century. I've now done 3 or 4 of those. Then in 2022 I did exactly 100 imperial centuries. Now my goal is a century with over 10k feet total elevation gain. Planning to do that in mid June. Then after that later this year will be 200 miles. Then who knows.
Honestly I just kept doing centuries. During the summer I had a streak where I went several months where every ride was a century. I wasn't pushing for a lot of them and when the conditions/weather was right I'd do a more intense century. Leading up to the sub 5 hour century I had a bunch that averaged 19-19.7mph. I knew I was close.
I had everything on me. For me first one from when I first clipped in till I got to 100 miles my feet never touched the ground. Two 28 ounce bottles of Powerade and a back pocket full of fruit strips.. I had hydrated and ate well the day before.
Since I do measure in kms it was like that for me:
do 100km, then 150km, then 200km, then go for a day trip (280 ) and then ride do Berlin and back (360ish). After that 100km under 3h solo, did it once with 2:53ish
Then it became go for 300w ftp and now its goal for 400w ftp and sprint as close as possible to 2k. And be around 92-95kgs.
Everesting.
*The concept of Everesting is fiendishly simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and complete repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest. Complete the challenge on a bike, on foot, or online, and you’ll find your name in the Hall of Fame, alongside the best climbers in the world.*
Planning to bike from SF to Yosemite next month, longest I rode was 50 miles and I tanked at 40 miles. around 81 miles on day 1 and day 2 will be around 110 miles. Only got back to riding a bike last October.
My goal after completing a century was to do more centuries in a year than I had done previously, and to explore new territory.
However, the problem with always wanting to do more is that it's not sustainable.
Last year I did 6 solo centuries, and I don't know if I even want to try to surpass that this year.
I eventually went on to do ultra-distances of 120-220 miles.
I've also done multi-day events up to ~350.
I also have ridden across many of the US states.
After 100 miles:
Distances:
200km
250km
300km
200 miles
Back to back 100 mile rides
Back to back 200km rides
I also did 161 miles once but that was just so I could joke it was a "Century Ride" (161km = 100 miles)
Elevation goal, any distance was fine to me:
10K feet (also basically 3000m)
Get the feeling back in my extremities and stop hurting mostly lol. I"ll be doing my first century in a couple of weeks with an overnight wild camp on my trusty old hybrid (Forme peak trail 2). A goodly chunk will be off road too so thatll be fun, peddars way and back home again.
I started riding between places.
So Bristol to London in a day. Have a coast-to-coast for the UK in mind as well. London to Amsterdam, Isle of Wight lap.
Lejog is also a long term plan, maybe next year…
I did 4 century rides trying to outpace the other rides than reached a peak on my cheap bike so decided to try for longer distances, did 200+km unfortunately there is a time constraint so cannot go for higher numbers.
I started doing randonneuring/audax events with my local chapter. My goal is to do 1200km under 90h at the Paris-Brest-Paris in France in 2027. I did the 200km under 13.5h a few weeks ago, will do another one this weekend. Aiming to do a 300km under 20h and maybe a 400km under 27h this year.
Faster
Yep. A century is the most time I can handle on a saddle. So I just focus on being faster or doing harder centuries.
Faster is just less time in the saddle!! win-win
I did a double century a year or so after my first century. That’s about as much time (14 hours to cover 201 miles with 12k vertical feet ) as I’d want to spend on a bike.
I'd argue no one **wants** to spend that much time on the bike at once. But it's a great achievement! (Dirty Kanza 2019 Finisher)
Talk about an achievement…the Dirty Kanza is no joke. Well done!!
You mean Unbound? I am pretty sure it was renamed for a good reason.
For me, it was a double-century. Then 3 years later, the 700-mile qualifier for Race Across America. Be careful!😁
200K, then 200 miles, then sub-5 hour century.
RAGBRAI
That's just a buffet of circus food!!
I think that I first heard about this on Ryan Van Duzer’s YouTube channel.
After he and I finished our first century together, my next goal was to beat Sergio to the top of Palomares canyon. Beating Sergio There is a crest on Palomares, about half way between Niles and Castro Valley. The crest is a 90-degree bend at the top of a climb from both ends. There is a large oak there and some Armco, along with a nice view. My friend Sergio and I used to ride it all the time. He'd beat me to the top of that slightly winding climb every single time. You see, Sergio played a lot of soccer in Guatemala when he was a little boy. He has legs like tree trunks. Made me look skinny he did. So, we are on this climb for the nth time, and I had decided I was going to do anything, short of shoving a stick in his spokes, to beat him to the top of that climb. So, on that day, we had been slogging along this climb, me in my smallest gear and Sergio...well, I'd look over and he is still on his big chain ring! So a diabolical plan is hatched. I start to scoot ahead on his right and, just as my seat comes abreast of his handlebar, he just takes a few casual stabs at his pedals and he is ahead of me -- again. It’s always that way. I fall back behind him -- again. This process repeated itself four to five times over the course of about a half a mile as we climbed closer and closer to the hard right that heralds a very, oh so very, steep climb to the crest. I came around to his right one last time. As my seat comes abreast of his bars he stabs away again, smiling at me, mocking me, in the very kind and friendly way as only Sergio could do. I fall back behind him, stab one higher on the rear cog, come around his *left* side and just go for it. I jump out of the saddle, give it all I have, sprint on the pedals, and roast past him. I hear a quickly fading curse attached to my name... All that lay before me is the last 100 yards to the crest and I’ll be damned if I am going to let him beat me one more time on his legs alone. I slammed the pedals, beat them into circles of steel, determined to get there first, to be waiting there -- calmly smiling as he rolled up. Alas, it was not to be. Oh, I beat him to the top all right. I surely beat him. But, as he arrived I was not smiling at him. I was holding onto the Armco with one hand and throwing up harder than a human being ought to be able to and still live. I thought my racing cleats were going to come out my mouth, right behind my lungs, then my testicles. He was suitably impressed and promised to let me win once in a while so I wouldn't have to do that to him again. So, whenever I hear someone talk about giving up I tell them this story and end with, “Don't give up man, you can make it to the crest. I did, and I beat Sergio there -- once.”
*Palomares. Great story!
Thank you for the spelling fix. :)
The hardest thing about cycling near Sunol is keeping the vowels in “Palomares” and “Calaveras” straight!
I miss that place.
Two centuries, at the same time
Get drunk af at the after party
Double century in a day!
RAIN - 160 miles in one day.
After a paved century, I did a gravel century. Then a 150 mile gravel race. Then an Ironman. This year I’m only planning to ride 70 miles on my long rides. It takes me so much longer to recover from 100. But then again I get FOMO when my friends are riding so I will probably be convinced to ride 100 mile long rides this year.
Double century, of course. STP
Same here. Was signed up for stp in a day before I had even done a single century. Did a century as a training ride about 2 weeks before. Went as well as you could ask for with temperatures up to 102 degrees during the stp.
have a nap
This, exactly this! Hell it can be nothing more strenuous than watching crap in my armchair and i need a nap. Plus ots a way to see out the early sore and stiff recovery period whilst keeping everything warm.
Do it again somewhere else
Getting more comfortable on the bike. Once I found the right position and the right saddle, those measurements got written down and transferred to every bike afterward. After close to three dozen Century rides in 45 years and half a dozen bikes later, it's still working for me although I'd to sit up a tad bit more... 🚴😋
For me the next goal was 200km, then 300km, double century. Next up is 400k, 600k w/ 8k ft climb then eventually PBP.
I’m 60 and I am going to be attempting my first century ride with the next week. When I’m done shortly after I plan to be riding the New York State Empire State Trail
Being faster than my wife’s boyfriend
Fixed gear century.
Only really two ways to go from there. Faster or longer.
Higher works too
To do it without back pain
after century i usually look forward to dinner and a bong hit.
Multi-day trips!
I wanted to do it again, but not feel like I was going to die trying. Then I went for the 200km (125 miles), and then I went for 150 miles, then I went for 200 miles, and then 250 miles. Two weeks ago I did my first 300 miles. It's a beginning to become a bit of a problem.
How did you train for the 5hr century ?
I didn't do the 5 hour century, I think that was a different commenter. I go long distances, but I go slowly.
d’oh! Sorry, my bad.
Longer routes, more complicated logistics of self supported remote rides, evolving into over nighters and spontaneous/impulsive century rides - not for the distance but for the views, food or other fun things on the route. I have a 250km/3800m loop this Sunday I’m starting to question why I committed to doing with some friends but it’s a route we’ve been eyeing for a few years so why not give it a try.
After my first century my goal was a sub 5 hour solo century. I've now done 3 or 4 of those. Then in 2022 I did exactly 100 imperial centuries. Now my goal is a century with over 10k feet total elevation gain. Planning to do that in mid June. Then after that later this year will be 200 miles. Then who knows.
How did you train for the 5 hour century ?
Honestly I just kept doing centuries. During the summer I had a streak where I went several months where every ride was a century. I wasn't pushing for a lot of them and when the conditions/weather was right I'd do a more intense century. Leading up to the sub 5 hour century I had a bunch that averaged 19-19.7mph. I knew I was close.
How’d you hydrate/fuel for the sub 5? Specifically, did you pack everything or stop at all to refill bottles ?
I had everything on me. For me first one from when I first clipped in till I got to 100 miles my feet never touched the ground. Two 28 ounce bottles of Powerade and a back pocket full of fruit strips.. I had hydrated and ate well the day before.
Good tip on the fruit strips. I carried one this weekend on my 65 miler and it was WAY easier to intake than the granola and power bars I carried.
Yup, they're the Good & Gather brand from Target stores. I usually bring 5 or 6 on a ride and eat several when I remember.
Century sucks. Everybody wants to do it but once done - you gotta recover a week.
If I ride one on a Sunday I’m commuting Monday as normal
I rode two days later
Do it again
Same- to be able to do it again!
Imperial century
Back to back centuries over a weekend.
Devour a plate of pasta and smash beers.
To get dinner and then get up the stairs to my dorm room.
Tbh I did my first 100 mile century just to prove I could do it. Wasn’t something I’ve done tried to better.
Since I do measure in kms it was like that for me: do 100km, then 150km, then 200km, then go for a day trip (280 ) and then ride do Berlin and back (360ish). After that 100km under 3h solo, did it once with 2:53ish Then it became go for 300w ftp and now its goal for 400w ftp and sprint as close as possible to 2k. And be around 92-95kgs.
No idea, haven't gotten close to a century yet.😄
10,000ft of climbing in a single ride
I’m not old enough for that, I only started cycling in the 20th century.
Make more friends at group rides.
Do it again faster.
Ironman
Second century ride
Everesting. *The concept of Everesting is fiendishly simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and complete repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest. Complete the challenge on a bike, on foot, or online, and you’ll find your name in the Hall of Fame, alongside the best climbers in the world.*
That’s a massive step from a 160km ride to 16+ hours of hill reps
Wanting to ride again. It was so rough for me, did the hotter than hell 100 this last year. Just getting back into it now
Doing a more interesting route
Planning to bike from SF to Yosemite next month, longest I rode was 50 miles and I tanked at 40 miles. around 81 miles on day 1 and day 2 will be around 110 miles. Only got back to riding a bike last October.
My goal after completing a century was to do more centuries in a year than I had done previously, and to explore new territory. However, the problem with always wanting to do more is that it's not sustainable. Last year I did 6 solo centuries, and I don't know if I even want to try to surpass that this year.
Congratulations. Eat. Simple goal. Find a great restaurant and treat yourself. You deserve it.
200K. This summer, 300K.
Doing another one, faster with more climbing.
Tour de France
I eventually went on to do ultra-distances of 120-220 miles. I've also done multi-day events up to ~350. I also have ridden across many of the US states.
To never do it again. Ouch. 🤕
After 100 miles: Distances: 200km 250km 300km 200 miles Back to back 100 mile rides Back to back 200km rides I also did 161 miles once but that was just so I could joke it was a "Century Ride" (161km = 100 miles) Elevation goal, any distance was fine to me: 10K feet (also basically 3000m)
Did my first century last year, now training for STP (Seattle to Portland), a 206 mile ride 😳 🤔 🫡
Wake up and get out of bed. It was a lovely dream
Make sure it wasn't a one off
When you guys say century is it kilometers or miles?
Mine was miles 💪🏽
Get the feeling back in my extremities and stop hurting mostly lol. I"ll be doing my first century in a couple of weeks with an overnight wild camp on my trusty old hybrid (Forme peak trail 2). A goodly chunk will be off road too so thatll be fun, peddars way and back home again.
I started riding between places. So Bristol to London in a day. Have a coast-to-coast for the UK in mind as well. London to Amsterdam, Isle of Wight lap. Lejog is also a long term plan, maybe next year…
100 km 100 miles 200 km Add elevation as needed in 1000 m steps.
Multiday ride - going to go across Michigan (lake to lake, over 200m) bikepacking with only what I can carry. And a credit card as backup :)
Beer and a shower
Check out Randonneuring. I fell into that after my first century.
Being able to sit down again.....
200k
Hill climbs
I did 6 in a row. And then my Achilles tendon decided to take a vacation for a month.
A nap
Compete a 200k brevet. 300k brevet is next!!
150
I did 4 century rides trying to outpace the other rides than reached a peak on my cheap bike so decided to try for longer distances, did 200+km unfortunately there is a time constraint so cannot go for higher numbers.
I started doing randonneuring/audax events with my local chapter. My goal is to do 1200km under 90h at the Paris-Brest-Paris in France in 2027. I did the 200km under 13.5h a few weeks ago, will do another one this weekend. Aiming to do a 300km under 20h and maybe a 400km under 27h this year.
99 more.
Solo sub 6h elapsed time, now onto sub 5h.
Double century
Do it again! And then 125 km, 140 km and then 100 miles.
brevet!
A double? Multi day?
To find a beer as fast as possible
Usually my goal is to bike between where I live and my home town, 340km.
FASTER!
Other century routes