Old 04-22-19, 12:39 PM
  #10  
livedarklions
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Originally Posted by UniChris
I completely agree that riding at 12 or 13 miles an hour would make a century more enjoyable.

And regardless of speed anything that causes discomfort or difficulty should be addressed.

If I differ in view, it's only in wanting to avoid any hint of implying that one must ride a certain speed to be eligible to contemplate a century. And if a person does go slower, for whatever uniquely personal reason, their experience may start to have some things in common with a long outdoor workday in the summer, or maybe a day out of a bike packing trip, as much as it would with a traditional road ride.

I too hope Elysse shares more details of any difficulties, discomforts or other challenges, so the community can help her make the ride as efficient and enjoyable as possible.
I totally agree with that--I just suspect that 10 mph might signal a problem that could be solved. If she's comfortable at that speed, and doesn't mind 10 hours in the saddle, I hope she has a great time. I've now done centuries on 4 different kind of bikes so if she tells us a little bit about what she is riding, I may have a tip or two on how to make it just a tad bit more endurable.

I hope Elysse didn't take what I said as a criticism or discouragement. I did my first century on a big heavy comfort bike a couple years ago, and I averaged about 11 mph. I've gotten quite a bit faster since then, and I feel a lot better after I finish than I did then.
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