Originally Posted by
slammer66
So I realize this is not something I am capable of yet but I got the idea in my head of doing a ride from my home near Trussville to Huntsville (my daughter lives there and I could hitch a ride home with her). It's roughly about 100 miles to her house and I know they call this a "century". What sort of issues would you see with this? aside from me needing to be in better shape.
There are some weekly rides in the Trussville area, too. I have several riding buddies that live out that way.
Issues? The main thing is be in shape and be in touch with your body - hydration, caloric intake, some of these kind of things don't really come into play on a 25 mile ride. The 100s can be different. Even your saddle - I can ride almost anything up to about 60 miles - then things start to change. But it's just one of those things you'll need to experiment with and work up to. Your bike will need to be up to the task, too - adjusted, lubed, etc. Did you buy the Giant?
AND THIS could be the ticket - Kat Sweatt has set up a century training guide through the Birmingham Bicycle Club. Check it out.