Bassmanbob

I am considering doing a distant century ride from my area (SE Florida), and I'd like to know which is your favorite or one that sounds good to you that you may not have done. I'm looking for rides that I can drive to within 14 hours but I'd also consider rides that would require me to fly with my bike. I did fly to NY to do the GFNY last year.
Considerations:
1. Drive to rides within 14 hours would be as far as Alabama, eastern Tennessee, southern Kentucky, the Carolina's, Georgia,
2. Once again, I'm willing to fly with my bike and do a ride outside of the areas I've mentioned above. I love hiking in south Utah/ northern Arizona and would love to bike there too. But anywhere would be fine too as long as it is an interesting or fun ride.
3. Yes, I live in Florida which we all know means I am not accustomed to hills-- I can do hills. The GFNY New York had about 8,000- 8,500 feet of elevation. I can do more as long as I train for it. I've even considered Georgia's Six Gap ride for next year.
3. I would love to do a midsummer ride in one of the northern states, considering that our organized events die down here during our brutal summer.

So what are your favorite centuries? Thanks in advance.

SpeedofLite 

Horsey Hundred (Georgetown, KY). Don't let the unusual name disuade you from checking it out.
https://www.horseyhundred.com/

It's a Memorial Day weekend of 3 rides, but the century is on Saturday.
The extremely well supported event is held on beautiful twisting, turning, rising, falling roads in the gorgeous horse farm countryside near Lexington.
Lots to see and do before, during, and after the event weekend.
And of course southern hospitality is evident everywhere.
The only negative I've seen in the 7 years I've done the event is the blatant disregard for traffic laws or ignoring requests by organizers (and presumably farm owners) not to touch or feed the many horses you'll see.

TimothyH

In North Georgia...

6 Gap is iconic.

MACC One Love is an amazing event. These guys know how to run a century ride. Everyone raves.

Chattooga is lightly attended but the scenery is spectacular.

I always enjoy Up the Creek Without a Pedal and do it every year. Home made strawberry ice cream at the 85 mile rest stop.

Sadly, 3 State 3 Mountain out of Chattanooga is no more. That was one of the best rides I've ever done.

A self supported century on the Silver Comet Trail is relatively easy. I've probably done ten centuries on the trail. PM me if you plan to ride this.


-Tim-

VastCrew

New England Parkinson Ride offers a 100 mile route. By far my favorite event! Well supported, great people, fabulous route, great views, some rolling hills. Located in Old Orchard Beach, southern part of Maine. Not within your 14 hour drive range but would certainly be considered the Northern states Always early September.

https://www.neparkinsonsride.com
https://www.facebook.com/neparkinsonsride

Rides4Beer

Thanks!! I'm penciling in MACC One Love and Chattooga. Have family in Kennesaw, so it's a good excuse to visit.

Up the Creek looks good too, but I already have a local century on the calendar that day, maybe next year.

79pmooney

I loved the old Portland Century that ran into foothills of Mt Hood and the Bull Run watershed (10-15 years ago?). Also the Lolo Pass century with its incredible climb up Lolo Pass. Those dramatic centuries meant I forgot about the quiet,not nearly so dramatic Harvest Century though the Washington and Yamhill counties and farm country every September. Did it again after the Crater Lake Cycle Oregon was canceled due to the fires. The ride is a pure joy. Beautiful roads and country. Very well run by volunteers who do it for love and have been doing it a long time. Great food. Rode it and kept wondering "why did I ever stop?"

Now, if someone did Lolo Pass again, I'd be there in a flash. A lot of the lead up roads are not so nice but that climb is one of my all-time favorites. Well, it's been enough years since I did it, it might be too sobering, I held my HR at 164 all the way up it and had a 30 yo on the ropes. Those days are long gone.

Ben

la rosa 

6 Gap

FlashBazbo

If you like fast, the CRAM (Memorial Day Saturday) and Sunrise (Labor Day Saturday) Centuries start near Clarksville, TN and loop through southern Kentucky. It runs through Amish farm country. The draw here is the flatness of the course. Both are great for setting your fastest-ever Century time (especially the Labor Day ride, due to less wind). The course record for 100 miles, set in the organized elite peloton, is around three hours and forty minutes.

One on my list is in east Tennessee at Tellico Plains -- the Cherohala Challenge on June 8 this year. It takes in the famous Tail of the Dragon and Cherohala Skyway. Two national forests and over 10,000 feet of climbing in 117 miles. Beautiful scenery on a world-famous stretch of convoluted road (318 curves in one 11 mile stretch).

TimothyH

I'm just down the road from Kennesaw in Acworth.

Let me know when you come up. We should get together.


-Tim-

TimothyH

Also, for the OP, if you are willing to drive, Seagull Century in Salisbury, MD is great.

Welcome to Sea Gull Century - Sea Gull CenturySea Gull Century


-Tim-

1nterceptor

If you visit New York in September; that's usually when the NYC Century is held:

CliffordK

I don't do a lot of organized Century rides.

The Eugene Blackberry ride was fun. Mainly touring around local farmlands, and a few hills.

There is a 3 day "Tour de Lane" that does two century rides Friday/Saturday, and the Blackberry Century ride Sunday.

Cycle Oregon is a fully supported week long ride generally hitting different areas in the state. It is a huge event, and quite popular.

I did the American Lung Association "Reach the Beach" ride quite some time ago, but am rather upset that they changed the ride start location to be rather inconvenient for me. It also requires charity fundraising/sponsors, which is inconvenient for adults.

Bassmanbob

Thanks folks! Almost all look interesting.

More from you people in the Midwest and way out west! Thanks.

Iride01 

Not the midwest of further, but within your 14 hour drive time.

Natchez Trace Century Ride Sat May 4, 2019
https://runsignup.com/Race/MS/Ridgel...?remMeAttempt=
This was the first organized ride I ever rode and is still my favorite. Very good organization and support compared to the others I've done since. A good lunch after the ride and usually a pretty good dinner buffet or finger foods for the evening during the prize give-a-ways.

Or one I'm thinking about trying the week before for the first time.

Hattie Hundred Bike Ride Sat April 27, 2019
https://runsignup.com/Race/MS/Hattie...undredBikeRide
I've have ridden the Long Leaf Trace. It's 41 miles of paved railroad bed from the rails-to-trails projects, extending northwest of Hattiesburg MS to Prentiss MS. Being a former railroad there is nothing on it to call a hill.

motosonic

Might be a little out of your drive time, but consider these!

The Closer to Free Ride is one of my all-time favorites. It benefits the Smilow Cancer Center at Yale Hospital and has some beautiful views and awesome food.
Closer to Free Ride

While the Tour De Lyme isn't a Century Ride, it's one of the most beautiful rides I have ever been on. It's hilly, challenging and the views are spectacular. The countryside you'll see will take your breath away.
Tour De Lyme

dieselgoat

I would suggest The Assault on Mount Mitchell in Spartanburg, South Carolina and The Cheaha Challenge/Ultra in Jacksonville, Alabama. I've done Six Gap multiple times and AOMM is harder, mostly due to about 6,500 ft. of climbing coming in the last 27 miles. It's a unique ride in that you must be bused back down the mountain to either Marion or Spartanburg.

Cheaha, especially the Ultra, is very scenic but has sadistic climbing upwards of 13,000 ft. Both events are in May. I think they are in back to back days. Cheaha is on a Sunday and AOMM is on Monday. Heck, do both. Let me know how it goes. The Ultra was brutal last year as temps approached 90 with high humidity.

Both rides are top shelf as far as organization and support. Six Gap is too. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Bassmanbob

Interesting you mentioned the Cheeha Challenge. My wife and I did some hiking in northern Alabama two years ago and loved it. And some of the folks from my local cycling club are doing the Cheeha Challenge this year. I won't be able to go, but I was looking at either that or the 6 Gap for next year-- maybe both. But I have a lot of work to do on hills before I attempt those rides.

SkepticCyclist

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride (around Lake Tahoe in Nevada): https://www.bikethewest.com/americas...ful-bike-ride/

If you're already in Arizona for other reasons, Tour de Tucson is well-organized and is a fun ride.

banerjek

I haven't done an organized century for awhile. However, my favorite of all that I've done is the Crater Lake Century -- I think I've done it 10 times.

It provides a bit of challenge without being epic, the scenery is top notch pretty much all the way with a nice mixture of agricultural land, woods, climbs, lake/alpine views, and descents. Number of participants is limited, so you never get the rolling zoo phenomenon. Here's a video I made of one of the trips. It does a reasonable job of conveying the ride.
One thing I might observe though is that there's a leg that goes out and back that are basically junk miles just to push the mileage over 100 -- they offer nothing that can't be found in the rest of the ride. So unless hitting that 100 number is important to you, I'd just chop off those 20 miles.

This would be a long trip for you, but I don't even know how many different ones I've done, and this one is a standout. Plus, early morning and nighttime temps can drop below freezing even in late August

Pompiere

Another ride in central Kentucky, taking place in the same area as the Horsey Hundred, is the Bourbon Country Burn on the last weekend of September. https://www.bourboncountryburn.com/#what
I rode last year and had a great time. Even though my legs were not prepared for the hills of Kentucky, the scenery, the horses, and the people made it all worthwhile. Also there was bourbon. My wife and I stayed an extra day to take in a couple more distilleries.


Crossing into Bourbon County Ky.

Bassmanbob

Any other favorite century rides by anyone?

I'm starting a spread sheet with the rides, elevation, distance from my home and when the ride is.

seypat

There is a thread in C&V on it. Great organization and support. Bargain for what you get. Beautiful scenery. I am a flatlander, but manage to get up the mountain with enough gearing.

The 75 is more tiring to me. The 100 gives you a chance to get on the big ring/small cogs some and air it out. Now if you were not in a hurry getting there or going home, you could take a couple of days in the Central Va area and get some more good riding in. You could take some rides on and around the Virginia Capital Trail. Also could do some hiking in the Blue Ridge. It could be a good vacation.

The 10th Annual Storming of Thunder Ridge - May 19, 2019 - Storming of Thunder Ridge Storming of Thunder Ridge - www.stormingofthunderridge.org

https://www.virginiacapitaltrail.org/

ridethetown

I'm riding both America's Most Beautiful Ride in Tahoe and the Death Ride in Markleeville this year for the first time. Both are legendary out west.

Rides4Beer

Is it wrong that this thread is giving me excuses to visit family?? Also have some family in VA, so might do Thunder Ridge too!

Mindcrime

Big Dam Bridge 100 in Little Rock is fantastic. Great support, good roads, hard climbs, official timing, friendly folks. Big recommend. Its in September.

This year that same weekend is the BBC 100 in Birmingham. I've not done it but had a friend move there and he says its one of the best he's done, if a bit smaller in overall attendance. I'm actually headed there this year. Some serious climbing.