I started riding again (after 30 years out of it) at the beginning of July.
Rode a 46 mile charity event this past weekend and decided it's not too much to go for the full century before Old Man Winter takes hold.
The longest previous ride I had done was 35 miles, but the 46 miles seemed easier and I felt better afterwards. The primary reason I attribute that to is grade. My 35 mile run, while less average climbing feet/mile, had several much steeper sections (12-15% versus 6-8%). While I do enjoy conquering hills, I will pick a less challenging route to hit the Century first time out.
I am thinking of trying a metric century this weekend. I have a route picked out* that has roughly the same total climbing feet at the 46 mile route (just under 3000) and a max grade of 8.1%.
I will bring (2) 1 Liter water bottles and some food, and plan to stop at at least (2) country/general stores for more water/supplies as needed. My RideWithGPS app tells me it should take about 4:45, so I will be happy to finish in 5:30 with 3 or maybe 4 stops.
*Where I live is at the top of a hill. No matter which direction you come at it from (there are about 5 altogether) there is no easy way home with grades up to 16%. So I will truck my bike down to the valley for my start. I don't mind hills (actually like them), but NOT at the very end of a run. My name is not Alberto and I weigh 210#.