What counts as a century?
04-21-23, 05:12 AM
#126
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I've done many solo 150 mile rides that by his definition wouldn't qualify as centuries because I had lunch at 75 miles. I didn't realize I was so lacking in fitness or endurance.
04-21-23, 05:21 AM
#127
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Many organized century rides would be ruled out by that criteria since they have lunch that typically takes longer than a few minutes.
There is some flexibility in the definition or should be for reasonable people. Also to a large extent it is just for the individual so they get to make the rules. I do agree that it doesn't make sense to stretch the definition too far, like outside the length of the day. Personally If I were planning to do a ride for the purpose of calling it a century I'd do it in less than 12 hours, but I can see casually calling any days of over 100 miles on a tour century days. I've done a bunch of official century rides over the years and I've done a number of 100+ days on long distance (multi week or multi month tours). So it isn't a big deal whether I call a 100 mile day on tour a century or not, but I figure it is valid to if I choose to. I don't think I ever have called any of my 100 mile days centuries in my online journals, but I think it would be valid to.
There is some flexibility in the definition or should be for reasonable people. Also to a large extent it is just for the individual so they get to make the rules. I do agree that it doesn't make sense to stretch the definition too far, like outside the length of the day. Personally If I were planning to do a ride for the purpose of calling it a century I'd do it in less than 12 hours, but I can see casually calling any days of over 100 miles on a tour century days. I've done a bunch of official century rides over the years and I've done a number of 100+ days on long distance (multi week or multi month tours). So it isn't a big deal whether I call a 100 mile day on tour a century or not, but I figure it is valid to if I choose to. I don't think I ever have called any of my 100 mile days centuries in my online journals, but I think it would be valid to.
He claims his definition is "simple", but it's actually really unclear. How long is " a few minutes "? How many of these breaks can you take? If I stop for an hour for lunch, is that worse than stopping for 6 minutes every 10 miles?
04-21-23, 05:24 AM
#128
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Taking a 20 minute lunch break is fine and i do that too. But taking 4 hour breaks or longer isn't.
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04-21-23, 05:24 AM
#129
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Wait......my 100 mile rides don't count unless they are conducted under the jurisdiction of an official event?
A 100 miles in a day is a hundred miles, even without the stupid patch and official 2 minute milk and cookie stops.
A 100 miles in a day is a hundred miles, even without the stupid patch and official 2 minute milk and cookie stops.
04-21-23, 05:27 AM
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So somebody can ride 20 miles per day and in 5 days they can brag about riding a century that week ?...I don't think so.
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04-21-23, 06:55 AM
#132
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If you don't ride for 100 years straight, without stopping, can you really consider it a century ride?
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04-21-23, 07:27 AM
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They shoot horses, don’t they?
04-21-23, 08:28 AM
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There's no such thing as a week-long century ride since the definition of a century ride includes doing it in one day.. Which part of "in a day" do you not understand? You tried this stupid bit before. So, are you really saying that if I ride 150 miles in a day (which I have done several times), I haven't completed a century because I took a 90 minute lunch at 75 miles? That's less of an accomplishment than riding 100 miles without a break? How does that make sense? I've done both of those things several times, and I can definitely say that the 150 mile ride with the break is harder.
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04-21-23, 08:33 AM
#136
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04-21-23, 08:48 AM
#137
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No, but they certainly can say that they rode 100 miles in that week.
There's no such thing as a week-long century ride since the definition of a century ride includes doing it in one day.. Which part of "in a day" do you not understand? You tried this stupid bit before. So, are you really saying that if I ride 150 miles in a day (which I have done several times), I haven't completed a century because I took a 90 minute lunch at 75 miles? That's less of an accomplishment than riding 100 miles without a break? How does that make sense? I've done both of those things several times, and I can definitely say that the 150 mile ride with the break is harder.
There's no such thing as a week-long century ride since the definition of a century ride includes doing it in one day.. Which part of "in a day" do you not understand? You tried this stupid bit before. So, are you really saying that if I ride 150 miles in a day (which I have done several times), I haven't completed a century because I took a 90 minute lunch at 75 miles? That's less of an accomplishment than riding 100 miles without a break? How does that make sense? I've done both of those things several times, and I can definitely say that the 150 mile ride with the break is harder.
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04-21-23, 09:04 AM
#138
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Hey, if you make the same stupid straw man argument in the thread 1 more time, I think you can claim a "straw hat trick".
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04-21-23, 09:10 AM
#139
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It's the same sort of thing as "marathons".
As far as I know, the term "century" originated as a name for a ride of 100 miles, along a particular course, within a particular amount of time run/sponsored by an organization. (The allowed time was something much smaller than 24h.)
Beyond that, there was no requirement not to stop (for things like lunch).
Randonee rides are the same sort of thing. A "200k" (Randonee) ride is 200 km done, along a particular course, within a particular amount of time (ending up with a minimum overall speed of 10mph).
I have no idea why some people want to use "century" as a synonym for "any old 100 mile ride". It seems more reasonable to use the term how it has been used historically and more specifically.
As far as I know, the term "century" originated as a name for a ride of 100 miles, along a particular course, within a particular amount of time run/sponsored by an organization. (The allowed time was something much smaller than 24h.)
Beyond that, there was no requirement not to stop (for things like lunch).
Randonee rides are the same sort of thing. A "200k" (Randonee) ride is 200 km done, along a particular course, within a particular amount of time (ending up with a minimum overall speed of 10mph).
I have no idea why some people want to use "century" as a synonym for "any old 100 mile ride". It seems more reasonable to use the term how it has been used historically and more specifically.
Last edited by njkayaker; 04-21-23 at 09:25 AM.
04-21-23, 09:53 AM
#140
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Pretty sure the application of the word "century" to a solo ride dates back to 1896: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dora_Rinehart#cite_note-2
04-21-23, 09:55 AM
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Pretty sure the application of the word "century" to a solo ride dates back to 1896: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dora_Rinehart#cite_note-2
https://brag.org/century-bike-ride/#...nited%20States.
The history of century bike rides is almost as old as the bicycle itself! While its origins are a tad murky, the first century bike ride on record occurs in 1876 when a group of cyclists rode from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. This ride was organized by bicycle enthusiast Albert Pope, credited with popularizing the sport of bicycling in the United States. In the 1890’s, Colorado cyclist Dora Rinehart gained notoriety for her century rides in Denver.
Ottawa’s Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour started in 1972 with eighty riders. The Apple Cider Century in Michigan dates back to 1974.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_ride
A century ride is a road cycling ride of 100 kilometers or more in metric system countries or 100 miles (160.9 km) or more in imperial system countries, usually as a cycling club-sponsored event. Many cycling clubs sponsor an annual century ride as both a social event for cyclists and as a fund-raiser for the club’s other activities.
Since we can already refer to "any old 100 mile ride" as a "100 mile ride", one doesn't need to use the term "century" for this. Anyway, many more people are going to understand "100 mile ride".
Last edited by njkayaker; 04-21-23 at 10:26 AM.
04-21-23, 09:56 AM
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6 pages on this question. Really? It's spring, maybe more of us should be out riding centuries.
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04-21-23, 10:10 AM
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Dora Rinehart coined the term a century of years ago, more or less. Rides of 100 miles were already common but she supposedly came up with the term. She rode over 100 centuries and ten straight days in July. I hear she did not get the official patch.
Ages ago, I rode with a wheelman club and 3-4 of us would often do a "Century" on the weekend.
Sanctioned centuries were also available, usually a couple bucks with someone making brownies and there was a patch. To suggest only these sanctioned events are centuries is silly. Doing it in one day is the only requirement I have seen or heard. There are no controls or checks. I've see riders stopping for lunch and beers or swimming in hot weather.
Ages ago, I rode with a wheelman club and 3-4 of us would often do a "Century" on the weekend.
Sanctioned centuries were also available, usually a couple bucks with someone making brownies and there was a patch. To suggest only these sanctioned events are centuries is silly. Doing it in one day is the only requirement I have seen or heard. There are no controls or checks. I've see riders stopping for lunch and beers or swimming in hot weather.
04-21-23, 10:29 AM
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Were you there or do you just prefer your google search.
You said
No. You are 100% wrong.
You said
As far as I know, the term "century" originated as a name for a ride of 100 miles, along a particular course, within a particular amount of time run/sponsored by an organization.
04-21-23, 10:29 AM
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If you take a 90 minute break for lunch, but you only have soup, does it still count as a century?
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04-21-23, 10:47 AM
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04-21-23, 11:18 AM
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04-21-23, 11:30 AM
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I'm really disappointed with cycling nomenclature.
Why not name a century after a city of antiquity?
Running a Marathon just sounds better to me than riding a century.
From now on, my centuries (few in my lifetime) will me known as a Paris.
Note, the first pedal bicycle was invented in Paris.
Why not name a century after a city of antiquity?
Running a Marathon just sounds better to me than riding a century.
From now on, my centuries (few in my lifetime) will me known as a Paris.
Note, the first pedal bicycle was invented in Paris.
