What counts as a century?
#101
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Well, pretty much everyone defines a century as 100 miles in a day, so I guess you're arguing with all the people who are arguing that a day is 7 days, right?
Really stupid post.
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#102
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The highly coveted Moth to Flame award goes to livedarklions who has 21 posts out of 104. I did not try to complete the podium.
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#104
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If you're going to do your metric century, you might as well work to find the route that you can get the most out of it. Crater Lake, Mt Scott to Steamboat.
70.24 miles (113 km, went over a bit).
Drop from 7,750 feet elevation down to 1,153 feet.
For a total elevation loss of 6,597 feet, or 1 1/4 miles (not counting some minor elevation gains and losses).
70.24 miles (113 km, went over a bit).
Drop from 7,750 feet elevation down to 1,153 feet.
For a total elevation loss of 6,597 feet, or 1 1/4 miles (not counting some minor elevation gains and losses).
Last edited by CliffordK; 09-16-22 at 10:23 AM.
#105
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The highly coveted Moth to Flame award goes to livedarklions who has 21 posts out of 104. I did not try to complete the podium.
Why? I'm having fun with the discussion, so in what sense am I a moth getting burned?
It's a lot more fun topic than Larry usually puts out there.
And now I have 22, yay for me!
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#107
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Am almost ashamed to admit I haven’t ridden a century in about a quarter century. HOWEVER, this thread has shown me the way to do it this year and possibly do it every day for the rest of the year thanks to the brilliance of BF. My strategy is to ride 10 miles in an hour every hour for 10 hours. Since my usual pace is 18, it leaves me plenty of time each hour for coffee, relaxing, a short massage, lunch, doing the laundry and walking the dog fixing a quick meal, sex, etc. I love this place!
If I was feeling motivated, I could ride 12-15 miles in an hour and get it done 20% faster or there-abouts, but it won’t do my love life any favors. I wasn’t a math major or minor or in between.
If I was feeling motivated, I could ride 12-15 miles in an hour and get it done 20% faster or there-abouts, but it won’t do my love life any favors. I wasn’t a math major or minor or in between.
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Last edited by rsbob; 09-16-22 at 11:37 AM.
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#108
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#109
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Am almost ashamed to admit I haven’t ridden a century in about a quarter century. HOWEVER, this thread has shown me the way to do it this year and possibly do it every day for the rest of the year thanks to the brilliance of BF. My strategy is to ride 10 miles in an hour every hour for 10 hours. Since my usual pace is 18, it leaves me plenty of time each hour for coffee, relaxing, a short massage, lunch, doing the laundry and walking the dog fixing a quick meal, sex, etc. I love this place!
If I was feeling motivated, I could ride 12-15 miles in an hour and get it done 20% faster or there-abouts, but it won’t do my love life any favors. I wasn’t a math major or minor or in between.
If I was feeling motivated, I could ride 12-15 miles in an hour and get it done 20% faster or there-abouts, but it won’t do my love life any favors. I wasn’t a math major or minor or in between.
Is it just me, or is this kind of thread the closest BF gets to a fun "water cooler" conversation? That list of things you could do while completing a century is priceless!
#111
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It took me a while to warm up to Larry's style. I tip my hat to him. He is good. Very good. Not quite a virtuoso, but his work is guaranteed to pull folks in.
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So if I start my century with a group ride with the Saturday Speedy Stormriders, then ride solo for a while, stop for lunch, and end my 100 mile ride meeting up with the Afternoon Amblers, that counts as a century, that counts. But if I happen to take three separate rides that add up to 100 miles, that doesn't count. Just like three pieces of metal set at some distance from one another become a sculpture if designated as such, but not otherwise.
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Am almost ashamed to admit I haven’t ridden a century in about a quarter century. HOWEVER, this thread has shown me the way to do it this year and possibly do it every day for the rest of the year thanks to the brilliance of BF. My strategy is to ride 10 miles in an hour every hour for 10 hours. Since my usual pace is 18, it leaves me plenty of time each hour for coffee, relaxing, a short massage, lunch, doing the laundry and walking the dog fixing a quick meal, sex, etc. I love this place!
If I was feeling motivated, I could ride 12-15 miles in an hour and get it done 20% faster or there-abouts, but it won’t do my love life any favors. I wasn’t a math major or minor or in between.
If I was feeling motivated, I could ride 12-15 miles in an hour and get it done 20% faster or there-abouts, but it won’t do my love life any favors. I wasn’t a math major or minor or in between.
I take a light bike with lots of lights (and a good Bluetooth stereo), and ride a lap. Or ride another lap. Or hang out at the start/finish line and snack. Or ride another lap. No big deal - we have all night. Hang out, ride, repeat. Unless a monsoon storm decides to rearrange the schedule as what happened in 2021, where we sit around and eat while watching nature's electrical show instead (sometimes remarkably close by), then start riding again once the rain & lightning lets up.
And by 8 AM, I typically end up with 100 miles (or more), and I'm usually not sore, cramping, or exhausted, even though it's the middle of our local "off season" of minimal training miles due to homicidal weather. Then to Golden Corral for a celebratory breakfast with one or two other riders, and a long happy nap.
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#116
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So if I start my century with a group ride with the Saturday Speedy Stormriders, then ride solo for a while, stop for lunch, and end my 100 mile ride meeting up with the Afternoon Amblers, that counts as a century, that counts. But if I happen to take three separate rides that add up to 100 miles, that doesn't count. Just like three pieces of metal set at some distance from one another become a sculpture if designated as such, but not otherwise.
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Well, speaking of which, the Seattle Sculpture park has that exact thing, so three separate rides can be a century in one day. If you think about it, every time you get off your bike a ride ends. Then when you resume, its the beginning of a new ride - technically speaking.
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#119
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Besides being an awesome endurance feat, that seems like it is close to practically impossible. Did you never have to stop once or can you do track stands?
To be clear, I'm not doubting you, I just want to know how you managed that because it's such a cool thing to have accomplished.
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People who lack fitness and endurance will come up with all kinds of goofy interpretations of what a century ride is... .Two 50 mile rides don't count, five 20 mile rides don't count, four 25 mile rides don't count, ten 10 mile rides don't count... It's really simple, a century is a 100 mile uninterrupted ride which may include few stops which are no more than few minutes long.
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People who lack fitness and endurance will come up with all kinds of goofy interpretations of what a century ride is... .Two 50 mile rides don't count, five 20 mile rides don't count, four 25 mile rides don't count, ten 10 mile rides don't count... It's really simple, a century is a 100 mile uninterrupted ride which may include few stops which are no more than few minutes long.
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Besides being an awesome endurance feat, that seems like it is close to practically impossible. Did you never have to stop once or can you do track stands?
To be clear, I'm not doubting you, I just want to know how you managed that because it's such a cool thing to have accomplished.
To be clear, I'm not doubting you, I just want to know how you managed that because it's such a cool thing to have accomplished.
If someone had told me they did that before I did, I would've been somewhat incredulous too, but it wasn't as hard as it sounds.
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It took me about 6 1/2 hours. My initial plan was to do a century, but I felt good at 161kms and decided to extend it to Ironman distance. It was a cool and sunny day, almost no wind, ideal for cycling. I have the detailed record somewhere, but I recall eating some bananas and energy bars I carried in my jersey pockets and drinking about 2l of water (2 big bottles). In training I had done some 100km rides on water only, so it wasn't too difficult. Of course when I arrived home, first thing was to pee and drink...
If someone had told me they did that before I did, I would've been somewhat incredulous too, but it wasn't as hard as it sounds.
If someone had told me they did that before I did, I would've been somewhat incredulous too, but it wasn't as hard as it sounds.
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People who lack fitness and endurance will come up with all kinds of goofy interpretations of what a century ride is... .Two 50 mile rides don't count, five 20 mile rides don't count, four 25 mile rides don't count, ten 10 mile rides don't count... It's really simple, a century is a 100 mile uninterrupted ride which may include few stops which are no more than few minutes long.
Nope.
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#125
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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.
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