Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

What counts as a century?

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

What counts as a century?

Old 09-14-22, 11:37 AM
  #51  
genejockey 
Klaatu..Verata..Necktie?
 
genejockey's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 17,649

Bikes: Litespeed Ultimate, Ultegra; Canyon Endurace, 105; Battaglin MAX, Chorus; Bianchi 928 Veloce; Ritchey Road Logic, Dura Ace; Cannondale R500 RX100; Schwinn Circuit, Sante; Lotus Supreme, Dura Ace

Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10243 Post(s)
Liked 11,595 Times in 5,942 Posts
Originally Posted by rsbob
Do you really exist? How do you know? What evidence other than your sensory perception do you have? Do you exist in parallel universes and how do you know if this one is your actual reality?
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
__________________
"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."

"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
genejockey is offline  
Likes For genejockey:
Old 09-14-22, 11:37 AM
  #52  
livedarklions
Tragically Ignorant
 
livedarklions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613

Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,094 Times in 5,053 Posts
Originally Posted by BobsPoprad
You all have good ideas....but I have the real answer.

If you got/bought a t-shirt/jersey for the "event," then it was a century (distance covered of course). If there is a cutoff time, then you need to be in by that time.

If not, it was just a long ride.

Same with marathons.

Done plenty of both.

You're welcome 😁
So if I buy myself a t-shirt and ride 100 miles, it's a solo century? Guess I don't see the need for the shirt, I already have too many.

Marathon is a race, a century really is just a long ride.
livedarklions is offline  
Likes For livedarklions:
Old 09-14-22, 11:39 AM
  #53  
livedarklions
Tragically Ignorant
 
livedarklions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613

Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,094 Times in 5,053 Posts
Originally Posted by rsbob
Do you really exist? How do you know? What evidence other than your sensory perception do you have? Do you exist in parallel universes and how do you know if this one is your actual reality?

Brains in vats on bikes.
livedarklions is offline  
Likes For livedarklions:
Old 09-14-22, 11:47 AM
  #54  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,520

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5218 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by LarrySellerz
do you think it counts as a century?
in whose mind? yours? sure, why not!
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 11:58 AM
  #55  
livedarklions
Tragically Ignorant
 
livedarklions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613

Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,094 Times in 5,053 Posts
Originally Posted by 70sSanO
It really comes down to the spirit of riding a century. Someone who rides an unsupported 50 mile loop that starts and ends at home, eats lunch and goes out and rides it again should constitute a century. Eating at home is no different than any place else, especially unsupported and not an organized event.

Riding the 50 mile loop early in the morning, coming home, getting a massage, hooking up an IV, and taking a couple hour nap might be pushing it.

Likewise, finding a 25 mile primarily downhill and riding it 4 times in a day, being shuttled up to the top, just to get 100 miles is not really in the spirit of riding a century. Though technically being in the saddle for 100 miles with the occasional movement of the cranks.

John

Last century I rode, I did 53 miles, got the new COVID shot, rode a few miles more, had lunch at a pub, then rode the remaining 46 mile. Did that count? Sure felt like it on the hills back home.

Agree with you on the get a ride uphill, ride downhill one, though. That one's really not primarily under one's own power--It's basically powered by the potential energy stored by the drive uphill.
livedarklions is offline  
Likes For livedarklions:
Old 09-14-22, 12:09 PM
  #56  
Mojo31
-------
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Tejas
Posts: 12,617
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9520 Post(s)
Liked 6,265 Times in 3,453 Posts
Originally Posted by rsbob
If your significant other joins you for an overnight hotel stay and things get romantic, is it for the ride or is the brevet off at that point and you have to start over?
It's a ride within a ride.
Mojo31 is offline  
Likes For Mojo31:
Old 09-14-22, 12:19 PM
  #57  
Badger6
Obsessed with Eddington
 
Badger6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Brussels (BE) 🇧🇪
Posts: 1,330

Bikes: '16 Spesh Diverge, '14 Spesh Fatboy, '18 Spesh Epic, '18 Spesh SL6, '21 Spesh SL7, '21 Spesh Diverge...and maybe n+1?

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 621 Times in 368 Posts
Originally Posted by cxwrench
And end up with another thread that's at least 5 pages long because everyone has to argue about it. Forever.
Almost there…doing my part. No dumpsters this time, though, please people, let’s stay out of the dumpsters.
Badger6 is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 01:30 PM
  #58  
Milton Keynes
Senior Member
 
Milton Keynes's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 3,947

Bikes: Trek 1100 road bike, Roadmaster gravel/commuter/beater mountain bike

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2281 Post(s)
Liked 1,710 Times in 936 Posts
Originally Posted by genejockey
What do I mean by the word 'mean'? What do I mean by the word 'word'? What do I mean by 'what do I mean'? What do I mean by 'do' and what do I do by 'mean'? And what do I do by do by do and what do I mean by wasting your time like this? Good night.
It depends on what the definition of the word "is" is.

*edit* Dang, rsbob beat me to it.
Milton Keynes is offline  
Likes For Milton Keynes:
Old 09-14-22, 01:32 PM
  #59  
Wildwood 
Veteran, Pacifist
 
Wildwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,303

Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?

Mentioned: 284 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3874 Post(s)
Liked 4,779 Times in 2,204 Posts









__________________
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Wildwood is online now  
Old 09-14-22, 01:33 PM
  #60  
Milton Keynes
Senior Member
 
Milton Keynes's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 3,947

Bikes: Trek 1100 road bike, Roadmaster gravel/commuter/beater mountain bike

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2281 Post(s)
Liked 1,710 Times in 936 Posts
Originally Posted by genejockey
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Nothing really matters, anyone can see.
Milton Keynes is offline  
Likes For Milton Keynes:
Old 09-14-22, 01:35 PM
  #61  
livedarklions
Tragically Ignorant
 
livedarklions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613

Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,094 Times in 5,053 Posts
Originally Posted by hazetguy
if i go to the local velodrome (500m / 1/3 mile) and do 300+ laps "in a day", does that count as a century? but again, I would need to know the parameters of the definitions of "century", "a day", and "mile".

OK, so I think I figured out the formula:

Whatever I do to get to 100 miles in a day is a century, what anybody else does is just a bunch of rides in a day. I am the cool kids table, dammit.
livedarklions is offline  
Likes For livedarklions:
Old 09-14-22, 01:38 PM
  #62  
livedarklions
Tragically Ignorant
 
livedarklions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613

Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,094 Times in 5,053 Posts
Originally Posted by Milton Keynes
It depends on what the definition of the word "is" is.

*edit* Dang, rsbob beat me to it.

Did he, though? I think that depends on what his definition of "what the definition of 'is' is" is.
livedarklions is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 01:39 PM
  #63  
Wildwood 
Veteran, Pacifist
 
Wildwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,303

Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?

Mentioned: 284 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3874 Post(s)
Liked 4,779 Times in 2,204 Posts
I have become comfortably numb...





only p3
__________________
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.

Last edited by Wildwood; 09-14-22 at 01:45 PM.
Wildwood is online now  
Likes For Wildwood:
Old 09-14-22, 01:40 PM
  #64  
livedarklions
Tragically Ignorant
 
livedarklions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613

Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,094 Times in 5,053 Posts
Originally Posted by Wildwood










We really need a "chug the dumpster vodka" gif.
livedarklions is offline  
Likes For livedarklions:
Old 09-14-22, 02:12 PM
  #65  
urbanknight
Over the hill
 
urbanknight's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 24,340

Bikes: Giant Defy, Giant Revolt

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 987 Post(s)
Liked 1,186 Times in 681 Posts
Originally Posted by livedarklions
If it's in the same day, it's a century. Walking 24 miles isn't a marathon because a marathon is a running race. A century is a 100 mile bike ride, not a race, who cares if you cut it up in segments? Actually, who cares what you or I or anyone else calls it? I call it a century to give myself a mileage goal for the day, I'm not putting it up on some Galactic scoreboard.
Reminds me of a thread over a decade ago about how to time your century. Rolling time only, or keep the clock ticking from start to finish?
__________________
It's like riding a bicycle
urbanknight is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 02:20 PM
  #66  
70sSanO
Senior Member
 
70sSanO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Mission Viejo
Posts: 5,768

Bikes: 1986 Cannondale SR400 (Flat bar commuter), 1988 Cannondale Criterium XTR, 1992 Serotta T-Max, 1995 Trek 970

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1935 Post(s)
Liked 2,148 Times in 1,312 Posts
Originally Posted by livedarklions
Last century I rode, I did 53 miles, got the new COVID shot, rode a few miles more, had lunch at a pub, then rode the remaining 46 mile. Did that count? Sure felt like it on the hills back home.

Agree with you on the get a ride uphill, ride downhill one, though. That one's really not primarily under one's own power--It's basically powered by the potential energy stored by the drive uphill.
I’m not the century police, but I’d say that’s a century.

Another aspect of riding is destination riding. Some of the best rides are just picking a place to ride and going there. That shouldn’t get lost in the numbers.

Unfortunately as I age the destination might be picking up the neighbor’s mail when they are on vacation. Still hits the century mark, the only change is the unit of measure.

John
70sSanO is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 03:12 PM
  #67  
GhostRider62
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 4,083
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2332 Post(s)
Liked 2,094 Times in 1,311 Posts
Originally Posted by downtube42
It all depends on whether, when you're doing that non riding stuff in-between, you're still on a ride.

I do multi-day brevets, and I consider them a single ride because the clock is ticking. Even if I'm in my overnight hotel sleeping, I'm still on the ride. Because during that whole time, the ride is what life is all about. If I'm eating, it's to fuel the ride. If I'm sleeping, it's because I need sleep to carry on or because supplies are not available at night. But if I decide to DNF at the overnight, and ride home the next day, that was two rides. It's a state of mind.

I once did a 1000k brevet that was such a stupidly fast course that on the 2nd overnight, we had a campfire with hotdogs and marshmallows, then time for 8 hours of sleep. I call that one pretty marginal about being a single ride. The clock was ticking, but there was so much off-bike time it felt like multiple rides.
On my 600k this year, I had my typical pain associated with a problematic cervical spine but having done the 400k in around 14 hours, it occurred to me I could go home to sleep in a real bed and come home. It did not feel like one ride although it technically was. OTOH, I did PBP without sleep only stopping for food and one dump. Some have told me that was not a non-stop ride because I sat down and ate twice and used the WC once. It really gets silly. A Randonneur or RAAM rider doing a 24 hour or longer event would never question the legitmacy of the distance covered. So, if you crashed like I did in the World 12/24 and had to stop for 90 or so minutes, the folks in this thread would say I stopped. I just looked.....my AG winners jersey says otherwise.
GhostRider62 is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 03:25 PM
  #68  
phughes
Senior Member
 
phughes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,055
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1018 Post(s)
Liked 1,246 Times in 719 Posts
Originally Posted by livedarklions
We really need a "chug the dumpster vodka" gif.

phughes is offline  
Likes For phughes:
Old 09-14-22, 05:16 PM
  #69  
Ghazmh
Senior Member
 
Ghazmh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The banks of the River Charles
Posts: 2,020

Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease, 2020 Seven Evergreen, 2019 Honey Allroads Ti, 2018 Seven Redsky XX, 2017 Trek Boon 7, 2014 Trek 520

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 693 Post(s)
Liked 903 Times in 486 Posts
If you ride some miles then go home take a shower, change into normal clothes do something unrelated to cycling then Lycra up and ride some more putting you up to or over 100 miles then no. It’s not a 100 mile bike ride aka a century ride. You’d just have the honor of saying you had rode 100 in one day. Still impressive if actually done.
Ghazmh is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 07:04 PM
  #70  
rsbob 
Grupetto Bob
 
rsbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,065

Bikes: Bikey McBike Face

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2512 Post(s)
Liked 5,424 Times in 2,825 Posts
Originally Posted by livedarklions
Did he, though? I think that depends on what his definition of "what the definition of 'is' is" is.
It is what it is, but more importantly; is not what it is not. Whatever will be will be. The future’s not ours to see…. Clear now? T-shirt please.
__________________
Road 🚴🏾‍♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾‍♂️







rsbob is offline  
Likes For rsbob:
Old 09-14-22, 07:08 PM
  #71  
rsbob 
Grupetto Bob
 
rsbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,065

Bikes: Bikey McBike Face

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2512 Post(s)
Liked 5,424 Times in 2,825 Posts
Originally Posted by Wildwood
I have become comfortably numb...

only p3
Do your hands feel like two balloons?
__________________
Road 🚴🏾‍♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾‍♂️







rsbob is offline  
Likes For rsbob:
Old 09-14-22, 07:10 PM
  #72  
rsbob 
Grupetto Bob
 
rsbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,065

Bikes: Bikey McBike Face

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2512 Post(s)
Liked 5,424 Times in 2,825 Posts
Originally Posted by livedarklions
If it's in the same day, it's a century. Walking 24 miles isn't a marathon because a marathon is a running race. A century is a 100 mile bike ride, not a race, who cares if you cut it up in segments? Actually, who cares what you or I or anyone else calls it? I call it a century to give myself a mileage goal for the day, I'm not putting it up on some Galactic scoreboard.
Sound the buzzer. Remember? No t-shirt no century, unless you stop off at JC Pennys and buy one.
__________________
Road 🚴🏾‍♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾‍♂️







rsbob is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 07:20 PM
  #73  
Wildwood 
Veteran, Pacifist
 
Wildwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,303

Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?

Mentioned: 284 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3874 Post(s)
Liked 4,779 Times in 2,204 Posts
Originally Posted by rsbob
Do your hands feel like two balloons?

What hands?



It’s a magic carpet ride for the bozos on the bus,… but I still haven’t found what I’m lookin for.
__________________
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Wildwood is online now  
Likes For Wildwood:
Old 09-14-22, 07:45 PM
  #74  
rsbob 
Grupetto Bob
 
rsbob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,065

Bikes: Bikey McBike Face

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2512 Post(s)
Liked 5,424 Times in 2,825 Posts
Originally Posted by Wildwood
What hands?



It’s a magic carpet ride for the bozos on the bus,… but I still haven’t found what I’m lookin for.

I Think We're All Bozos on This Bus!

__________________
Road 🚴🏾‍♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾‍♂️







rsbob is offline  
Old 09-14-22, 08:05 PM
  #75  
big john
Senior Member
 
big john's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,095
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8183 Post(s)
Liked 8,841 Times in 4,390 Posts
Originally Posted by urbanknight
Reminds me of a thread over a decade ago about how to time your century. Rolling time only, or keep the clock ticking from start to finish?
I remember threads about that. I also remember lots of threads about "what constitutes a century?"

What counts as a century? - Bike Forums

So what counts as a (metric) century? - Bike Forums

Last edited by big john; 09-14-22 at 08:14 PM.
big john is online now  
Likes For big john:

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.