SpeedyBlueBiker

If you are riding a summer century most likely the weather will be very warm and/or hot. I would suggest carrying two water bottles with you. At the rest stops make sure to refill them. Good idea to drink as much as you can at the rest stop and then leave with the two bottles both filled to the brim. A good idea is to eat quite a bit at the rest stops. This will help give your body more fuel to burn. Most of all have fun and snap some pics with you and your friends.

GamblerGORD53

If it's 78F+ you will need 2 bottles every 33 miles. I wear golf clothes and a baseball cap so I sweat more likely.
I had 120 mile days with 7 bottles and 2 lunches and still came home 5 lbs dehydrated. Actually I always get dehydrated anyway. But then my lightest bike will be 48 lbs with load and last summer I was 69. I start with 1 lemon Gatorade and 2 or 3 water. On all day rides iced water is in Kleen canteen thermoses.

My first step is look at the weather forecast and pick a loop that has the LEAST headwinds. I've come to realize starting into the wind is a BAD idea. I'll be 3/4 tired at lunch and either way, I go way slower on the return half. Sometimes I get a tailwind both directions. LOL.
Have a good breakfast with some protein. I seldom carry anything to eat, likely why I bonk. In the afternoon I get an icecream at a gas station.
I always have a town at the 45 mile or so midway point, about 3.5 or 4 hours. I have a big slow lunch to rest. Then I like just looking around and putter around the town for another hour, or I might get a stomachache. The hilly routes I will get more cramps for sure.
I let the wind decide my speed. Could be 13 or 19 mph. On the back half I will just stop for 1 or 2 minutes every few miles. Have a drink and take a photo. Early in the season watch out for sunburned arms.

My last 101 was on my Rohloff14 tour bike at 73 lbs, 10 hours flat. Busy traffic winds will boost your speed.
But Yah, I know NOBODY else does this. LOL That's why I seldom see anybody else on truck highways.
Last year I had 95 and 105 mile rides with just 2 days between. The second went easier. Both with my SA XL-RD5w.
90 miles is quite a bit easier than a hundred, so do a 90 first.

groverdill

OK folks, I’ve got some feedback for you based on the tips you all gave me. I took a 28 mile ride on the local trail today, and I utilized the tips and tricks from this post. Brilliant! The last time I rode the 28 mile trail I bonked hard and almost didn’t make it back. I hadn’t ridden in a while, and all I took was one bottle of water. Wasn’t pretty. But today, I paced myself, took extra water and Gatorade, and some protein bars and other snacks. I had a hearty breakfast, I drank before I was thirsty, I snacked every 30 minutes, I stopped to stretch occasionally, and I changed positions. I figure if those tips would work on a hundred mile ride they should work for a shorter ride too. And they did! I got back from the ride with energy to spare. I’m at 88 miles for the past 5 days, so I’m going to go do those last 12 later today. Finishing my hundred for the week with 2 days to spare, thanks to your advice. Now I’m more confident than ever about completing a century ride in one day. Thank you everyone!

Mike

wheelreason

No, no, no. These are tips for long rides above your capabilities, right now you want to ride tempo rides, with few or no stops, drinking, yes, eating, sure but not much, and mostly carbs.

groverdill

Well, it worked fine for me today. Just like they say, if it’s stupid but it works, it ain’t stupid. 👍🏻

Mike

wheelreason

I'm not sure what you think "worked fine" for you, unless the 28 miles were all uphill, what you describe isn't going to help prepare you for a century, but YDY, and good luck.

Smaug1

1. The club moved up the start time and didn’t tell me, so I rode alone. That pissed me off.
2. I had a good breakfast but not too heavy. Rode ~ 40 miles, at which point I was out of water. I was hungry too, so I stopped for a bacon cheeseburger, fries, salad and a couple beers. It took awhile before it didn’t feel like a brick in my stomach.
   
3. I didn’t feel hungry the rest of the day, so I didn’t eat. I bonked at about 80 miles, and the last 20 was tough; I finished averaging maybe 9 mph. (Usually would’ve been 13-14)
4. I had a hard time finding water on the last 30 miles; actually had to stop in a gas station and buy some, but it was very good. (Evian)

I got home and had a good stretch, shower and bathroom visit and slept for 2-3 hours. Didn’t want to ride again for five days after.

Main lesson was to eat less, but even if not hungry. Drink plenty, but small doses.

I had been riding with my club for a month or two. 25 miles twice a week and 40-50 each weekend.

Troul 

the load that you're feeling sub 50 miles is nothing compared to 70, 80, 100~.
goes easy upfront & go light with food in the beginning.
make sure your bicycle is maintained & don't do any last minute "adjustments" to it.

BTinNYC 

For that century, solo or organized, first take practice rides on all the different parts of the big ride. Especially the tough parts. This helps with confidence and pacing on the big day.

One Wheel

28 miles is a bit less than a 2 hour ride for me. Less than 1.5 hours I'll usually not bring anything other than water, longer than that I'll eat a bar or gel every 30 minutes, maybe skip the last one. You won't learn much that will be of use on a century on a ride shorter than 50 miles.

That said, there are a couple of issues I've run into on 100 mile rides and not 50 mile rides:

- Shoe fit: not sure what it is, but shoes can get really uncomfortable after a few hours. I thought my feet were swelling, then I measured before and after a long ride and they shrank. Don't know what it is, but it can really derail an otherwise great ride.

- Stomach capacity: I can eat a Clif bar every half hour for about 4 hours before I start running into issues. 6-8 hours can be a real problem. Gels are more compact, alternating is probably best. Fluids move more quickly, you don't need to think as much about that. Just drink anytime you have an excuse, or want an excuse, to drink. A sip every 3-5 minutes is probably about right. My water consumption varies drastically with temperature, from less than half a bottle per hour to about 2 bottles per hour. I'll usually start with 2 bottles of water and if I stop to refill I usually refill with 1 water and 1 Gatorade.

As far as pacing, I'll break slightly with the common wisdom. Figure your normal average speed, divide 100 miles by that to figure out how long it should take you, and set out at a pace you think you can maintain for one hour longer than that. Part of getting tired is how hard you're working, part is how long. Pushing harder will get you to the end faster, if you can maintain it.

Good luck! I think 100k is my favorite distance to ride, but 100 miles is a nice full day out on the bike (for me). I think I'm going to try to get at least one imperial century each month from May to November this year.

GamblerGORD53

Hey, It's still the Ides of March up in winterville. I haven't done a 20 mile day yet. Did 18.5 in 3 hours today and I find out my new pants are chaffing my thigh. Oooof.
20 minutes I was in the bike co-op. 13 miles yesterday and about 6 other similar days so far. Takes me about 350 miles to get ready for the highway.
I have to ride 8 or 12 miles just to get out of the city. I'm lucky if I have much arm tan by the end of May. I had to start wearing socks on them after they got fried the first 92 mile ride last year. I'm lucky if I get a decent weather day and swept road shoulders before May anyway.

boomer58 

This is a great thread. I am doing the Tour de Cure ride in Orlando this coming Sunday and I have been riding a lot trying to get myself ready. I signed up for the 63 mile ride and that will be my furthest yet. I can do 45 mile rides and I am tired but not where I can't continue. I did have a situation where I was having a low blood sugar and it not only mentally but physically drained me. I will bring plenty of snacks and I know they will have plenty of rest stops along the way. I generally bring Gatorade with me but have been meaning to ask on here what you guys and gals bring for electrolytes ? I am wondering if there is something better than Gatorade. Good luck on your century Groverdill, boomer

Random11

On shorter rides, I take water. Longer rides, Gatorade. I'm sure you'll get many views on this,but I've never had any hydration issues with Gatorade.

Yan 

There's nothing to it. Pop an audiobook in your ear.

rsbob 

Lots of sunscreen.

diphthong

early start so that dwindling sunlight is one less reason to shortcut/pull the plug on the century attempt.
if you do it right, you should have 50+ miles under your belt before noon.
a flattish century is waay easier than a hilly/mountainous one.
have usually schedded a fave lunch place enroute in the 40-60 miles ridden zone (to have something to look forward to in the first half) altho did it at the 92 miles ridden point once.
as mentioned elsewhere, scenery is a great companion on the journey. helps to have roads that pull you along to see what's around the next bend.
if it's going to be a mountainous/ hilly century, try to knock out the hardest/longest climb first.
if you have a chance to ride segments beforehand, do it. especially the hardest projected stretch. at least drive it slowly.

once you've got a few under your belt, you can mess around and see what works best for you with calorie intake, scenery, altitude gained, prevailing winds, road quality, et al.

bikingshearer 

Good luck on your first century ride. I don't think you will need it (you'll do fine), but like chicken soup, it couldn't hurt.

My list, mostly repeats or distillations of what has been said before, a few not. These are for the first century ride - use you experience at the first one to tweak what you want to do for the next one.

1. Your adrenaline will make you want to go hard at the start. Don't. Set a pace you think you can maintain all day, then slow down a hair. Keep some energy in reserve.
2 Stop at every rest stop even if you don't think you need to. It's good for morale and helps keep the ride from degenerating into one long slog.
3. Eat at every rest stop, but not a lot. Again, it's good for morale and the reward of a treat makes it easier to think in terms of riding to the next rest stop, not the remaining 73 miles.
4. Fill your bottles at every rest stop. Better the have and not need than to need and not have.
5. I found that I did best if I spent no more than 5 to (at most) 10 minutes at non-lunch rest stops
6. Do not try out anything new at the event. If you want to try out a new saddle, new shoes, new components, new shorts, new helmet, new bar tape, new damn near anything, do it at least two weeks before the event. You want your gear to feel familiar during the event itself.
7. At lunch, eat more than you do at a regular rest stop but less than you would at a workaday lunch break You probably do not want to gorge on sandwiches, for example, but you do want a half or full sandwich.
8. The lunch can be (and probably should be) longer than the other rest stops, but I'd suggest no more that 30 minutes, 20 is better, 15 is better yet if your mental state permits,
9. The hardest part of the ride, mentally, often hits around an hour or so after lunch. You are feeling the effort and are starting to think "Oh my God, I have another 40 miles of this." That feeling is normal.
10. If you feel the need to take a break between rest stops, do so. But set a number to count to (25, 50, 100, whatever) at which time you will start again, even of only for a little while. You'd be surprised how far you can get that way.
11. Have two or three Gu packets or the equivalent to consume if you feel the beginnings of bonk/hunger knock. (Payday candy bars are great for this, too.) In one century, I started to feel a little shaky about mile 85 - a Gu or two didn't exactly make me feel like a new man, but it staved off the bonk and I felt okay for the rest of the ride
12. Always remember: Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty, rest before you are tired.

Oh, and please do not wear ear buds to listen to an audiobook, music, or anything else. One, it's a safety issue - you need to be able to hear as well as see what's going on around you. Two, it's a social issue. You're going to be around a bunch of fun, like-minded people who can become good friends, if only for the next ten miles. Why would you want to shut them out?

wheelreason

So just Madela effect the course? or...... Aliens! I knew it!...

blacknbluebikes 

If you have the time, keep ramping up to do a 90 the week before, then take an easy week. Then, event day will be "previously confirmed."

Pratt

Lots of good advice, but the best piece, to my mind is slow down.
What ever you average on your training rides, aim for maybe 75% that fast.
If you catch up to someone, ride behind them for five minutes or so and debate with yourself whether you should pass them.
Have fun.

boomer58 

While we are on this subject, I will be doing the Tour de Cure ride this Sunday ( the 63 mile part). This will be my furthest ride yet and I feel I am up for it. I realize this is a ride that most of the people on here can do before breakfast but it's a big deal for me. When getting ready for a ride like this, do you generally take a couple days off before the ride to rest up a little or is it advisable to ride more a day or 2 to prepare for it ? boomer

Lamont Cobb

I've never ridden a century so have no advice to give, but want to wish you good luck and success.

Pantah

I, admittedly, don't do these length of rides on anything more than a very rare basis, but I do plenty of running races every year so the mindset is similar. When I'm coming up on a big race, if it's anything half marathon distance or under, I'll run my usual schedule but take 2, sometimes 3, days off before race day. That works well for me and I feel as though it serves me well too for longer rides. In the world of running, a common practice is to go on a light run the day before to keep the legs loose, or something like that. We're talking a distance that maybe 10% of what you'll do race day at 50% effort, so short and easy. I can't say if it's something that's done in cycling but it wouldn't surprise me if something to that effect is.