Century 101

• Posted on 26 June 2023
• By KW
• 0

Have you ever done the "bike marathon"? 100 miles on a bike can be a wonderful journey if you're prepared. Let's see if we can help you get there!

Over the past 15 years I participated in the National 24-Hour Challenge several times.  It's an endurance test that used to take place in Barry County (home of the BRX) up until about 2020.  Basically it's an 8:00 a.m. Saturday to 8:00 a.m. Sunday trek on the roads around the countryside to see how many loops you could complete.  My PR was 240 miles; I had the legs for 300, but not the mental faculties at the time...  Maybe you'd like to do something crazy, too, like a 100-mile gravel ride.  Well, as you may have guessed, we are here for you!

On Sunday, July 23, MSBC will be hosting and supporting a 100-mile gravel ride that we are calling "Century 101."  It will be made up of three 33-mile loops on the gravel roads NE of the shop (if you've ridden with us on Wednesdays or Thursdays, you'll know much of the route).  We will have some hydration and some encouragement available as you complete each loop.  We might also entice you with some delicious snacks for after the event!

How does one prep for a century ride?  Are there  certain steps, any specific methods?  Well, to a certain extent it's an individual preference, but yes, there are specific things you can do to help achieve your goal.  (Honestly, they all involve a lot of riding...)  You can Google it - lots of people have written on how to prep for a century, and we don't need to reinvent the wheel here.  Bicycling Magazine has a good plan or two, as does Global Cycling Network.  

The first and most important element of success is knowing your event pace and sticking to it.  If you want to finish the 100 miles in six hours, then you'll need to average 16-17 mph.  Cool.  But remember that that is an average speed.  So stopping, re-starts from a red light or stop sign, etc., all work to your disadvantage.  So now your 16-17 mph ends up being much closer to 20 in order to finish at your goal.  But find your pace and stick to it.  Don't let other riders influence you - "hey, join our group and you can draft a little" can end up being more taxing than you think and ruin your pace and therefore your ride  (ask me how I know...).  I really don't do endurance events with more than one other person to avoid that problem.

What is your event pace?  Well, it would be the maximum speed you can hold for 100 miles.  That may very likely be slower than the pace you can hold for 10 miles.  Or 20.  And don't forget the drag coefficient of gravel vs. pavement - expect a 15% reduction in speed on gravel if you spend most of your time on pavement.    

For maximum efficiency and happiness, I personally recommend the idea of starting small: "I want to FINISH a century."  From there you can move on to a time, maybe after you've done your first one and see how you did.  "Hey, I did this in eight hours!  Not bad.  Next time I will try it in seven."  (Eight hours is a perfectly respectable century time, by the way.  It would be a good first effort.)

You can also decide to START a century, or just do a part of one.  Many riders are happy with a "metric century," which would be two of the loops, for a total of 66 miles (even though 63 is the number you're looking for).  Even doing one loop might be your accomplishment.  The best part about endurance events is that you're not racing anyone else; it's all about your own satisfaction.  

The important thing is that you DO IT.  One loop, two, or all three.  A goal time.  A goal pace.  Something.  Just start pedaling - no matter what, you're lapping everyone on the couch.