How To Ride 100 Miles: Taking On Your First Century
Video taken from the channel: Cycling Pulse
How To Train For A 100 Mile Bike Ride.
Video taken from the channel: leonardmlee
How to TRAIN FOR A CENTURY BIKE RIDE (STEP BY STEP)
Video taken from the channel: Chad Bartlett
How To Ride 100 Miles On Your Bike When You Haven’t Done The Training
Video taken from the channel: Global Cycling Network
Five invaluable tips to help you step up from riding 60 to 100 miles | Cycling Weekly
Video taken from the channel: Cycling Weekly
Cycling Your First 100 Miles | How To Prepare For A Century
Video taken from the channel: Global Cycling Network
How To Complete A Century | Top Training Tips For A 100 Mile Bike Ride
Video taken from the channel: Global Cycling Network
Training for a Century Bike Ride Equipment Cycling for a Century. The right equipment means comfort. Your bike should fit you well and should be familiar. Training Plan for Cycling a Century.
The core of your training should be endurance training. If you start your training More Century Training.Train for a century with just three rides per week Long Ride: The Meat.. In your first week, you’ll want to ride 1.5 to 2 hours, or about 20 miles, and build from there. Steady Ride: The Bread and Butter.. During these rides, aim for two to four longer efforts (15 to 30 minutes in length; Speed.
Core Training: Core training strengthens the muscles that help you balance and maneuver your bike, as well as support your body during your rides. Try this core training workout or put together four or five moves of your own from these abs exercises.Do Hill Repeats. If you’re going to be a good climber, you need to train on hills. Workouts such as repeats of 8 to 12 minutes at a 4 to 6 percent grade done at threshold are a great place to start.
You can also do maximum-effort repeats (above your threshold) for one.Training for a century ride is a 100 mile (or 100km, a metric century) feat that many riders choose as one of their first cycling goals. There’s something about the number that just sounds big, exciting, and an accomplishment to complete.
How many other people can say they did 100 of something? And not just something silly like steps or feet.Preparing for a Century Ride Riding a century ride (100 miles) like the Best Buddies Challenge is no walk in the park.
Riding 100-miles is the cycling equivalent of running a marathon in terms of the calories you will burn and time spent exerting energy to make.The fact is that there are certain energy systems that need to be trained in a certain order and in a certain time frame. To train these systems, there are about six basic interval workouts that will work for you whether you are a recreational rider training for your first century or a track racer training.Cycling training plan for beginners.
Our beginner plan is designed for people who are relatively new to the sport and looking to take on a challenge to build fitness and improve overall health.In Peter’s case in the base period he rode five days a week: a long ride, building up slowly to a double century by mid-February, a twoto four-hour tempo ride, and three shorter, easy rides He also did strength training three days a week, took a yoga class twice a week, and stretched and worked on his core muscles four days a week.Train fitness with enough volume, intensity, and climbing. Generally, build up to ride at least 75 miles in a day three times before your event. Work hard at least one day per week.
Include climbing in your workouts. Build up to climb at least as many feet in a.Road bike miles aren’t the same so if you plan on riding on the road a lot for your training, shoot for 75-80% of thetimeyou expect it to take you to ride a dirty century. For example: if you think it’ll take you 12 hours to ride 100 miles off road, your.Train to terrain, meaning if your Century is going to be hilly, ensure that your training rides include some elevation changes.
The outdoor training here depends on your endurance base. Ultimately, the goal is to have one ride of four to five hours under your belt two to three weeks before the century with the goal of targeting saddle time versus distance. Working backwar.There is nothing magical about achieving a specific percentage of the race or event distance in a single training ride. Marathon runners religiously use a 20-mile training run as a marker of preparedness to complete the event.
Some cyclists and.The main principle of training for a century ride is to increase your mileage gradually over a number of weeks until you reach your goal. This will help you avoid injury, burnout, and over-fatigue.
Plus, you’ll be able to detect any issues with your body or your bike that you’ll definitely want to deal with in advance of the big day.
List of related literature:
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| from The Cyclist’s Training Bible |
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| from The Triathlete’s Training Bible: The World’s Most Comprehensive Training Guide, 4th Ed. |
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| from Developing Endurance |
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| from Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, 3rd Ed. |
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| from The Time-Crunched Cyclist: Race-Winning Fitness in 6 Hours a Week, 3rd Ed. |
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| from Runner’s World Complete Book of Running: Everything You Need to Run for Weight Loss, Fitness, and Competition |
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| from Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes |
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| from Training and Racing with a Power Meter, 2nd Ed. |
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| from Inside Team Sky |
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| from The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World |
249 comments
Did 55 miles today first ride over 20 miles in my life in prep for 100 mile aim…hoping to add 5 miles per ride each weekend and get to 80 miles……and then attempt that 100 miles
Goliath rides bikes! �� no matter what I eat and/or drink, I tend to cramp in my quads around mile 50/60 what can you do to alleviate the twitch? Maybe it’s just a matter of fitness
Durring summer I just did 100km rides every Tuesday, I don’t know why Tuesday but yeah Tuesday
The cafe stop…is it really a century if you stop for a cafe break? I understand stopping for a water refill. I did a 50-mile ride this past weekend on a canal towpath (I’ve had my bike 2 months), which is more or less flat. The downside is nowhere to stop for water, so I had to manage with two bottles and the gels and chews I brought. It was raining then snowing during my last 15 miles, but still a great ride. I’d have to add a bladder or some other sort of liquid carrier if I wanted to double the ride, though.
What do you recommend for saddle position? Mine is comfortable enough but during that 50-mile ride I found myself sliding forward, which shifted my weight off of my sit bones onto more sensitive areas. I didn’t always notice, and by the end I was pretty numb, which I know is not good! I’ve moved my saddle as far forward as it will go and angled it slightly upward to keep me from sliding toward the tip. I hope it works.
I did 50 miles the other day and it was really doable but to double that i can imagine would be tough but weirdly seems very doable and i ride an old dawes from the 80’s. P.S i wore shorts and a tshirt with a bottle of water pucker.
hi guys ive recently started following you guys i love all your tips they are really helpful. My name is Adrian and yesterday i did my first century.It was an amazing eperience thanks for everything
So I guess my first 118 km ride on a single speed at 49 doesn’t count?
For an overweight guy that smokes I think it was alright. The path I rode was the waterfront trail in Ontario. Unknown to me as I’ve never ridden the route in that direction was that it took me into the country. That’s right, gravel roads, barns and cows. Do you know how hard it is to ride up hills on a gravel road on a single speed? I do now and it’s not that great.
say you did a century and dont tell em it was a metric one. works just as well and they’re easier lol
I’ve been able to do a couple of 100+ miles this year since lockdown and I’m now planning to do a 200 miler from Swindon to Padstow, Cornwall in June. Just wondering what your advice is, should I try and do it within a day or stop off at the half way point and stay the night to refuel? I currently have a Garmin Edge Explore 820 which lasts about 7 hours what should I do to ensure its kept fully charged and counts the entire ride as one trip even if I stop the night? Thanks a lot in advance
You are supposed to pick a mountainous route for the 100 mile trip. Flat land rides are for cheaters.
Err… Sorry for bringing up the topic again… Do it with a recumbent. If there are serious climbs, ride a trike with very short gears, and clamp your feet quite forward on pedals. You can take all the time you like and keep smiling
Gonna do the stp this year for the first time, just hoping it’s not canceled.
I just did 100 miles with my modded ebike, it was a breeze.
I can tell you how to help yourself immensely: tip: skip the hype and save yourself that energy right off the start. Ride every day at just slower speeds and get in your bigger miles by yourself. Start with 25 miles, then 40 miles, and once you do this all the time, every day, (WITH PROPER NUTRITION (GELS (gu WITH AMINO ACIDS), ELECTROLYTE DRINKS (EFS) FOR MUSCLE TO ENERGY CONVERSION) then take a day off or two, then do it all over again. You’ll know when your fit and ready for the 100-mile journey. But, whatever you do, don’t waste energy on hype or pounding yourself in competition-mode this is no race. I’m in my 60s, so yes, this works. I’ve been riding since I was a two-year-old no doubt this helps out immensely, lol. Happy journeys
My first 100mile was almost like how it was recommended in the video. I used an entry level Aluminium road bike, total elevation of 4000ft. The only problem I faced was, I took a long time to finish the last 30 miles. Perhaps, my training was not upto the 75% mark earlier. Yet, I finished it. Felt proud of it.
I did my first 100k by getting lost. I did my second to prove to my mate that I could do it. We accidentally rode to the single “mountain” in Denmark, hungover as hell. Got a beer and a burger on the top, and had a hell of a ride home. Still talk of that brilliant day today.:D
Love the colour of the Ruby.. reminds me of Cannondale’s “Purpleen” from a few years back.
I have become fond of the following recipe: dates paste (ground up dried dates, they come in bricks), peanut butter and rice. I fill up tortilla-type wraps with this stuff. It’s quite delicious. I’m always tempted to eat some and that’s a big part of why I settled with this.
Didn’t watch the video, so sorry if it was covered. If you can ride 60 miles somewhat comfortably, then you can do 100. If you eat enough and the right stuff, and make sure you go easy, you’re only talking another 2 to 2.5 hours most likely. In other words, your body can probably already do it, it’s just the other details you have to figure out.
When the Corona is over, I recommend the Berlin Wall Trail (I am strongly biased). There is a 156 km version, or a 165 km version. Both were once part of the Berlin Wall, the difference is the shorter version includes crossing a lake with a ferry; these only run once an hour and take a bit of time. So if speed is important to you, then do the longer version (it includes the site of the famous Potsdam Conference). However, I would advise to calculate enough time as there are many sites of interest such as the Bridge of Spies, Checkpoints Alpha and Bravo, Brandenburg Gate and many others; not to mention the nature is beautiful in summer time. As for bike type, gravel is probably the best option, but my friends and I have done it also with road bikes few times, and once I did it with my heavy supermarket trekking bike. And one last tip, in normal times there are plenty of wonderful bakeries and restaurants, especially along the southern and western parts of the trail. It’s an epic ride, and a great feeling of achievement when you do it for the first time. Enjoy!
I’ve done my first 20 miles ride and I’m done. Wouldn’t recommend 100 miles for newbies no matter how you prepare… My next target is… again 20 miles, but without the 3 big breaks I did to survive…
just had my RideLondon 100 ballot accepted. here we go! ��GCN
I bike all my rides on an xc bike with no lockout. My max is only 25 miles so far haha
I rode 103 miles on my 71st birthday…Trained by leaving the bike at home and going skiing in Colorado…Grub was a bacon buttie for breakfast, a subway for lunch and 6 granola bars in between. Finished off with a few pints and fish and chips!
One important thing that often gets overlooked is that you have to train your ASS to withstand 100 mi. When I was actively racing, 100 mi no problem. Then I took a few years off of cycling and switched to running for increased fitness efficiency (had a busier job). Decided on a whim to go for another century. Heart, lungs, legs, no problem. My ass, though…I think I still have ass PTSD from the pain I brought it through. I made it, but it wasn’t pretty.
Train your ass. Literally AND figuratively.
doing my first 200-mile bike ride on July 13th can’t wait it is not a race but I am trying to do it in one day.
Made massive training errors when preparing for my first 100 (London revolution 2014)/ back to back 100’s. My longest and only real training ride was 20miles. To make matters worse it was my 30 birthday and I was unknowingly sat on a badge for the first 30miles on the first day. That struggle was real and to this day I don’t know how I managed to do back to back 100’s on such little training.
I did 100 miles with friends and pie in the middle of the ride… About nine hours including all stops and every part of me that touched the bike was ultra sore by the end.. but I hadn’t done more than 100km before trying the 100 mile ride…by the end near home I could barely push 15mph on the flats.
Bill Gates and Fauci want to force vaccinate you for depopulation.
Get somebody to drop you off a 100 miles from home with a massive tailwind lol.
Clocked the big one on Lanzarote last week, did 6300ft elev enroute but by 85 miles my ass was broken and a lot of the remainder was done stood up (took 8 hours)
My ex wife once suggested I try and ride 100 miles every day for a week. That way, by the end of the week I’d be 700 miles away.
i used to do a century a month. tires at 110. I was always alone. longest practice rides were always one hour. Food was the key, especially early and often. felt terrible for three days.
Nice one. Love the donkey. And great to have younger and female presenters
100 miles not that hard on the muscles for me. The ass and taint region is where 75% of the battle takes place
Thanks to your guidance I was able to complete my first 100 km ride…
Keep up the good work..
Love from India
So eat a lot, don’t go too fast, and have a few breaks. I guess people are too stupid to work that out for themselves.
I would also recommend not using any new gear, that’s true not only for biking but any other sport that will require of you some lengthy effort. Keep to gear you know is tried and true in order to avoid any bad surprises.
My first 100 mile ride was unsupported to see if I could handle it before a 100 mile Grand Fondo with all of those other riders. The Fondo was much easier with all of the fluids and food just waiting for me every 20 miles. I got about 3 miles from the end and thought “that’s it?” Poor pacing I guess.
I did this today, but I ride everyday so does that count as not training? I did it on a fixed gear. So we good then yeah?
Last year I did my first (almost) century ride ever ( around 155km), with some 2000m of climbing in around 6h pure riding time (half hour break on Lakeside).
It was a gravelish ride on mixed terrain, though I have to state the last 50km was pure tarmac.
Unfortunately I forgot my purse, so i couldn´t buy any food or even a coffee and I didnt bring any bars or liquids with me.
So I totally had to rely on water and some candys ppl gave to me.
But what a beautiful day it was. To beautiful to suffer.
So I am so looking forward to my first 200+ km ride this year, already training hard.
If anyone wants to join just message me here.
I live in the southeastern part of Bavaria, next to the Chiemsee.
Is your training plan still available? No longer on the link provided
If your in your 20’s and are just a half assed cyclists and cant ride that distance.HANG IT THE HELL UP
100 miles is quite ridiculous just like running a marathon there’s no point and definitely not enjoyable
My now ex wife once suggested I try and ride a hundred miles every day for a week. That way, by the end of the week, I’d be 700 miles away.
nearly every good cyclist even me 6 stones over to what i should be.. old cyclist 54 year old.can do 100 miles in a day how long it takes you a different matter now i probably cal-laps doing so but i will make it..a lot is about determination and will power but first get used to the bike and saddle make your ride comfy..then have fum good luck
I don’t see the link to the bike setup tips mentioned in the video. Help.
How come you guys aren’t using the metric system? Especially since you are Brits?
My first 160km ride was okay, we have a lot of cyclist with us on the 1st 80km, although we suffered multiple cramps on our way back, it was still awesome. My first SOLO 160km was horrible, i paced myself towards the midway point, then i ate too much before i ride back home. Somehow i failed to anticipate the climbs i need to go through, and i spent all my cash on the midway stop so i end up asking for free water on stores as i go along. Clearly i wasnt prepared for that route.
Done loads of 100+ miles rides, even done 3 days of 170-180km back-to-back, hardest part is the boredom
Hank would hate me. I did RideLondon last year with one stop to wee and fill up my bottles. No cappuccinos here!
In Ireland we used to have The Maracycle Belfast to Dublin which is exactly 100miles good way to do it ☘️��♂️��
Did 100 TT back in the day 4,30 on a cheap steel bike then my times came down on a decent bike
When were you going to mention running 26.2m after finishing the ride?!!! Oh and a little swim as a warm up!!
Hank: A century is a mile stone in cycling
Me: hmm..isn’t it 100 milestones
I have been riding for 30 months. I did my first Metric at 7 months. The next year I averaged 2 Metrics a month with my longest ride 80 miles. Last Fall I prepared for my first full Century riding up to 85 miles two weeks prior. The Sacramento Century on October 5th was flat, but windy. I was able to stay in groups for the first 30 miles. The next 30 were usually solo. I was able to join a group of 8 to paceline the last 40 miles into a headwind. The ride was 103 miles with a 15.3 mph average. This was one month prior to turning 69!
Not commuting in bad weather? Sorry i don’t understand…get out there and embrace the rain and wind:-) It makes the nice days even nicer.
My second (and final) 100 miler was a sportive on the same day the Orica bus crashed into the gantry at the tour. I cried so much when I got home that I made my wife promise to stop me if I ever said I was going to do it again.
My first 100mi was actually 122mi, I lived a 20mi ride from work (one way) while living in Tucson AZ, I was in a state of mind that I didn’t know existed. Now that I live in Colorado Springs CO, I find it challenging enough to do 60mi. I’m acclimated to the altitude perfectly, I hope this summer I can hit that 100mi or more mark. Ride safe everyone.
Just did my first 100k in Rotterdam a couple weeks ago. Had friends in the group who were much more experienced and fast, so it was a much higher pace than I war ready for. Kept with them until maybe the last 5k. Pretty proud overall, 3:50 total time, pretty exhausted at the end. Good times!
Just shift the trip computer from mph to kph… You can thank me later
Am I the only one who when they say, “Portage”, thinks of The Three Bears?
I dont know why they keep banging on about going commando… it should be up to the rider as it’s such a personal and subjective issue. Personally, the only times i’ve ever chaffed on the bike is when i AM commando as ‘ma bits’ move around… so i wear Y-fronts to keep everything tucked out the way and pain-free!
I just rode my bike a hundred miles and did not feel the pain until i got home and showered. Once I got relaxed I started having terrible body cramps and took a magnesium tablet as well as a potassium tablet and seem to stop the cramping. Next time I will take these supplements before i ride. Also a little sore
Did my first century last year. I managed my heart rate very strictly for the first fifty miles to save energy for the backend. Worked for me but I was still really whipped when it was over
For charity after my father passed away I cycled 220 miles from Tonbridge in Kent to the Humber Bridge in North Lincolnshire.
My advice, if you’re able, make your first 100 mile ride a supported ride event. My first was a “Tour de Cure” ride for the American Diabetes Association. It included event supported food and drink stops, support vehicles and most importantly a party at the finish!
Started cycling last year, and tried my first hundred-miler at a local event. I made it 88 miles, and I lost track of all the damn things that were hurting when I finally caved. Well, now my entry got accepted for Dirty Kanza this year, so now it’s not a matter of wanting to do it, it’s having to just to try and get prepared for the 200-mile gravel grinder in Kansas. I’m stoked though.
I’ve got 11 months to train for 100 mile ride, coming from zero fitness and being over weight, do you have any advice on where to find a simple plan like this but for much less advanced?
I keep getting stick from family and colleagues for always talking about my rides in KM xD I can’t help it if I have only returned to cycling for just 5 weeks (having rarely done any even before I stopped) and want to see nice meaningful numbers in a range I find manageable. Just yesterday did my first ride above 20km by accident with the final 3km or so being a constant ascent.
I hope to be riding 100km before the year ends after shedding a lot of my excess weight and rebuilding muscles that have deteriorated over the last decade. Once I achieve that, I plan to switch my FS MTB for a road-spec gravel bike and set a goal to aim for challenging the north-coast 500 in Scotland. I will consider it a success and a holiday well spent if I can do it in 5-7 days:D
but in the more immediate future, once I can do 100km I will switch to measuring in miles and aim for 100 once more. None of this would happen if not for the GCN channel giving me the motivation and tips&advice necessary to feel at home on the roads wrapped around a metal skeleton in a world of giant metal bugs xD
Title should have been “How to ride 100 miles for people who shouldn’t be riding 100 miles”
the first century I did at 45 on a cheap hybrid, I am 65 now and just registered to do my 8th double century
1) set trip odometer on bike computer
2) start riding
3) does trip odometer read 100mi or greater?
If not, continue riding. If yes,
4) Stop riding.
I am planning on doing 150 miles tomorrow with two bags in the front, two in the rear, a tent, a cooker etc. and then also in quite a hilly terrain. I like 100 to 130 several times now but this video kind of scared me… ��
Did that from Oxford to Maidstone, bump its really hurt next couple of of days, however next days Calais, Belgium, holand, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and then the best, my opinion, part from Vienna upstream river to Germany, and stop on border with France. Bike trek fx2, no preparation. Be save all of you.
My first century was the first day I got my road bike. A friend and I wanted to ride down our local river till it ends, he took the train back but I was so exited and motivated so I decided to ride back too. Got terribly lost on the way back, the last 20km were a pure pain. My ass was burning, my hands had blisters, my arms hurted so bad because of the weight, my saddle position and so on were terrible back then.
But I made it and I was very proud. Thankfully my girlfriend was able to take care of me because I wasnt able to walk for 2 whole days after it
My first long ride was actually 192 kilometers and I wished someone would have told me about nutrition. After 95 kilometers we had a stop and both ate a freaking big burger… Felt good, until we had to sit back onto the saddle. I mean we managed it to come back home, but our average speed dropped by 2km/h and I needed a LOT of water �� lessons learned!
My first century was “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride” in Lake Tahoe, Nevada in 2001. Mostly hills. It was epic. It was cold. At mile 80, I had to rethink my life choices. LOL. But then, they gave me a Coca-Cola beverage and a cold pickle. I think I nearly cried after eating those items and I finished. The purple ribbon with gold medal on the end was everything to me. Good times. Now I’m training for the Denver Century Ride in September of 2020. They say we have to wear a mask for this ride, (Covid) but I doubt I will last 5 minutes with a mask on. This ride is in the mountains.
Ever heard of S-T-P? Seattle -To-Portland in the States? Thats a double Century here in Washington State held every Summer ( just not 2020) You have the option of doing all 200 miles in ONE day if you like…or taking it on over the weekend with an overnight here in my Hometown of Centralia, WA. Its a MASSIVE event and should not be missed!! Check out a video from 2019!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbFgmCXiCcM
I’m about to drive a 200 Miles benefit race.
Thank you so much for this video!
Road cyclists are pathetic. You dress up like children would to look like your heroes, most of you are arrogant, ignorant shithouses. As for 100 miles being a BIG achievement, on a ROAD BIKE ffs, thats beyond belief. I’m going out for a drive after should I dress up like the STIG!
My First Long ride is 250km with a pacing of 25kmph when i got home damn my I can’t feel my hips sorry for my bad english
In my mid twenties without any training before I once rode 130km in one day on a young brother’s bike with a single speed and 24″ wheels (Ereliukas). I ate sandwiches with meat, drank about two bottles of lemonade for a whole ride and same evening rode another 10km to lake for a swim. I wish I could drop some decades off my back!
EDIT: km. That were mere kilometers not miles.
You missed the most important thing hydration.
And also, without any training… but you mean someone who regularly rides 25-50 miles anyway, right? Because if I tried to take my wife on a 100 mile ride, there is no chance in hell she would make even half the distance.
I bloody did it lads, I’m in the hundred club! Completed it today, my Strava is James Ledner! Your videos help
my tip is when you have your cafe stop about 45 miles in.. get beans on toast with a couple of eggs!
My wife encouraged me to ride a hundred miles a day, she said “By the end of the week you will be 700 miles away
I did my first 100 miler in December last year. I decided on a spiderweb style route where I was never more than 20Km from my “base camp” where I had all my bike spares and extra food etc. stored in my car. Chocolate milk was a lifesaver in the last 30Km when the energy drinks and gels all start tasting the same! I would say that second to nutrition, would be pacing. My strategy involved monitoring my HR on longer training rides to find the right zone that let me go fast enough to minimize time spent in the saddle, without burning too many matches early on. Awesome video GCN team! The new presenters are doing very very well! Keep up the good work!
My top tip if you are going to do any sort of distance is DO NOT!! have anything really spicy the night before, take it from someone who made that School Boy error and boy did it literally come back to bite me on the backside. One of those moments where you wish that you had put the toilet role in the fridge.
Does this guy want to be the cycling version of the night rider? All black? To me this is stupid. You need some colour to be more visible. A rear light wont do much. I don’t use a rear light only bright coloured tops.
Let me ask you this, is it benefiting to ride one hundred miles a day? To many miles riding on a saddle can hurt you eventually.
Fair play.. He must have no kids and not married… Or maybe that’s it. He is married and has kids and that’s the motivation to keep going lol
Besides the general fitness of the cyclist, a lot depends on the terrain, weather, and design of the ride. If it’s something called “The Fair Blue Skies Ice Cream Social Ride” with 0.0 feet of climbing then go for it. If it’s called “Epic Death March Through The Seven Levels of Infernal Hell” and has 20000 feet of vertical gain then you should probably stay home. I think any reasonably fit person could do 100 miles on pancake flat smooth tarmac under sunny skies with low humidity and minimal wind. It might take 8 hours but they could do it. Just like almost any healthy person could walk 26.2 miles and complete a marathon in similar conditions.
1. clothing is also important. over a 6 hour ride the weather can vary. investment in good bib shorts that you’ve worn a few times before.
2. for food, don’t use something that you have not tried in training. Real food nicer keep a bar / gel back for emergency
3. Why stop at 100 miles. once you have got a few centuries under your belt, keep increasing distance or difficulty:)
I did my first 200k last year. It was horrible and I probably would’ve died of dehydration if I hadn’t found a water fountain. It was the most epic thing I’ve ever achieved if I think about it
thanks for sharing your video Did you have a specific meal plan with scheduled times to eat or do you eat when you get hungry?
It’s not the miles, it’s the road. I have the most fun on roads close to home!:D But mad respect if you can do this! Keep Ridin’
I did my first century recently, the next day I woke and thought “could I do it again?” So I did and managed 19mph average for both rides. Well chuffed with that!
Buy a $189 Walmart 21 speed Road Bike. Sign up for a 210 / 2 day bike tour.(TOSRV in Ohio) Complete task.
haha when i was a kid 100 miles was easy. now it is easy in a car
I’m a mountain biker and I’m in my freshman year in high school, just started biking for the high school team. I just accomplished a 80 mile ride on fireroads and I chose to pick a route that racked up over 8,500 feet of elevation. I set myself a goal to break 100 miles by the end of summer on the trails.
The Lane you’re cycling up in the intro is the Lane we live on, small world ��
actually never done full 161 km, but instead I have a very funny memory of about 140 km I’ve done when I was about 16.
I was visiting my grandmother for the summer and a friend of mine was staying by the seaside (70 km distance from my grandmother’s) with her parents, so I got up before sunrise one morning and decided it is time to pay her a visit. I reached seaside in about 3-4 hours on my grandfathers 3 gear, 56 cm 1985 Start Schosse (need to mention I was already about 189 cm at that point), with a 2l bottle of carbonated water and an apple. I stayed with my friend for a few hours, had a few beers (yeah, we were underage, but nobody seems to care enough in Lithuania) and felt pretty great. That was until I got back on friggin bike for my trip home. My back and ass were both sore af, my legs felt like 2 solid pieces of stone plus I was still half drunk from all the beers I had. 15 km deep I realised I lost my phone (it just slipped out of my basketball shorts pocket somewhere), but decided not to take a detour to look for it to save some extra time before it gets dark. I was hungry, dehydrated, tipsy and generally exhausted. At one point I stopped by some dodgy creek near the road to drink some water, but accidently slipped and got soaken wet and muddy instead. I tried to hitchike while cycling, but all the drivers either thought I was joking or just didn’t want to pick up some stinky, muddy and sweaty teen with a bike.
It took me roughly 6 hours to get back home considering I said goodbye to my friend at around 5PM and my grandma found me passed out near her driveway at around 11PM give or take.
Funny thing about teenagers and testosterone I recovered, searched and found a 62 cm frame in local metal junkyard, made some upgrades for the bike, rationed my nutrinion a little bit better and did the same route about two weeks later.
Don’t choose your first century as the ride where you use new pedals, cleats and shoes for the first time…
I did 100km with a fever heating me up. People thought I had COVID19 because the next day I was hotly wasted.
I have two chances at a century pr this summer in Minnesota (USA) before I’m too old.
Two three training rides a week for 2 months were enough to get me from not riding at all to my first century. Once a week I’ve done 3-4 hour slower endurance ride, all other rides were 1hr to 1:30 fast paced spin sessions sat in the saddle as much as possible to build up bum-sore resistance. I only used the cheapest decathlon cycling gloves, padded pants, shoes and tools and took peanut butter jelly sandwiches, fruit and nut bars and digestives with me, although i regretted not having savoury stuff like chicken wraps with me when my tummy started getting tense towards the end of the ride. It’s one of my greatest achievements and it gave me this strong not-wasting my life away vibe for a very long time afterwards. Good luck to all of you taking on this great adventure.
Rode 220km on road using a mountain bike with no training. Defo wasn’t easy but wasn’t that bad either
I remember my first Tour de Cure doing thehundred mile ride on a mountain bike. That was quite challenging and painful at the end. I prefer to do on a road bike now because the frame set is far lighter
My first 100 ride was 4 years ago! I was 9 years old if I could do it then every one else also can to!! Good luck!
WTF?…”80 90psi” for a road bike?…why not recommend they LOOK at what it says on the TIRE SIDEWALL!?… I run at least 100 115, because that’s what the manufacturer recommends! On the tire sidewall!…
Why the hell do british bikers call it cycling? Your not riding a cycle, your riding a bike, which makes you a biker not a cyclist
When are the bike check videos going up for Conor and Manon?!
It’s incredible, Emma must be nearly 60 and fit as a fiddle. Good work!!
I’m training for my first race which is 75 miles. I have almost 8 whole months to train. Would it be insane to try and ride an additional 25 miles to make it an even 100?
I rode 103 miles on my 71st birthday…Trained by leaving the bike at home and going skiing in Colorado…Grub was a bacon buttie for breakfast, a subway for lunch and 6 granola bars in between. Finished off with a few pints and fish and chips!
Ignore all that crap. All u need to ride 100 miles is:
1) snort a load of gear ten mins before
2) start cycling
Why do male cyclists seem to have the same sort of appearance narrow, long head and streamlined nose? Is this a set of natural selection criteria, or do they one day look in the mirror and realise that they look like a cyclist?
Good god! How many different bikes does each GCN rider have?
I cycled a hundred kms going frm my place to the Banglore airport nd back. yes airport is 50 kms away
Is there a difference between a century done on mostly straight long roads and ones through multiple trails that have a million twists and turns? I found a route around my city that if I double will be 174kms but I don’t think it has a straight stretch longer than 2kms. Should I just stick to long straight roads?
I have done more than 100 miles in Melbourne before. I normally train in a way that I gradually increase my distance until I reach 100 miles. Believing you can do it is my number 1 rule in achieving this. And like Coppi said, I just ride, ride until I achieve it.
So next summer I have Vätternrundan coming up. 315 km of fun.
100 miles? Planning? Just grab some food, water bottles and go. Last step: just keep going
I did my first century with an MTB!! you could imagine the pain☹️��
I did my first one on my own in July. I just decided I wasn’t coming home until I I did. Goal before turning the big six five..
1st time do my 100km.. not bad..
160 km.. eh i think i can do better
200km… nope.. thats enought..
Did 135km a few weeks back with a mountain bike, which was way too small for me as well. It was a very spontaneous idea, like the evening before. It was a round trip, the outbound journey was completely fine, but on the journey back home I realized my horrible mistake: I had eaten waaaaaay less than I should have. At one point I was probably only going on with 10kph because I was so exhausted, it was the hilliest part of the track though. The last 30km were such an incredible mental challenge (although I have fueled up a bit at this point), but every struggle instantly went away as soon as the city next to my village was in sight. Was it worth it? Definitely! One of my first trips over 50km and one of the most memorable bike trips I’ve ever done. Would I do it again? For sure, but with a proper bike and proper nutrition though. I did know that I liked biking before, but this trip sparked a fire in me to go on even longer trips, pushing myself to the limit!
I just did my century and all I can say is… HYDRATION HYDRATION HYDRATION!!!
Changing positions, and getting off the saddle to give muscle groups some rest are keys for an endurance ride because bum, hands and shoulders are going to get fatigued as well standing up for a bit in each (half) hour of riding can really help prevent getting so sore in spots that you can’t face the thought of continuing if you wait until you are sore, it is too late. They apparently forgot that they had to learn that lesson.
I started cycling around a year ago. Did some commute by bike (25km each way), some evening rides (30-50km) from time to time and around 5 to 6 100km rides since then. This week I watched some GCN and got aware of this “a century” ride. As I anyway planned to do a bigger trip today, I told myself to maybe try the 100 miles / 160km and thanks to GCNs eat & drinks tipps for longer rides I managed to do it! It was hard at the end but I got 165km on my garmin. This will be celebrated with beer(s) tonight!
Is it possible for somebody who finds 100km road cycle on a hybrid bike quite easy, to do 200mi cycle over two days? I’m thinking of cycling to my new home in Northern England and I thought this would be a good challenge. FYI, I did a sub-4hr marathon with not great deal of training.
Did my first 100 mile ride on 7 September 2019. I put together 4 local rides I’ve done before and completed them all in one day. Thanks for all the great advice—I think I saw all your related videos beforehand.
It turns out that gummy bears made from fruit juice are great for energy food and nice for munching throughout the ride. I used all real food—electrolyte drink, jam sandwich, pretzels, banana, a cereal bar, and gummy’s.
so I’m 5 weeks into my training plan and I’m laid up with a tiny head cold. I’ve had worse but I’ve always regretted getting back on the bike too soon. Any tips on training as it pertains to recovering from the common cold?
I did the opposite of what they recommended and it was painful ��♂️
We have just completed two rides of 160 and 170 kilometers during a bike tour through the baltic states lol.
A technical question-does a ride in circles-around a lake counts as a century if the conditions are almost perfect-totally flat terrain and smooth tarmac, one full circle is 4 km, so if I do 40 of these, does it count?
I feel this is cheating, as in my mind a century must be challenging and with varying terrain-hills, descents etc
Did my first 100-miler on Sunday… London-Surrey. Great experience but I think I’d have preferred to do it without 25,000 other people pissing me off for the most part! ������♂️������
My first century was actually a gravel ride. My longest previous distance was only 70 or so miles. The gravel ride was only supposed to be 90 miles, but a mid-route decision to turn back (it was an event where I would have to ride 90 miles back the next morning) and a wrong turn in the dark meant it was 114 miles. Ouch.
I’m sure all elderly cyclists watching this, among whom, having joined my first cycling club ( CTC) in 1948, I number myself, must be wondering what all the fuss is about. Our regular Sunday club runs were always about 100 miles, ridden by an age range probably between late teens up to people in their fifties or more, most of whom hardly had any time on their bikes during the week. Virtually all of us, as was the custom then, were riding a fixed wheel (two brakes though we weren’t daft), on bikes that were heavier than today and laden in addition with mudguards, saddlebags and heavy old front and rear lamps. No modern techno clothing the saddlebags were stuffed with things like heavy oilskin capes and sou’westers, the odd sweater and a day’s food oh! and tools, of course. In case any of you younger riders out there are thinking ‘rambling old idiot probably senile and did it in bare feet’ I can assure you that this is all perfectly true, and I am sure that there will be many out there who could confirm this. I was still doing centuries in my seventies and am still riding today, although I’m pretty slow now and stick as far as possible to flatter routes. I don’t intend to sound patronising and wish all power to all who cycle, whatever the distance, but you can perhaps appreciate why I and my ilk would say ‘why all fuss’?
8.40
1 amazing looking Canyon Frameset minus Campagnolo Group, and another bike with Canyon decals
It’s easy after the first one. How I did it was doing 20k rides every week.
My first 100 miles:
Back in 2012 a friend of mine and I decided that we were going to bike up north (Minnesota) to my cabin. Decided two days before. We had never rode farther than 20 miles, ever, in our lives. Here’s what happened:
we had a clipboard with over 100 directions to avoid the highway. Too many dirt roads, had to abandon that.
I rode a VERY heavy Uni Vega, one of the first made. My buddy rode a HYBRID bike, not even a road bike!
we had the wrong clothes for riding.
no plan to get home (assumed we’d bike home).
next to no food. We each brought two apples, and some granola bars.
we went through three severe thunderstorms. The first one ripped me off my bike, and sent a garbage can flying. Lightning struck 100 feet away from us. Two more storms that drove us to take shelter happened. At 60 miles in, my body actually shut down, completely. At this point we had 51 more to go.
my arse hurt SO bad for so much of the ride that I would stand up to avoid crippling pain only to be forced back down because of my ligaments and joint pain. This went on for hours and hours. I’d count five pedal turns, then count to five while coasting, then repeat.
-the ride ended up being 111 miles, which we completed in 14 hours and 27 minutes.
my buddy messed up his hand and didn’t have feeling for months. I had damage around on my ligaments aground my knees.
basically, we biked 111 miles in one day with no training, barely any food with bikes that no one should have ever used, through three very severe storms. The human will is powerful!
Since then, I’ve done 5 more century rides! Im doing that ride again in August.
For me my story is different, my passion for cycling got reborn towards the end of February this year, i begun cycling again, i could barely ride for 10kms (6.2miles) without almost collapsing by the side of the rd, my first attempt to do 20kms (12.4miles) i had to stop by the side of the rd for 40min to catch my breadth, at some point i wanted to walk back and leave the bike behind, yah it was that hard, but i learnt many lessons from that attempt.
The months have passed by and i incorporated running to help build my stamina plus also loose weight and gradually kept increasing the distances to see how the body will react.
This week on Tuesday i attained a milestone that to me when i begun looked way out there, i managed to ride 103kms (64miles), it took me the better part of half a day but i am damn proud of my self and the journey i have had.
Now i don’t have a rd bike but a MT bike and neither is it the fastest MT bike out there while the route i chose i did not do my home work well (changed the route as i was riding), the second part of it was a climb that just kept going up, it took me 2hrs to get to my turning point and the head wind coming back down was just a nightmare, plus it did not help that the day before i did a 12kms jog (7.4miles) for mental preparation, well i just couldn’t sit around doing nothing.
At least i had enough water and had carried a meal for the different waypoints.
I have been learning a lot from GCN videos since i came across your channel and the stuff you talk about i can relate with.
Next target is the 100miles (161kms)
I did mine on a mountain bike with roadie tires… I had energy cubes gaterade and water… I also used knee pressure wraps.. solo for the most part until some other century riders caught up to me on the last 15 miles where I happily took up on their wheel… It was a 80-90*F day… I survived ��
Not everyone can ride a 100 miles it really depends on the weather. Here in the Philippines the average temerature would about 38-40°c. So would be fried before you even reached 30miles.
What is the big issue with wearing undies under your cycling bib? I do it all the time and I have no problems. I dont like the “naked” feel of the bib on my skin. I cant understand what the big deal is?
How do he-man triathletes do 225 km cycling 75 km run and 7.5 km swim!
Typically taking 22 hours plus, amazing will power fitness and determination
The farthest I’ve ever ridden is 103 miles but tomorrow I’m going to try a 200 mile ride for the first time
Update: I made it 208 miles in almost 18 hours
one advantage of being fat adapted i dont need carbs or eating anything at all. yday i did 100km and over 1000 mtr climbing not having eaten
200 miles on Friday no training. I’m a runner who has been challenged by my cousin. Wish me luck
Hello all. I’m a huge GCN fan located in Philadelphia. Over this past weekend, I signed up for a century ride sponsored by a brewery in the town I grew up in. The challenge and nostalgia of riding in that area again, led me to impulsively sign up for this century. This will be my second official century.
Simon, I am SOOO happy that you mentioned your lack luster performance on your first century. My first century was a summer ride, and I was part of a relay team for an ironman distance triathlon put on by Challenge Family. I was handling the bike portion of the race, 112 miles. Our swimmer finished MUCH faster than anticipated, and I found myself taking off with many of the pro competitors. Once on the road, I was being smoked left and right by pro riders, but I kept my head and peddled on. Around mile 30, there was a left turn at the base of a steep hill, and while in mid turn, I found myself taking a hard fall after one of the other riders decided to try and sneak in on my left. Everything on my bike went flying off, but I was so full of adrenaline, that I popped back on my feet quickly and gathered my things. My bike didn’t take too much damage, but my computer was useless after this. I quickly got back on my bike and began peddling again, so that I can avoid any race official trying to check me out before proceeding with the race. My biggest fear was that I had cracked my helmet, and that they wouldn’t let me continue without a helmet in proper condition. I didn’t have another helmet to use.
I rode for about a mile and came across a first aid station, more like an ambulance stationed on the side of the road along the bike route. I leaned my bike on the side of the ambulance that was facing away from the road, again, so that an official would realize that I was the one who took a hard fall. The medics cleaned up my extensive road rash that stretched down the entire left side of my body, did a quick concussion check, bandaged me up, and sent me on my way.
Without the use of my bike computer, I found it difficult to settle into a productive rhythm. Not only that, I found myself stopping two more times at road side ambulances to have my bandages changed out. With the summer sun continuing to rise over me, I found my bandages were mostly just collecting sweat and offering some protection from the sun. Sweat logged bandages on top of fresh road rash will begin to sting quite severely after a while. The last 15 miles poured on some of the heaviest head winds I have ever had to deal with. At the marker for the last 5 miles, I was told that all the other riders behind me were getting kicked off the course, and that I was going to be the last one allowed to finish the course.
I finished the ride in great pain, but I finished. I went to the medic tent and they changed out my bandages again, and provided me with some tips on washing up and dressing my wounds. It was in the medic tent that I noticed my helmet HAD cracked in three spots. The idea of participating in another century never crossed my mind for a few years after that. Until now.
Thanks for sharing your story, and keep up the great work at GCN.
Could have used a Hank to infuse some energy in the last 10 miles of my first century!
I completed my first 100 miles last week, I didn’t prepare a route or anything, I just calculated the route in my head as I went, I hit exactly 100 miles as soon as I crossed my driveway, pretty proud of that. But I agree it is better to prepare the route before you go out.
Did my first 40 mile ride today on my specialized rockhopper, easier than I expected
Thanks for the beautiful video.
Wow, what a great place to ride you have there! Lucky!
Last year I did my first gravel century. This year, I’m trying my first gravel 200.
I completed the 100 mile Forest of Bowland Sportive last week, having done 85 mile sportive last month. The mistake I made was thinking I could do it all with only one stop (instead of three) and not carrying enough fluids. Luckily I paced myself well and didn’t suffer too much towards the end. Food and drink and going at your own pace are key to doing these long rides.
I did my first 100km ride last year, and then another and participated in the TDU challenge tour in January completing 162.2km just over 100 miles. Pity I stacked it on the line where all the cameras and crowds were.
what part of the UK are you filming those great landscape shots?
My first Century was by accident. Group took a wrong turn on an 80 mile ride. I learned the hard way. This May I will be doing my first Gravel Century.
take enough “bits” to repair 6 punctures and 2 chain splits and someone with a van >>>phone No.(just in case u get 7th puncture) go to local £££ shop, buy those really big sponges, cut them into 3 pieces and shove one piece down the back of your jeans/shorts, job done /ass saved (cheaply)
IF you need to eat food for energy on the bike….you have failed your nutrition strategy 100% fail. Also genetics, what you are born with, will determine how soon a beginner can plan for a century. those with great genetics, those responding very quickly to intelligent training can ride a century your first year. For the rest of us, those with average or below average genetics should think about a century in your 2nd or 3rd year of cycling. Attempting a century before your are physically able, before you understand your nutritional needs, before you develop good cycling skills will result in serious or permanent injury. Anyone born with superior genetics can make all the mistakes and still ride a century. For the rest of us, you will need to develop high skilled pedal stroke and variable cadence ability to ease the intensity of a 6 to 7 hour ride. A 90 to 100 rpm cadence should feel comfortable, to get a smooth comfortable stroke and high cadence requires the use of ankleing, ankleing will smooth out the circle of pedaling. Next is equipment choices that allow you to sit on a bike for 6 to 7 hours, make sure this is solid before attempting a century. Then there is weather and terrain, the video is correct, the terrain and weather needs to match your training area, training in the mountains and then riding a flat century may be very difficult. And finally miles trained, before attempting a century; you should be able to easily do back to back 50 mile rides (such as Sat = 50 and Sun = 50). You can train long miles or short intense miles to prepare, but the 50 /50 is a good indicator of your readiness. If you train for 60 mile maximum distance but perform the distance at high intensity, you are ready for a century at lower intensity. If you train at low intensity you will need to do the miles with 75 to 80 miles as your best distance before the century attempt. Check you times, 8 hours is the longest you should be on a bike for a century with 6 to 7 hours preferred. If you can NOT simulate this speed at the shorter distances, you will need to train longer for higher average speeds. If you are averaging less than 13 mph, you need to train for higher sustained speeds before your century attempt. Good Luck!:)
100 miles is easy. Keep an eye on your wattage/effort (NOT your speed!) new timers: just stay around 100w and you’ll be fine
I prefer riding 100 miles over 3 rides each week, there’s too much emphasis in cycling and clubs on doing a 100 mile ride. There don’t seem to be any real benefits to training for one big ride per week. In fact the only benefit is “saving time” by doing one big ride on the weekend. But that big ride just ends up using up one whole day of your weekend. To be honest, looking at a lot of long distance club riders who only ride once per week, that’s not enough exercise to lose weight and keep fit.
Anyway, we in the UK need to step into the modern world and start talking in kilometers… We’ve been teaching it in schools for the last 40 years, other countries like Canada and Australia have made the change easy enough, it’s used in science and research I think it’s time for the UK to get with the program.
If there’s anything I learned about my first 90km ride. It’s that headwind sucks and its a mental game not a physical one.
I cycled 123mi yesterday for fun. It was awesome (mostly flat) windy, isolated. Dates and apricots, Sprite, lots of water.
My farthest is 51 miles so far, but I’m purposely training for it, bit by bit. This week I kick up my base gear a notch and I’m going for a 60 back-to-back in a few weeks
I am thinking on doing 100 km in a few days or weeks. I’ll probably die. I have done 60 km, going over mountains, on over 30 degrees weather, in the beggining in was fun, but at the end it was just a fight for survival as I was wrecked and dehydraded.
Or…..you can leave the sausage suit at the bike store along with the bike…. and drive a car.
Research your route and choose something that is relatively flat. A few years ago I did my first century ride. It was on my bucket list and the time just never seemed right. I ended up having a free weekend but unfortunately hasn’t trained much for it. I couldn’t find anyone that could join me so I made sure that my equipment was in good shape, researched the best routes, ensured that I had good nutrition before and during the ride, and took advantage of my aero bars. I left in the morning with a full phone charge and checked in with my wife at regular intervals. I finished my 113 mile ride tired but smiling. Conversely, I once bonked on a 30 mile ride because I hadn’t eaten all day. Don’t underestimate the preparation that goes into a long ride in addition to the the physical training.
I’ve just got a road bike and now my friend who cycles for team sky said he’s gonna put me through hell hahaha
I did my first Century on an MS charity bike ride, too. They set up a 10 mile route in a Chicago suburb and we road around it 10 times, at least I did. Yes, the Chicago area is fairly flat, so I suppose that helped. I was 16, had no training, and rode a heavy steel tube bike.But like most teens back then, my bicycle was my main mode of transportation. Parents didn’t drive us everywhere back then. I even had to ride my bike to the start of the ride and then home again when it was over. I had my breakfast and lunch at McDonalds. My second one I was 20 and my husband and I stopped for lunch at a pub and had burgers fries and beer. I am by no means athletic and very slow. You guys on your modern bikes would pass me like I’m standing still. 😉 The reason I never did more 100 milers was the time constraints. I would stick to the 40 or 60 mile courses as an adult, riding my ’78 Fuji S10-S (which I still have).
I did my first 50 miles, without any training on 14.5 mph avg speed with 1365 ft hike.
I’m doing my first 100 miler in June. I entered in October and am half way through my training plan from 5 mile mile commuter rider to no sweat 100 miler. Longest training ride so far was about 50 miles and that was relaxed so the training has go well (so far). Getting the fuelling right is my biggest concern and I always have a 2/3 minute food break every 10 miles to build up the habit. I will be targeting 6 hours on the bike plus stopping time on the day.
First hundred miler was self supported. Brought lots of food in my jersey and a saddle bag with tubes and tools. Ended up getting 114 miles when my longest prior to that was 50. ��
Did a 100 mile 6 years ago on an average road bike, Fuji. 60 miles was well in track, the rest 40 looked physically demanding as day got hotter and hills and elevations also went up. Overall, goal was to complete, so broke it to 75, 90mile as intermediate targets post 60 mile. I was able to complete it, total time was 8 and half hrs of saddle time. I sat in bath tub for 30 minutes and slept. Next day was not bad overall, I think I survived.
Much later did a 75mile, did so much better. Love to do it again sometime, nice endurance challenge.
My first time riding i rode 10 Minutes, yesterday i rode 20….
I never really ride with people because I always feel the need to go faster and it burns up all the energy. I think I’m just too competitive to ride as a team lol.
Or you could be 16 years old and not know any better. Female, btw. McDonalds for breakfast and lunch. Charity ride. Wearing jeans and t-shirt. Riding a white Peugeot 10 speed. 10 mile loop. I think the “25 mile ridden 4 times” is great advice, because riding the 10 mile loop 10 times didn’t seem like a big deal. 😉 I’ll bet it’s easy on those fancy bikes. LOL. But I still love watching the channel and learn a lot of stuff.
Last year I did 65 miles without any training. I couldn’t find my padded shorts so had to go without. The pain in my bum was in was unbelievable as 50% was bumpy gravel tracks and I spent a lot of time out of the saddle. Never again. Glad that I’ve been cycling much more this year.
0:25 when you say hopefully you won’t make the same mistake as us guys and your friend then motions the wank sign do you mean it’s a bad idea to masturbate before a long ride? Asking for a friend
rode my first 180km, decided 2 hours before, route was decided along the way, old, heavy MTB, about 30km cobblestone road, about 40 km ground road.
It was absolutely brutal and amazing
Chamois cream notwithstanding, you should thoroughly clean your butt, perineal area and inner thighs before a long ride and make sure your chamois is clean and dry. I might even consider an antiseptic powder if the day is going to be hot. After 100 miles any bacteria or irritating matter that start in contact with your skin will have been thoroughly rubbed into your pores, and you’ll be riding on an inflamed rash.
Also have a competent shop or friend who knows what he’s doing check your bike to make sure the seat, stem and handlebars are correctly set up for you.
I did my first 100 miler in November. I rode with a group of friends with various levels of experience (most more than mine) and here are my takeaways: 1) ride your own pace. It’s easy to get caught up when someone takes the lead and gets cruising at a pace higher than your base pace. The converse of that is being at the front and feeling like you need to pull… hard… because there is a pack of people on your wheel. Especially into a headwind. You WILL pay for this later. 2) eat eat eat. The GCN crew’s advice on feeding is spot on. I didn’t eat enough, getting caught up in the early part of the ride and then also thinking I should conserve. I paid for that too in the last 40 miles. 3) make sure that your entire kit is up to the weather conditions. Cold weather can really take it out of you faster than you expect. 4) don’t be afraid to make a pit stop, stretch, walk around a bit, etc. Just don’t get too comfortable. In the end, I made my goal, am proud of myself, and created something of a small tradition amongst some friends (The “Fall Back Century” on daylight savings day in Nov.). Now to get the fitness to a level where 100 isn’t just doable, but regular. Cheers.
I ride 100km daily i wake up at 4am to get ready and start training for hours after hours
I did my first 100+KM (112 kms or 70 Miles) with 3 months of preparation. My first day ride was 6 miles on March 3,2020 and gradually increased speed and distance. I would say it was not that difficult. I had shoulder pain for a day and then it was normal. Planning to complete my first 100 miles in July 2020
This is all great advice. Especially thinking about it segmented.
It’s funny because I’ve just done it yesterday. Would have been handy! My first trip on my first road bike(Cannondale Synapse)!
Nope went to Walmart by the bike Road from Salt Lake to the state line coldrain middle of winter snow
Do your first as part of a charity ride. That way they’ll have food and water stops at regular intervals. And fine company to ride with.
Do it on a recumbent more aerodynamic and no sore arse!
Enjoy the channel but I’m confused why this is called the cycling network when it only caters for roadies (and the odd gravelee)?
If a 7yr old can do it so can you! http://www.pedalution.co.uk/blog/2019/03/theton/
Don’t forget strength training is very important too for endurance and recovery. I did my first one last year in 7 hours. 12 months of watt bike training and weights really made it possible and enjoyable.
My handful of 100s have gone well, but I failed at 150 by setting out at 100 pace.
Gonna do 190 km (120 miles) tomorrow, I’m not so worried about my legs currently, but already cringing at how bloody sore my arse is gonna get. Wish me luck.
Shaving legs and lubrication for your bum…mens cycling at its finest.
I’ve done several centuries on gravel. Pack up, steady pace and enjoy the scenery! Recovery is super important too! Post ride beers are an essential ingredient!
Wouldn’t want to have the ass of anyone that spends 6-8 hours on a saddle with no training!
What size bike frame is that tall guy riding? I’m curious because I ride a 62 cm frame, as I’m 6’6” (1.98 m).
I actually did this about 10 years ago. Bristol to London. Zero training, drunk the night before, 1 hour late and didn’t see anyone really until Newbury…finished. Couldn’t walk for 2 days and my arse was bleeding. Never again.
I am about 190 lb and rode 100 miles the other days and I think I’m losing too much weight. My legs look noticeably smaller just from the bike ride. I’m actually kind of afraid.
I noticed that you are supposed to eat 300 calories per hour…. I didn’t think it was a big issue but now I think second guessing that. What could the negative effects be? I don’t want to get down to the 140lb body weight like you guys are, no offense….
Am I burning 50% muscle mass as stored glycogen and 50% body fat?
I prefer to ride 161 kilometers
I got 3 flats yesterday and had to walk the last 6k
In the States our parents teach us to never ever eat while you are exercising because you will drown
Is training important?
Just smashed 80 miles today take me like 4:40.min. no problem on my Cross Country Bike
250 km in 15 hrs(includes halt)
With my 27.6 hardtail MTB..
This was my first long ride
The above advice from GCN is Excellent but here’s more: If you can ride a somewhat hilly 25 miler and not be too thrashed after, you can eek out the average Century Charity Ride. Just ride it a notch down slower on the flats, 2 notches on the climbs. I’d advise you have a Compact Crank or even a Triple Crank and if your RD has the capacity, install the LARGEST cassette the Bike will allow, a 32t, 34t, 36t (Short or Medium cage RD), a 40t or 42t (Long cage RD with RD Hanger extender “Wolf Tooth Roadlink”). Crawl the climbs spinning at at least 60 rpms Minimum in lowest gear, any cadence slower and you’re beating your leg muscles up. Keep your cadence at at least 70 rpms climbing if it’s comfortable and the hill is not too steep to were you run out of gears. Don’t overspin the flats, 80-90 rpms cadence is most efficient for long distances to conserve energy. Below 75rpms will wear your legs out, so will over 90rpms and also redline your cardiovascular system and you’ll bonk. NO quick accelerations from stops and NO sprinting. Get a good night sleep, Eat a hearty breakfast an hour before the ride, stretch frequently and massage the neck and legs throughout the ride. If your stomach can handle it, take a 50/50 mix of Motrin and Tylenol before the ride after breakfast and every 4 hrs. throughout the ride. 500 mg. Tylenol with 400 mg. Motrin will work wonders to numb the pain, but take it on a full stomach. DON’T take Motrin if you have stomach sensitivities to it. Just take 1000 mg. Tylenol instead. If your stomach is VERY sensitive don’t take Tylenol either. CLIF Bars work GREAT when you start to bonk, so carry about 3 of them in your jersey pocket. Carry at least #2 27-32 oz. LARGE Water Bottles, hydrate at least 40 oz./Hr. and kept refilling your bottles full at rest stops. If you ride with a fitter partner INSIST to draft behind him on flats, and INSIST he slow down if you get winded and tell him to WAIT for you at the top of climbs. Bring at least #2 spare inner tubes and a Good MANUAL Mini-pump, NOT CO2 Pump. You SHOULD be able to limp out a Century if in sub par shape and cycle semi frequently say 2 times/wk. averaging 35 miles/week, with at least 1 day a month Moderate Hill climbing. You’re gonna HURT the next few days though. Stretch like crazy and Book a good 1 Hr. Massage the following day and rest for a week after. Riding a Century in Sub Fit Condition will PUNISH you!
I was out yesterday battling 40 km hr head winds with 30 km hr cross winds. Definitely not a good day to attempt 100 miles lol. Make sure to ride the first 80 km into a small head wind and ride back 80 km with the wind on your back ��.
Step 1: Drive to the top of a mountain
Step 2: Aim bike downhill
Step 3: coast for 100 miles
1977 or 78 rode 160 or so miles in one long day. Aspen to Vail Colorado via Independence Pass thinking I would stay in a motel in Vail not knowing there was a Gerald Ford Invitational Golf Tournament and no rooms available. So rode down valley to Glenwood Springs, getting there about 8 p.m. Next day 40 miles back to Aspen. Another long ride was Rutland Vermont to East Windsor, Connecticut 150 miles in 12 hours with an hour nap in Brattleboro. Now I’m 65 and 40 miles kills me.
I bonked HARD on my first century at about mile 80, the looks I got rumugging through the candy aisle at the gas station were classic. I have done a couple since then, though none since my knee replacement. That is next springs goal.
Only done half centuries myself, but hoping to get that full century soon in the future.
A great video. I’m back in training after an accident where I was taken out by a car doing 70mph. I’m training for a 100 mile sportive at the end of June. Followed by a 450 mile ride in July. ������������
Friends invited me for a ride and it was my first time. We finish 75km in one go and I could even more. Am I natural?
How many miles is everyone increasing on the weekly long rides? 5-10?
A century ride is not real milestone for me, as I do between 10-15 in a year. A 200 km ride is more special. Such rides are rather exceptional, and only happen 2 or 3 times a year. Even more magical are the 300 km rides I made. These only take place every 2 or 3 year (I’ve ridden Gran Fondo Milano Sanremo 3 times now, and Mallorca312 in 2017). And the most mythical rides I’ve done were the 4 24-hour endurance rides I did. First time was the combination of 8 70-km team rides, each starting every 3 hour, so we had about 30-40 minutes of rest between them (to eat, drink, rest a little). The 3 other 24-hours ware races on the racing track in Zolder (Belgium). My record distance was 652 km, with an average moving speeds of over 31,5 km/h! I hope to reach 700 km in 24 hours once, but the event in Zolder has ceased now. I also dream about cycling to Paris and back on 1 day. That would total about 640 km from where I live.
I’ve run a dozen marathons and a few ultras. I’m finally getting into biking for the first time. I have never owned a street bike. I just bought a Cannondale Synapse and my first bike ride will be a 100 miler. Am I taking it too lightly? My cardio is in peak condition so I think it will be easy.
Another issue you can run into and I can tell you from personal experience. Hydrate the day before and hydrate through out the ride. And be prepared to be out there over 7 hours burning up to 3-5 thousand calories. Fuel up and stay hydrated.
My tips for your first century, from a slow skinny weak rider who has still accomplished a century and some long hilly sportives:-)
it’s a marathon not a sprint, cruise at 85% of your normal speed to avoid running out of puff
freewheel on any descents to rest your legs
take some anti-inflammatory tablets with you if you get sore knees etc
if you don’t like riding with your hands off the bars to reach into a jersey pocket, buy a top tube bag, cut your muesli bars into bite sized pieces, and put them in a plastic bag you can easily access with one hand
if you have no cycling buddies who wish to join you, but if you do a weekend group ride of say 50km or more, that’s the perfect start for a century. Cruise with your group, get the aero boost, then you’re 1/3 or 1/2 way to your goal before you go solo
what works for me is taking one of those bite sized energy bar pieces every 20-30 minutes, swapping in a gel on the hour. Too many gels and not enough solid food on my first big sportive almost had me throwing up! But everyone is a bit different.
You could add to plan a Century ride on an overcast day too with normal wind speeds when it’s summer time. It’s really helpful!
I did 116km yesterday. Completed it in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Had 3 times soaking rain on the ride. The last 20-25km my butt was in pain, legs felt like they could commit suicide at any point and just stop working but i made it.
I ride alot myself and i trained around 3 weeks for this ride. And i would urge people to not do it untrained or unprepared. Just train for a few weeks with gradually longer rides before the big one.
It will really help you to move your limits both physically as well as mentally. Because those last 20km you have to shut off your mind and ignore every bit of pain/discomford
Go slowly. Power increases exponentially with speed. Make sure it’s a flat route.
Helpful. Last I did is 65K. I wanna go ahead and do my first 100K. I consistently do 25K to 40K on my mtb on the road (coz i live in a city of potholes and the road bike isn’t simply practical.)
Ed Pratt did 200 km on a unicycle in a day, I don’t understand the fuzz this is all about.
Although I enjoy the GCN vids, on average, this one is silly, and I don’t know how they address this seriously. If you haven’t trained for a century, you aren’t making it, unless you hold onto a car, or you take all day. At 14mph, that’s still over 7 hours on a saddle, and I just don’t see the average person willing to suffer through that, bum butter or not��
So, best advice? Do 25 miles, then 50, then 75, and then give the century a go.
Best advice would be don’t! It will be a suffer fest, but breaking it up into shorter circuits, mostly on the flat will help. But ultimately your bum, legs, neck, back, arms will hurt and more so if you ride on your own.
GoConditionOne bars are the best nutrition bar I’ve found, hands down. They’re a little pricey but worth it if you really need it. Expect about a week for delivery, at least in the USA… they are made and baked to order, and have a short shelf life.
I too would be nervous 160km?! Here’s a tip, go to a country that is modem enough to use metric system and do a 100 *kilometre ride instead. Save yourself some mileage, energy, visit another part of the world and get kudos for doing a Gran Fondo.
Go ride somewhere in the middle of the bunch and keep eating and drinking.
As a newbie with a new road bike i manage 50 miles yesterday…. i was……
Some useful tips, but they neglect to mention saddle soreness and neck pain, which are the my main limiters when I haven’t been cycling. Not much that you can do other than get some time in the saddle to prepare. Yes, you can do it. But going into a century without ramp up and saddle time is a bad idea. A better video would be a training plan 4-8 weeks to prepare for your first century.
I’m 54 and have been riding consistently for a year. Setting future goals. Not racing anyone just wondering if this is something I want to do or should try to do
Riding a century is complete retardation. If you cant get your jollies from daily rides than take up swimming. Not even three miles would kick your ass…and five, dont even try it.
4:52. Connor is displaying the face we all have everytime GCN replays Si riding in a Speedo.
I did my first 40 mile rile a few days ago…
I am going to attempt my first 50 mile ride next week…
Did my first 100 miler in July alone. Went through over 5 liters of water. Left mid-day and developed heat rash. Oh yeah I was wearing running shoes. No more though, now I am clipped in. My back side was cursing me for a few days. I had fun 102.2 miles. Only cyclist know the joy, others just said,,, YOUR CRAZY!!
Ride away from home 50 miles, have to ride home again! Easy! Get out of the saddle every 10 minutes or so for 30 seconds, stop at a nice cafe and have a bacon and egg butty and some cake and an espresso (don’t bother with the large milky coffees, you will just feel full and sick!), slow right down on hills, don’t try and power over them, pick a circular route not an out and back type route so you have different scenery and aren’t constantly reminded of how far left you have to go. Enjoy it, smile, breath, it’s the best day of your life!
Get on your bike, pedal, eat, pedal, drink, pedal, done! That’s all it is!
Did a 300km ride without much training, most important thing is do drink and sufficiently! One bottle and snack every hour! And add up on your salts
i once knew a bloke who rode every few months from Leicester to wales on a £25 scraper sit up and beg bike 10 speed with full baggage set. he was a drunk and he would fill the bags panniers with special brew. he would get plastered and stay plastered PAIN RELIEIF AS HE CALLED IT ride to his parents house in wales stay a few days restock on special brew and ride home NO SHIT NO LIE he rode 100s of miles there and back fuelled on special brew
A bottle an hour just isn’t feasible. So you need to stop 3-4 times to refill? No way bro.
Awesome video buddy. I’ve been searching for something simple for regular humans like myself. I like how it’s simple and easy to understand I’ll definitely be copying your plan bro. Thx������������ awesome job
he’s right: we humans are exceptional when it comes to endurance and pushing ourselves. We are all capable of being elite athletes if only we’re willing to put in the time and effort, which admittedly is not really possible for most of us, but for those who pursue pushing themselves to their limits it turns out the limits are far higher than we imagined. Positive, uplifting video.
I am 14 years old and I road my 100 mile. U have me on Strava. Is this good?
At 16 I rode 85 miles on a 15 year old mountain bike and managed to have a nandos half way round the loop.
Nice vid guys. I often think nutrition is over complicated. Done a 100 recently with 2 bottles of water and one nature valley bar taken at 83 miles, no problems! Best Regards:-)
The opening graphics say 21st September but isn’t it on the 20th?
Make sure you’re lubed up and you don’t wanna be too soft or too hard…
How do you guys keep a straight face?
Dark bikes, black wheels, black clothes. Super stealthy… Stay safe and be seen!