Century Ride Rules

stu-bim

Trying to find if there are any standard rules with regards doing a 100 mile ride, apart from the obvious

Is it non stop on the bike, or are there normal time lengths for breaks/rests/feeds or is as long as it is all one day

Had a look at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_ride and googled but not seeing anything

iPete

I dunno, is it a race?

clarkey cat

iPete wrote:

I dunno, is it a race?

it's always a race

stu-bim

I want to work up to trying it on my own. Knees and ankles too knackered to run a marathon and want something to aim towards.

meanredspider

I'm not sure there are any rules - provided it's a broadly continuous ride (one day, no huge breaks), I'm sure it "counts"

stu-bim

Thanks

15 min break at 25 and 75 with 30 min at 50 seem OK?

clarkey cat

you could probably take a little longer than that. I did one in September last year and I think I had a 30 minute break after 35 miles and then about 45 mins at about 65 miles. Try and build café stops into your route.

meanredspider

There are no Century Ride police.

I did my first, second, third and fourth century rides consecutively during London to Edinburgh earlier this month. Typically I stopped twice for about 20 mins with maybe 1 or 2 5-minute breaks.

I wouldn't get too hung up on this though. There's a point at which being stopped for too long makes it harder to get going again as your muscles begin to stiffen up.

kelsen

Depending on your experience with long rides, I would argue that it can be easier staying on the bike and soft pedalling rather than taking breaks unless absolutely necessary. I sometimes find it hard to get going again after stopping.

greg66_tri_v2.0

I think almost every time I've ridden that far I've stopped at a shop to get more water. A good tip is to mix your electrolyte (a must, esp somewhere as hot as Barbados) and then take enough powder to make another bottle in a ziploc sandwich bag.

The other top tip is to eat regularly (eg every 20-30 mins) whether you feel hungry or not. Waiting until you're hungry is waiting too long. Bonked once and had to sit down outside a shop and scoff crisps, Mars bars and Coke. Not ideal.

Kieran_Burns

Rules for a 100 mile bike ride?

Ride a 100 miles on a bike.

paul_mck

dont phone a taxi

tgotb

My rules for century rides:

1. Don't do it on a TT bike
2. Don't set a target time, in case it spoils the ride
3. Stop for lunch, somewhere around the halfway point
4. If significantly more than 100 miles, stop for a pint around the 100 mile point
5. It is acceptable to incorporate a race as part of the century, but rule 1 must still be observed

I know people who have broken rules 1-3 (all at once), and they tell me they didn't enjoy the ride very much...

markhewitt1978

stu-bim wrote:

Trying to find if there are any standard rules with regards doing a 100 mile ride, apart from the obvious

Is it non stop on the bike, or are there normal time lengths for breaks/rests/feeds or is as long as it is all one day

Had a look at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_ride and googled but not seeing anything

Well that page says within 12 hours, which seems reasonable. But tbh if I'd started at 6am and finished at 9pm I don't see why that wouldn't 'count'.

greg66_tri_v2.0

TGOTB wrote:

My rules for century rides:

1. Don't do it on a TT bike
2. Don't set a target time, in case it spoils the ride
3. Stop for lunch, somewhere around the halfway point
4. If significantly more than 100 miles, stop for a pint around the 100 mile point
5. It is acceptable to incorporate a race as part of the century, but rule 1 must still be observed

I know people who have broken rules 1-3 (all at once), and they tell me they didn't enjoy the ride very much...

Yeah. but what really spoiled it for them was the swim before hand and the nice long run afterwards...

t4tomo

markhewitt1978 wrote:

stu-bim wrote:

Trying to find if there are any standard rules with regards doing a 100 mile ride, apart from the obvious

Is it non stop on the bike, or are there normal time lengths for breaks/rests/feeds or is as long as it is all one day

Had a look at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_ride and googled but not seeing anything

Well that page says within 12 hours, which seems reasonable. But tbh if I'd started at 6am and finished at 9pm I don't see why that wouldn't 'count'.

The wiki entry appear to be written by an american, so by defination doesn't count for anything.

Ride 100 miles in one ride - however you like

marcusjb

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Rules for a 100 mile bike ride?

Ride a 100 miles on a bike.

Pretty sure that covers it.

stu-bim

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Rules for a 100 mile bike ride?

Ride a 100 miles on a bike.

Would that be covered by

stu-bim wrote:

...apart from the obvious...

marcusjb

If you would like it to have rules - enter a 100mile time trial.

walkingbootweather

The first rule of Century Ride Club is: You do not talk about Century Ride Club. The second rule of Century Ride Club is: You do not talk about Century Ride Club. Third rule of Century Ride Club: Someone yells stop, goes limp, taps out, the ride is over. Fourth rule: only two wheels to a bike. Fifth rule: one bike at a time, fellas. Sixth rule: chamois pad, clipless shoes. Seventh rule: Rides will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule: If this is your first Century Ride, you will need a pint when you have finished.

Kieran_Burns

walkingbootweather wrote:

The first rule of Century Ride Club is: You do not talk about Century Ride Club. The second rule of Century Ride Club is: You do not talk about Century Ride Club. Third rule of Century Ride Club: Someone yells stop, goes limp, taps out, the ride is over. Fourth rule: only two wheels to a bike. Fifth rule: one bike at a time, fellas. Sixth rule: chamois pad, clipless shoes. Seventh rule: Rides will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule: If this is your first Century Ride, you will need a pint and a curry when you have finished.

FTFY

SteppenHerring

marcusjb wrote:

If you would like it to have rules - enter a 100mile time trial.

I have done this (4 hours 46) and I recommend it as super fun*. I did have to unclip at one roundabout though.

*This may be a lie.

stu-bim

SteppenHerring wrote:

marcusjb wrote:

If you would like it to have rules - enter a 100mile time trial.

I have done this (4 hours 46) and I recommend it as super fun*. I did have to unclip at one roundabout though.

*This may be a lie.

Think I am a (very) long way off a time like that but thanks for all the tips from everyone

stu-bim

I guess I need to read this thread next

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=12924775

desweller

Kieran_Burns wrote:

walkingbootweather wrote:

The first rule of Century Ride Club is: You do not talk about Century Ride Club. The second rule of Century Ride Club is: You do not talk about Century Ride Club. Third rule of Century Ride Club: Someone yells stop, goes limp, taps out, the ride is over. Fourth rule: only two wheels to a bike. Fifth rule: one bike at a time, fellas. Sixth rule: chamois pad, clipless shoes. Seventh rule: Rides will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule: If this is your first Century Ride, you will need a pint and a curry when you have finished.

FTFY

I'm always partial to a McDonalds milkshake after a 100-miler. It's the only time I cross the threshold of the Golden Arches.

meanredspider

DesWeller wrote:

I'm always partial to a McDonalds milkshake after a 100-miler. It's the only time I cross the threshold of the Golden Arches.

That's funny - before I did London to Cambridge night ride, I had a burger, fries and a nice banana shake in one of those upmarket burger places (BGW or something). Must have worked because I was nearly an hour faster than the other 249 riders

il_principe

Meh, there are no rules. Clearly you will need to stop for a p1ss a few times. I tend to do that and then throw in a quick cafe stop at around 65 miles or so. After all there is no point in riding long distance if cake is not involved at some stage. As long as you enjoy it, who cares.

CiB

I can't imagine rolling up at the in-laws 108 miles away and being told it doesn't count as a 108 mile ride as I stopped for a few minutes to refuel and have a break from sitting in the same position for 7 hours.

anonymousblackfg

Anything goes as long as your done in under 5 hours. As cheery waves and hellos to Triathletes as possible are compulsary.

markhewitt1978

It at least has to be all in the same day, as I could do a 10 mile bike ride 10 days in a row and claim a century.