Adventure Biking and Training for a Long Ride
Century and Two-Day Events Attract Active Seniors Seeking Challenge
Sep 2, 2008
Runners take marathon vacations; the equivalent for bicycle enthusiasts is a "century" - 100 miles in a single day. Bike clubs everywhere hold once-a-year century rides that anyone can enter for a small fee. Visitors from nearby areas often turn it into a weekend getaway.
Why Do a Hundred Mile Ride?
A century ride is a marathon without the pain. With a skinny-tired road bike on paved roads, it's a low-impact exercise that doesn't jolt the joints the way running does. Nor does it take six months of training. Anyone in decent shape might actually enjoy it, provided they devote 10-12 weeks to train. The main reason cyclists do it? It's fun. Second best reason: they can eat a lot. The third: 15 to 20 miles an hour could be the most pleasant sightseeing pace there is - fast enough to see a lot of countryside, slow enough to inhale fresh air and chat with riding companions.
Two Kinds of "Century"
A "century" is 100 miles, in bicycle-speak. However, some cyclists try a metric century - 62.5 miles - first. Bicycle clubs, nonprofits and fund-raising organizations for causes such as multiple sclerosis or diabetes research stage such rides, often with shorter 25 and 50 mile routes for those who aren't ready for the full hundred. These rides give riders a date to aim for. Also, they handle the planning - they lay out a good route, provide maps, food and restrooms, and patrol the ride to help in case a rider has a flat or an injury. Entry fees range from $10 to $50 for a single-day ride, and sometimes include a T-shirt or water bottle.
A "Century" is a Comfortably Paced Ride
It's not a race. Sure, hotshots push the pace and finish in five hours or less. But the point is to enjoy it and to finish, period, whether it takes all morning or all day.
How do Bike Riders Train?
A cyclist's lungs, legs and rear end need to be fit for hours in the saddle. Even those who have not ridden regularly can prepare for a metric century in as little as 10 weeks, provided they start in reasonably good cardiovascular shape. Most people begin with short rides the first few weekends, then add midweek rides. Others join a commercial bike tour to build stamina. At home, they increase weekly mileage gradually, without riding to exhaustion.
What Kind of Equipment do Century Riders Need?
Best bet is road bike with narrow tires, at least 18 gears (the low gears are for climbing hills or battling wind), either toe clips or clipless pedals and a painless seat. Some riders prefer the comfort of hybrid or mountain bikes, with their wider tires with upright handlebars, although the heavier the bike, the harder the rider's effort becomes.
Are There Rewards for a Long Bike Ride?
Yes! A big dinner, a well-earned rest, and bragging rights among friends until someone else does a century, too. Then they'll have to train for a double century.
Find a list of century rides here.
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