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Century Training (Road)

16 posts & 13 voices | Started 1 year ago by treefingerlongboards | Latest reply from cheers_drive

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treefingerlongboards - Member

Im sure this has been covered but cant find anything about it here, although a google search does come up with some stuff.

Just got a road bike built up after a while of not riding (in may i was fit and riding mtb regularly) and did 30 miles today averaging 15 m/ph with moderate hills. I can do this comfortably with no aching although on xclimbs my legs begin to get tired.

My question is how fast can i build up the distance? And how is the best way to train out of these options

1. Drop my average speed right down to build up mileage fast

or

2. Very gradually increase distance trying to keep my 15m/ph average?

I cant find anything suggesting the best ways to train this online.

thanks

Posted 1 year ago #
druidh - Member

Stop worrying about it and just go ride the bluddy thing

You'll soon find that 30 miles is nothing worth writing home about, you'll increase the distance as a matter of course.

Posted 1 year ago #
roadie_in_denial - Member

Ummm...depends how cruel to yourself you want to be. I'd suggest that you could probably ride 100 miles right now...it's just a question of available time and motivation.

As for training time...forget the computer for now, ride as far as you can as often as you can. When you're out for three hours constantly several times a week start looking at how far you're riding...

Posted 1 year ago #
benho - Member

When's the deadline and how fast do you want to be?

10% a week increase for is a good starting point for endurance

Posted 1 year ago #
crazy-legs - Member

A lot of century riding is just sheer bloody mindedness, you need the mental attitude to just keep riding and ignore/ride through those times where you look at the computer and it says 45 miles, you look at it 10 miles later and it says 46 miles!

Ride your bike as often as you can on varied routes, you'll find it naturally builds up. I'd go with Option 2, keep the speed up otherwise you'll be out for 4hrs and still only do 40 miles and it'll feel crap - going slowly on a road bike is deadly dull.

For me, 30 miles is about the point I start thinking of cafe stops but I'll quite happily do 100+ before boredom/tiredness set in.

Posted 1 year ago #
foggy - Member

If I were you I'd just get more and more saddle time at whatever speed you can sustain comfortably - don't worry about what that is. Try to add extra miles gradually - just 5 or 10 miles max on top of your longest ride each week is the usual kind of advice. When you get to 70 or 75 just go for the century as the last bit is just about wanting to finish - a bit like doing a marathon (unless you want to do it again the next day!). You'll probably be quite sore afterwards in places you didn't know you had either way.

Comfort/position will probably become more important to you than speed when you get to 4 hours plus in the saddle

Posted 1 year ago #
jacko54321 - Member

comutuin 12 miles as fast as i can eachway and then going for longer rides on days off, i went from 17mph to 21.5 on the comute in about 3 months, i can go about 20mph for 40 miles, i tend to get bored after that unless im going somewhere to do something

the faster you go the less time it hurts for !

Posted 1 year ago #
uponthedowns - Member

Keep your speed up and gradually increase the distance. Also when you start riding for more than a couple of hours take some food with you and eat regularly. As a previous poster said one you can do 75-80 miles your capable of a century

Posted 1 year ago #
samuri - Member

Plenty of eating, stop when you feel tired but try and keep your speed good.
Charity rides would be good training, something big like a 65 miler or so, you just get pulled along in the crowd.

And once you can do that sort of mileage, a ton is easy. To be honest, if you've got all day and a good mindset I reckon you could do it now. Map out the route, make it interesting but make it a loop, sorted.

As crazy legs said, it's more mental than physical.

Posted 1 year ago #
Lesanita2 - Member

Try Lance's 7 weeks to the perfect ride. Everything you need to know. A variety of techniques to build up distance and speed, whichever you are struggling with. Train upto 70 miles ASAP and then work on the speed. Do it without stopping. Careful not to over train. Read the book, there CAN be a lot of science that will help you.

Posted 1 year ago #
oldgit - Member

Just build up to it and ride it. Sorry to be a miserable oldgit, but a hundred miles isn't epic.
When I were a lad it was a hundred before lunch every Sunday, and the older riders would whinge on and on about not having ridden enough.
It's a bit of an issue with me at the moment, my age probably. We have great technology bike wise, superb clothing, GPS and computers everywhere more free time, but we're as soft as ****.
However I suggest you carry on as you is for now. Don't hang up the wheels for winter, and get onto a few reliability trials which will be on average 100K and waymarked for about a fiver. Once you've done one, do it again on you're own or with a mate. Then if you get on jump to a 100 miles.
The reason you can't find much about training for a ton is because the ton is the training?

Posted 1 year ago #
samuri - Member

You miserable old git

Posted 1 year ago #
treefingerlongboards - Member

haha, some funny replies.

old git you are living upto your name, its more my ignorance to road riding that gets me asking theses questions. I know the answer is just to get out and ride as some people have suggested, which is what ive been doing.

I have a tendancy to push myself too hard too quick so its not the mental toughness im worried about i just wanted a guide so i dont overdue it.

cheers guys

Posted 1 year ago #
oldgit - Member

The weather and amount of kit you need over winter will slow you down. That said, be prepared for the perfect day - sometimes you go out and it's hard not to keep on going.

Posted 1 year ago #
flap_jack - Member

*brag* just did 14 in a row, riding to Rome. Best advice I can give is to choose a nice day and just do it.
Make sure you've got plenty of food (stuff you like as well as 'energy' food) and drink, and don't get cold when you stop.
Final tip. Take a can of Red Bull with you. Drink it at 60 miles and you'll finish no problem.
Enjoy.

Posted 1 year ago #
cheers_drive - Member

When I first got a road bike 20 miles seamed like a long way but I soon started doing that on a evening then a few 50-60 miles and then I jumped straight to 100. It helps if you can ride with others to keep you company as there will probably be a few lonely / boring / painful bits on a 100 mile ride but it's all in the head. My av speed for 100/60/30 miles are all in a similar range so I'm not sure slowing it down will help just don't max out on every climb and choose a flat / rolling route for your first one.
My next challenge is the North Devon Black Rat this weekend, 100 miles and 2700m of climbing including bits of Exmoor, I'm not built for climbing so it should be interesting.

Posted 1 year ago #

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