Thought today might be the day, but was 16 minutes out. Shouldn't have slowed down for another rider, but that probably only cost me 3 minutes max.
Without changing the route to avoid three climbs over the Ridgeway I can't see how I can find the extra speed.
Sub 5 100's must be fairly common surely, but 16 minutes is a big shout isn't it?. Though it would be interesting to see how much quicker it could be done with a partner.

i am a 8 hour man myself……….. 😆

you must be a fit old bu55er……….. 😉

What route and bike are we talking about here?

yeah… I'm still working on beating 17mph average over that sort of distance, although I include ice cream stops in my time 🙂

You just need to get lucky with the wind one day

Edric road bike, Bucks roads includes the Ridgeway, Ivinghoe Beacon and Dunstable Downs. Obviously I could drop the climbs, but that would be defeating the point.

I have a theory on this – you need some short sharp climbs that give you some quality long descents where you can make up more than the time you lost on the climb. Maybe try that.

That's a good time over that terrain .Have you time trialled over that distance? on the flat you must be quick.

Oldy, you need to learn to sprint!
Anyway, I've done it once, Manchester to Scarborough, 4.58. Had a tailwind though, and climbed over the pennines and garrowby hill on the way. It's about riding fast All The Time, the hills don't knock that much time off, its the pottering in between that counts.
I rode back the next day, and died a thousand deaths, taking 7 hours..

I did 125 miles in 7hours 20mins on an mtb with slicks on and full panniers.Hell of a tail wind from Cornwall to Somerset.Best100 mile timetrial was 4: 08 :17 but that was the day the comp record went to 3:27

Edric only upto 25 miles.
Looking at the GPS though not a scientific approach I have three speeds, 24 plus on the flat, 17/19 undulating and 12 on the climbs. It also shows that the 30 miles around the Chilterns near Wendover are the killer miles.
Belly weight I reckon 😳 need to loose more.

3:27 for 100 miles?

****.

4.08 ****
My races are very fast but short, i.e 51Km in just over an hour, that's about 32MPH I think tops, but more often 29MPH average.

I have only ridden that way a couple of times but know the hills you mean a couple of minutes lost climbing takes ages to get back on the flat

3:27 for 100 miles?

now its 3:22 45!! on an out and back course

3:11:11 for a straight out ride

Oldgit that's quicker than my best 25 miler which is 56:12 and a bloody long time ago as well

Whoa, that's closed circuit road race, not solo. I've only been under the hour 2 up.

Which is funny because i'm rubbish at road race stuff!!

Always amazes me how much additional effort is required to get even just a 1mph increase in average over a good distance.

It also shows that the 30 miles around the Chilterns near Wendover are the killer miles.

Hardly a surprise, stern hills out that way

I thought for a moment that this thread was about the impossibility of riding 100 miles on an Orange Sub 5! 😉

Always amazes me how much additional effort is required to get even just a 1mph increase in average over a good distance.

that's because you square the velocity in the energy equation, (mass x velocity^2) so twice as much speed = four times the effort. At higher speeds even 1 mph makes a massive difference.

I think I'd struggle to do 5:16, net alone sub-4, chapeau!

Blimey I've got my first 100 mile sportive next weekend, and to be honest I'm just hoping on finishing on the same day!!!

Silverstone 100 and I think the route drops into Bucks and that on the way round

ron, I've raced at Silverstone and on some of the roads nearby and you'd have to come a long way south to hit hills. Nice though.

Having seen him in action, I can add that the 'oldgit', is one fit old git.

Did 200 in 10.27 last weekend.
Was made harder by being at night time. Rolling terrain, but no beasts.
Reckon with a small team of similar riders I could go sub 9.

Impressive achievement. Possibly makes it less likely that I'll ask to meet up for a ride at Woburn as I'm really along way from doing 100miles at any pace

Have you heard any more on Woburn. I heard some fairly negative stuff today. I'm a bit loathed to stoke the rumour mill at the moment so won't type it here.

i did the south downs way (so 100 miles) a few weekends ago. Took me 16 hours. Hope you're all jealous

I had my first road bike ride in the week – seeing if I could work around an injury.
Figured I'd give it a go as on the 29er on mtn bike tyres I was averaging 14mph around a 60 mile Watford – Wendover return route.

It was a 20yr old+ (?), 26lb, Claude Butler touring bike and I went with a friend whom I am quicker than on the XC riding. I was horrified how slow I was. Maybe this exposes the lack of cycling muscle having not ridden a bike between the ages of 18-41 (I'm 46).

Won't be buying a road bike any day soon!

Can anyone point me in the direction of a gpx file for the South Downs Way? I want to give it a go next week. (I don't mean to hijack the post!!)

went with a friend whom I am quicker than on the XC riding. I was horrified how slow I was.

I have the same experience. I just insist on mtb rides 🙂 I don't even have a bike excuse, my road bikes fine, reasonably light, works well.

I think technical riding of all sorts (roots, ruts etc.) knocks off more speed when not practiced regularly then you'd give credit for. Of course the real answer is to buy the roadbike, get quick on that and you'd be absolutely flying off road.

Sub 5 100's must be fairly common surely

Probably not as common as someone who hangs out with decent cyclists thinks 😉

Chapeau for 5:16, I'd struggle to do 100 let alone bother looking at a watch.

Mr Wazz loads of SDW info on here inc GPS files I think
http://www.southdownsdouble.net
you don't have to go both ways 😯

Obi_Twa – Blocked
I have a theory on this – you need some short sharp climbs that give you some quality long descents where you can make up more than the time you lost on the climb. Maybe try that.

Perpetual motion is discovered!

It was a 20yr old+ (?), 26lb, Claude Butler touring bike

Won't be buying a road bike any day soon!

so youve tried the road bike equivalent of riding a supermarket bike really and written it off …. if your friends road bike was anything half decent it`ll have been 6-8lbs lighter than your bike …. and he will have had STI units not downtube shifters – as well as significantly better gearing – youll have had a 14tooth lowest sprocket and likely 39:52 upfront or 28:42:52

bit like taking a metro to an F1 race really

bit like taking a metro to an F1 race really

At least make it a 6R4 metro 😉

I agree with trail_rat, get yourself a proper road bike ( 14 – 18lb), proper gearing ( 11-25 or 27) etc and you'll be amazed at the difference

Perpetual motion is discovered!

No no – it's easier to hammer up something short and then gain a good boost on a gradual climb.. Body's fatigue related to effort and time is not linear…

I reckon maybe I could do 5h30 on the flat, could have done sub 5 perhaps when I was doing more distance work.. but with hills no chance. You've done well there.

You've got me tempted now… *opens tracklogs looking for the flattest 100 mile route*

Wow, sub 5 hrs for 100miles. That's going some. Sorry the state the bl**ding obvious, but surely depends on the route you pick? What's a realistic ft of ascent in 100miles to be in with a chance?

Unless I was with a group I don't think I could get near 100 miles in sub 5 hours. I ride a fair bit too, 290 miles last week.

Did an 83 mile ride on Friday from Kilmarnock down to the Solway coast and it took me 4:46, which was an average of 17.5mph, rode back home on the Saturday in 4:23 with an average of 18.5mph, average after the first 50 odd miles was 19.6 but the next 30 miles was fairly hilly. I can't see that I could have got that ride home down by 20 minutes and then done another 20 in the last hour.

Flat route and a tailwind and a lot more distance training is the only way I could do it.

No no – it's easier to hammer up something short and then gain a good boost on a gradual climb.. Body's fatigue related to effort and time is not linear…

That's quite different and I'm not sure I agree – if you are trying hard properly you'll be working and fatiguing constantly throughout the ride.