don’t bother training, just try and ride yer bike a little more, take it easy on the day and keep eating and drinking

works for me but might explain my slow century pace 😀

I had something similarlast year. The work was doing a LE-JOG and I was put forward for 2 days riding. I plotted teh route I was going to be riding onGoogle maps and aver the 2 days it was going to be about 130 miles and 8500 feet climbing.(Perth to Braemar then Braemar to Inverness both days passing through the Ski centres). The ride was in October and this was the end of July. I had ridden MTB’s for years and not touched a road bike for 20+years. I went and bought a Cannondale CAAD8 at the start of August and planned a door to door loop. This worked out at 61miles and 1100mtrs climbing, which I did on a regular basis. I also did some 10miles timetrial on the local track. I just couldn’t believe how easy the road bike rode and how quick it covered the miles. The most I had ridden before this was 50 miles, but on a MTB. I then upped my miles to 76 in preparation for the 2 days. All miles covered easily and I am now riding a lot more on the road. Moral is plan a route ride it and just enjoy, the miles will fly by. Come this time next year 100 won’t sound much.

Some good advice here re training rides but no-one’s mentioned the more holistic stuff: sleep and diet.
Long rides will take a lot out of your body. Make sure you get plenty of sleep and stay away from the beer in the days before.And eat well, especially plenty of carbohydrate (pasta always good for this) When you get back from yr training rides stay away from the cake and stick plenty of water, and protein in you. And make sure you get a good night’s sleep after. Also make sure you start the ride well hydrated and keep it that way. Find out what energy products work for you too…
And enjoy. A century ride is something to be proud of. Especially when people at work can’t work out why you’d even want to do such a thing 🙂

I was in the same position as you recently – 4 mile commute each way, 5 days a week on a fixed gear. did some 30 mile rides on said fixed gear (riding to parents house) and a couple of times did out and back after sunday lunch.

did some mountain biking

then did manchester blackpool on said fixed gear in about 3hours (not with anyone else but handily got in a loose group for the last 20miles and was glad to share the headwind)

did similar pattern of rides next year, put together a road bike out of internet sale bits and did manchester 100 (again on own but got in groups) but did take longer as I broke chain and didn’t get food right (tip is to eat early on in ride as well as later on, and take powerlinks)

depends on how hilly the 100 is?? but I reckon you’ll fine if you get some longer rides in, don’t get overly worried about training plans… if your mates were hardcore looking to hammer it or thought you couldn’t hack it they’d have told you

I assume the rides you have signed up for are sportives. If so they are likely to be hilly which will make them significantly harder than a flattish 100 miles – sportive organisers like to find the longest, toughest and steepest hills for their routes.

If so the suggestions above about doing little or no extra training may well end up with you bonking or going through a lot of pain to finish. If the weather is bad that can also have an adverse on your energy, as somebody I rode with a couple of weeks ago found out.

Assuming the routes are hilly I would be aiming to be building up to riding a hilly 65-75 miler before the event.

Also find out what energy food and drink suits you best – getting stomach cramps half way round will be both painful and embarrassing.

If you want to complete the rides, keep up with your mates and enjoy the events I suggest you put some serious training miles in!

My experience recently of riding with newcomers, say less than a year of road riding under the belt is very different to what I’m reading here.
I would say that most of them over do it and suffer after two hours, and they generally become slower with every climb. Though I know they are all capable of riding fair old distances , if they’d keep the pace and heads in check. For example one of them was clocking up 17.5MPH into a headwind ( i’m assuming that it was correct as I was peering over at his kerputer whilst riding along side him) then about three miles into this wind he started to fade big time. I know he could have gone further doing a little less.
I also think that nudging 18MPH for a 100 first go might be, well pushing it.
Going back to what I said earlier, I think keeping up might be your downfall.
Also your butt, back and neck might have something to say about this. 5 miles to a ton!

just ride bikes a lot, up n down, far and wide. 100 miler is hard though. just get the miles in yer legs. am planning one myself.

The only 100 miler I’ve ridden was after little training: rode 10 miles each day before work ( I could walk to work) and the just did it. 100 hilly miles on a singlespeed. Not that far really