First metric ton.

Just back from my first ever 100km bike ride.

About 1/2 on gravel, half of that on non-existent grassy “towpaths” on the banks of a canal so quite hard going.

Feeling very smug.

Excellent work, well done

Thanks. I’m working towards an imperial century. 🤞🏻

Yeah, nice work. I remember before I did my first one thinking “god, how on earth can anyone ride that far, and isn’t it boring?” But after I did it I realised that it’s a nice way to ride, slowing down and taking everything in, and gives a great sense of achievement. Now I try to do one a month.

I did a similar ride yesterday. Loved it. But I’ve ridden 100km twice before. If Oxduro isn’t a 100 miles this year then I’ll plan my own century for later in the year

I set off on a 100 miler last Thursday. Got to 96 miles and bonked big time.  But it was ace. Try to do one a couple of times a year.

Well done you

I’m a little achey today, I’ve got to admit.

Good effort. I’d say you’re entitled to be a bit achey!

Well done. If you’ve done a semi off road 100km, a road 100miler won’t be much harder IMHO.

Thanks. I’ve got to admit the miles of grassy canal bank were a bit of a killer.

👍

Rode a loop of a lake both Saturday and Sunday in wind, rain and grey skies.

Yesterday I woke up and the sun was shining so decided to ride. One lap of the lake is 38km. First lap flew by, perhaps thanks to being chased by two great big Maremmano sheep dogs*. Set off on a second lap, but missed out the half of the lake with the crazy dogs. Third lap, with 74km I stopped off at a cafe/bar for some lunch…. Great big panino with an isotonic Weißbier.

That was my downfall.

I felt so bloated and lethargic I gave up when I got back to the van…. 88km. I reckon a smaller lunch and I would easily have been able to tag on another half loop making it 112km. Oh well maybe next time.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maremmano-Abruzzese_Sheepdog?wprov=sfla1

According to our bathroom scales I’m getting very bloody close to a metric ton too 😩

This is how it starts, and before you know it you’re doing 300-400km a weekend with your audax buddies.

Never stray from the ways of MTB and this problem won’t arise.

@grimep – I’m actually doing it to get fitter for my MTB trips. I’m in East Cheshire, so decent mountain biking is a bit far away, however there is very decent road and gravel riding pretty much out my door. I have to do long distances to get the benefit though as it’s a bit flat.

Imperial century on Sunday on fixed wheel. Not the most exciting route, but hoping for sub 4h if gear selection is good. Hint it’s H100/88 for those in the know 😉 .

If you can ride 100 km, you can ride 100 miles.

@TiRed

Is that four laps of the 25 course? Its been a long time since I rode out there, I did my first under the hour on that so it sticks in my mind.

This is how it starts, and before you know it you’re doing 300-400km a weekend with your audax buddies.

Yeah, 400 last weekend, then Great British Escapade in a couple of weeks (mostly off road) then. 600 next month to complete my Super Randonneur.

Stay away from road bikes kids, they ruin your weekend 😉

Is that four laps of the 25 course?

Yes, but it’s also only 35.6% of the 12h course I rode in the 2018 Nationals. That was on gears, so I’m a little wary of the bump in the middle of the course, as I went up that in the inner ring every circuit to keep my HR down.

Also signed up for a 12h for the BBAR, and all doubling up on a tricycle too if I can get around to relearning how to ride the thing! I’m not sure I can get the time off for AUDAX SR series, so I have to ride fast as I can 😀

Stay away from road bikes kids, they ruin your weekend

TT’s have you home by lunchtime. 12h excepted.

Well dome OP, the depressing bit comes when you work out how much shorter a Metric century is than a ‘proper’ imperial one 🙁

I will say though doing it even partially off-road does (IME) require more of you physically than on the road, all the vibrations and slight increase in rolling resistance all adds up to more fatigue per mile(or km), you’ll probably find that a 100 miles on the road is about as knackering as 100km on tow paths and bridleways for you now (discuss)…

If you can ride 100 km, you can ride 100 miles.

^^this^^

@Alpin: if only the Germans did beer diluted in lemonade and called it “Cyclist” or something…😀

Thanks. I’ve got to admit the miles of grassy canal bank were a bit of a killer.

and

I’m in East Cheshire, so decent mountain biking is a bit far away,

You should try the Cheshire Ring in a day*. That’ll get your 100 miles in, but the bits around Sandbach – Middlewich – Anderton Lift are grassy then quite rough. Plan your route to get them out of the way early!

*I think there’s a plan with my MTB gang to do it again this summer, will be the 3rd time.

I did 205km a couple of weeks ago with a stupid amount of climbing on the road bike – “The Mad Manc”. My undercarriage is only just getting ‘feeling’ back in it.

@tthew

 but the bits around Sandbach – Middlewich – Anderton Lift are grassy then quite rough.

Those are the bits. Unpleasant. But the worst bit was the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union canal, especially where I had to go an extra 3 or 4 miles because I couldn’t get off it where Garmin told me to.

I wouldn’t do it again.

Well done OP. Been trying to build up to another 100 road miles, think it must be 15yrs or so since the last & 45yrs since the first, got to 96 miles on the tandem in 2018 but couldn’t manage to persuade Mrs dB to do the extra miles vs relaxing with a glass of wine.

Well done Kramer. A metric century off road is at least equal in effort to an imperial century on tarmac.

I did a 100 miler on road the other week. Felt absolutely fine afterwards. Then last week I did 90 odd k on mostly gravel on the hardtail. It took about the same time as the road ride but seemed so much harder.

@chickenman

 if only the Germans did beer diluted in lemonade and called it “Cyclist” or something…😀

Yeah, but now I’m in Italy…..  And you should never water down a Weißbier with anything… And it was more the food, not the fluid that done me in.

TBF, Italians make a Radler/shandy with lemon soda and it’s lush….. Makes your Birra Moretti or Peroni taste so much better.

@chickenman

 if only the Germans did beer diluted in lemonade and called it “Cyclist” or something…😀

Yeah, but now I’m in Italy…..  And you should never water down a Weißbier with anything… And it was more the food, not the fluid that done me in.

TBF, Italians make a Radler/shandy with lemon soda and it’s lush….. Makes your Birra Moretti or Peroni taste so much better.

Excellent work! Next step is the metric f*ckton – although I think that’s more a measure of volume than distance… 😉

I did 100k on a fixie without too much difficulty; but the step up to the imperial ton, even on a proper road/ gravel bike was a real challenge for me

Well done Kramer. A metric century off road is at least equal in effort to an imperial century on tarmac.

I think the elevation is equally important too. I normally do a couple of fairly flat off-road 100km rides each year. Have been building the 12-year old son up towards it. He knocked off a flattish 60km surprisingly well on a heavy FS bike – I kept expecting him to flag but he didn’t. Then a month or so later we went to do a 50km ride and he wanted to do a different route. Ended up with 900m elevation and he was spannered by the end. Hopefully I haven’t put him off forever!

Well done. Kramer.

100km is a great achievement, especially if canal towpaths were involved.

I have done a few metric centuries and a couple of imperial centuries and the hardest was a 100-miler from Newport to Brecon and back almost entirely on the canal tow path. A nice, gentle incline/decline sounds like it should be easy but you never stop pedalling and it becomes hard work over a long distance.