Time for an Imperial century?

Hey,

I managed to finish the Dirty 130 and I figured that now might be a good time to ride a century (surely 100 miles on road is comparable?).

Should I look for an Audax or Sportive or something like that?

Mick

Should I look for an Audax or Sportive or something like that?

Only if you need company and feed stations. Nothing stopping you just getting out there and riding 100 miles. Plenty of routes out there if you don’t fancy doing it from the door.

For a first time go at a century, it’d make sense to opt for a Sportive just for the support aspect but do note that many Sportives go for the “hardcore / epic” end of the scale with bonkers amounts of climbing. Also be aware of the risk of slipping into “pseudo race mode” where you’re trying to hang in with a group of riders – sometimes the support and drafting can really help, sometimes if you’re in a sub-optimal group who can’t ride efficiently or are pushing the pace uncomfortably hard, it can be a total pain!

Strava has a feature in its Maps function where it can generate a route for you – you tell it how far you want to go, whether you want paved or unpaved surface and so on and it’ll pop up 3 routes. I’ve used it occasionally in unfamiliar areas when I’ve not had a specific route in mind and it’s usually been pretty reliable. Garmin has a similar feature.

One option (which I’ve used a few times) is to get a train out somewhere and ride home. That way you can optimise your route to take advantage of tailwinds and you’re ending the ride on known roads and terrain close to home which can really help when you’re a bit tired.

If I just want to hit a number I want this to be as easy as possible. That’s why I want support/company and somewhere a bit flatter. I also hate busy roads so don’t want a random route.

Only if you need company and feed stations.

For a couple of long rides recently I’ve taken the car out somewhere I can ride several loops from coming back to the car to refuel/fill bottles etc. I get the idea though that doing an organised event can help carry you along.

Audax will generally be 100km or 200km.

Usually good routes and a bit of food included at the end for a lot less cash (and a lot less support) than a sportive.

If you’ve done the Dirty 130, a road 160 isn’t going to be hard. keep pedalling, keep snacking and it’ll be done in 8-9 hours 🙂

I’ve never done a sportive or an audax but I’ve done plenty of centuries, solo or with a mate. First ever century and 200km+  were solo.

I’m sure you’d be absolutely fine with a century on the road,just plan it with cafes/shops or carry enough food and water and enjoy 👍

Strava has a feature in its Maps function where it can generate a route for you – you tell it how far you want to go, whether you want paved or unpaved surface and so on and it’ll pop up 3 routes. I’ve used it occasionally in unfamiliar areas when I’ve not had a specific route in mind and it’s usually been pretty reliable. Garmin has a similar feature.

Cycle.travel does this too, and it’s free –  https://cycle.travel/

One option (which I’ve used a few times) is to get a train out somewhere and ride home. That way you can optimise your route to take advantage of tailwinds

I love doing this.  Feels a lot like cheating – check the weather forecast, oh look it’s a strong south-westerly today, sudden change of plan, so I can ride with a tailwind all the way.  But it’s great!

If I just want to hit a number I want this to be as easy as possible. That’s why I want support/company and somewhere a bit flatter. I also hate busy roads so don’t want a random route.

I did a solo 100 miles in training for a 100 mile sportive, the sportive was much easier despite having more climbing. However, the faff of travelling to South Wales, registering, hanging around to start etc. put me off doing any more.

If I were you I’d look for a local-ish, flatter, smaller-scale event and give that a go.

Cycle.travel does this too, and it’s free –  https://cycle.travel/

Maybe others will fare better, but all the routes its suggesting (tried various lengths from 50 to over 100) for me are really poor

There are some 150k audaxes in the calendar, if you can add a few more kms to hit 100 miles.

Agree that for a first attempt, a flatter route is best. My first one was the Christies Manchester 100, which had 100k and 100 mile options, pretty flat round the Cheshire plain. There’s some lovely looking sportives in East Anglia (Tour of the Broads?)

With a couple of notable exceptions for good causes I prefer audax to sportive, cheaper, friendlier (ime), slower paced, and their use of proper cafes is better than relying on half a banana and free gels at feed stops. There’s usually someone to ride and chat with, most rely on gpx these days rather than route sheets, and while it’s meant to be “self-sufficient “, no one will ignore you if you are stuck at the side of the road.

Of course, once you’ve ridden 100 miles, it’s only another 30 for a 200k audax. And if you can do that, it’s only 50% further for a 300k. Which is already 75% of a 400k.

600k can just **** off though 😆 🤣

I’d pick a couple of routes/spots in different directions you can get to the start or finish by train, watch the weather for a tailwind and go for it. I find a big ride more satisfying if not just a loop back to home.

Whereabouts are you in the country? A flat 100 road miles is easier than the dirty81 you just did, especially if you’re riding in groups in a sportive. So you probably want some climbing to make a good route, how much is up to you.

As a casul road rider I like sportives, just a type of riding I don’t do that often so they’re fun. The tour de Manc is on week after next which draws a good crowd – has a 100mile plus a bit route with 2200 m climbing, so not excessive.

A road century will be relatively easy compared to the 130. My preference would be an Audax if you want the route pre-planned, personally I don’t find the odd feed station on a Sportive any better than a garage or a CoOp on an Audax. As others have said, 200k Audaxes are pretty common, and imo a flattish 200k would be comparable to the Dirty130, so why not up it to a 200 metric?

100 miler from home would be my choice for a 1st ton.

i try to ride a 100 or as near to it as i can once a month. i have a 100 mile mixed surface route from the door, also got a couple of 50 mile loops i use, that way i can nip home for a feed and drink.

got plans to do my 100 route on the fatbike this weekend.

Surely part of the fun of a long ride is the cafe stops. Doing short loops from the car is hardly the same thing, I might do that if I was seriously training for something else but I’m not.

Last couple of years I’ve spent a chunk of the summer riding loops of increasing size, reaching up to about 150km, which with the hills here is a big day out for me. Any further and I might risk going out of the Dales, and there’s just no call for that sort of thing.

A 200km Audax is a good option.  Unless you’re fit enough to do it all in one hit and eat on the move then realistically it’s 7 hours anyway, and the extra 40-50km only extends that another 1h30-2h, if you’ve got the day off for a bike ride it’s no biggie.

Shorter 150km audaxes might not suit you if you’re looking for a race.  The 19mph max speed is manageable in a fast group if you stop for coffee at all the controls, but with fewer controls on the shorter distance it might feel like a bit of a hindrance having to hang around to get your brevet stamped.

They’re much smaller than sportive, usually only 30-40 riders. But like most events, if you want a quick time you need to work hard in the first section to keep in a fast group as they will slow down eventually.  If you start slow you might feel strong at the end and catch a few people who’ve been dropped, but you’ll be hours behind the front groups.

As a mountain biker more used to winching a few miles round the countryside I found the RideLondon 100 pretty easy, lots of people about, lots of feed stations, just a long time in the saddle. You might have to wait untill next year now though.

I have no motivation to do a road 100 outside an event, my first was the Fred Whitton Challenge just to prove it isn’t that hard (it was) and one closed road event round Cambridgeshire which on paper was the flattest but was hard work in a headwind out on the Fens

200km Audax is your best bet if you want a bit of company. Exceeding the maximum speed limit is unlikely to be a problem unless you do a pan flat 200 in perfect conditions and don’t bother with a cafe stop, but why would you want to do that? Pick an interesting event with good scenery and a few hills, and have a nice day out with like minded people.

Of course, once you’ve ridden 100 miles, it’s only another 30 for a 200k audax. And if you can do that, it’s only 50% further for a 300k. Which is already 75% of a 400k.

600k can just **** off though 😆 🤣

400s are brutal as most folk, including me, don’t have enough time in hand to sleep. 600km allows for a kip and a nice touring weekend…

http://www.ridetothesun.co.uk – 100.5 miles 👍

 I also hate busy roads so don’t want a random route

The Strava routes aren’t random, they’re based on popularity (with cyclists not motorists!) So should reflect the attributes desirable by cyclists. Also if you search for routes it will give you other people’s rides.

The Strava routes aren’t random, they’re based on popularity (with cyclists not motorists!)

Where they fall down is on well-used TT and road race circuits cos it’ll show them as really popular but then if you turn up as a random rider, you’ll find a dual carriageway!

It only shows up as so popular because once a week throughout summer, a bunch of TTers smash up and down it!

However as a general rule, it’s pretty decent – I’ve had some good and interesting rides from that feature.

I think there are still spaces available for Ride London in May. 100miles, closed roads so no worry about traffic (except loads and loads of bikes), good food stops etc. and relatively flat on the essex route. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I reckon it’s good to do it once.

Only downside is location of you don’t live down this way

Only downside is location of you don’t live down this way

And the £1 per mile they charge you to ride it 🙂

That is true, one of reasons I’m not doing it this year. I can’t imagine the road closures and organisation are cheap but point taken, it is pricey

https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/find-events

plenty of 100 mile events, must be one near you. They’re a little boring but you’ll be fast, on whatever bike you choose to ride 😉 sub four hours with the right kit, sub five hours on a road bike. Any bike can be ridden. Take your own food, there’ll be cake at the end though!

I was selling my comfy road bike, and fancied ticking off 100 miles ‘just because’. I used Ridewithgps whilst eating breakfast that day and planned a kidney-ish shaped route in the Cotswolds that has my house about the halfway mark so I could bail/refuel.
It was a rubbish route! First half was mostly ok, except a 10km track section that for some reason went to a gravel track and through a pheasant hatchery. Second half took me up a bloody rocky bridleway past a National Trust property full of walkers (on 32mm gp4000s). I later went down Fish Hill in the torrential rain, hid in a hedge from a downpour, had stomach cramps from gels, and had to go for a poo in a forest.

So, basically, my advice would be follow someone else’s route, plan in advance, and check you’re ok with the fuel you’re taking, and check the weather forecast

Basically, do the opposite of what I did.

100 mile road ride from Surrey on 12th May:   https://www.swrc.org.uk/may-flyer/about-the-may-flyer

Just seen there’s a choice of 3 audax going past my house this Sunday.

https://www.audax.uk/event-details/11125-_bowland_forest_populaire

Don’t really fancy the Caton end but I suppose it’s convenient for transport. The various loops through the dales are fantastic.

Sportives – did a good number a while back but I doubt I’d do anymore. Didn’t really enjoy the atmosphere (a bit too ‘it’s not a race but it is a race’ and a few wannabe racer try hards trying to be peloton captains shouting at people which grated a bit as an actual racer doing the event as a bit of chill and hard training) and with organisers putting too many people (imo) into the event and combined with some very average riding standards felt like I was contributing to an local inconvenience I didn’t want to be associated with. Audaxs had/have a very different feel – the only thing I found there was finding people to ride with – some people definitely gave off the vibe that they did not want company and others clearly turning up with people they’ve ridden with for 30 years and not too welcoming to someone new who was not CTC to the core.

One thing you might consider – find an event route you like the look of and see if you can find the gpx file online to download and do a different weekend.

For bigger rides I quite like to do more than just a longer ride from home than usual. If you are not going to to an event or an event’s route how about taking a train to the start and riding home. Or do a family thing where the rest of the family goes by car and you meet them there and cadge a lift back or ride home. I quite like a little bit of jeopardy on longer rides that you are 100 miles from home and you have to make it all the way.

I used to ride 100 miles+ regularly when I were young.

Solo is OK.

Audaxes are great though – lovely routes, cafe checkpoints and camaraderie. Just avoid getting sucked into a fast group at the off.
You can also get suitable routes from the Audax UK website and ride them at your leisure.

Also –  check your local Cycling UK group. They may well organise 100-mile rides. Furthest I rode in one go was 207 miles with the Fife lot – Stirling to Montrose and back as a 24hr ride.  I slept well that night.

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The Strava routes aren’t random, they’re based on popularity (with cyclists not motorists!) So should reflect the attributes desirable by cyclists. Also if you search for routes it will give you other people’s rides.

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I live in an area with plenty of scenic quiet roads. The strava heat map shows the A507 as the most ridden road by far. In 18 years never ridden on it, its horrible and busy.

A good bet with Steve locally is to look at segments and see where folks went in their rides. I follow people I’ve never met to pick up ideas. I have a 100 mile gravel route saved for “one day”. I messaged the huge guy whose route it was and he said that he’d planned my end by looking at where i ride

A good bet with Steve locally is to look at segments and see where folks went in their rides

Pretty sure that’s what Steve does. Try it yourself and see if it nominates the A507

The distance isn’t the deciding factor for me, it’s amount of climbing and total time in the saddle.

But if you’ve ridden 130km, that extra 35km should be easy enough.

For your first Century, I’d plan a one way route with the prevailing wind being behind you.

Train to the start prevents an early start on the bike, but a train home can mean racing to make a train booking at the finish.

If I just want to hit a number I want this to be as easy as possible. That’s why I want …… somewhere a bit flatter. I also hate busy roads so don’t want a random route.

I agree with this. On three of my centuries I just bimbled about on local roads so I could get home and eat, get the kids from school, feed them etc etc and I didn’t have to worry about navigating and stuff.  The last of the three ( which were all done on the same day 😉 ) was just going round and round Alderley Edge bypass over and over again. With occasional detours up the A34 to Tesco for Coke and sandwiches

The last of the three which were all done on the same day 😉

🤟💪💪😳😎

Sad old man in sad old man brag shocker.

🥺

The last of the three ( which were all done on the same day 😉 ) was just going round and round Alderley Edge bypass over and over again.

Sounds **** awful!