What counts as a century ride?

Completing a 100-mile ride — also known as a century — is a popular training and racing goal. Many consider it the cycling equivalent of running a marathon. The experience of riding 100 miles can push your body and mind to the limit.

How hard is a century bike ride?

Unless the 100 miler you’re gunning for is pancake flat and you can easily cruise at 20+ mph (in which case you can adjust that max time downward), a rolling century will take you 6 ½ to 7 hours (using 15 mph as an average).

What is considered a long ride in cycling?

If you talk to a non-cyclist, 20 miles sounds like a long ride, but for an enthusiastic club member 100 miles might be a long ride. There are cyclists who regularly cycle much greater distances than this (Tour de France stages are often 140 miles or more). The intensity at which you cycle a long way is also important.

How many days rest before a century ride?

10 Answers. The correct answer is both. You should do a long ride, around 80\% of your goal distance 4 days before your actual ride, and then rest off the bike for 3 days. That gives your body a wake up call that serious exercise is coming, and then a rest period to build up for it.

How long should a 100 mile bike ride take?

4 hours to 10 hours
How Long Does It Take To Ride 100 Miles. Riding time varies largely on terrain and experience level, a 100 mile bike ride can take anywhere from 4 hours to 10 hours.

Should I ride the day before a century?

A two-week taper is most appropriate before a century ride. So, if you rode 80 miles in the first six days of the second-to-last week before your century, ride about 50 miles in the final six days before the event, taking one day off entirely.

Can I cycle 100 miles without training?

Remember, to do the 100, you don’t need to be training by doing 100 miles all the time — 75-80 per cent is ample preparation without adding excessive volume. Your physical training should take into account the following points: Specificity: Is your 100-mile ride going to be hilly? Then ride hills on your 60-milers!

Is 20 miles a long bike ride?

If you’ve let yourself go and haven’t touched the bike for a while, 20 miles is still eminently manageable, and a few rides at that length will get you back into decent shape. There’s no need to stop during a 20-mile ride, but it’s also perfectly reasonable to sit down for a coffee at the turnaround point.

Is a century hard?

Even the most experienced riders cannot hide the satisfaction of ticking off 100 miles in the saddle. But, unfortunately, riding a century is not quite as easy as just riding a bike. Hitting that mercurial 100-mile mark involves plenty of off-the-bike preparation as well as some prior training and nutrition knowledge.

What is a century ride?

Century Rides have traditionally been the backbone of road cycling, supported and sponsored by local cycling clubs across the country.A century ride is of course 100 miles in distance, but most events support different distances, for all abilities, typically: 25 miles – quarter century. 50 miles – half century.

What is a double century bike ride?

Century ride. Double century rides are usually scheduled near the summer solstice to take advantage of the longer daylight hours, and begin at or before dawn. The term Imperial century is sometimes used outside the United States and United Kingdom to indicate that 100 miles in imperial system is used instead of the implied 100 kilometers in metric system .

What is a metric century bike ride?

A metric century is a 100 kilometer (62 mile) bicycle ride. It’s a common goal for cyclists to complete a metric, because it’s a good barometer of where you are in terms of endurance, fitness, and speed.