There’s a kind of magic that comes from watching a bike computer tick over to triple digits.
It’s a mileage with gravity, an accomplishment of significance. A challenge that doesn’t necessarily turn you inside out. And yet, if you need a full day on the bike to work through some dark stuff and emerge, drained and hopeful, on the other side, a century can do that too. Somewhere in that number, there are hours of joy, effort, and exhaustion, along with a sense of bucket-list satisfaction that your legs can carry you from city to city on their own power. Whether you set out on your own 100-mile adventure or sign up for an event, riding your first (or 100th!) century is a goal worth targeting and celebrating. But first you’ll want to consider your training and fueling strategy. We’ve got expert advice that can help, as well as stories from cyclists whose lives have been changed by the quest to hit 100 miles in a single ride. Get ready to have a hell of a party at the finish line.
NAIL YOUR NUTRITION
Most cyclists underestimate their energy needs to complete an endurance event, says Namrita Brooke, Ph.D, a nutritionist, coach, and veteran century rider. Fuel early and often. Start with your first snack about 30 minutes into the ride, and focus on easily digestible carbs, such as energy bars.
Eat about 60 grams of carbs per hour, Brooke says. “That’s about 240 calories per hour while you’re actually riding.” For an organized century event, she recommends carrying enough fuel to cover at least half of that—so, one gel or one bar for each hour you’ll be riding. That frees you up for additional aid-station or gas-station snacking on bananas, trail mix, pretzels, or other salty-sweet delights. “If you find boiled, salted potatoes at a rest stop, you’ve found the gold at the end of the rainbow,” Brooke says.
Hydration needs vary based on heat, humidity, terrain, and pace. Brooke’s general guideline is to drink at least one 16- to 20-ounce bottle per hour—more if you’re thirsty. If you’re fueling with gels, wash them down with water; if you’re eating solid food, try an electrolyte drink mix that’s not too sweet, like Skratch Labs or Nuun.
Also top up your energy stores in the days before the event. Begin two or three days out by increasing the proportion of carbs in your meals—for example, adding a small baked potato. The night before the ride, eat a normal meal with a slightly larger serving of carbs, like chicken and rice with an extra half cup or cup of rice. Then, a few hours before your event begins, eat a carb-heavy breakfast that’s familiar and not too fiber- or fat-dense—oatmeal, bagels, or toast are perfect.
Pringles
“Salty snacks like Pringles are good when you burn out on the sweetness of gels and chews.”
Coca-cola
“A can of Coke is a good pick-me-up because it’s got sugar and caffeine, too—especially if it’s hot out.”
Payday Bars
“Always a staple. They’re kind of salty, and they’ve got carbs, a little bit of protein, and fat.
PREVENT POSITIONAL PAIN
To troubleshoot the most common cycling pains, we spoke with physical therapist Erik Moen, who sees around 1,000 cyclists a year as the owner of Corpore Sano Physical Therapy and BikePT near Seattle. For the most part, Moen treats recreational cyclists—many of whom are “fresh off the desk” and either gearing up for a century (or longer) event, or recovering from one. Understand that not all pain is a natural part of riding far, he says. “If you’re riding at a high level, it might exhaust you and put pressure on your hands and feet. But if you’re having aches and pains that are lingering and limiting your training, you should question what’s going on and seek help.”
Here’s what Moen prescribes to fix and prevent your frequent aches.
Up Your Mileage // Asking your body to hold an unfamiliar position can cause lower back pain, knee pain, and extremity numbness. Luckily, preventing it is simple: Ride more. Spending more time on the bike before your event will help you build the strength needed to hold your pedaling position longer.
“The weekend-warrior approach can be a recipe for disaster,” he says.
Adjust Your Bike Fit // Poor saddle position is a common issue—a too-high saddle can lead to lower back, neck, and shoulder pain. If your hips are rocking from side to side when you pedal, lower your saddle by a few millimeters. If you’re experiencing knee pain, try raising your saddle instead. Excessive reach to the handlebar strains your lumbar region and shoulders because it creates a longer lever, or more distance between the handlebar and your base of support, and requires more strength to hold the position. If you feel stretched out, tweak your cockpit distance—raise your bars, try a shorter stem, or reposition your saddle by moving it forward or back by a few millimeters. If your hands start to hurt or feel numb, use a level to check that the saddle isn’t tilted forward or backward.
Keep in mind that these are only general guidelines. You should visit a clinician or PT like Moen if you’re facing persistent pain.
Improve Your Pedal Stroke // If your saddle height is dialed in and your knees are still hurting, a low cadence could be to blame. When your cadence is low and you’re pushing a big gear, it can create lower back strain and patellofemoral compression, or pain under and around your kneecap. Increase your cadence and spin in a lower gear to put less pressure on your knees. Moen recommends that cyclists aim for 80 to 90 rpm.
Trying to hang
Teaming up with a friendly rando at the start line can be a recipe for disaster. “Sometimes another rider will say, ‘Just sit on my wheel, you can stay out of the wind, and I’ll pace,’” says longtime bike coach Paul Page-Hanson of Wenzel Coaching in San Francisco. “Generally that doesn’t work out. Trying to match somebody else’s effort can be chaotic.” Ride with a friend with whom you’ve trained or already discussed matching pace and fuel stops.
Forgetting your flat gear
Stuff a multitool, travel pump, tire levers, and a patch kit or spare tubes into your saddlebag. This simple preparation—along with practicing changing out tubes at home—ensures speedy flat repair and may even appease the bike gods to magically preempt punctures altogether.
Not doing your homework
Research the route months in advance and simulate it during training, so you’re not caught off guard by endless, punchy hills or headwinds. And peek at the weather before you go, so you’re ready for whatever chaos the forecast holds.
TRAIN TO FINISH STRONG
First things first: When should you start training? Page-Hanson recommends taking four to six months to prepare, depending on your fitness starting point. (Plan on four months if your long rides are currently 40 to 50 miles; six months if you’re at 20 to 30.) This can also vary based on the type of century you’re targeting. An epic sufferfest with 15,000 feet of gravel climbing will demand a lot more than a ride on flatter terrain, so tailor your ride time and routes to your style of event. Hills can be a huge factor in ride-day success, so include enough hills in your ride lead-up to simulate your event if you anticipate a lot of elevation change.
Page-Hanson says he bases his century training plans on time, not distance, due to the effects of weather and elevation—because “10 miles into a headwind, or with a long draggy climb, is very different from 10 miles of tailwind or flowing descent,” he says. “So a training plan would include ‘Ride for 90 minutes in zone 2.’ The distance may well vary, but the training volume can be ascertained.”
He generally recommends riding 12 total hours per week in the months leading up to the event. Every week should include two easy rides, a couple of one- to two-hour rides at a modest effort (an intensity of four to five on a scale of 10), a day for stretching and core work, a day off, and a long ride—all while keeping an eye on your nutrition and sleep.
If you’ve attempted a century relatively recently, then your prescribed long rides should start at three to four hours and increase from there as the event gets closer. If you don’t feel ready to tackle three- to four-hour rides yet, just keep increasing the distance of your long rides by 10 to 20 percent a month. About a month out from the event, do one or two preparatory rides of six to eight hours (about 70 to 80 miles). If you finish feeling tired but upbeat, you’re ready to go the full 100. Practice everything you would do on century day, including your fueling plan.
The most important thing you can work on during training is your pacing strategy. Get used to the feel of metering effort all day, and never ride into the red or at threshold-effort level. On a rate-of-perceived-exertion (RPE) scale of one to 10, a century should be ridden at a three to four, or possibly a five to six if you feel you can sustain that. “My pacing mantra for the first 50 to 60 miles is that if it feels too slow, it’s probably about right,” Page-Hanson says.
Save your heroic efforts for when you’re two or three miles out from the finish. “If you use up your last resources too soon, then the last 10 minutes of the ride will feel like a million years,” Page-Hanson says. Your technique and posture will fall apart, and you’ll likely go to what Page-Hanson calls “a dark place.” “Once the lights go out, your last mile will feel interminable. Light your fireworks when you see the finish line.”
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Bontrager Bontrager Ion 200 RT/Flare RT Light Set
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5 RIDES YOU'VE GOTTA TRY
– LONGEST RUNNING–
Tour of the Scioto River Valley
Sept. 24–25, 2022 | Canal Winchester, OH
The TOSRV is a two-day event; you can choose to ride the full option, with 100 miles on Saturday and 100 on Sunday, or aim for the half, with 50 miles each day. The ride began in 1962, making it now the longest-running century in the U.S., and it attracts as many as 3,000 riders.
– TONS OF CLIMBING –
Alpine Loop Gran Fondo
Sept. 2022 | Harrisonburg, VA
Level up with this brutal 107-miler, featuring about 10,000 feet of steep elevation gain. The ride was founded by mountain bike champion Jeremiah Bishop and includes 11 miles of gravel and lots of up and downs through the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains.
– BEGINNER FRIENDLY –
North Shore Century Ride
Sept. 18, 2022 | Evanston, IL
With less than 1,000 feet of elevation gain, this 2,500-rider cruise along Lake Michigan is a scenic tour of neighborhoods and villages north of Chicago, up into the gently rolling roads of Wisconsin. Seven aid stations along the course offer plenty of food and mechanical support.
– MOST RIDERS –
Hotter’N Hell Hundred
Aug. 27, 2022 | Wichita Falls, Texas
Billed as a “Texas ride of passage,” the HH100 draws around 10,000 masochists to tackle triple-digit mileage in (likely) triple-digit heat. This year the ride celebrates its 40th anniversary of two-wheeled fun and heat resistance with a three-day festival, concert, and party at the finish line.
– ICONIC GRAVEL RACE –
Barry-Roubaix
April 2023 | Hastings, MI
If 100 miles of rutted roads and rocky climbing is more your speed, put this storied ride—billed as the world's largest gravel race—on your calendar. The Barry-Roubaix 105-mile “Psycho Killer” route will throw around 7,000 feet of off-road elevation gain beneath your knobby tires as you explore the undulating back roads of Barry County, Michigan.
