100 miles in a day

[Adolf]

Is it this possible with ease with a relatively flat route and will it take alot of training?

 

[Pigo]

I built upto it over a couple of months doing 50's & 40's Then just went for it! Plenty of fluids, a basic & interesting route is my advice. I've done a few now & just stop whenever I feel the need - same with food & drink, just listen to your body! Someone on here told me it becomes a little addictive.....yup! The first time you go make sure you have the option to easily cut it short if necessary. Enjoy!

 

[Adolf]

I built upto it over a couple of months doing 50's & 40's Then just went for it! Plenty of fluids, a basic & interesting route is my advice. I've done a few now & just stop whenever I feel the need - same with food & drink, just listen to your body! Someone on here told me it becomes a little addictive.....yup! The first time you go make sure you have the option to easily cut it short if necessary. Enjoy!

How long did it take you to do 100 miles? After a couple of months training.

 

[Gixxerman]

I did a 100 miler last year without any extra training at all.
I am pretty fit for my 46 years and could do 50 milers without any issues, so a 100 miler did not seem to be such a big thing. I just made sure that I had a good nights sleep the night before. I did start to run out of steam at the 75mile mark, and cramp was an issue. Try to pace yourself - 100 miles is a long old way and will take you about 6-7 hours, so don't set off like a madman. It is a marathon not a sprint.

If I were doing it again, I would make sure that I carbed up the night before (rice / pasta) and have a better breakfast (I just had a bowl of cereal). You will need a lot of water / fluids. When I did mine, it was quite a hot day and I drunk over 6 litres of fluids. I would also take some emergency rations with you. Chocolate and flapjacks are good. I also recomend the "trial mix" you can buy from Tescos. It contains dried fruit / bananas and nuts which give you a real boost when you energy levels are low.

 

[HLaB]

If you are fit and not going for a record pace its perfectly doable after a little work, I'd never say it was easy though :-)

 

[Brommyboy]

I have many times done the 100+ miles in under 10 hours, with a partial load on board. I usually just make two or three stops, the shorter the better, preferably less than 30 minutes each. This makes starting off again very much easier. On the touring bicycle, this takes about 30 minutes less than on the Brompton! My strongest training came when cycle-commuting 6 miles each way each day, whatever the weather.

 

[ColinJ]

Is it this possible with ease with a relatively flat route and will it take alot of training?

If you don't have any underlying health issues and you buy a bike that fits you properly and you wear suitable clothing and you build up to it sensibly and you pick a day with decent weather (not too hot, too cold or too windy) and you eat and drink sensibly and you ride at a sensible pace - yes, it can be pretty straightforward!

(And, obviously, if you get any of those things significantly wrong - no!)

Some people are more athletically gifted than others and can get fit very easily. Other people have to work harder at it. It took me about 10 years to get round to doing a century but I'd say that most people could easily build up to doing one in a year, and if you really pushed yourself, you could get to that level in a few months.

What is the longest ride you have done so far and how did you feel afterwards?

 

[Paulus]

100 miles a day is perfectly feasible. Build up to it gradually, you wouldn't go out on a jog for 5 miles and then try to run a marathon.

 

[Adolf]

I've went from South Shields to Corbridge before and just slept well that night...was fine.

I've been out before and did very little with next to no sleep and felt shoot, went out before with food in me and been smart as a dart, I'm only 19 so I'm athletically fit as well.

I would like to see myself do a 100 miler though, with training can you do this in 6 hours?


Also, would training on a older heavier bike work better?

 

[briantrumpet]

I would like to see myself do a 100 miler though, with training can you do this in 6 hours?

Yes, 6 hours is perfectly feasible (I've just got back from a 97-miler that had 5h10 of cycling, plus about 20mins for stops, and I'm 47) - but just get out there and enjoy riding the distances at a pace you can cope with, and see what happens. One big hint - don't push it too hard in the first half hour or so, or you'll pay later on - if you've still got oomph left after 70 miles, there's still plenty of time to use up the energy. Oh, and make sure you eat and drink plenty, or you'll just stop.

 

[Barrow Challenge]

Ramp up your regular rides by a few miles per week till you are comfortable doing 60+ miles in a single ride, then by that stage you should be able to spank out the legendary Century.

Try and pick a nice day for it, have a good breakfast and carry plenty of munchies and ensure you either have plenty of fluids on your bike or can stop off and top up along the way, take it easy and enjoy it. Make sure you use sun cream or the like if it is going to be a nice day or you will come home extra crispy and worse still it could cause you to dehydrate and suffer heat stress with the combined extra fluids you will be chewing through.

I knocked my first Century out last year, 6 hours and 15 minutes or there about and it was the day Le Tour started so was wall to wall sunshine and I enjoyed every minute of it.

It's a great feeling and a milestone (or 100) in every riders lifetime, enjoy it and I wish you well. =]

 

[doog]

Ive recently done 140 miles in a day, fully loaded with panniers and camping equipment from Niort in France to Rennes. Had 4500 feet of climbing en route. Did 2 other 100 milers on the 10 day trip.

Did no training for this trip other than my daily commute and the odd 30 mile weekend ride. You will be amazed at what you can do if you put your mind to it. (I needed to catch a ferry the next day

)

Prior to this my only other century was last year, Exmoor to Poole, again fully loaded.

 

[Adolf]

Wow thanks for such positive replies, it feels really nice to read them if I'm honest.


I think what I'm going to do is today when I come in from work try and see how far I can go, to carry lots though where can you put it beside 3 pockets back of jersey?

 

[JonnyBlade]

Yes, 6 hours is perfectly feasible (I've just got back from a 97-miler that had 5h10 of cycling, plus about 20mins for stops, and I'm 47) - but just get out there and enjoy riding the distances at a pace you can cope with, and see what happens. One big hint - don't push it too hard in the first half hour or so, or you'll pay later on - if you've still got oomph left after 70 miles, there's still plenty of time to use up the energy. Oh, and make sure you eat and drink plenty, or you'll just stop.

Was the 97 the Meon by any chance?

 

[madpensioner]

Yes like everyone has said - take the training steady - build up your milage slowly

Im 71 years old - only started cycling just over 3 years ago

2009 - the manchester to blackpool - 63 miles
2010 - 140 miles on my 70th birthday
- manchester 10
- beaverbrook 45
2011 - Norwhich 100
- classic Oxfordshire 60 miles
- 142 miles on my 71st birthday
- beaverbrook 45
- manchester to blackpool 63 miles
I must say that I used to be a marathon runner - then a long distance walker - and in the later years power walking
I have my own gym at the bottom of the garden - heavy squats and light weight training upper body in winter - very light weight training
upper body only in summer - and 500 very easy miles in the spring - building the miles and speed early summer - followed with the events

I wish you all the best in the training - I needed advice - read a lot of cycling books - developed my training plan - it is working - cheers LEIGH