steveindenmark
Legendary Member
This may be long and boring for some. If it is I apologies and will not be offended if you skip it. It is aimed those who have not done a century and who may think that they are not enough of a "Cyclist" to attempt one.
This is an account of my first century. I am not wanting to teach anyone to suck eggs. I ride a bike occasionally but would not consider myself to be "a cyclist", but after this I may become one. If it helps someone else to achieve the century then it was worth putting together.
Yesterday, For the first time in quite a while it was dry and sunny in Denmark. But cold. Autumn has arrived without any warning. Struggling for something to do I decided to find out if I could ride a century.
Now I don't advise anyone else to try and do it the way I did it but it was interesting....and hard in places. I am 55 and the furthest I ride on occasions it the 18km to work. I had done no preparation at all to ride this century.
I was riding a brand new Koga World Traveller 29 and the day before I had changed the seat for a Brooks Imperial B17s as I had sent my B17 back to Brooks for repair. The B17S is a ladies seat, a bit wider but shorter in the nose. This is beginning to spell disaster isn't it?.
I quickly packed my panniers with waterproofs, warm clothes, head torch and a big tuna and pasta lunch, which I had thrown together and off I went.
This is the first time this year I have had to change helmet for wooly hat. It is my choice. I also had my mitts on and kept my over boots on for the entire trip.
I had a rough idea where I was going to make the distance with a bit to spare and to add some interest. But I had no idea of the cycle routes but I could sort that out as I went along.
The route I would be taking for the first half of the route was from East to West across Denmark and unluckily for me I would be heading into the breeze to start off with. Not even a wind, just a gentle breeze, but a bit nippy to start with.
The weather was gorgeous and the Koga World traveller is a dream to ride. The new Brooks seat was not as bad as I expected and I made good progress and was really enjoying the countryside. We still have village shops in Denmark and so I stopped to stock up on chocolates. We also have lots of wild fruit trees and so I was not going to starve.
The Danish RAF were out practicing and lots of Christmas trees had been tagged for cutting and exporting. Denmark exports more Christmas trees than anyone else in Europe.
I arrived in Ribe, a lovely town, Denmarks oldest, if you are over this way it is with staying over. I found a bench in the sun and had my lunch and cracked open my flask of coffee. I now started heading South for the island of Romo and its very, very long causeway to one of Europes largest beaches. I did think of bailing at this point as I knew what was coming. The causeway is like a wind tunnel and I knew it was going to be a challenge to get over. But on leaving Ribe, I was following cycle path markers for the first time in my life. It took me along tracks I did not know existed. The lumpy landscape of the East had gone and it was dead flat, nothing to stop the wind at all. This was getting harder.
My only company was the animals and birds. Donkeys, horses, sheep, cattle, a fox and a few hares. Most of them were lying down to keep out of the incessant wind. Kestrels and hawks, the geese were heading off in a big V and some very white heron looking birds.
The starlings were out in there 1000s giving me a private "Sort Sol", black sun, display. Making great patterns in the sky. I lay down in the grass to watch them for 5 minutes to watch them, getting out of the wind was heaven.
I arrived at Romo causeway at about 100km and the urge to bail was almost impossible to resist. But I may never try this again and I am over halfway there. Crack on.
At times I was on the granny ring. The granny ring on the World Traveller is like spinning but at least I was going in the right direction and getting closer. It took a long time to reach the beach, the wind was howling and it was cold. Buy more chocolate, use the toilet, drink more, add another layer, head for home.
Going back over the causeway was not a lot quicker but was slightly easier. I should be flying but my legs are tired and this seat is not as comfy as it was. Have a rest and some chocolate for 5 minutes, have a drink. Getting started again in now painful. 140km.
It is getting cold and dark and it feels like rain is coming on. I have just made 160km, All the chocolate has gone, no shops for miles. I have made my goal and am just thinking of calling Jannie to pick me up when the phone rings. "Where are you, we have guests?
I am 20km from home, getting colder, stick another layer on. It is pitch black but the lights on the bike are great, the seat is now a torture implement and every bump gets a groan out of me. My legs and knees are sore and possibly my achillies tendon. Who knows, who cares? But now I have to push on to meet guests when all I want is shower and bed.
This is not just hard, it is really hard, my undercarriage is screaming, my knees are shot and my thighs are burning.
Oh! And I think it is going to rain.
The last hour is on the middle ring, it is easier on the limbs and I cannot really see how fast I am traveling anyway, but I am in very familiar territory now.
My cottage has candles lit in the windows, it is a Danish thing. It stands by itself at the edge of the village and if it was not your home, you would still want to go into it, it is so inviting. This is the gingerbread house. It is the best thing I have seen in a long time.
I lean the bike against the wall, remove the GPS and just before I open the door I feel the first drops of rain.
For anyone wanting to ride a century please don't do it my way. Build up to it but don't leave it forever to do it. Fitting a new Brooks seat the day before is not a good idea. Having said that, anyone who rides 180km in a day on a seat is going to feel some discomfort, I would think. My biggest mistake was not leaving earlier in the morning and having more daylight to ride in. When you are getting tired and cold, riding in the dark just makes it harder.
Total distance 179.34km. ( 111.44 miles )
Average moving speed 17.5Kph. ( 10.87 mph )
The day after:
I am tired for sure. My nether regions are more tender than sore. I used chamoise cream and I have no chaffing but it is more pressure sore. My calfs are fine as I wore compression stockings, I believe they do work. If that is in my head, I am fine with it. My knees and thighs are certainly sore but I have electronic massage pads which I will use for an hour and that will make a big difference. I drank water and electrolyte all the way round yesterday but I still need to hydrate today.
I hope this helps someone else who wants to become a Centurion.
Starting off on a lovely Autumnal day.
Ribe, Denmarks oldest town
The beach at Romo
Steve
This is an account of my first century. I am not wanting to teach anyone to suck eggs. I ride a bike occasionally but would not consider myself to be "a cyclist", but after this I may become one. If it helps someone else to achieve the century then it was worth putting together.
Yesterday, For the first time in quite a while it was dry and sunny in Denmark. But cold. Autumn has arrived without any warning. Struggling for something to do I decided to find out if I could ride a century.
Now I don't advise anyone else to try and do it the way I did it but it was interesting....and hard in places. I am 55 and the furthest I ride on occasions it the 18km to work. I had done no preparation at all to ride this century.
I was riding a brand new Koga World Traveller 29 and the day before I had changed the seat for a Brooks Imperial B17s as I had sent my B17 back to Brooks for repair. The B17S is a ladies seat, a bit wider but shorter in the nose. This is beginning to spell disaster isn't it?.
I quickly packed my panniers with waterproofs, warm clothes, head torch and a big tuna and pasta lunch, which I had thrown together and off I went.
This is the first time this year I have had to change helmet for wooly hat. It is my choice. I also had my mitts on and kept my over boots on for the entire trip.
I had a rough idea where I was going to make the distance with a bit to spare and to add some interest. But I had no idea of the cycle routes but I could sort that out as I went along.
The route I would be taking for the first half of the route was from East to West across Denmark and unluckily for me I would be heading into the breeze to start off with. Not even a wind, just a gentle breeze, but a bit nippy to start with.
The weather was gorgeous and the Koga World traveller is a dream to ride. The new Brooks seat was not as bad as I expected and I made good progress and was really enjoying the countryside. We still have village shops in Denmark and so I stopped to stock up on chocolates. We also have lots of wild fruit trees and so I was not going to starve.
The Danish RAF were out practicing and lots of Christmas trees had been tagged for cutting and exporting. Denmark exports more Christmas trees than anyone else in Europe.
I arrived in Ribe, a lovely town, Denmarks oldest, if you are over this way it is with staying over. I found a bench in the sun and had my lunch and cracked open my flask of coffee. I now started heading South for the island of Romo and its very, very long causeway to one of Europes largest beaches. I did think of bailing at this point as I knew what was coming. The causeway is like a wind tunnel and I knew it was going to be a challenge to get over. But on leaving Ribe, I was following cycle path markers for the first time in my life. It took me along tracks I did not know existed. The lumpy landscape of the East had gone and it was dead flat, nothing to stop the wind at all. This was getting harder.
My only company was the animals and birds. Donkeys, horses, sheep, cattle, a fox and a few hares. Most of them were lying down to keep out of the incessant wind. Kestrels and hawks, the geese were heading off in a big V and some very white heron looking birds.
The starlings were out in there 1000s giving me a private "Sort Sol", black sun, display. Making great patterns in the sky. I lay down in the grass to watch them for 5 minutes to watch them, getting out of the wind was heaven.
I arrived at Romo causeway at about 100km and the urge to bail was almost impossible to resist. But I may never try this again and I am over halfway there. Crack on.
At times I was on the granny ring. The granny ring on the World Traveller is like spinning but at least I was going in the right direction and getting closer. It took a long time to reach the beach, the wind was howling and it was cold. Buy more chocolate, use the toilet, drink more, add another layer, head for home.
Going back over the causeway was not a lot quicker but was slightly easier. I should be flying but my legs are tired and this seat is not as comfy as it was. Have a rest and some chocolate for 5 minutes, have a drink. Getting started again in now painful. 140km.
It is getting cold and dark and it feels like rain is coming on. I have just made 160km, All the chocolate has gone, no shops for miles. I have made my goal and am just thinking of calling Jannie to pick me up when the phone rings. "Where are you, we have guests?
I am 20km from home, getting colder, stick another layer on. It is pitch black but the lights on the bike are great, the seat is now a torture implement and every bump gets a groan out of me. My legs and knees are sore and possibly my achillies tendon. Who knows, who cares? But now I have to push on to meet guests when all I want is shower and bed.
This is not just hard, it is really hard, my undercarriage is screaming, my knees are shot and my thighs are burning.
Oh! And I think it is going to rain.
The last hour is on the middle ring, it is easier on the limbs and I cannot really see how fast I am traveling anyway, but I am in very familiar territory now.
My cottage has candles lit in the windows, it is a Danish thing. It stands by itself at the edge of the village and if it was not your home, you would still want to go into it, it is so inviting. This is the gingerbread house. It is the best thing I have seen in a long time.
I lean the bike against the wall, remove the GPS and just before I open the door I feel the first drops of rain.
For anyone wanting to ride a century please don't do it my way. Build up to it but don't leave it forever to do it. Fitting a new Brooks seat the day before is not a good idea. Having said that, anyone who rides 180km in a day on a seat is going to feel some discomfort, I would think. My biggest mistake was not leaving earlier in the morning and having more daylight to ride in. When you are getting tired and cold, riding in the dark just makes it harder.
Total distance 179.34km. ( 111.44 miles )
Average moving speed 17.5Kph. ( 10.87 mph )
The day after:
I am tired for sure. My nether regions are more tender than sore. I used chamoise cream and I have no chaffing but it is more pressure sore. My calfs are fine as I wore compression stockings, I believe they do work. If that is in my head, I am fine with it. My knees and thighs are certainly sore but I have electronic massage pads which I will use for an hour and that will make a big difference. I drank water and electrolyte all the way round yesterday but I still need to hydrate today.
I hope this helps someone else who wants to become a Centurion.
Starting off on a lovely Autumnal day.
Ribe, Denmarks oldest town
The beach at Romo
Steve
