Century Rides in Iowa

Are you familiar with this site: http://www.bikeiowa.com/Events

Youcan search by type of ride and month.  They don't have all the 2014 stuff up yet, but you can search the 2013 calendar; most of the events will be offered again on the corresponding 2014 weekend. 

In Eastern Iowa, there's TOMROV in early June: http://www.qcbc.org/tomrv/ride.html

Illinois has a number of good, big rides too, if you'd travel.

Yeah, just check out the 2013 calendar, and if you see something that looks good for a weekend you can look at that event's site and see the 2014 date :)

I have three kids too  (8, 7, 3) and we run 10 weeks of summer camps, so I definitely feel your pain with the summer scheduling.

RAGBRAI anyone??? 

Okoboji does a Century sometime in July I think.

If you have never done RAGBRAI, it's a must do.  Keep in mind that there are a ton of idiots out there going either way to fast or way to slow.  Normally a 60 mile day for me will take the better part of 3 hours, but on RAGBRAI, that could easily take 6 hours if you are enjoying the sites and sounds.  When I did the whole ride in 2011 I was the "up at 6:00 AM and on my bike" kind of guy to get ahead of the heat and hung over drunks.  I may try the hung over drunk route someday though.

Do not consider RAGBRAI rides as training rides.  There are enough idiots trying to play Lance and going to fast for what available space there is and expecting people to jump out of their way. 

Where exactly do you live in Iowa, as we have some great trails? 

You can get a century ride in on the trails starting and ending in Jefferson, Iowa.  I have done century rides on my own on the highway, but it is two full loops for me from my house and then a partial loop to get the 100 in.  It is all on the shoulder extension that is on our highway.

OK,  you live in Des Moines, as I decided to see if that was available in your profile.  You have plenty of bike trails to get century rides in in your own town.  You can ride from Downtown Des Moines trails and ride up through Sailorville and jump on a county road for 3 miles and then get on the high Trestle trail.  Or drive a little to Waukee (or ride another trail to get there), then ride the Raccoon River Valley Trail and get in a 100 mile loop.  There is funding in the works to connect the High Trestle Trail with the Raccoon River Valley Trail together.  I think it starts being worked on this spring.

Originally posted by midwesttrimom

Originally posted by flip18436572

OK,  you live in Des Moines, as I decided to see if that was available in your profile.  You have plenty of bike trails to get century rides in in your own town.  You can ride from Downtown Des Moines trails and ride up through Sailorville and jump on a county road for 3 miles and then get on the high Trestle trail.  Or drive a little to Waukee (or ride another trail to get there), then ride the Raccoon River Valley Trail and get in a 100 mile loop.  There is funding in the works to connect the High Trestle Trail with the Raccoon River Valley Trail together.  I think it starts being worked on this spring.

 

Thanks. I do realize there are lots of options for getting in century rides. I can even do it in my own area if I want to, but more interested in finding some rides so that I have others to ride with. I ride with a very fast group of bikers and the long rides will not fit in with their training. I will be alone for the majority of my rides. I live near Cumming so I can pick up the Great Western trail about 10 minutes from my house and ride that through DSM all the way to Saylorville Lake and back (give or take a few detours and turns). There are lots of options and I do appreciate that. I was just hoping to do some of the super long rides with others and my schedule isn't always that great since I have three kids involved in sports this year (yikes!!). Appreciate all the feedback. I am sure it will be just fine. Did all of my 3-3.5 hour rides last year alone for the most part.

I understand what you are saying about having others with is what you want.  Those are rarely available in my area, so I do them on my own.  I am usually within 20 miles of home when I do them, so I just take the cell phone with and if I have a major breakdown, I can get the wife to pick me up.  That and living in small town Iowa, everyone pretty much knows me.  I have had spokes break at the 20 mile back to home and have made it home.  I have had three flats and ended up calling at one point.  Enjoy what you are doing and let that carry you through your ride.