Good finishing times for century rides???

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2009-07-28 11:17 AM

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Subject: Good finishing times for century rides???
I just did this century ride: http://www.bikerpelli.com/Sunrise_Century/index.php and as might be expected, I want to know what would be a good time for finishing. I did it in 7 hours 5 minutes (plus about an hour of breaks at the aid stations). Given the 7000 feet of elevation gain that it involved, I'm happy with my "in the saddle" time. There's another one coming up in two weeks that I want to improve upon - I think the climbing will be easier.

Is this a reasonable finishing time or am I still a slug?

-Kirk



2009-07-28 11:35 AM
in reply to: #2312640

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Subject: RE: Good finishing times for century rides???

7000 feet of verticle...that's a lot of climbing...even over 100-miles!  7-hours is respectable in my opinion.  you be the judge as far as if your are still a slug! 

2009-07-28 11:37 AM
in reply to: #2312640

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Subject: RE: Good finishing times for century rides???
rayd - thank you!

I see you're also a CO-an (Paker, correct?) You should be banking some serious hills, too. This went went from Lyons to Ward to Nederland and back to Ward. I don't know if you've done much biking up here in the northlands, but if you're ever around, I highly recommend it. It is a beautiful ride.

2009-07-28 11:38 AM
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Subject: RE: Good finishing times for century rides???
KirkD - 2009-07-28 10:17 AM
Is this a reasonable finishing time or am I still a slug?


Riding a bike 100 miles in a day is a great acheivement.

When you start getting into "times" there are too many variables. A pro rider working in a team is going to be crazy fast. A good amateur cyclist whose trained to the point where they can maintain a hard effort over that distance can be "fast" in a solo time trial effort. Give him 15 minute breaks every 25 miles and his time will be faster. Take that same fast/fit amateur and surround him by equally fit riders all working together and he'll be much faster over the distance.
2009-07-28 12:16 PM
in reply to: #2312640

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Subject: RE: Good finishing times for century rides???
breckview - another CO-an! Nice.

You make an excellent point. I certainly got a boost from a couple of groups that I tagged along with. As I mentioned, I'm very happy with my time. The upcoming Bike Jam is one that I rode last year. At that time it was my first organized bike ride of any sort, not to mention a century, and I had minimal training going into it. I finished. This year I've been training hard for 3+ months and did much better on last weekend's ride in comparison (which was actually harder, I think). I'm hoping for great things in two weeks - I dare not speak further or I'll jinx it!! 8^)



2009-07-28 12:32 PM
in reply to: #2312640

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Subject: RE: Good finishing times for century rides???

Was it a ride or a race? 

Assuming it's a ride, did you somehow overshoot your expected finish time and miss some later engagement?  If so, then you should have gone faster.  Did you get rained on in the last 5 or 15 minutes?  Then you should have gone faster.  Are you training for an Ironman with a goal of a 6-hour bike split?  Then you should have gone faster. 

Otherwise, it is a ride, and a great opportunity to be out in the fresh air and sunshine and maybe see things that you don't see when you zoom by at 60+ mph in the car.  Maybe you should have gone slower.  Did you take your camera and snap some pictures?  Maybe you rode too fast (or were worried that the extra weight of the camera would slow you down).  Did you enjoy a leisurely conversation with a fellow rider?  Maybe you should have gone slower. 

2009-07-28 12:44 PM
in reply to: #2312640

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Subject: RE: Good finishing times for century rides???
McFuzz - it was certainly a "ride" - otherwise I wouldn't have taken an hour's worth of breaks. 8^)

Points well taken. Clearly I wasn't racing, but I want to at least accomplish a respectable "ride" time on such an endeavor, even if it doesn't qualify as a good "race" time.
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