Bicycle Century Races
223
Member
747 days
JRH posted 1 year ago.
I am a novice when it comes to centuries as well but believe for the most part they are non-competitive events. criteriums and short races are races (duh) with different categories depending on your experience.
proud and high or low and humble - many miles before I go
http://www.insidetri.com/portal/blogs/blog.asp?strSession=60050327224390...
560
Member
485 days
TryScott posted 1 year ago.
I've yet to figure out cycling. What I have found out is that you can't compare their events to the running community events at all.
Is it possible the the logistics of making a 50 or 100 mile race safe on public roads would be too difficult, so they call them charity rides and don't track times or places. I'm curious to know how cycling can be so popular, but yet have so few races.
1127
Member
985 days
UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.
Centuries tend to not be races (unless you're doing a Cat 1/2 RR), but there will still be plenty of fast people showing up for fun who are treating it like a race. Think of it as racing in a slightly less competitive atmosphere....a lot like triathlons. If you want to go fast, though, there will be plenty of people going very much under 5 hours (sometimes closer to 4) at a lot of centuries.
If you want to race, though, there are probably races every weekend in the warmer months around the state. And every weekend you can easily expect to do 3 races in one city.
______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.
494
Member
1692 days
trainDaBrain posted 1 year ago.
One of the allures of cycling is the cost factor. You can have a really cheap ride/race ($10-$30) if you cut out the timing and awards factor. Plus you don't need to haul around a podium ;)
The longer rides do have a lot of fast people, and where you have a double century, speed becomes important if you want to finish the course.
There is definitely a competitive atmosphere, it just depends on who you're drafting off of.
This time of year you might have a hard time finding one that will go that distance.
4945
Member
1727 days
beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
Most century rides are officially non-competitive, but there are plenty of "competitors''
I like to do them because they are inexpensive, catered, pre marked training rides with great support. :D
Nothing to it, but to do it
90
Member
468 days
danpatgal posted 1 year ago.
Thanks for all the comments. It sounds like the century rides are like structured training rides with support and publicity, but no timing/awards. It still sounds kind of fun, just a different kind of event than say what a marathon is to running.
3354
Member
1413 days
RV posted 1 year ago.
Some of the 'rides' around here still have chip timing, but they are identified as rides and not races, mainly because intersections are not controlled and riders are expected to follow all traffic laws.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
I've been wanting to beef up my cycling endurance on the off season and thought it would be good motivation to train for and do a 100 mile race in the spring. After looking just a bit at what has been run, it seems only shorter (less than 50, depending on your Cat.) races are scheduled OR less competitive kinds of charity rides - where you just show up and start whenever, cover the distance, and timing/competition is not really a part of it.
Can someone enlighten me as to how these things work? Are there really no century rides that are races or am I just not looking in the right place?