I want to try for 100 miles in a day

[S.Giles]

Hello,

Although I'm not a beginner, I spent many years just cycling short distances of a few miles. The last few years, however, I've been upping the distances I ride, and yesterday I did 60 miles for the first time. Apart from a slight discomfort in the knees, I felt fine.

This has given me the idea of trying for 100 miles in a day, and I'm thinking of doing it in the following way. There is a 9+ mile circuit that runs past my front door, and comprises quiet country roads with beautiful scenery and a few small hill climbs. It has occurred to me that I could cover 100 miles if I completed 11 laps of this circuit. A lap takes me 45 mins, so if I started off fairly early in the morning, I could do, say two laps, and then have a half hour break at home with a cup of tea, etc, and this would average one lap per hour. Continuing in this fashion, I could complete the 11 laps, with the advantage that if I did need to give up, I'd only ever be, at most, 4 1/2 miles from home, with free drinks and food available all day. If I start at 9:00am, I'd be finished by 7:30 - 8:00pm.

Does this seem like a good idea? Does anyone have advice on maximising my chances of success? Is there anything I haven't taken into account? It would be nice to hear from anyone who has just attempted 100 miles in a day, or who can remember the first time they did.

I guess the repetitive nature of the laps would not appeal to everyone, but I'm becoming strangely attracted to the idea.

Thanks

Steve

 

[buggi]

it might be a bit boring and too easy to go home. Why not pick somewhere 50 mile away and cycle there and back. Or do a sportive or charity ride that is supported (free food!) bcoz there are other people you can talk to, to distract you from the pain.

 

[cosmicbike]

I like the idea, but why not try adding different rides together. I have a number of 'usual' rides which are between 10-15 miles long, and the furthest from my front door is about 6 miles. I tend to combine the different rides to give a distance I want, and still never get that far from my front door.

 

[Edwardoka]

Yeah I agree with @buggi that doing 9 mile laps would be extremely tedious and you would likely end up losing heart and giving up before the end. All of my longest single-day rides (the longest of which was 153 miles) have been achieved because either I had a concrete objective (ie. I was riding somewhere, it was an event, or there was no easy bail out option and I had to keep riding simply to get home). Going out and trying to grind out a century over the same route repeatedly sounds like some kind of special hell.

Instead, pick somewhere 100 miles away, ride there, and get the train back!
Tip-wise, eat and drink regularly, pay no attention to miles or average speed, instead enjoy the scenery and being out on the bike, and stop periodically to stretch your legs and take photos.

If you can already ride 60 miles without much discomfort it wouldn't take much (if any) training to bring your mileage up to the magic 100.

 

[Cuchilo]

I would do one of your 60 mile rides and leave the laps for the last 40 .

 

[Broadside]

I agree with the other comments, on my first few century rides if I was within close distance to home then I would have bailed out. Go somewhere further so you can't bail would be my advice, then when you successfully complete it you will have a great sense of achievement.

Of course if you are set on the idea and it is the way that agrees with you then go for it!!

 

[jazzkat]

I too would hate the idea of laps, but I know someone who did it to train for a big sportive and he hated it!
Pick some where to go that's 50 miles away, ride there and back and enjoy the challenge/adventure

 

[MikeG]

I wouldn't do laps. Ride out to somewhere (pick a cafe) such that once you get there, the only way of getting home is to keep on turning the pedals until you've done 100 miles.

Riding past your door every 45 minutes would just give you too many excuses to stop, and, jeez, cycling is supposed to be fun: going round and round in circles would be tedious beyond words.

 

[Mr Carr]

I agree that cycling should be fun, so don't try laps. Start early in the morning and pick a flat (ish) course.

Take all day and enjoy the countryside. The miles will fly by.

 

[vernon]

it might be a bit boring and too easy to go home. Why not pick somewhere 50 mile away and cycle there and back. Or do a sportive or charity ride that is supported (free food!) bcoz there are other people you can talk to, to distract you from the pain.

I'd baulk at shelling out £30 for a sportive's 'free' food.

 

[vernon]

Pick a destination fifty miles or so away that has no rail services between the destination and home. Once you've finished the outward leg, you have no option but to pedal back home.

 

[Rob3rt]

Sounds boring and unnecessary. Plus you are talking about spending 25% of the time sat at home drinking tea...

 

[uclown2002]

Sounds boring and unnecessary. Plus you are talking about spending 25% of the time sat at home drinking tea...

A bit more than 25%!

 

[buggi]

I'd baulk at shelling out £30 for a sportive's 'free' food.

true, but its sign posted as well which helps if you don't know the area.

 

[uclown2002]

+1 to your 60 mile route then add the laps.