In bicyclese, a century is a 100-mile ride completed in one day.
No way I’ll achieve that this year. But how about making a half-century my goal for September?
Yesterday we rode 27 miles along the East Bay Bike Trail. If I could make 35 miles by the end of June, 42 by the end of July, and 49 by the end of August, I’d just be tacking on 7 miles per month.
Doesn’t sound too bad. But today’s 27 miles were flat. I don’t know of any flat half-centuries. So hitting half a century wouldn’t be that easy. I struggle with what bike clubs and books call "gently rolling" terrain. But it wouldn’t hurt to try.
What might motivate me is going on some "group" bike rides, so we get a tip sheet that directs us on a ride of a specified length.
I put "group" in quotes because whenever Iggy and I have gone on group rides, we fall behind the pack within the first two miles.
If, at the end, we roll into the parking lost the same time as other folks it’s only because they didn the 45-mile version of our 22-mile ride.