What bike would you recommend for a century?

[sundial]

Hi all, I am enjoying my Specialized Sequoia on the backroads of our town. I am putting in the miles and have been toying with doing a century.

For those who have ridden a century, what kind of bike would you recommend? One with a more upright position or more aggressive position? How does a carbon compare to an aluminum for long distances? Should I consider upgrading my Sequoia to a Ruby or Roubaix?

Thanks for any advice and tips you may have to share with this newbie. I enjoy learning new tips from the veterans here on the forum.

[Fredwina]

What's the max # of miles you've done on your Sequioa? and how did you feel afterwards?
I did my first century on Specialized Sirrus - A flat bar road bike - so you don't really "need" a go-fast bike.
Frame materails - let's not go there:o I have an Alu-framed Cannondale which works just fine. For me. For you:confused:
If you're comfortable with your current bike, there's no real need to upgrade. You might a little faster, but the most important part on your bike is between the saddle and the pedals;)

[jobob]

Like Fredwina said, comfort is the most important thing. You have to figure, depending on the terrrain, your first century could take you 7-8 hours or more. That's a lot of time in the saddle !

You can have an uber lightweight full-zoot carbon bike, but if you're not comfortable on it, that century could feel like it takes, well, a century :p

[sundial]

Fredwina, I've put 85 outside miles on my bike. I have kept my bike indoors on the trainer for the most part because 1.) I developed knee pain with my previous road bike and 2.) it took me awhile to find a good road that didn't have a lot of traffic. I'm a newbie so I'm just getting started with distance riding.

Jobob, I like my Sequoia because it does sit a little more upright. However, I don't think I can put the aero bars on it and I think that may make it more comfie for some of the miles. I guess that's why I'm toying with upgrading to a Ruby compact. I like to try to use what I have and tinker with the components, but by the time I change the bars, components, seat post, etc., it may be better to go with another bike.

If the bike is lighter, I wouldn't tire as easily, right? Or would it pay to train on a heavier bike and just tweak the components?

Thanks for the tips jobob and Fredwina. I'm open to your suggestions.

[Fredwina]

let me rephrase myself:
What's the most miles you've done in one sitting? and how soon do you plan to do said century.
Most of us could lose more wieght off our "engines" than what we'd lose by going to a more expensive bike.
The Sequioa has drops, does it not? Both JoBob and Moi do brevet rides, so we can't use areobars. In short, if you feel comfotable with the bike, there's no real need to get a high-zoot bike. You may want to, and that's fine. but don't expect a magic pill.:)

[Cyclesome]

I still consider myself a newbie as well so consider that when I share a few tidbits I have learned thus far. I have always ridden bicycles from the time I was 5 years old. But more seriously for the last two years. Last year, I bought a Cannondale Hybrid (too small for me even with adjustments: moved seat back /longer stem) I put 1400 miles on her, mainly on Rails to Trails. IMHO if you don't like your bike now, you won't like her any better a year from now. I bought a Specialized Ruby last Sunday and put 106 miles on her thus far. Here is my comparison of both the Hybrid and the Ruby road bike.

Cannondale Hybrid: Heavy, Heavy, Heavy
Difficult to place on a bike rack / Girl's Bike so I needed
the adapter bar to get bike on bike rack
Grip Shifters: Easy to know what gear you were in
Lower gears made climbing a bit easier!
Averaged about 14 mph with much effort /effort /effort!!!
Great bike for short distances
Longest distance I did on this bike was an 80 mile trip
Bike is a workhorse
Wore regular spandex unpadded shorts
Didn't fit me properly a year ago, still doesn't
My Cannondale hybrid is OK.

Specialized Ruby Pro: Light / Light / Light!!
Extremely easy to place on a bike rack and just go places
Compact Double / Needed a bit of practice to figure out
gears for climbing and descending
Can still climb hills as before even without the lowest
gears / still need to apply more effort than I thought I
would but not totally out of breath at the top of hill
Still getting adjusted to the saddle / Can only ride 10
miles at a time before my butt needs a few moments
rest / You must wear padded shorts
Averaged about 15.5 mph with some effort
Longest distance so far was 45 miles
Perfect fit!!!!!
Biggest noteable difference: Quicker acceleration with
much less effort to reach 14 - 15 mph
I love Specialized Ruby Pro!!!

I need both bikes. My hybrid for Rails to Trails. My Ruby road bike I am going to use for roads not trails. I plan on using Ruby for a Century in October. Both bikes can go the distance, hybrid will take slightly longer time with more effort. Hope this helps!

[jobob]

Both JoBob and Moi do brevet rides, so we can use areobars.

Aerobars? :confused: What are these aerobars of which you speak ?

[Fredwina]

Aerobars? :confused: What are these aerobars of which you speak ?

Never rely on a Dyslexic for advice:o
You can't use areobars in a Brevet

[SadieKate]

And aerobars in groups are a no-no also. Bad form and dangerous.

[HillSlugger]

I put aerobars on my Sequoia. Because of the more upright geometry it doesn't give the full aerodynamic advantages of aerobars on a race bike, but it gives me a riding position that gets all the weight off my hands.

[sundial]

Fredwina, I've put in 20 miles or so in one sitting so I am still breaking in the bike so to speak--and me. ;) I am considering a century in October if I think I'm up to it.

So far the only thing I've changed is a 110mm to 100mm stem. I debated whether I needed to or not and I'll try the shorter one for now.

Cyclesome, I'm averaging about 14.5 mph with a cadence of 85. I feel pretty good after a ride and don't feel too spent. I just wondered if I would be able to go further on a lighter bike or if I just need to continue to train on this one. I guess what I'm wondering is.....do I need a different bike. Also, would a more aggressive position put more stress on the knees? :confused:

[jobob]

I would think a more aggressive position would put more stress on your back, shoulders, neck & arms.

[Starfish]

I've got a Sequoia Elite, and early on I took off the little bar-top cheater brakes and put aerobars on in their place. I do long rides, up to centuries so far, on this bike, and so far it is treating me well.

I dream of upgrading, but I've had this bike since 2004, and I am developing more personal opinions about what I would want, and why. However, the fact is, the Sequoia has been a great first bike for learning a lot of the ropes. It is pretty comfortable and stable for long rides.

Of course, fit is key. I can do a century on it without having a sore neck, etc, afterward, and did a couple centuries just fine before I put the aerobars on (although I do love my aerobars, despite getting questioned about why I really have them by many, many men working in bike shops). I ride alone almost all the time, and I just love the aerobars which help me on solo rides with a lot of headwind. They also not only give my hands a rest sometimes, but when I sit up and put my hands on top of the elbow rests, I can get yet a different body angle to change it up for climbing.

Anyhow, if the Sequoia fits, it will be great for a century!

[sundial]

Starfish, I think I'll spend more time with this one because, as you said, it offers a more upright position and as jobob mentioned, it probably will reduce the stress on the neck, back, shoulders and knees.

I don't use the cheater breaks either so I'll probably remove them. I'm encouraged to hear another Sequoia rider use the aerobars. I was wondering, can you use them in a century or do you use them predominantly for your solo rides?

[Starfish]

I was wondering, can you use them in a century or do you use them predominantly for your solo rides?

You can use them in a century, sure, if it is a safe time to use them...no people near you, decent shoulder, etc. You know, if you're kind of out there on your own for a stretch.

I feel nervous in my aerobars if I am in a situation where I could easily need to manuever, such as a lot of driveways where people would pull out, or even where there might be country dogs running out, etc.

Others more experienced than me can chime in here, but for me, I mostly just use them when I'm on long stretches of highways or roads when there is a good shoulder or very empty road without a ton of homes.

And, for instance, I used them yesterday on and off for an 80 mile ride while doing a 20 mile climb up a mountain...not in the aero position at that moment, but with my hands on the elbow pads to get a very upright position to give myself a different climbing position for the 3-1/2 hour climb.

[sundial]

Starfish, I'm like you--I would use it on a long stretch of road. I don't cycle around the homes without being on alert status and hands on the hoods. I'm a solo cyclist and would probably enjoy riding more aerodynamically. Right now I keep tucking in the elbows and knees a little.

Why kind of aerobars do you use? Are you happy with what you have?

How long did it take you to build up to 80 mile ride?

As for going uphill, that's pretty impressive. If I attempted that I would look like this--:p

I'm being a little conservative with my mileage at first because I don't want to overtrain--and I'm bad about overdoing it initially. I try to take days off in between the 15-20 miles I ride. I would like to do 30 tomorrow, weather permitting.

[Starfish]

Starfish, I'm like you--I would use it on a long stretch of road. I don't cycle around the homes without being on alert status and hands on the hoods. I'm a solo cyclist and would probably enjoy riding more aerodynamically. Right now I keep tucking in the elbows and knees a little.

Why kind of aerobars do you use? Are you happy with what you have?

How long did it take you to build up to 80 mile ride?

As for going uphill, that's pretty impressive. If I attempted that I would look like this--:p

I'm being a little conservative with my mileage at first because I don't want to overtrain--and I'm bad about overdoing it initially. I try to take days off in between the 15-20 miles I ride. I would like to do 30 tomorrow, weather permitting.

I've got a pair of Syntace bars, but honestly I can't remember right now what model. The elbow pads are adjustable for width, but they don't flip up out of the way. But, I have tiny hands, and I can actually grab the regular bars right under the elbow pads, so I don't feel like the aerobars are ever in the way. I do like the ones I have, but I am not experienced with any others.

As for your training schedule and building up, it is really hard to know what to tell you since we don't know how long you've been riding, what your fitness was before you started, and all those kinds of things.

You will find that you can glean a whole lot of info by using the search function here on TE to check out a lot of older threads. And, of course, by all means post your own questions!

What I would say is that in general, you are wise to start conservatively and learn how your body responds to the training. You get stronger and faster during recovery times, when your body mends itself and makes the adaptations to the stresses you put on it through training.

As for me, I spent a year or two on a paved trail riding an old steel mountain bike, and doing up to about 50 miles. After that came the Sequoia and into 60-70 mile rides. First flat century was, I think, 2005. Yesterday's ride was 80 miles and 7300' climbing, and my goal event this year is the Shasta Summit Century with 100 miles and 10,000' climbing. It is a hard, worthy goal for me for this year, which has been very personally stressful. Just getting to the ride is my victory, really. It is all so individual, and so dependent on personal details of fitness, training, other stresses in life, joint health, SO many things. I know a friend who started biking one April, and by that July she rode 130 miles in one day. She joined a racing team in September (5 months after starting to ride), and hasn't looked back. She just took to it! Everyone's different.

It sounds like you're doing great!

[sundial]

Starfish, I can empathize with your health issues. Part of the reason I haven't been riding as much as I used to is because I have a really bad knee. I've visited 2 orthos this last year to get an opinion and they both said I'm really limited with options other than a total knee replacement in the near future. But being the stubborn gal that I am, I'm determined to keep my original equipment, even if the warranty has expired.

So far I haven't had knee problems. I am actually more concerned with my good knee because of over-compensation. I'm fortunate that the LBS has access to a young prominent orthopedist that is a pro cyclist and I can meet with him to see if I need to shim one of my shoes as well as fine tune my fit.

Prior to cycling (just within the past 3 weeks) I walked the dogs 45 minutes most evenings. That was about all other than riding my bike on the trainer occasionally. My dogs take me for a brisk walk so I'm getting a good cardio workout. Now if I can get them to pull me on the recumbent, lol.

[Fredwina]

Fredwina, I've put in 20 miles or so in one sitting so I am still breaking in the bike so to speak--and me. ;) I am considering a century in October if I think I'm up to it.



I would try and work my mileage up to where you can do a metric(62 miles) w/o difficulties. Your avg speed sounds good.

[Starfish]

Starfish, I can empathize with your health issues.

Thankfully, no health issues here. More the mental game with some stressful circumstances a couple years in a row...but, I really have learned there is a physical toll on recovery times, etc, during times of high stress.

[sundial]

I would try and work my mileage up to where you can do a metric(62 miles) w/o difficulties. Your avg speed sounds good.

That sounds like a good plan. I'll start working toward that goal. :)

[Aggie_Ama]

I agree with Fredwina work up to a metric. It is a big accomplishment in itself if you have never done one and FUN!! It is my favorite distance, so I am biased. ;)

You can ride any bike for a century. I rode a heavy steel Fuji for my first and a couple MS150's. It was a more upright and a proper fit. This weekend I road my Cannondale, similar material and geometry to the Ruby. I had the same level of comfort as the old Fuji.

My husband rides a race, aggressive geometry bike. He was a little more sore at the end of the century even though he is in excellent shape and a stronger rider.

We were both well trained, so the next day just a little tightness in the quads. No real complaints.

[Tri Girl]

When training for my IM last summer, I did an organized century. I had my aerobars on my bike. No, I didn't use them when in big groups and I only got down in them when it was safe. To be quite honest, tho, I'm a far more stable a rider in aero position. The center of gravity is so different, and I'm very safe and stable when in that position. I'm more wobbly when I'm upright (except when cornering- then I'll sit upright). It was a small ride, and most of it was a solo effort anyway, so it's not like there were scores of people all around to make it unsafe. :rolleyes:
Use them if you need to. Don't use them when you're unsure of others around you. Roadies always scoff at me when I show up to rides on my tri bike. It's the only bike that's truly comfortable to ride (and climb) on, so I'm riding it whenever I want. I'm not stupid and I know when to be in aero position. Sorry-that was a minor rant from the ride I did on Saturday. Like I'd be so stupid as to endanger others.... :mad: I think those men were just mad because I was passing them going up a hill in aero postion while they were struggling upright. Oh, the ego sometimes...

[mimitabby]

Some organized rides specifically forbid aerobars. SO you might check..

[sundial]

Thanks guys for the tips.

Tri Girl, I don't know why, but men are so competitive. And they don't want any help, even as their tongue is hanging out a mile back. They might be built for power, but we're built for speed AND endurance. :D

Aggie, I could see where your hubby might be more sore than you. Ouch! There's something to be said about sitting more upright, eh?