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 I have an Alu-framed Cannondale which works just fine. For me. For you
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

[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.

[jobob]

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

Aerobars? What are these aerobars of which you speak ?

[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!