Next Year's Centuries (or other long rides)

[andtckrtoo]

So, I'm trying to get some ideas for planning my spring, summer and fall rides. What centuries or other rides did you do last year, and which ones are you considering this year?

[makbike]

If you like climbing and some breathtaking scenery I would highly recommend the 3State3Mountain Challenge in Chattanooga, TN. It is held the first weekend in May. I rode it for the first time this year and will return next May to climb those mountains once again.

I also rode RAIN (Ride Across Indiana) this year for the first time and had a blast. I will return to Terre Haute next July to cross the state of Indiana again on my bicycle.

The other centuries I've completed this year have all been club centuries. Most have been great rides and are on my list to do again rides. There are a few that have been logged on the "never do again" list but those are few in number.

[maillotpois]

Last year was a super off year for me - no doubles or super long rides.

The organized rides I did last year:

Wine Country Century 200k (in May)
Death Ride
Marin Century
High Sierra Fall Century (50 mile route on tandem with my kid)

and I think that's it! wow. We're also doing tour de Tucson in November w/tandem and kid for the 110 mile route.

Next year, tentatively:

some doubles (I need to plan out the Death Ride training and see which ones I can realistically do).
Wine Country 200k
Death Ride
???

I really do like the Wine Country course - and the ride is well supported. They have several different distances for it. We use the 200k in our Death Ride training program as the distance is a great confidence booster but the course is pretty easy.

We may do Tour of the Unknown Coast. That ride gets SUCH great feedback - it is just a beautiful area. Much of our travel/expense decision will be made in early December when we decide on whether it's possible to do a "big" cycling event. If we do the big event, we won't be doing a lot of rides that require hotels, etc.

[andtckrtoo]

Thanks Everyone!

Sarah - that Wine Country Century looks like the perfect one to con, er ah, encourage, my friends to ride with me! I am considering the Death Ride. We'll see how I feel. And wow on the Tour of the Unknown Coast. I actually have friends in that area I can stay with ... (they are runners so they understand the weird hours of events). So many centuries so little time... (And why are they all on the sames dates?)

[maillotpois]

Yeah that one weekend is crazy - there's also the Grizzly Peak century right then, too, which is a good one.

[jobob]

I might actually go for the Mt. Hamilton Challenge next year. I was hoping to do it this year but my training/motivation took a nosedive around then.

Now that I've ridden my permanent route twice, which has about the same distance & nearly as much climbing as the MHC (altho the climbing on my perm is more spread out), I'm much more confident I could tackle the MHC.

Apart from that, I'll need to complete a 200K+ brevet or permanent in each of the first 7 months of 2009 if I want to earn a RUSA R12, so I'll probably do some of the local 200K brevets this spring. A 300K, I don't know, we shall see.

Oh, and I have a plan brewing to get a team together for the Fleche on easter weekend.

[melissam]

Last year was a super off year for me - no doubles or super long rides.

The organized rides I did last year:

Wine Country Century 200k (in May)
Death Ride
Marin Century
High Sierra Fall Century (50 mile route on tandem with my kid)

and I think that's it! wow. We're also doing tour de Tucson in November w/tandem and kid for the 110 mile route.

Ahem, um, Ms. Maillotpois, I think you forgot Waves to Wine.

I wish I could have a super off year like that.

My 2008 rides included:

Cinderella Century
Tierra Bella Century
AIDS/Lifecycle
Crater Lake Century
Tour di Stupid
Waves to Wine
East Bay 200k Permanent
Winters 200k Brevet

andtckrtoo, you might consider the Cinderella, Tierra Bella, and Primavera centuries for next spring.

- Melissa