Hey cyclingmom, I'm from the area but I don't live there now (or else I'd do the ride with you!). Are you down there now or just going for labor day?

If you want to get to know some very friendly and very helpful experienced cyclists, show up for one of the weekend rides from the Gallery Espresso coffee shop downtown (Bull St). 8am on Sat, 9am on Sun. The ride, especially on Sat, will usually be pretty big, and it'll break off into different pace groups, sometimes with different distance options.

It sounds like you're pretty strong holding that pace on hilly rides, but I'll warn you from my experience going home to train for a while this summer that the flat roads are more challenging than you think. It's mainly because you never get to rest as there are no descents. So you might be able to hang just fine with a 20mph pace group for a long time, but be careful. I think it's a great idea to use the century as practice on fueling. In the heat and humidity plus no rest, it is pretty crucial to keep the calories and fluids coming.

You can also get some tips and introduce yourself to some of the local crowd by stopping by the Quality Bike Shop on Montgomery Crossroads or the Bicycle Link downtown on MLK.

I was really challenging myself with the pace groups and ride distances when I was down there last, and if I started having problems like cramping because I had trouble eating and drinking enough at 26mph, some of the older guys were so nice to me. They were also always giving me training tips and tips on my position. I learned a lot.

Some of those guys are hard core, and I'm not sure how many of them do more social centuries (a lot of them are racers), but they can definitely help you out if you talk about your needs and goals.