New ride, new challenges

[pll]

1) Am I out of my mind for wanting to try a century with no long distance cycling experience?

Not at all. The first long ride I did was ~70 miles (up from around 25 miles), with some friends, on a whim, not planned and with no food. We were ravenous, thirsty and very sore that afternoon. We all signed up for a century shortly after.

2) How much am I looking to spend on a decent road bike that will be capable of such a feat?

My advice here is to test as many bikes as you can to get the bike possible with the best fit possible for you. Any bike will be capable of a century, including a mountain bike or a hybrid. My 7 year old road bike was $500; now I'm shopping for an upgrade.

3) Is it ok to 'train' (eg: continue doing up to 50mi rides) on the trek? Even if its not a road bike?

Absolutely!

4) Should I invest in clips?

Clips are nice because you can pull in addition to pushing the pedals. Once you get used to them, you will feel more secure going downhill. Learning to clip and unclip can be a bit of chore and you can expect to fall at least once in slow motion: lean the bike in one direction while unclipping the opposite foot. Your dignity will be more hurt than anything else.

5) I broke my coccyx (tailbone) 3 years ago, riding has been giving me a lot of pain. Anyone recommend a good seat that would work with the above questions?

This is like the quest for the Holy Grail. When you search the TE forum ad read the posts, you'll realize that the same saddles can be loved or hated by many.