How to Prepare for a 100-Mile Bike Ride (Guide to Riding a Century)

A 100-mile bike ride or Century is often a highly sought-after trophy among serious cyclists.

Many cyclists feel that once you’re able to get a century ride under your belt, you’re on your way to get to an almost professional level of cycling. Riding 100 miles in one day isn’t the easiest thing to do.

A 100-mile bike ride is going to take most of the day for most cyclists.

So, as you might expect, you need to prepare and train for one before you actually commit to doing a century bike ride. If you just do it on a whim, you’ll probably fail. You could even get hurt.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know in order to ride your first-century bike ride so that you can add that great cycling achievement to your trophy list.

Why Ride a 100-Mile Bike Ride?

Riding a 100-mile bike ride isn’t just bragging rights of riding that much in one day.

It’s more than that!

Completing a century ride is an extraordinary accomplishment. It’s beneficial and rewarding on many different levels. This is why achieving it is a good idea for cyclists to attempt to do.

Training for a century bike ride improves your cycling technique, makes you stronger as a person, improves your physical fitness levels, and is really good for your cardiovascular system. In order to train properly, you need to bike more often. The result of that is beneficial.

Riding 100 miles in one day really lets you connect with the area you’ll be riding in. If you choose a scenic route, you can imagine the beauty you’ll be able to witness within a hundred miles at a pace you’ll be able to actually enjoy seeing it.

Riding a 100-mile bike ride is a big achievement that many cyclists go after. Once you complete it, the sense of accomplishment really kicks in and does wonders for your self-esteem.

Just make sure you don’t give up if you fail the first time. It happens to most of us. You have to keep trying until you successfully accomplish it.

Planning for a 100-Mile Bike Ride

The best way to successfully complete a 100-mile bike ride is to thoroughly plan for it. This section of the guide will show you how to plan for it the right way so that you can enjoy everything about your century ride.

 

What Bike to Use

There are many different types of bikes to use for a century ride.

Most of the time, cyclists opt to use a road bike for 100-mile rides. But you could use other bikes and terrains as well. I biked 100 miles on a rail trail using a mountain bike once. Gravel biking is popular, and you might even consider using one of them for your century.

Whatever bike or terrain you decide to ride, you want to make sure the bike fits you properly and that it is in good enough condition to be ridden for 100 miles.

You can go to most local bike shops and get a professional bike fit. Some shops charge for it, while others offer a basic fit for free.

A few things you want to make sure of before you go on a ride for fit are:

• Does the frame size match your height and weight?
• Is the saddle height adjusted so that your leg is about 90-95% extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke?
• Is your handlebar reach good enough that you don’t have to overextend or strain yourself to reach your handlebars?
• If you use cleats, are they in a position where your feet aren’t in pain or going numb?
• Have you tested the bike to make sure everything feels like it fits properly?

A good bike fit is important when doing a 100-mile bike ride to keep you comfortable and pain-free for the duration of the ride.

You also want to make sure the bike is in good condition. It might be a good idea to take it to a local bike shop to get it inspected unless you can do it yourself. Make sure everything is tight, in working order, and ready for a long bike ride.

The fit and condition of your bike are a must if you want to have a good century bike ride.

 

Choose or Create a Route

You need a good route to do your century bike ride.

Not every route is the same. It depends on what type of bike you’re using and what kind of terrain you want to ride on. Some routes are best for beginners, while others are geared more towards experienced cyclists.

You might even decide to create your own bike route, which is totally fine. That’s what I did when I did my first-century ride, and it turned out to be a very good bike route.

When deciding on your route, take advantage of different tools to help you select the best routes or create the best century-riding routes:

• Google Maps Bike Feature is great for deciding the better routes for road biking. It will show you roads and dedicated bike trails that are more bike-friendly than others.
• Gravel Map is a good resource for finding gravel roads near you in case you want to do a gravel-styled 100-mile bike ride.
• Traillink is a great resource for finding rail trails and other cycling paths nearby for those who wish to use as many dedicated bike paths as possible.
• Trail Forks is a great website for finding mountain biking trails in your area in case you’d like to try a century mountain bike ride.

Take advantage of online resources when planning for your century ride. These resources are usually from cyclists who’ve already done most of the work for you.

When choosing a bike route or creating one, consider all the traits of the route that goes with it. Consider dogs and other wildlife you could encounter. Consider elevation and the types of road/trail surfaces you’ll ride on. Make sure the roads are public roads and not private lanes or drives.

Do your research to make sure you choose the best route for you.

 

Weather Forecast and Traffic

Two important things to consider when planning a 100-mile bike ride are what the weather will be like and what the traffic will be like.

You want to make sure that you know the weather forecast from a week prior to your ride and all the way up to the day you start your ride. This will allow you to prepare for the weather. You want to make sure that you pack the right gear and wear the right clothes, right?

The best source of weather is your local weather sources, such as news stations, radio stations, or local weather observation groups.

The weather isn’t the only thing that you need to know, though.

You also want to make sure you understand how the traffic is going to be, especially if you will be riding 100 miles on the road with motor vehicles.

Choosing to ride during the heaviest traffic times might prove to be a dire mistake. If you follow the traffic reports in your area, you can determine the best times to start your ride, and where you need to be once, traffic gets heavier.

Keep these two important factors in mind when planning your century bike ride.

 

Elevation Gain

Elevation gain is an important thing to consider when planning your century bike ride.

Your elevation gain is the total amount of vertical distance that you climb during the duration of your bike ride.

You typically measure your total elevation gain with a bike computer or GPS device. I personally like to use Strava integrated into my fitness watch to record my gain as well as other metrics. You can use map systems that you use for planning to give you an idea of the gain you’ll be experiencing.

The more gain means the hillier the ride will be. The hillier the ride, the harder it will be. You’ll use more resources and thus be required to hydrate, fuel, and potentially have to rest more often. This all really depends entirely on your physical fitness.

You definitely want to train for a 100-mile bike ride. Hit areas with hilly conditions to train for getting higher elevation gains if your route includes hills.

 

Resupply Stops

It’s important to have access to hydration, food, and supplies as needed during your bike ride.

If you ride 100 miles, chances are, you won’t be able to pack everything you need if you want to keep your weight down. Some circumstances will be different. For example, if you’re doing a century on a mountain bike in the backcountry, you might have to pack everything you need.

However, you should still plan for some resupply stops even in the backcountry, like nearby public roads that can take you to stores or even creeks that you can use to filter water for drinking.

If you’re riding on roads and through communities, plan for resupply stops along your route. This will allow you to plan according to your route to go through areas with stores, bike shops, and other supplies you might need in case something happens.

Running out of important supplies during a long bike ride can be tragic. Plan for it so you don’t have to experience it.

 

Solo vs. Non-Solo

One thing to consider when planning a century ride is if you want to do it alone or ride with someone else.

I did my first-century ride alone. I chose to go at it alone because I wanted to do it at my own pace without feeling like I needed to speed up or slow down for other riders. By going at my own pace and resting when I wanted to rest, I was able to make sure that I could enjoy the whole ride.

One of the most recent century rides I did was on a rail trail with a mountain bike. I rode with a group of other riders. It helped to keep us all occupied and entertained while we finished the ride. When you’re talking the whole time, you almost forget you’re riding 100 miles.

There are benefits to both styles of riding. You just need to determine which is best for you.

Going with someone else is safer. Other riders can keep you company and take your mind off the work of cycling. It’s a great way to share a love for cycling with one another. It’s also a great cycling club or team activity and is awesome for training purposes.

But there are definitely benefits to riding solo, too.

 

Record Your Century Ride

Plan for recording your century ride’s results.

By recording your ride, you can see your personal stats and share your adventure with others who follow you, like fellow riders, friends, and family.

Some people don’t track and record their cycling stats, and that’s fine. But for those who do, you can use that recording to benefit you overall as a cyclist. You can also share it on social media and related channels to help encourage more people to get involved with cycling.

For recording your stats, find a good app to use that can connect to your phone, watch, or bike computer. Here are a few options that are widely used in cycling:

• Strava – This is likely the most used app for cycling. The free app is fine, but the premium app does a lot in terms of what it records. Strava is basically a social network for athletes, but the premium price is considered steep when compared to other related apps.
• Garmin Connect – This app is used with Garmin devices such as fitness watches or even standalone dedicated bike computers. It is favored by riders who enjoy using dedicated computers on their bikes.
• Map My Ride – This is an app by the clothing brand Under Armor. It’s widely used because it offers a lot of options for the free version of the app. It is also compatible with a wide range of fitness devices used by most cyclists.
• Ride with GPS – This is a nice app for not only recording your ride but also planning your 100-mile bike ride route. There is a good free version of the app, but the premium version provides many great features that you’ll find useful.
• Wahoo Fitness – Wahoo Fitness is pretty much a competitor of Garmin Connect as the app also has a line of dedicated devices and hardware made specifically for the Wahoo Fitness app. This brand is becoming very popular in cycling.

Choose the best app for you based on the features you need the most. All you might need is a free app to record your basic stats, or maybe you need Garmin or Wahoo to match the device you use on your bike.

You should also share your ride with others online. Use social media, take selfies, keep a journal on CrazyGuyOnABike.com, or even start your own cycling blog or video channel. Always be considerate of your personal safety and privacy first, but the more you promote cycling online, the more people you can get into cycling.

Cycling isn’t an activity that you have to keep to yourself. Celebrate the fact that you’re a part of this wonderful culture of ours.

 

Apparel and Cycling Gear Recommendations

It’s important to wear the right clothing and take the right gear when biking 100 miles in one day.

When it comes to cycling apparel, I’ll always recommend compression-based apparel. That means spandex material and tight-fitting cycling clothes are what’s best to wear on a long ride.

There are several benefits to wearing tight-fitting cycling apparel:

1. Tight-fitting apparel allows you to be more aerodynamic by reducing drag, which can impact the performance and speed of your ride, especially on windier days.
2. Spandex apparel is made with a moisture management feature, which helps wick sweat and moisture from your body, keeping you dry and comfortable.
3. The thinner materials used in compression apparel help regulate body temperature, which is important for warmer and cooler day rides.
4. The compression apparel also helps to stimulate your muscles and put pressure on areas that might become painful during the ride.
5. Spandex clothing is stretchy and tends to fit more comfortably than baggier cycling clothing options. You can also buy apparel that is looser but still compression-fitting.
6. Tight-fitting cycling clothing is great for safety as most are made with colorful options to increase visibility, and compression around the chamois of a product can help reduce chafing.

Most people choose baggier apparel options due to low self-esteem to wear tighter clothing in public. Still, cyclists are often associated with that type of clothing, and you’ll really stop yourself from enjoying the benefits that it has to offer.

You definitely want to make sure you dress for the weather and season that you’re cycling in.

In the summer, you can ride comfortably, in most cases, wearing a pair of bib-shorts and a jersey. On cooler days, you might go with a thermal jersey, thermal bib-shorts, and leg warmers, especially if the temperature will heat back up later in the day. On the coldest of riding days, you might sport a cycling jacket and insulated bib tights.

Consider the bib shorts or bib tights you choose. Think about the pad (chamois) that’s built into them.

There are additional clothing gear items to consider, as well, such as gloves, caps, face masks, cycling socks, and cycling shoes that you would use to clip into your pedals. Shoe covers and cycling rain gear are also options you may need to consider depending on the weather forecast for your ride area.

Aside from the proper cycling clothing, you also need to bring essential gear with you. For a 100-mile bike ride, you’ll need more than the average gear you’d take on a shorter everyday ride.

A good recommendation of gear to take with you would be:

• A saddle bag to store items (store other items in jersey pockets or bib pockets if they come with them).
• Assorted gels, chews, and bars for nutrition. Bring a meal or plan to stop to eat lunch during your ride. You need the fuel and energy for 100 miles.
• Plenty of water and electrolyte tablets to add to them. Make sure your route has resupply points for getting more water. I carry three bottles of water on my century rides.
• Typical cycling gear: Helmet, lights, mirror, multi-tool, tire levers, spoke wrench, CO2 or air pump, tube, patch kit, and essential repair items.
• A quick drying rag to wipe moisture from your face and arms.
• Sunblock lotion or spray and bug spray if needed.
• Sunglasses and safety glasses.
• A small first aid kit.
• Camera or video camera.
• Your phone, cash, ID, and credit card.
• Bike computer or fitness watch.

If there is anything else you might need to take with you, try to add it to your list before you go on the ride.

Avoid backpacks and hydration packs. These add extra weight to your sit bones and can cause you more pain and discomfort on longer rides.

Wearing the right clothing and taking the right gear will ensure that you have a great 100-mile bike ride.

 

Nutrition Plan

It’s important to create a nutrition plan before you go on a 100-mile bike ride.

Riding a hundred miles takes a while. You’ll need to hydrate and fuel yourself properly. It takes a lot of drinking and eating during the ride. If you’re focusing on completing the ride quicker than normal, you’ll require even more hydration and fueling techniques.

You can’t just do anything to eat and drink. You don’t want to bring soda to drink and a candy bar to eat. You also want to try to eat something else besides snacks the entire ride.

I stopped midway through the ride and had a full lunch. That gave me time to sit down and rest, eat, hydrate, and be prepared to get back on the bike and finish my century ride. As for what you eat for a meal, it’s your choice. You can pack something or eat out. I suggest you eat something that will give you back some calories and fuel the other half of your ride.

For snacking, stick to performance snacks designed to help fuel yourself for your ride. You can make them yourself or choose your favorite brand. I like chews, gels, and bars because they’re easy to eat while riding the bike.

For a century bike ride, you need to be eating and drinking at least once an hour. My strategy is simple. I eat a quarter of my bar or chews, take down a gel, and drink a big swig of electrolyte-infused water about three or four times. I’ll do it every 30 minutes on warmer days when I’m sweating a lot.

Stick to nutrition and snacks that you’re familiar with using. Trying new things is fine, but not on a 100-mile bike ride. The last thing you want to do is eat a snack that gives you diarrhea or upsets your stomach while you’re attempting to ride 100 miles. Use the stuff that you’re used to for your bigger rides.

Hydration is the most important of it all. Drink to satisfy your thirst. Drink when you’re not thirsty. Use hydration powders and electrolyte tablets. This will help replenish the salt you’ll lose while riding. This is especially important on warmer days. If I feel like I’m going to cramp up, I’ll drink pickle juice or suck down a packet of mustard to prevent it.

Before your ride, make sure you eat a good breakfast, and it’s not a bad idea to carb-load the night before. I usually go with pasta and oatmeal for breakfast. I’ll drink a small cup of coffee but not too much, as it makes me want to use the restroom for both 1 and 2 if I drink too much.

If you don’t hydrate or fuel yourself the right way during your century ride, you’ll likely bonk out, and it will be difficult to finish the ride.

 

Bike Safety

It’s important to stay safe while riding a 100-mile bike ride.

A lot can happen in a hundred miles, and you need to be prepared just in case. The best piece of advice I can give you is to always put safety first. When you put safety first, you can avoid most hazards and incidents in just about any activity you partake in.

However, there are some important safety considerations to keep in mind when doing a 100-mile bike ride. These considerations include:

• Always wear a helmet. Protecting your head is a must. Most major injuries in cycling are from those who choose not to wear a helmet. Protect your head. Protect your brain. Wear a helmet.
• Get a bike inspection. Take your bike to a local bike shop and get it inspected. You might need to get some parts replaced and general maintenance on the bike to keep it safe.
• Be visible. Get a flashy cycling kit. WILDCYCLER makes some awesome kits that are all different colors. Vehicle drivers see bright colors faster than plain black.
• Be even more visible. Use bike lights, even during the daytime hours. Lights are one extra thing that will help you get seen by vehicle drivers. The brighter the lights, the better the visibility.
• Stay hydrated and fueled. Make sure you take plenty of water, electrolytes, and snacks with you. Eat and drink every hour. Have a lunch break. Keep yourself energized with food and water.
• Know your route before you go. The more you know your route, the safer you can make it. Know busy interactions, loose dogs, bad road conditions, and any other hazardous conditions.
• Carry a repair kit and a small first aid kit. Hopefully, you won’t need to use either of these kits, but if something happens and you need them, they’re good to have around.
• Always use hand signals. Using hand signals will let drivers, other cyclists, and pedestrians know your next move. Not doing so can be what gets you run over by a motor vehicle.
• Follow traffic laws and signals. The rules of the road apply to cyclists the same way as they do to vehicle drivers. By following traffic laws and signals, you’re being a safe road user.
• Always be alert. Don’t use earbuds or so anything that takes your attention away from others. You need to always be alert so you can see a hazard before it’s too late.
• Consider riding with someone else. Riding with a buddy or even in a group is safer than riding alone. Another set of eyes or someone to call for help is a good thing to have around.
• Take breaks. If you can, take a break when you need to. Take a lunch break, too. A 100-mile bike ride takes a toll on your body. It’s important to rest and listen to your body when needed.
• Use sunscreen! Many cyclists fail to do this and harmful rays from the sun can give you permanent damage. Use plenty of it and reapply as you sweat it off.
• Carry emergency contact information with you. If something happens, make sure the authorities have someone to contact to explain what is going on. I have a Road ID for mine.
• Tell someone before you go. Be sure to tell someone exactly where you will be riding, the route information, and what time you hope to be done, just in case you never make it home.

Take your personal safety seriously when doing a century ride. This will ensure that you have the best experience possible.

Training for a 100-Mile Bike Ride

Riding 100 miles in one day takes more than you might think. Most people can’t just jump on a bike and do it on a whim. You have to prepare yourself for it by training and conditioning yourself as a cyclist. This section is all about that. However, please consult your medical professional before training for a century ride. The following information is meant for educational purposes only.

 

Weekly Training Plan

It’s a good idea to keep a weekly training plan as you prepare for your 100-mile bike ride.

The first step is to give yourself plenty of time to train for a century ride. If you only have a week to train and you’ve never done a longer ride, you’ll likely be in for a very negative biking experience. You can’t typically train for a week or two and be ready to ride that many miles in one day.

It’s better to have at least a month or more to train.

The first four weeks should be focused on getting more acquainted with your bike and gradually riding more and more each week. Try to ride about four times a week with active rest days in between. Active rest days mean going for a hike, swimming, or weight training on days off the bike.

The next four weeks should be spent on increasing your mileage. Try to go longer on your rides. Keep the four ride days and active rest days routine going for the best results. But these four weeks, you definitely want to start pushing it more.

The last four weeks should be spent increasing your difficulty levels and riding longer than you normally do. Maybe hit more hilly terrain and try to keep your rides over 50 miles. You might even ride an 80- or 90-mile ride to get near to what you will be doing on your century ride.

You might not always keep up with your weekly/monthly plan precisely, but it’s important to at least get out when you can and focus on getting better at riding and riding longer.

 

How Long to Train

It’s important to dedicate time to your training for biking a century ride.

You should be at least dedicated 3 to 5 days a week in riding. If you can dedicate more days but you have to ride less, it’s still a good plan. However, the same goes for not being able to dedicate that many days but being able to ride longer on those days. You just need to ride, and you need to ride a few times a week in order to properly train for a 100-mile bike ride.

In most cases, it would be best to ride an hour or more each time. Many health experts say that exercising 20 minutes a day is healthy, and it is, but preparing for a century ride typically requires more than just a 20-minute ride around town.

You’ll want to increase your riding length, elevation gain, and intensity as you continue to train for your ride.

If you’re going into this without much training time to spare, the ride itself is going to be more difficult than you might think. Training is definitely required here.

 

Mental Preparedness

You also need to prepare yourself for a 100-mile bike ride mentally, too.

That much riding can take a toll on your body and your mind. You have to prepare yourself physically and mentally in order to enjoy a ride that long.

For starters, you want to make sure you get plenty of rest leading up to and the night before your ride. Get a full night of sleep. Don’t ride 100 miles tired. It’s no fun. I’ve been there, and it wasn’t very pleasant at the end of the day.

Make sure you train your mind to understand what you’re getting ready to do. A hundred miles is a long ride. You need to understand that. You’ll have a lot of time to think. A typical century ride takes 6 to even 8 hours or more on the bike.

If your mind isn’t prepared for it, it won’t be a pleasant ride for you.

 

Keeping it Fun

Your century ride should be a fun experience.

A 100-mile bike ride shouldn’t be a bad experience. It shouldn’t be a chore. It shouldn’t be something that makes you not want to ride after you’re done with it.

It should be fun!

It should encourage you to keep riding more on your bike. It should make you want to do more century rides when you can. Riding 100 miles should be an adventure that gives you something great to talk about for ages afterward.

After I rode 100 miles on a mountain bike in one day after not doing a century for 8 years, I had such a blast that now I try to do at least two 100-mile bike rides each year. I personally like riding with others who are around my speed.

Sometimes, in order to keep it fun, you want to share the ride itself with other cyclists.

Find out what you need to keep it fun, and make sure it stays that way.

 

Mastering Your Riding Abilities

Try to work on mastering your cycling abilities as you train for a 100-mile bike ride.

One of your biggest abilities is pacing yourself as you ride. Work on maintaining an average pace and focus on improving your cadence or the tempo of your ride. This is especially important as you ride longer distances.

If you ride fast one moment and then slow the next and never have an average pace, you’ll probably get worn out a lot quicker and have a negative experience trying to ride 100 miles in one day.

Ride easy on your bike rides. Don’t ride like you’re racing. If you’re racing a 100-mile bike ride, then you need to be reading a different article.

The idea of mastering your riding abilities is to gradually ride better each time.

 

Recovering from a 100-Mile Bike Ride

It’s important to recover after you ride a 100-mile bike ride.

Right after your ride, focus on rehydrating, refueling, cooling down, and resting. Drink plenty of water and something with electrolytes in it to hydrate you. Eat a healthy meal when you can. You might have to eat it slowly. Sit down in front of a fan, rest, and cool down.

Make sure you get plenty of rest. Sleep a full night after you’re done riding.

The next day can be dedicated to a full rest day, but you should consider an active rest day with low-impact exercise. Maybe some easy cycling, hiking, or even a short swimming session.

Always listen to your body and make changes to ensure that you’re not in pain.

Keep training so that you can prepare yourself for your next 100-mile bike ride.

 

Common Century Ride Mistakes

There are common mistakes that century riders make. Avoiding these mistakes is the best thing you can do. But you probably won’t be able to avoid them all. We’re human, after all; we’ll all make a mistake at some point in our cycling careers.

 

Lack of Training

One of the biggest mistakes is a lack of training. If you don’t train for a 100-mile bike ride, you’re not going to have a good bike ride. Your physical fitness isn’t ready for an instant-century bike ride. You have to train for it.

 

Going Too Fast

If you start out going too fast while doing your century ride, you’ll likely bonk. Bonking means you’ll wear yourself out to the point where you might quit before you’re finished with the ride. Take it easy and pace yourself so you don’t use up all your energy.

 

Not Eating or Hydrating Properly

This is a common mistake that cyclists make in general. It can be a bad experience on a short ride, but it can be a dangerous experience on a century ride. You can start cramping up and wreck if you don’t hydrate properly. Avoid this by frequently snacking and drinking water every 30 minutes to an hour.

 

Using New Bike or Gear for the First Time

New bikes and gear are nice, but it can be bad, too. If you’re not used to your new bike yet, you shouldn’t use it for a 100-mile bike ride. If you’ve not broken your shoes and cleats yet, using them for a century ride might have a painful aftermath. Even if your kit is brand new, you might find the fit horrible when you start riding, and then you have to have that for the next 100 miles. Break in new gear and bikes before you use them for a century ride.

 

Bad Bike Fit or Bike Maintenance

If your bike doesn’t fit you, your century bike ride will be a disaster. A bad fit will result in pain and discomfort for a short bike ride. A longer bike ride might result in a need for medical attention. It’s important to have a bike that fits you. Most local bike shops can inspect it and give you a proper fit. Aside from that, it’s important to have a bike that is well-maintained and mechanically ready for riding 100 miles in one day. You don’t want to run into maintenance issues when trying to ride 100 miles.

 

Bad Pacing or Riding Techniques

Poor riding techniques can be a mistake that you make while doing a century ride. You want to figure out your pacing technique and cadence before you do a longer ride. This is something to do while you train for a century ride, not while you’re riding one.

 

Not Understanding the Route

You need to study your route before you do your ride. You need to know where to go. Don’t waste precious time trying to figure out where you are. You might go down the wrong road and end up on gravel without the type of bike to comfortably ride on gravel and then have to turn around and backtrack wasting time doing it. Know your route before you ride.

 

Not Checking the Weather

Imagine being halfway through your ride when you hear thunder. Then, a little while after that, you hear a tornado siren activating. That would be terrifying for many cyclists. That’s what can happen if you’re not prepared for the weather. You should be monitoring the weather all the way up to and during your century. The weather can change quickly, so it’s important to be prepared for that.

 

Poor Overall Planning of the Ride

Riding a century bike ride shouldn’t be done on a whim. You should prepare for it. You should plan it out precisely and train precisely. If you do that, especially for your first-ever 100-mile bike ride, you’ll have a successful ride at the end of the day. If you don’t plan for it, you won’t be ready for the negative things that will likely occur while you’re on the ride.

 

100-Mile Bike Ride FAQs

Let’s take a look at some commonly asked questions about riding a 100-mile bike ride.

 

What is the best meal to eat before a century ride?

Eat something with healthy carbs such as pasta or rice, oats, and potatoes. Add some lean protein to the meal, such as chicken or fish. Mushrooms are a good meat replacement if you don’t do meat. Try to avoid large amounts of fat and fiber. The last thing you want is a bathroom emergency during your bike ride. You also want to make sure you hydrate thoroughly the night before your ride.

 

How do I prepare for a century ride?

The biggest advice you can get is to plan your route and train for your ride. A well-planned route will ensure that you don’t have any hiccups while you’re trying to have a good time. By training, you will physically and mentally prepare yourself for your bike ride.

 

How much should you eat on a century ride?

You should be eating a healthy fuel-induced snack every half hour to hour during your ride. Eat a quarter of your energy bar or chews. You might also take down a gel if you’re using it. You should stop for a full lunch about halfway through your ride. That will give you time to rest a little bit, too.

 

How much water should you drink on a century ride?

You should be drinking water with electrolytes mixed in every half hour to hour on your ride, depending on how much you sweat, what the weather is like, and how dehydrated you feel. You should make it customary to drink a few big swigs each time you eat your snacks. When you stop for lunch, try to drink more to rehydrate yourself.

 

Are there century-riding clubs or groups out there?

Many bike clubs offer century-riding events. Some of these events are organized for charity rides, races, and related events. Others might be a group of riders who would like to ride 100 miles together. You should check your local area for these groups and see if there are any events or rides planned. Riding 100 miles on a bike is a lot easier to do when you’re riding with others.

 

Do I need to ride a 100-mile bike ride?

Only if you want to; if riding a 100-mile bike ride doesn’t sound appealing to you, then don’t do it. I rode it because I wanted to challenge myself and earn the reward of riding that much in one ride. But it isn’t for everyone, and you don’t have to do it to earn a status as a cyclist. Ride a century ride if you want to, or skip out on it if you don’t.

 

Final Thoughts About Doing a Century

A 100-mile bike ride is an excellent achievement to add to your cycling belt. It’s often sought by many cyclists who want to push their abilities more. However, it’s not always an easy feat. You have to prepare and train for it in order to get it. The advice above will help you do just that.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, please share it with other cyclists that you know.

Consider giving me a one-time donation for writing this guide.

You should join my upcoming weekly newsletter for more cycling tips and resources.