A 100-mile bike ride can be a whole new and challenging experience for a lot of cyclists. It requires a lot of preparation to build stamina and endurance, as well as the strategy and the physical and mental strength to be able to complete it. So, how long does a 100-mile bike ride take?
Completing a 100-mile bike (century ride) ride generally takes 5-10 hours. While an experienced cyclist can complete it in under 5 hours, it depends on factors such as the cyclist’s fitness, speed, terrain, wind resistance, elevation gain, and road conditions.
It is important to have a good fitness level, thus requiring you to have a training plan to be able to prepare for the ride as well as follow some strategies and tips on the day of the ride. Equally important is to give your body proper rest; thus, have a recovery plan in between rides as well as post-ride.
If you’re preparing for a century ride (as I am), I’ll cover everything you need to know.
I’ve divided this article into three sections:
- How to train for a 100-mile ride?
- What to do while on the 100-mile ride?
- How to recover from a 100-mile ride?
How Do I Train For A 100-Mile Ride?
To be able to complete a century ride is all about building endurance, increasing mileage and intensity gradually, and having the physical, mental strength and positivity for the same.
Here are a few key pointers to help you get started on your training plan:
Plan Your Training Carefully.
Generally a 4-6 month training plan is recommended if you haven’t done a century ride before. Plus, if you are a beginner, it’s a great idea to begin with shorter rides and plan for a 6 month training duration.
An effective training plan must include a mix of long-distance ride, speed intervals, hill climbs, and heart rate training.
There are three types of rides that you should be planning for while training for a 100-mile bike ride. A typical week could include two endurance rides, one steady ride, and one speed-training ride.
- Endurance rides:
In order to complete a hundred-mile bike ride, it is important to build endurance and become accustomed to spending long hours in the saddle.
If you’re a rank beginner, I’d recommend going for a few short bike rides, say 10-15 miles (16-25 kms) which for most people will be 1-1.5 hour long ride. If you have some experience, start off riding from wherever your average ride duration is- which I’d expect might be in the 30-35 mile range.
Gradually increase the distance by ten percent in every week that follows until you reach 75–80 miles.
Say you start off doing two endurance rides at your base range (say – 30 miles).
Then next week, you repeat these rides, but instead, you ride 33 miles. Slowly keep increasing the distance till you reach 75-80 miles.
Generally it is recommended that you aim to taper off your training regime after hitting 75 percent of the distance of a century ride.
PS: You should remember to focus on distance rather than speed during long rides. It is also important to carry enough snacks and water to strengthen your body before completing the ride. Do not forget to listen to your own body and take short breaks amidst the ride.
- Steady rides
It is important to include steady rides in a proper training plan. These are shorter rides that are completed at a consistent pace. These rides will help you boost your aerobic fitness so that you can complete the distance with great ease and endurance.
You can aim for 1-2 consistent rides per week while increasing the duration and intensity. You should concentrate on maintaining a steady pace and pedaling efficiently. You can try experimenting with different riding positions to see what works best for you. Perhaps including hills is a great idea to increase strength and endurance.
- Speed-training rides:
A proper training plan should also allow you to challenge your limits, so you should include speed and interval training. Speed training rides are faster rides that help you complete your rides at a faster pace.
You can try out one speed ride a week, which includes intervals, sprints, and hill repeats. Gradually, your muscles will release their lactate threshold, which will help you ride farther and at a faster pace. Engaging in speed training rides will push your muscles to produce more lactic acid, which will help your body improve its endurance to travel for longer hours.
You should keep trying to ride at a higher speed and intensity, but remember that a proper warm-up is absolutely essential before a speed training ride to avoid injuries.
Some Other Points To Be Considered While Planning For A Hundred Mile Ride
- Planning your nutrition:
In order to complete a hundred-mile ride, you need to stay hydrated and consume the right nutrients to maintain your energy levels for a long period of time.
You would need a mix of carbs, fats, and proteins with some micronutrients to stay physically fit while riding for longer hours.
You should plan your nutrition strategy before going for a ride and try to experiment to see what works best for you.
- Balance between rest and recovery:
In order to successfully complete a long bike ride, you need to maintain a balance between rest and exercise.
While too many rest days might make you stagnant, too few might result in overtraining and dizziness.
There isn’t a single solution for maintaining a balance between rest days and exercise. Various factors like age, experience in cycling, and the health of the rider may determine the number of rest days for them.
An effective rider should be able to listen to their own body to maintain a balance between rest days and exercise. If you are mentally exhausted and unable to meet your training objectives, you might need more rest. You can surely consult a trainer to help you find the correct balance between rest days and exercise.
- Ensure your bike properly fits you: While going for a long bike ride, you should be absolutely familiar and comfortable with your own bike. Riding on an uncomfortable bike may lead to a lack of confidence and immense pain, which can reduce your performance and enjoyment. This article may help.
- Safety and security: You should also be familiar with all the traffic laws and your route while going for a bike ride.
- Riding with a group can also provide an added advantage and safety.
How To Plan And Prepare For A Century Ride
Here are the top 5 tips to keep in mind to help you strategize better while you are on a century ride.
- Plan your fueling:
It is important for you to consume proper nutrition to last the duration of long bike rides. Keep in mind that overeating can cause a lot of stress and discomfort while traveling for longer hours.
You should try having a small amount of food and liquids every 30-45 minutes.
You can test what kinds of nutritional foods and drinks work best for you. While some cyclists prefer solid foods like energy bars, others prefer sports drinks to get enough energy to complete the distance.
- Keep a consistent flow: It is important to maintain a consistent flow throughout the ride. Try to maintain a consistent pace throughout the ride and adjust your efforts with your gears.
- Go at your own pace: You must continue pedaling at your own speed without worrying about the speed of the other riders.
- Keep moving on your bike: Sitting on a bike for longer hours can cause a lot of pain, so you should continue moving around on your bike at regular intervals. Keep changing your positions and stretching your legs to ensure proper blood flow.
- Keep minimum breaks: Having breaks is crucial to maintaining proper energy for the ride, but they should be brief. Taking long breaks can make it difficult for you to regain momentum, so you can take short breaks for refueling.
How To Recover From a 100-Mile Bike Ride
Recovery time is absolutely essential after completing a long, hundred-mile ride. Your muscles are broken down while exercising or going for a ride, so you need the right amount of recovery time to heal your muscles and make them stronger for more rides in the future. If you don’t spend enough time on your recovery after a long ride, you’ll risk illness and other injuries.
Few recovery tips to help you recover after a century-mile bike ride.
- Finish slowly: Finishing your bike ride with a gentle spin for 10-15 minutes aids in the recovery of the body. Spinning helps ensure the proper flow of blood while removing metabolic waste from the muscles.
- Continue gentle movements after the ride: Traveling for longer hours can create stiffness in your muscles, so you should continue moving after getting off your bike. Some mobility exercises to keep your muscles moving can be a game changer in improving your recovery.
- Keep yourself properly hydrated: Drink plenty of water in order to boost the workings of your heart for pumping blood and oxygen. Some moderate sports drinks like chocolate milk, water, and electrolyte drinks are also acceptable.
- Proper nutrition: Consuming the right nutrients is essential to boosting your recovery after a long ride. While carbs will replenish glycogen after a long ride, proteins will help make your muscles stronger by reducing soreness and muscle damage. Some of the protein-rich items, like beef, chicken, and protein shakes, are preferable to strengthen your muscles.
- Use compression clothing: Compression clothing can surely help improve blood flow and relieve post-exercise soreness. Compression socks after a long ride can help deal with muscle pain and swelling.
- Get a massage: A comfortable massage can help to remove fluid and bone waste to prevent muscle breakdown while improving the flow of blood for muscle repair. I like to use mini foam rollers. You could also use tennis balls in socks. Showering with hot and cold water (start hot and then gradually reduce the temperature) can also prove helpful.
- Sleep properly: The right amount of sleep is absolutely essential to boost your mental performance and maintain cortisol levels. Getting the right amount of sleep helps release muscle-building hormones to ensure the healing of your muscles. In order to ensure good sleep, do not exercise for longer hours or consume alcohol before going to bed.
- Active recovery: It is equally important to take care of mental health after completing a century ride, so try out active recovery. This could be a very easy ride, or a walk or a yoga session- anything to gently stimulate the muscles.
- Avoid taking painkillers: You should avoid taking painkillers during or after long bike rides. If you absolutely feel the need to, do it but remember to not overdo it in training as much the next time.