Plenty of choices to go for a century ride, or shorter, in the Midwest
September offers the biggest selection of century rides in the Midwest.
A century ride involves riding your bicycle for 100 miles in a day. They are non-competitive, recreational rides that usually offer a variety of shorter distances over portions of the main route.
While new or infrequent riders may think of 100 miles as unattainable, one season of riding a few times a week can prepare you to accomplish this feat. Gradual, 10-percent increases in weekly mileage are commonly recommended as the best way to prepare for completing a century.
According to John Duvall of the League of American Bicyclists, the first recorded century ride in the United States occurred on Dec. 19, 1880, in Louisville, Ky.
The two riders involved started at 3:15 a.m. and finished at 9:45 p.m. during a snowstorm. With today's bicycles, the average time for completion falls in the 5-10 hour range.
The challenge of the 100-mile day became quite popular in the late 1800s, but its popularity dwindled as automobiles became prevalent in the early 1900s. Chicago became the site of a national century ride revival in 1942 in which 42 riders completed a course from Chicago to Aurora to Elgin and back. Since then, hundreds of thousands of riders have completed century milestones and met new friends along the way.
Upcoming local rides include the 23rd annual North Shore Century on Sept. 16. Riders start out at Dawes Park in Evanston and are invited to choose from route distances of 8, 25, 50, 62, and 100 miles.
It is a chance to tour some of the North Shore's most luxurious residential neighborhoods, view unique architectural treasures, and pedal out into the flat to rolling countryside between Chicago and Wisconsin.
The ride includes nourishing snacks and drinks at every rest stop, bike mechanics, road monitors (on bikes) sweeping the route all day, Sag wagons in case of emergencies, free bagels and coffee at the registration area, and live music. For information, visit www.evanstonbikeclub.org or call the hotline at (847) 604-1225.