What is a century?

[litespeedlujak]

By definition, what is a century?  I know it's the equivalent of 100, regardless of the tie-in.  But on a bicycle, is a century 100 miles accomplished in one sitting?  What about food stops?  Or is a century 100 miles in 12 hours? 

[BrianW]

Usually 100 miles at one go. You can stop to eat, nap, take in a matinee movie, whatever, I guess. Not like anyone is keeping score, unless you are doing an organized century or randonneur event. A metric century is 62 miles. There are also half centuries and half metrics.

[DaveB]

I think the functional definition of a bicycle century is 100 miles in "one day", typically from morning until evening. Normally not a 24 hour day but you could claim you road a century even if it took the entire 24 hours. 

[bogiesan]

There are double centuries, 200 miles. There are 100/100's, one hundred miles plus 62 miles.
In Idaho we have the unique opportunity to do a special double century: 100 miles in 100 degrees.

If you want to do a century, train slowly and steadily, find some buddies with the same goals and then sign up for a sponsored charity centiry. It's a cool thing to accomplish. There will be food stops and supprot on the route, a t shirt and a post-ride lunch.

Solo centuries are a bit dangerous unless you have the experience of many supported events but, more than anything else, they're boring.