It’s simple arithmetic to determine how much time you need to ride 100 miles — or is it?

Yesterday I rode 50.7 miles; and my time in the saddle was 04:21:55.

Brooks England B17 Saddle

Theoretically, then, my roll time for 100 miles should be double that; but that’s supposing ideal conditions. A headwind at some point is all but certain; and that will slow me down, and tire me faster. Suddenly doubling mileage isn’t the best idea, anyhow.

I can’t decide whether to push for that century ride this month; or put it off while I do more work that will (I hope!) improve my pace. If I opt for that route, I won’t be ready for about two months; and in June it can be very hot!

I think I also need to get used to eating more on the bike than I’ve been doing. Yesterday’s on-bike menu was: two Gatorade Whey Protein bars; half an RXBar; and two GU-Gels. Simple arithmetic showed a calorie total of 985; but my bicycle computer’s ride data showed a calorie burn of 1545. That left me 560 calories “in debt”; and maybe it’s why I started to feel so tired towards the end.

I might actually need to eat a little more before I begin a ride, too. I don’t want to eat a huge meal, though, because I don’t have several hours to let it “settle”. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I need to start my long ride early!

There’s always the weather to consider. I don’t want to designate a day as Century Day; and then be forced to call off the ride for a T-storm.