Cycle 100 Miles (Century Ride)

Proof required

Submit: a Strava or Garmin Connect activity link or export showing a single continuous ride of 60+ miles (96km+) with map, distance, date, and elapsed time.

What gets checked

• Single continuous activity of 60+ miles — the activity must be a single ride, not two 30-mile rides on the same day; most GPS tracking apps show this as a single activity entry; a 60-mile total from multiple activity entries does not pass
• Activity includes map, distance, and elapsed time — the activity export or screenshot should show all three; a screenshot showing only distance without the map or time is insufficient; the map confirms the ride was outdoor and on road/path, not a turbo trainer
• Ride is outdoors or on a structured endurance route — a turbo trainer session showing 60 miles may qualify if it is clearly a structured endurance session, but outdoor road riding is strongly preferred and more representative of the conditions for the century ride

Common mistakes

• Underestimating fuelling requirements — the most common reason for bonking (energy depletion) on long rides is not eating enough during the ride; most cyclists know they should eat but underestimate how much; on a 60-mile ride, expect to consume 2–3 energy gels or equivalent food every 45 minutes from minute 60 onward; practise eating while cycling before the 60-mile attempt so the habit is automatic
• Not doing a saddle fit assessment before the long rides — saddle pain that is tolerable at 20 miles becomes severe at 50 miles; a saddle that fits correctly prevents this entirely; most cycle shops offer free saddle fit assessments; get one before starting the century training block rather than discovering the problem at mile 45
• Doing long rides without electrolyte replacement — sweat contains sodium, potassium, and magnesium; water alone does not replace electrolytes; on rides over 90 minutes, electrolyte drinks or tablets (available in budget formats) prevent the cramp and fatigue that come from electrolyte depletion; this is a different issue from calorie replacement and is easy to miss

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Verify the activity is a single 60+ mile ride — check the distance in the activity export; confirm it is a single activity (one start, one end) and not a concatenation of multiple shorter rides
• Check the activity includes a map — a turbo trainer session without a map is an indoor ride; confirm whether indoor sessions are acceptable in the student's training context; outdoor riding is preferred for century preparation
• Ask about the fuelling experience — 'how did you fuel on the ride and how did you feel in the final 10 miles?' is a useful indicator of whether the long ride training is being approached sensibly; a student who bonked on the 60-mile attempt and did not eat needs to address fuelling before the century

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Proof required

Submit: a Strava or Garmin Connect activity link or export showing a single continuous ride of 80+ miles (129km+) with map, distance, date, and elapsed time.

What gets checked

• Single continuous activity of 80+ miles — same standard as the 60-mile milestone: one activity, not two; the activity must show 80 miles (129km) or more in a single entry
• Ride is completed 2+ weeks before the target century date — the 80-mile training ride requires recovery time before the century; completing the 80-mile ride in the final week before the century leaves insufficient recovery; the activity date should be at least 2 weeks before the event
• Fuelling approach is documented in a brief note — a 2–3 sentence note on what was eaten and drunk on the ride confirms that the fuelling strategy is developed and not being left to race day improvisation

Common mistakes

• Attempting the 80-mile ride without completing a 60-mile ride first — the jump from 50 miles to 80 miles in a single step is too large for most cyclists; the 60-mile ride builds the specific fitness and fuelling experience required to manage the 80-mile effort; complete the milestones in order
• Not recovering adequately between the 80-mile ride and the century — the 80-mile ride should be the last long ride before the event; the week before the century should include only short easy rides (20–30 miles) to maintain feel for the bike without accumulating fatigue; cyclists who do a final long ride 3–4 days before the century often arrive at the start line with tired legs
• Not eating on the descents and flat sections to 'save time' — calories consumed during a long ride must be absorbed over 30–45 minutes before they become available energy; eating only when hungry on a long ride means eating after the deficit has already developed; eat proactively on easy terrain (descents, long flats) when it requires less cognitive load

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Confirm the 80-mile activity date relative to the target century date — the ride should be at least 2 weeks before the event; ask for the century event date if the proof does not include it
• Check that the activity is a single continuous ride of 80+ miles — same standard as milestone 1; confirm one activity entry, not two combined
• Ask about the fuelling strategy — 'what did you eat and drink on the 80-mile ride?' is the key question; a cyclist who has not developed a fuelling plan by the 80-mile mark will struggle on the century

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Proof required

Submit: (1) an official chip-timed result from an organised century event (link to results page showing name and finish time), or a Strava/Garmin GPS activity showing 100+ miles as a single continuous ride, and (2) a 100+ word reflection on what the century experience was like and what changed for you across the 14-week training block.

What gets checked

• Distance is 100+ miles (160km+) documented as a single activity — for organised events: official results page showing name and finish time; for self-organised: GPS activity showing 100+ miles as a single entry; a GPS activity stopping at 97 miles does not pass
• Reflection is 100+ words and covers both the ride and the training block — the reflection has two parts: what the century itself was like (specific moments from the day), and what changed across the 14 weeks (what the training built in fitness, technique, or confidence that was not present at week 1)
• Ride is completed on the same type of surface as trained — a cyclist who has trained entirely on road but completes the century on a technical gravel route faces a different challenge; note the surface type in the proof; changes in surface from training conditions should be explained

Common mistakes

• Stopping at 99 miles because of time pressure or fatigue — the milestone is 100 miles, not 99.5; if the ride is cut short by any amount, the milestone is not complete; plan the route to include a slight buffer (102–105 miles) so minor navigational variations do not take the total below 100
• Not documenting a self-organised century — a self-organised century completed without a GPS device running is not documentable after the fact; ensure GPS tracking is confirmed running before the first pedal stroke on century day
• Treating the reflection as a summary of the training log — the reflection should be an honest account of what the experience was like, not a recitation of weekly mileage; the specific sensations of the ride and what the 14 weeks built that was not there before

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check the distance reaches 100 miles (160km) — confirm the total in the activity or results; a ride showing 98 or 99 miles does not pass; check whether the route was the full century course if using an organised event result
• Read the reflection for coverage of both the day and the training block — a reflection only about the day of the ride misses the second requirement (what changed across 14 weeks); a reflection only about training misses the first (what the century itself was like)
• Ask about weather and conditions — 'what were the conditions like on century day?' is a useful question; specific answers (headwind on the return leg, cold start, mechanical problem at mile 60) confirm the ride happened and reveal the specific challenges encountered

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