A century ride is a road cycling ride of 100 miles or more, usually as a cycling club-sponsored event. Many cycling clubs sponsor an annual century ride as both a social event for cyclists and as a fund-raiser for the club’s other activities. A sanctioned century ride is organized and conducted under the rules and liability protection of a sanctioning organization, such as the League of American Bicyclists. Sanctioned rides typically have rest stops every 25 miles or so, where water, food and toilets are available for cyclists. On a supported century ride, the route is patrolled by a sag wagon to assist riders with bicycle maintenance, or provide transportation back to the starting line for those unable to ride the entire course. Sanctioned rides are almost always supported. Club-sponsored century rides typically offer several options for cyclists of varying abilities, such as…
Double century rides are usually scheduled near the summer solstice to take advantage of the longer daylight hours, and begin at or before dawn. The term Imperial century is sometimes used outside the United States and United Kingdom to indicate that 100 miles in imperial system is used instead of the implied 100 kilometers in metric system. The term Metric century is used inside the United States and United Kingdom to indicate that 100 kilometers is being ridden. The larger, more unusual and better known annual century rides in the United States and Canada include:
El Tour de Tucson in Tucson, Arizona in November, as many as 9,000 riders.
Apple Cider Century in southwestern Michigan in late September, as many as 5000 riders.
Tour of the Scioto River Valley in Columbus, Ohio, organized by Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, which drew about 3000 cyclists in May 2011 for the two-day, 210-mile round-trip to Portsmouth.
Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour, Ottawa to Kingston and back, 2000 to 2500 riders.
Many multiple-day group rides include a century ride in one or more segments of the course. For example, the Ride for AIDS Chicago in Illinois is a two-day, 200-mile charity ride in which cyclists complete the first century on Day 1 and the second on Day 2. Ride the Rockies in Colorado often includes at least one century-optional day, as a detour from the shorter main route, as does the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia. The origins of the century ride are obscure, but Dora Rinehart did century rides in Denver, Colorado in the 1890s. The TOSRV began in 1962 with two riders. The Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour started in 1972 with eighty riders. The Apple Cider Century dates back to 1974.
