Century season is here!
And the first biggie of the year for me is the Tour de Palm
Springs. On Saturday, February 8th,
a bunch of my friends are converging on the Coachella Valley to participate in
this annual 100-mile ride. The
relatively flat and easy century (a century is a 100 mile ride, for the
neophytes out there) is attended by up to 10,000 cyclists from around the
world. Cyclists of all skill levels
attempt the course on all kinds of different bikes. I’m sure some kids will do it on a fixies…. Crazy kids....
Some of you reading this will be joining me in Palm Springs next month for your very first century. Huzzah! Allow an old timer a few words of wisdom.
Take your time. You've got all damn day to get the century done, so take it. It's not a race, and the finish line ain't going anywhere, so ride as fast (or slow!) as you feel like. There will be a lot (!) of cyclists on the road, probably more than you're used to. So keep your eyes open. Assume everyone else is an idiot and behave accordingly. Give yourself plenty of space. And remember to eat a lot and drink a lot. My rule of thumb is one bottle of liquid for every 10 miles (ish) but you might need more. Listen to your body.
Perhaps most important: the after parties! Yeah, sure, you'll be tired after riding a hundred miles. But hey, it's Palm Springs, so you might as well get bang for your buck. I'll be at the Tool Shed on that Saturday night (around 10) and by the pool at All Worlds all day Sunday. See you there!
