Century ride

A century ride is a single day road cycling ride of 100 kilometers (62.1 mi) in metric system countries or 100 miles (160.9 km) in imperial system countries. Riding a century is known to be physically and mentally challenging, and riders will often train in advance for these rides. These rides are often organized 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.

The origins of the century ride are obscure, but Dora Rinehart did century rides in Denver, Colorado in the 1890s. The Tour of the Scioto River Valley (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.