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Century Rides Rated
What makes a good Century Ride:
- Smooth Scenic roads
- Ample food and drinks at rest stops
- Minimum traffic
- Too much traffic
- Rough roads
- Too many turns (A cue sheet that fills up 10 pages!!!)
NE Centuries I have completed and rated:
The following list has all the official Century rides that I have completed and rated on this web page.
- TEC Tour of Eastern Connecticut in 1999
- Tri-State Seacoast Century in 1998 and 2000
- Great River Ride in 1999
- Don McCulloch Memorial Ride in 1999
- Quiet Corner Century in 1999 and 2000
- Blazing Saddles Century in 2000
- 200k BMB Brevet in 2001
- NBW's The Flattest Century in the East in 2001
- CRW's Fall Century in 2001
- Major Taylor Century in 2001
- Cadillac Mountain Challenge in 2001
- Mount Greylock Century in 2002
- Steeple Chase Bike Tour in 2002
- Mt Washington Century in 2002
- Climb to the Clouds in 2003
Disclaimer:
This rating system is very subjective, and merely my opinion. It is also based on when I rode that ride. The course, weather, and organizers change from year to year (not to mention my own conditioning), all of which could greatly effect the rating. My objective is to help you select Centuries you want to ride in, and to help organizers better their rides. The bottom line: I have enjoyed all the Centuries I have ridden in, and on scenery alone, all NE Century rides are excellent!
Climb to the Clouds
Overall Rating: A- | Sorry I forgot my camera for this ride. |
This is one of the cheapest rides you can do. At only $10 it is a steal. But don’t expect any T-shirts or water bottles. As usual a ride put together by CRW is always done well. From the pre-ride speech, to the cue sheet, to the cops at the first couple of difficult intersections, everything was laid out well for the riders. I really enjoyed the backcountry roads that this ride went out of its way to put me on. I was lucky. The weather was perfect. Dry and in the lower 80's. But a ride in Mid July could have easily been hazy, hot, and humid. That's why riding in the shade of some really nice back roads was a must for this ride. The down side was that to keep you on these back roads, there were a lot of turns. But the arrowing was done so well that you really did not even need the cue sheet. The cue sheet itself listed all the convenience stores and bathrooms you would be passing. With a map on the back, it may have been one of the best cue sheets I've seen! The climb up Mount Wachusetts was strategically placed at the 40 mile mark or so, where you are still kind of fresh as you climb it. (This is not a ride for beginners.) Never having been up there, I was pleasantly surprised at the nice view from the top. The only negative was that at one of the stops they had run out of food. I later found out that they had more food, but the person with it was attending to someone who had fallen. All and All, I really enjoyed this ride
Mt. Washington Century
Overall Rating: A |
Click here to view my
photo album
of this ride.
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Here is another one of those rides where you can't go wrong. The White Mountains are just a spectacular place for a century ride. The sites are beautiful and the roads are, for the most part, rider friendly. The support for this ride was first rate, and there were less than 10 turns for the whole century ride. (Only one left turn against traffic!) Instead of arrowing the full route the organizers had volunteers at the more confusing corners directing cycling traffic. There were a good number of rest stops, about 1 every 20 miles. My friend and I started late and were among the last riders to finish the century, yet there was plenty of food and drink at every stop. The only down point was that we finished late and missed out on the post ride meal. Well at least we still got our hats, which was a nice change from the usual t-shirt. One word of warning, with around 6000 feet of climbing, this can be considered a hilly route. There were a few tough climbs: one up Crawford's Notch where the steepest parts are just before the summit, another was the last 8 miles of gradual uphill climb to the finish.
Steeple Chase Bike Tour
Overall Rating: C+ |
Click here to view my photo album of this ride.
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This ride had you going from one beautiful New England Church to another. At each of these rest stops were water, food, and really nice bathrooms. The bathrooms are a big plus, because on many rides you either have pit toilets or the woods. The volunteers were numerous, nice, and helpful, stocking each rest stop with a number of goodies. The scenery on this ride was your typical nice New England ride with farms, white churches, and trees everywhere. The roads were very quiet, shaded, with little to no traffic. On the other hand, this is the most difficult route I have ridden in for three reasons: 1) The ride organizers for some reason did not re-route the ride around newly sanded roads. If your not familiar with this way of repaving a road, this is how it is done. First spray the road with oil, second cover it with sand. Lots of sand. A road that has been sanded, is road that only a mountain bike should be going on. Road bikers with their skinny high pressure tires and feet clipped in should never ride on a newly sanded road. It is downright dangerous. After riding on 3 sanded roads that covered a number of miles, my nerves were shot. 2) The route went counter clockwise. This means that there are many left hand turns against traffic. 3) Although there were arrows at every corner, there were no warning arrows further up the road to tell you that you would be turning soon. This makes the ride more difficult because you can't anticipate the next turn. Overall I gave this ride a low C+ rating, but with a little work on making the route more rider friendly, and with more arrows this could be a much better ride.
Mount Greylock Century
Overall Rating: B |
Click here to view my photo album of this ride.
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If you like hill climbing, this is the ride for you. With 4 major climbs on this route, you'll feel like your doing a mountain stage of the Tour de France. The first climb is Mt Greylock, which begins with some very major grades, but gets easier as you get nearer to the summit. The most difficult climb is the third climb, which has some steep grades that go on for what seems a lifetime. Gratefully at the summit of each of the 3 first climbs there are sag stops where you can rest and reload. The ride does offer great views, from the summit of Mount Greylock, and as you fly through some of the nicest parks the Birkshires have to offer. The T-shirt may be the best I've gotten. It has a nice big logo on the front, and on the back is the mountain profile of the ride. Very cool. My only complaint I have was the lack of bread at the third stop where I desperately wanted to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Although I prefer centuries where I can cruise and look at the countryside, I did enjoy the challenge of this ride.
Cadillac Challenge Century
Overall Rating: A+ |
Click here to view my photo album of this ride.
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This is easily the best ride I have ridden in. But how fair is it to compare any Century ride to one that goes through what is arguably the most beautiful scenery in all of New England. Add blazing fall foliage to that beauty and you have all the makings of a picture perfect setting. The tourist slogan is "Where the Mountains Meet the Ocean", and they are right! This ride is very hilly. The Century ride tours all of Mount Desert Island, one third of which is the Arcadia National Park. Actually, my favorite part of the ride was outside the park, on a road that hugged the Southern coastline. The road was flat and recently paved. Pine trees on one side, and big square stones on the ocean-side lined it. Across the water there was an Island (about a half-mile away) where the fall foliage was spectacular. You would think that you were riding beside a large river except for the fact that the waters below were covered with colorful lobster pot buoys. The Maine Freewheelers sponsor this ride, and by coincidence the ride is free. They only ask for a donation to help buy food for the 2 rest stops that they provide. One rest stop is next to small harbor at mile 55, and the second is at mile 90 on top of Cadillac Mountain. The climb up Cadillac is 1000 feet of climbing over 3.5 miles. Not exactly steep, but after a long day of riding, it can be difficult. Most of the ride around Mount Desert Island was devoid of traffic. It is only when you ride within Arcadia National Park that you have to deal with much traffic. It was not overwhelmingly busy, but you had to be careful, because many people were busy looking for parking spots, or at the scenery.
TEC Tour of Eastern Connecticut
Note that this ride has been discontinued
Overall Rating: A |
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Overall Rating: A- |
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This is, in my opinion, was easily one of the most scenic rides I have ridden in. It mostly hugs the beautiful New Hampshire seashore. You will see a lot of the Atlantic Ocean on this ride. There are many scenic lighthouses, beaches, bridges, and towns that you will peddle by. I have done this ride twice, and plan to do it again. My biggest advice is to do the southern part of the route first, and the northern part second. That's because the southern route is short and not very scenic. If you save it for last, it is very hard to pass the end point knowing that you have 10 miles(?) of boring traffic filled road to complete before you get back again. Just a quick note about the food "C" rating, this is because the main sag stop used by most of the riders tends to run low on food and choices later in the day. On the other hand, there are many convenience stores and restaurants along the route, where you can stop and purchase whatever you want to eat or drink. One big plus is that this ride is available on both Saturday and Sunday at the end of September. Watch the weather, and pick the least windy day to get the most out of this great ride.
Great River Ride
Overall Rating: A-Add your comments or read what other's are saying about this ride.
Traffic: B+
Scenery: A
Food: B+
Road Conditions: C
Support: A+
Cue sheet: B
Arrows: B
Route: B
Total Elevation: Difficult (8000+)
Fringe Benefits: A-
This ride would probably have gotten a better rating except for the fact that I rode 80 of the 100 miles in the rain. But despite that, I must say that this is another "A" ride when it comes to scenery. The ride usually takes place on the first weekend in October. I'm sure that this ride will provide you with some of the most spectacular NE Fall scenery available. Unfortunately, I spent most of my time concentrating on the road ahead, and trying to keep the rain out of my eyes. It also, as the name hints, follows a number of pretty river roads, that wind through the forests of western Massachusetts. A really cool benefit, that I really appreciated. At the end of the ride there were pictures of all the riders laid out on a table, and you could take yours! A photographer had taken them sometime in the morning (when I was still bright, cheery, and dry!), and developed them before everyone had arrived at the finish. Maybe it was because of the small turnout in the rain, but the sag stops were well stocked, and there was a lot of good food at the finish. Finally, I just wanted to relay this story. At the 90-mile mark, I was riding down a hill in the rain, and I got a flat. As I stood there freezing, trying to fix my tire a support vehicle stopped and helped me fix my flat. He even let me sit in his truck to warm up while he inflated my tire. I can not begin to tell you what a lifesaver that was.
Don McCulloch Memorial Ride
Overall Rating: B+ |
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This is a ride that covers much of picturesque Cape Cod. There are 2 places on this ride that I will never forget. The first was very early in the morning, I was riding through a town that was right on the water. There was no traffic at all, and the ocean was sparkling from the early morning sun. Eventually the road went right along side a beach, where there was nothing but sand between me and the water. The second was the bike path next to the Cape Code Canal. As I buzzed along, avoiding pedestrians and roller blade-ders, I passed under the Sagamore bridge. On the bridge you could see the cars and trucks slowly passing overhead, on what looks like a thin ribbon held up by string. The backed up traffic on the bridge made me appreciate the sparsely crowded bike path even more. On the other hand, there was one road that I really did not like riding on, I don't remember the route number but it had a lot of traffic and no breakdown lane. At one point I had a large camper behind me that refused to pass. I finally had to pull over to let him by, along with the 30 cars that had queued up behind him. Also, on that same road, I began to suspect that I had missed a turn. Eventually I figured out that I was on the right course, and continued on. Extra arrows on some of the longer roads would have been helpful there. Maybe the best feature of this ride was the food at the end. The club that sponsors the ride must have had a pot luck dinner going, because there was more food selection then you can get at any other ride. They also had some grills fired up and you could have cheeseburgers and hot dogs grilled up to your specifications. Yum, Yum! Much appreciated after a long day's ride.
Quiet Corner Century
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Overall Rating: B+ Traffic: A+ Scenery: B+ Food: B Road Conditions: A- Support: B+ Cue sheet: B Arrows: B Route: B Total Elevation: Moderate Fringe Benefits: B |
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This is a very typical NE back road bike ride. The route covers a number of extremely quiet roads that wind through the Eastern Connecticut countryside. I think there were points where I rode for 30 minutes without seeing a car. Don't be surprised if on this ride you see some wild Turkey or even a Coyote, I have! The roads in this area are all in good shape and clean. Thumbs up for the CT Department of Transportation. (Do you think they could cross the state lines and clean up some of the Rhode Island roads, please?) Some of these roads are a bike rider's paradise. No traffic, clean and smooth, with large NE farms lining them. There was one farm that that reminded me of Nebraska, with corn as far as the eye can see. This is a ride where the money raised goes to Camp Quinebaug, a camp for special needs children. At every sag station, one of these special needs children is there to greet you. The support staff of volunteers is easily the nicest around. They are very friendly and always thankful for your contribution to their cause.
Blazing Saddles Century
Overall Rating: BAdd your comments or read what other's are saying about this ride.
Traffic: B+
Scenery: B+
Food: B
Road Conditions: B
Support: B
Cue sheet: B
Arrows: B
Route: B
Total Elevation: Moderate
Fringe Benefits: B
This is another nice typical NE back road ride. It is a little hilly in parts, with some nice scenic roads, and a brief ride by the ocean. My favorite part of the ride was going over a large steel bridge that spans the Merrimack River and connects Massachusetts to New Hampshire. As a matter of fact, the ride doubles back and follows a road that goes along the Merrimack River, then you get to cross the bridge again. This route is obviously well planed out and keeps you away from any busy traffic areas. It is also a little hilly during the first half, and mostly flat at the end. Which makes it a lot easier on your tired legs. This is one of my favorite kind of Century rides, because you can ride in it on either Saturday or Sunday. Which means you can pick the best day, and register when you arrive. On the other hand, I got there late Sunday, was one of the last riders to start the Century, and they were out of shirts by the time I got back. It was completely my own fault. So I bought a shirt one size to small that was left over from the year before. I washed it once, it shrunk, and now it's my wife's shirt.
200k BMB Brevet
Overall Rating: B |
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This ride is part of a series of rides that build up to the Boston-Montreal-Boston 750-mile bike ride. The ultimate long distance ride in New England. You can ride in any of the (200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k) BMB qualification rides throughout the spring and early summer. Although it was very early in the season for me (May), I choose to do the 200k, with hopes of also completing the 300k and 400k in June. Like most NE Centuries this ride passes through mile after mile of charming tree covered back roads. The most interesting thing happens to me at one point of the ride. I came around the corner, and there was a big red barn. It must have been painted recently. The grass in the pasture leading up to the farm was bright green and well groomed. A very beautiful site. I was thinking that that would make a great picture. Then in the corner of my eye I saw a movement from the herd of horses that were on my end of the pasture. One of the horses decided to run along with me. We rode/galloped for 100 feet or so before the end of the fence prevented the horse from going on. It was pretty neat. Anyway this ride was hilly! I'm pretty sure it went uphill the whole way. But, the fact should be known, that I had done very little training before tackling this 130-mile bike ride. The sag stops were well stocked with everything you could possibly need to push on. Because this is a real endurance ride the sag stops were 40 to 50 miles apart, not the typical 25 to 30 miles you see at most Centuries. I made the sad mistake of not refilling on water before leaving the first sag station. Luckily, I was riding with someone who was well prepared and shared his water with me. Note: I did plan on attempting both the 300k and 400k rides, but passed on participating when the weather called for heavy thunderstorms for both rides. Maybe next year. Anyway, I saved the best for last, my name is now posted at the BMB website, now that is COOL.
The Flattest Century in the East
Overall Rating: A |
Click here to view my photo album of this ride.
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First of all, this is not the Flattest Century in the East! Not even close. The Narragansett Bay Wheelmen (NBW) admit this on their website. At one time it was the flattest Century, so they have kept the name, but other Century rides have far surpassed it on the flatness scale like the Granite State Wheelmen's Tri-state Century ride. Although it is not the flattest Century anymore, it is still one of the most scenic in New England. The first 50 miles follow the coastline west from Tiverton, RI and pass a number of harbors and Vineyards. Also, this ride easily had the best support crew of any ride I have ridden in New England. Each year over 1,500 bikers do this ride, which I think makes it the biggest one day ride in New England(?). At least it is the largest I have rode in. Anyway, to support such a large ride the NBW have brought in a number of volunteers who help you park your car, register, fix your bike…whatever you need seems to be covered. But best of all, the NBW hired police officers to cover many of the main intersections of the ride. These police officers would hold traffic while you safely rode through without having to stop! That was really appreciated at the end of a long ride.
CRW Fall Century
Overall Rating: B |
Click here to view my photo album of this ride.
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I knew I was in for a hard ride when the ride director told the first time Century riders that this would be a ride to write home about. Unlike most NE fall Centuries that I have rode in, this was a very challenging ride. The course followed some of the same route that I rode during the 200k BMB Brevet in the spring. Along the route you will see your typical back road NE beauty: rivers, tall trees, farms, churches. At one point, after a lot of climbing, there is a section of road where you can see mountaintops that are miles away. The first stop is after 40 miles at a general store where you can purchase more water and food. The first officially supported stop is at the 60-mile mark, just before some of the most grueling climbs. The next stop is at the 80-mile mark next to a covered bridge. Thankfully after that stop the route is mostly flat.
Major Taylor Century
Overall Rating: A- |
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Maybe they should rename this ride the "Tour of Red Barns Century". What a beautiful New England ride. The ride organizers seem to go out of their way so that to have you pass by every bog, pond, and lake in the area. There were spots where you pass through old forests where the pine tress seemed like they were 100 feet tall. Plus there were numerous farms, teaming with cows and horses for you to look at. I thoroughly enjoyed this scenic, but tough Century. My favorite moment of the ride came when I was passing a pasture where a pony and two donkeys were galloping along a fence that separated them. At the end of the fence one of the donkey's brayed at the horse, then they started off in the other direction. I could distinctly hear the pounding of their hooves against the ground. The Seven Hills Wheelmen runs this ride, and I think they had the ride go over all seven hills!
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