Bicycling Magazine's Century Training Program: 100 Days to 100 Miles

by Marla Streb

Bicycling Magazine's Century Training Program presents a complete training program for riding—and enjoying—cycling's fastest growing challenge

To ride a century means to cover 100 miles in a day—no small feat for riders at any level. But the century is becoming cycling's equivalent of the marathon, with more and more century events scheduled for thousands of riders across the country. Now, champion pro cyclist Marla Streb provides a thorough manual for anyone who wants to train for this distance. She offers guidelines
• customizing a training plan based on fitness level and century pace goal
• getting proper bike fit and choosing the right equipment
• training and ride-day strategies for optimal fueling and hydration

Backed by Bicycling magazine, the world's leading bike magazine and a proven authority on long-distance cycling, this book is an indispensable guide for recreational and competitive cyclists alike.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2006

Reviews

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cons:

1. No actual century ride is ever described in the book. Seriously.

2. Nobody in this book starts out in a shape where they couldn't have physically survived a century to begin with.

3. I did not like the author's personality (as comes across in her writing) very much. Your mileage will certainly vary.

4. Information is sporadic and Marla uses road cycling jargon with no explanation. This occurs again and again. If you know all of this slang, you've probably already ridden a century.

5. The book does not lay out a plan for a variety of cycling skill levels to work up to a century ride.

I truly have no idea for whom this book might be aimed. I didn't hate it because I did pick up a few things. But it's far from inspirational and far from as useful as it should have been.

[Ken Beissner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good program within a good story

I liked the mix of a story and a program. I enjoyed the book and the program of training was similar to weight training programs I’ve followed.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The upside is that the author is smart, articulate, interesting, relatively amusing, highly energized by the sport and this project, and reasonably well edited. The downside is that the book is imperfectly titled. Sure, there are plenty of helpful tips in the book, but the how-to text is less detailed, organized, or compelling than her rambling (but entertaining) discussion of herself, her trade, her lifestyle, her brother, and her quasi-spouse. A fun read, but not something I'd suggest as a first or primary training guide.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not so much of a training program as it is a continuation of the autobiography she started in Downhill. It didn't tell me much about how to train for a century that I didn't already figure out on my own. However, it did pique my curiosity about her and about downhill racing, so I'm now reading her first book.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a training plan as much as a memoir about being a pro rider and reflecting on a cycling life. I was suprised by this - it's not what I was expecting given the title - but valued this book all the more for it. any fool with the internet can find a century training guide. this was much more inspiring and more useful.

[Pogue · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was well written and I did pick up some interesting bits of information. I wish she would have gone more into how a novice ride can get started.

Also all the product placement was a bit of a put off. For me a list in the back pages would have been much better.

[Julie Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is not a how to book. this is a book about a girl and her brother. a pretty boring story if you ask me. but somewhat motivational, i guess.