• We've found that almost any experienced cyclist in good shape can complete this ride. It's a tough double century, but there are many rides that are much, much harder and/or longer. Many people who have ridden it have never done a double century before, a few had never even completed a century, though this is not recommended!

• Start your spring training no later than early April, gradually increasing your distance so that by late May you can complete a century. Show up at some of your local club rides, to sharpen your skills riding with a group. Be sure to get in some good climbs. Rides that take in mountain passes make good training for this event. According to RAAM champion Pete Penseyres, "You simply identify your target event on a calendar, back off six to eight weeks, and do weekly long rides building up to 75% of your target distance." Ramp up your miles gradually so that you do not injure yourself through over-training, and use the weeks before May to build up your base.

• Commute by bike to work. You'll be amazed at how much this will help your training. It's all about MITS (Miles In The Saddle). If you can't commute, get in at least 4 rides of 30+ hard miles each week, with at least one ride of 50 miles or more each week, gradually increasing in distance.

• Don't have much time for riding? Research by Chris Charmichael and others indicates that a series of very high-intensity efforts, as short as 30 seconds in length, followed by 2-4 minutes of recovery, can have the same benefit as a much longer, lower intensity effort. Do your homework, but remember, strong legs and the ability to stay in the saddle for 200 miles are not the same thing! A mix of LSD (Long, Steady Distance) and high-intensity training is best for most riders.

• Take it easy the week before the event. This will give your body a chance to recover and build itself up before the big day. Eat wisely. Get lots of sleep.

• Make sure your bike is 100% ready. You don't need a fancy bike, just a decent, dependable machine with good tires and equipment. We rode the 200-on-100 on the 1980s on bikes that lacked index shifting and clipless pedals, when carbon fiber and titanium were still considered exotic aerospace materials. Low gears will be appreciated on the long climbs towards the end of the ride. Pack a multi-tool and equipment to fix a flat and to make simple repairs, and some cash in case you bonk near one of the many general stores along the route. Dual water bottles are recommended, but you shouldn't have problems getting your water bottle topped off when necessary. Choose the gear you want to be riding with the second hundred miles. Don't use a brand new saddle or shoes the day of the ride!

More information on training for centuries and double-centuries is available online. Information on true randonee events in Vermont and New England is available at New England Randonneurs and Berkshire Brevets. Upstate New Yorkers have Adirondack Ultra Cycling, which organizes brevets right through the winter!. A full list of randonneuring organizations is available on RUSA's website. I like this short aticle on riding doubles from Road Bike Action.

The Ugly Middle: This is what ultra-cyclists call the stretch between 80 and 120 miles in the ride, where the majority of DNFs occur. We think it helps if you're prepared for it, so expect this to happen after the Killington climb. Killington is long and wearing. It's shady, but you've ridden over 100 miles--perhaps too quickly--and you're likely to have doubts that you have the legs left for both Terrible Mtn and Mt Snow. After the US-4 descent, you turn south in Bridgewater and there are two things that sap your spirit. First, there always seems to be a headwind here, and the sun is overhead. Second, it begins with a long, deceptive uphill. It looks almost flat, but seems so hard to ride on pace. By the time you get to Ludlow (140 mi) and the feared Terrible Mountain climb, you may have convinced yourself that it would be better to come back and try it again some other year.

Our suggestion is to wait until the top of Terrible Mountain before you decide to quit. Chances are that this is all it will take to convince you to go on and finish, and what do you have to lose? Break up the rest of the ride into increments that you can take satisfaction in completing. If you feel you just don't have it when you get to the Mt. Snow climb, follow the river on VT-30 to Brattleboro and finish there.

Tim and Ted's 200 on 100

In 2011, racers Ted King, Tim Johnson and Ryan Kelly rode almost the same route at something approaching a race pace and blogged about the experience. Their reports and video make for great entertainment, but remember, you can do this ride with a lot less pain!

• 2021 New Year's Day ride by Ted King. Amazing!
• 200 on 100: "A Dumptruck of Awesome"
• The Epic, Defined (The link on Bicycling's website is defunct -- sorry.)

In 2015, just two weeks after the 200-on-100, Ted King, Tim Johnson, and a morphing entourage of fellow riders and supporters again did the route at race pace--basically a team time trial with a few breaks. They rode through the 10-mile construction zone, sans asphalt, up the Mt. Snow climb, and even added in the VT-100 "dog-leg," instead of ending south of Readsboro, yet still finished the 216 miles in nine and a half hours of ride time. Trying to keep up with this crew is an amazing, if futile experience for we mere mortals!

• Karsten Quinlan's solo ride, 2016
• Chip Engler's time lapse video -- Hard to watch!
• Capo Velo's 200 on 100 Report
• Roots Rated: Pro Cyclist Ted King on Why Riding in Vermont Is as Good as It Gets
• Velominati's 2Much On 100-2012 Cogal report

The bunch climbing early in the day

Starting the Granville Gulf descent

Pittsfield farm