I finished my first metric century. It was alot easier than I had expected. The only real important factors were hydration and food. I finished in 3 hours 30 mins but I got lost at one point so I did an extra 10kms and had to stop to look at my map. It was an excellent route, only 4000ft climbing, which is quite flat.
It was really hard to find a group that was at my pace. I caught upto a few groups and tried to organize a paceline but as soon as I got to the front I dropped the group. I would wait up and they would catch me, I would pull and drop the group again. It happend twice and then I went on my way. So I spent most (85%) of the time solo. Perhaps if I stayed with a group, I would not have got lost. Oh well, an excellent ride!
I have been trying to find one in my area but without any luck. I have found a 200km event so maybe I'll give that a try.
I think my mistake was starting near the back of the group. As a result, I couldn't catch the riders who were at my pace. Next time, I'll start further up the field.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean but yes you could do a century on the weekend on your own or in an event. You don't have to stay with a group during a century but it makes it easier.
My tip would be to start toward the front. You can always drop back if you find the pace to fast. If you start at the back, you'll never catch the faster groups. To complete a metric century is not exactly a huge accomplishment but it is a fun event none the less. 😄
