There was some kind of event here in NC where you rode as many laps as possible around a Nascar track. I imagine it would be quite boring.

Somewhere with lots of greenways?

Leadville. It's as non-technical as mtb races come. If you've got any lingering discomfort about traffic, make dirt your friend.

Sorry to hear about your crash.

No clue about the century, but just curious: what exercise are you doing currently?

Almanzo 100. Not quite car-less but on remote gravel roads in SE Minnesota. Minimal traffic. Self supported and not even an official race anymore. Just show up and ride.

I suspect most gravel centuries would suffice - Dairy Roubaix, Dirty Kanza, etc. Hibernator 100 is 10/4 in Laona, WI - remote roads through the Nicolet Forest. Another option for next would be Race the Lake in Random Lake, WI - I think it's 90 miles, but it is closed course AFAIK.

I've done 100 Miles of Nowhere (fatcyclist.com) in my condo complex and on a MUP. My condo complex had lots of cars, but slow ones. The MUP I use is 16+ miles one way. One stretch is along a road with 4 stoplights for about a mile. Besides that and two stoplights it is totally carless. 3 out and backs make for a self supported century.
In these region we also have some longer river trails, people often make their own centuries, again self supported.
I don't know of any closed course centuries, too expensive it impossible to close roads.

I'd go to Tour de Palm Springs. 10,000 bikes. Safety in numbers.

The Death Ride (128 miles) is closed to all vehicles except support for the first 78 miles. El Tour de Tucson is technically closed to vehicles on 75% of the route, although folks do get killed there as they are not expecting cars crossing and turning etc.

c&o canal / great allegheny passage trail. 400 miles of traffic free trails from pittsburgh to washington dc.

chris

6 pillars century tour in Maryland. All but a few blocks are in a park closed to traffic.

Don't know where you are, how far you're willing to travel and how long you can wait. But this past weekend there was a 160k Gran Fondo in the La Mauricie National Park in the province of Quebec, Canada. It's actually the biggest cycling weekend in Canada (~5k riders). They completely close the 33 miles parkway to traffic. You do the parkway three times, but the scenery is so nice that's what you'd want to do anyway.

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Pain is inevitable. Suffering is up to you.

The 100 mile route of the Indianapolis Tour de Cure is 40 laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

this weekend it's crater lake century in Oregon. Also in west Yellowstone in spring before they open the roads up to cars they have a weekend for bikes only.

Looking for a century in desolate roads or is there such a thing as a closed course century?

In North America, to the best of my knowledge, they are non-existent. In Europe, from what I understand some of the bigger sportif's, such as Etape, and the ones associated with some of the Pro Tour Classics Tour of Flanders et al, you will get that.


The issue in North America is how much the car rules here. So much so that, when talking to municipalities big or small about road closures and permits, they almost always start from a position of, "Absolutly no" as an RD that's your starting point!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I didn't know either of those took place. And both are places I have said I wish had some bike events. I might have a Spring event for next year.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

White Sands Missile Range (site of the atomic bomb test) has held a century in the past on roads completely closed to traffic and offers non-military personnel a unique opportunity to see parts of the range normally off limits. I haven't lived in NM full time in over 7 years so I am unsure if this event still happens on the regular but is worth investigating for a traffic-free experience. Also in NM the Tour de Acoma is held on tribal land that is normally heavily restricted to outside visitors. Both of these rides cover some very unique high desert terrain and are worth checking out.

Thanks everybody :) So far Tour de Acouma is winning for 2015 and it's close to IMAZ 2015.

I'm training for Dopey 2015 (2nd week of January, Thurs 5K, Fri 10K, Sat HM, Sun Marathon), and I do 3 hours of Spin and 3 hours of BodyPump at the gym. I ran 27 miles last week (25 + .25 here, .25 there divided between the five weekly runs) and 27 miles this week. Mid run is 10K, short runs are 5K, and 10 mile long run this week. I've gone up to 9.5 mile (8 mile run, got lost). The spin bike doesn't hurt but the trainer does, so I guess it IS true what they say that the geometry is different, I can't go a mile on the trainer without pain.

I want a "real" century, I have a 30-mile route I did once 3 times to go 100 miles at home, and I also did an Ironman, but I just want a century.

Both of these rides cover some very unique high desert terrain and are worth checking out.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Both of these rides sound very cool, but in fairness, they are pretty remote, and on roads that are more easily controlled - nothing wrong with that at all. But, that's how far you have to go at a number of levels in North America to get "car-free"!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog