How to ride the Penance 100+

There are two basic ways to do this. Be honest with yourself and pick the one that works best for you.

Plan 1 ~ Go for it: If you have the fitness and the ability to ride a 5+ hour hilly century, this is for you. Your equipment. Dress lighter, you will make more heat from faster riding. But do pay attention to wind blocking layers.

Your strategy: Negative split.

Your Tactics: Use the first ten miles (from the start to crossing GA-16 in Senoia) as a warm up. For the next approximately five mile stretch, begin to raise your power output. Then, at the turn onto GA-85, it’s time to go to work. Fast and steady, but keep in mind it’s a long ride, stay comfortably below your “summer high cruise” rate. Take advantage of the long flats on GA-85 and then on GA-18. You should be able to make Pine mountain in two and a half to three hours.

Stop at the store in Pine Mountain. Catch your breath, eat, top up your bottles.

Re-warm as you do the approach climb up to GA-190 (on the spine of Pine Mountain), then go back to work. You get a terrific descent down the mountain into Warm Springs. An optional “nature break” in Warm Springs is a good consideration. Keep some power on as you complete the descent out of Wamr Springs, and then go to work on the rollers on GA-85.

It is coming up GA-85 where you can make some serious time, if you still have some “gas in the tank.”

Don’t even consider a stop in Gay. Keep going to Senoia. If you are low on water, or need food and warmth, a short stop in Senoia is possible. You are only about ten miles from the end.

Plan 2 ~ Get it Done: This is the more relaxed approach. You know you can do the century, but you also know you have nine good hours of daylight to do it in. A seven to eight hour pace is just about right for this. Remember, we all have to go to work on Monday.

Your Strategy: Energy conservation and efficiency.

Your tactics: A pleasant warm up pace for the first ten miles to Senoia. A possible “nature break” and clothing adjustment in Senoia. (Don’t stop for more than 10 minutes!)

It’s 39 miles from Senoia to Pine Mountain. Do this in one stretch. Plan to raise the output on Ga-85 to a faster cruise, but be prepared for the rollers on GA-362. You can increase speed again on GA-19. (After the turn at Harris City)

Full stop in Pine Mountain. Refill. Eat. Warm. Adjust clothing. The mountain awaits.

From the store in Pine Mountain, ride gently up the approach to GA-190 and then ride the spine of Pine Mountain at a conservative, fully aerobic pace. (There is a lot of climbing and descending on the top of the mountain.) Enjoy the descent into Warm Springs.

Consider well making a stop for a “nature break” in Warm Springs. The store in Gay has been problematic in the past. The next reliable (with indoor plumbing) stop is in Senoia, about 33 miles ahead.

Ride the rollers up GA-85 Alt and GA-85 in a conservative manner. Keep an eye on your time. Remember, it starts getting dark around 5:00 PM. Do make a stop in Senoia, if necessary. It’s only about another 10 miles from there back to the shop.