Here's a bicycling achievement that I'm sure not too many people have accomplished.
At 68 years old, Al Emma is waiting for the One Helena Hundred to roll around on July 18 this summer in Montana. When he completes that ride, he will have finished organized century rides in all 50 states.
Just as amazing, to me, is that he's done them all since 2002.
What a treasure-trove of patches and route maps he must own, not to mention the memories of favorite dishes at rest stops and the visions of Dan Henrys etched in his brain.
Al first contacted me to ask if there were a club or organization for souls who had ridden organized centuries in all 50 states. I couldn't find any (if you know of any, please leave a comment below). I asked about some of his impressions from his amazing bicycling journey the past 7 years.
Why did he start?
Al had always been active. Before the current cycling challenge, he ran five marathons in six weeks in 1986.
He had done his first century on RAGBRAI in 1988 (he has done the Iowa ride 14 times). Then, in 2002, “at 62 years old I decided I needed a goal as something to force me to keep in good physical shape.”
I asked about his easiest and hardest rides:
“I am not a fast rider and my goal usually is to finish. My fastest Century was 5 hrs, 57min in Gulf Coast Century Fest in Sarasota, FL on November 3, 2002 — must have caught a tail wind both out and back. A typical Century takes me about 8 hours, but if it is hilly or there are head winds, or I find a slower rider to spend quality time with, 9 hours is not unusual.
“There were many easy rides — I do not look to do the toughest — but the Hillbilly Horizontal Hundred in Clendenin, WV on September 14, 2002 advertised “Ride a Century in West Virginia And Never Leave Your Big Chainring.”
“The hardest ride was the DC Brevet 400k in Frederick, MD on May 10, 2003 where it was cold, rainy, foggy, and mountainous — it took 26 hrs, 27 minutes and there was a 27-hour time limit. This ride went into the mountains near Shippensburg, PA and part of it was in the Gettysburg National Historical Park.”
What were the biggest and smallest rides?
“I am not sure which rides had the most riders doing the actual Century but RAGBRAI in Iowa, the New York City Century on September 12, 2004, The Montauk Century from Manhatten, NY to Montauk, NY on May 19, 2002, The Seagull Century in Salisbury, MD on October 4, 2008 and Reach The Beach from Portland OR to Pacific City, OR on May 17, 2008 were outstanding.
“I prefer the bigger Centuries because I do not finish near the rear and I usually have many riders to BS with.
“The smallest Century was the St. Anthony's Sand Dunes 200k (actually 135 miles) in Driggs, ID on May 24, 2008 with only 4 entrants. It was cold, rainy, mountainous and we had a little hail. The two faster riders took off and we didn't see them again until the finish where they left their wives at the restaurant to congratulate us on finishing.”
Often he'll catch a Saturday century in one state, then a Sunday century in a neighboring state. He did this in Delaware and Rhode Island, West Virginia and Ohio, Vermont and New Hampshire, and Colorado and Wyoming.
Always interested in travel, he has visited all 50 states before this quest. Normally he'd travel be car, except in Hawaii and Alaska, where he rented bikes.
After he completes his Montana ride, he'll head north the next day to do a 200k in Saskatoon. He also expects to do all the provinces of Canada in addition to the Yukon Territory in 2009. He hasn't found a ride yet in New Foundland or Labrador.
If you'd like to join Al on his 50th century, the One Helena Hundred starts in Cascade this year and follows the Missouri River. The ride is sponsored by the Helena Bicycle Club.
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