Almost every year since 2009, I’ve taken part in the Door County Century bike ride. This is held in September on the weekend after Labor Day. The bike expo is on Saturday and the ride itself is on Sunday. I try to take the Friday before and the Monday afterward off to make it a long weekend event. It’s very well organized and a lot of fun. And it has become more popular each year that I’ve taken part – thankfully we’ve always had good weather.

Typically there are four routes offered: 30, 50, 70 and 100 miles. The routes are set up so that you can turn off onto a shorter route if the weather is bad or you just don’t feel like riding a longer distance.

In 2010 the route changed: the ride now begins and ends at the Door County fairgrounds in Sturgeon Bay. Previously, the ride began and ended at the school in the town of Institute. The change was a good one: the fairgrounds can accommodate the larger crowds, and there is a lot more parking available.

I missed the event in 2016 because of a prior commitment on that Sunday. And in 2020 the entire event was canceled because of the Covid19 pandemic.

If you look at the results in the table, you’ll notice that up until 2014, I ride the 100 mile route in odd numbered years, and in the even numbered years I do the 70 mile route. I hadn’t really planned it this way, it’s just the way things worked out. In 2014 I finally broke the pattern and did the full 100 mile route in an even numbered year.

Door County Century Results