A century ride (100 miles) is a major accomplishment for a cyclist. Maybe a century ride or a metric century (100 km/62 miles) is a goal you're considering for this year. If so, use these resources to train up to ride a century in just ten weeks, and to make sure you survive and thrive when you're on the big ride so that it's an enjoyable experience, and doesn't turn into a death march instead.

Links:

• Century ride training plan: build up to riding a century in just ten weeks
  
• Survive and thrive on a century: tips to ensure you reach that goal of riding your bike a hundred miles in one day.
  

Image: Kim Steele - Photodisc/Getty Images

Doesn't most every story of a person gone wrong start with "So there I was on Craigslist when I saw this ad. . ." ?

But there I was on Craigslist over the weekend when I came onto an ad with the heading "Collectors and Cruisers Look Here! Antique Raleigh Bikes." You may recall I regularly ride an old Raleigh ten-speed that I stripped off the gears and turned into a single-speed commuter bike. So the ad got my attention, and I called the guy who listed it.

The bike turned out to be a classic black Raleigh model from about 1970 called the Sports, which is a three-speed bike with internal shifting in the hub. That means it has no external gears and no derailleur like you see on most other bikes. It was being sold by an older gentleman who picks up bikes at flea markets, yard sales, etc., and then cleans them up and sells them. He had about 20 bikes in a workshop in his back yard, all of them for sale.

Anyway, after a test ride and some cash swapping, I brought home the bike. It looks sharp with original black and white paint job and it's big, heavy and slow - and fun as the dickens to ride. But that means I now have five bikes (two road bikes, a mountain bike, my Raleigh commuter and now this one) and I suspect that soon I'm going to hear from the boss that something's got to go.

• More photos of the Raleigh Sports
  
• Guide to Retro Raleighs by Sheldon Brown
  

Photos - courtesy of Jerod Zakson

An Australian driver apparently angry with being held up by a group of cyclists -- which included a number of current and former Olympians -- slammed on his brakes in front of the group, causing a massive wreck Thursday morning (May 8th) in Sydney.

"We're so lucky somebody isn't dead," former Olympian Ben Kersten told a reporter. "We were pushing 60kmh, sprawled all over the road with trucks going past. I really don't know how someone isn't dead, that's all I can say."

The group was on a training ride about 6:30 am when, according to witnesses, a driver frustrated with being held up by the cyclists suddenly accelerated past the riders, then slammed on his brakes in front of the group, giving the riders no time to stop.

The riders piled into the back of the car and into and on top of each other, causing a chain-reaction of accidents, including a jack-knifing tractor trailer behind them that narrowly missed skidding into the group.

Police reportedly have solid leads on the identification of the motorist who caused the hit-and-run accident, and will be pursuing charges against him.

Read the complete story here.

Photo: Australian cyclist Ben Kersten, by Adam Pretty/Getty Images

What do drivers say when they encounter bikes?

Here are some of the things I hear when I'm out on the road. Notice that they're not all negative interactions - many times I experience courteous and friendly drivers who go out of the way to give me space. And please take advantage of the chance to add your own favorites in the comments section.

1. Oops! Sorry!
   
2. Get outta the way, Lance!
   
3. Oops! Sorry! Didn't see you!
   
4. No, you go. . . (as they wave you through a stop first)
   
5. Is that really a Trek Madone you're riding? (okay, that's me dreaming)
   
6. Oops! Sorry! Didn't mean to cut you off.
   
7. %#$%&!!
   

Add your own favorite - comment below.

Ever heard of the Boneshaker? Know why the "Safety Bike" has that name? These and other fascinating evolutions in the bicycle over the years are chronicled in this illustrated history of bikes.

• Bikes Throughout History

Image: Cyrille Van Hauwaert, winner of Paris-Roubaix in 1908

The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) celebrates National Bike Month each year in May. It's a chance for people to consciously promote cycling and the many ways bicycling is such a fun and useful way to get around.

Many events in National Bike Month are clustered around the week of May 12-16. In particular, Friday, May 16 is National Bike to Work day. Many communities make a big deal out of this, with refueling stops along the way for cyclists to grab a bagel or some coffee, mingle just a bit and celebrate the event.

There are a number of terrific resources available to help with this. These might be useful to you or just good to pass along for someone considering taking their bike out more.

• 50 Ways to Celebrate Bike Month
  
• Bike to Work: the Hows, Whys and Simple Pleasures of the Two-Wheeled Commute - pamphlet (PDF)
  
• Special events taking place across the country - State-by-state listing
  

  

  Image (c) League of American Bicyclists

Looking to buy a new bike? It can seem overwhelming with all the choices and options out there. But the process can be easy when you work through these guides to help you make a smart decision:

• What is the right bike for me?
  
• Bike sizing chart - what size bike do I need?
  
• Guide to fitting your bike for maximum comfort
  
• Bike buying pointers
  

  Image: Sweens308/Flickr

Recently I tried out the Fausto wool cycling jersey by Ibex. And I put it through its paces, taking it out on a bunch of short rides as well as several longer (30-50 mile) trips in a variety of temperatures.

I like it, but comments from the product site say things like the Fausto "breathes much better than any poly jersey I've ever owned." And "comfortable for cycling all year round." Those are big statements. Can it live up to that billing? Find out here.

• Read the complete review of the Ibex Fausto wool cycling jersey
  
• Check out even more reviews at the full spring cyclingwear round-up
  

Image: Ibex

Here's a great cycling word to add to your vocabulary:

Stoker: the rear rider on a tandem bicycle.

Photo: David Hunter/Flickr

Q: What do you get when you infuse the swagger and showmanship normally associated with professional wrestling into pro cycling world?

A: Rock Racing.

If you're not familar with Rock Racing, the team is a new one (2007) on the scene in professional cycling. Sponsored by Michael Ball of Rock & Republic clothing brand ("each piece designed for sexy, confident men and women"), the team arrives for events in a half-dozen matching black Cadillac Escalades and features a number of "bad boy" cyclists -- riders previously tied to doping scandals including Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Sevilla and Santiago Botero.

Thanks to the Operation Puerto doping shadow carried by this trio, they were ousted from the Tour of California and replaced by other riders on Rock's roster. Ball's response was to have them still show up in Californina and ride around in front of the pack wearing racing outfits with crucifixes on them.

The Rock team sued Tour de Georgia organizers after it looked like they would be excluded from that race. They were granted entry after Saunier Duval withdrew, freeing up a spot. It seems Ball almost looks for such hassle to help get his brand in the news.

“What happened at Tour of California and how we’ve developed since then is really a representation of what the brand is and what I look forward to bringing to cycling. And that is excitement and some new ideas . . . and moving forward into more of an entertainment perspective and a true spectator sport," Ball told a group of reporters in a teleconference last week.

"In other words, so the television and networks can pick it, so the sponsors aren’t paying to be put on the back of a jersey but actually paying to be seen during the televised course of a race."

Sure there are brash teams in every sport, and even entire scenarios where the line between "sport" and entertainment is blurred. Think of professional wrestling and of such circuses as the XFL. Michael Ball is working to carefully calculate this image, and part of his strategy is to serve up controversy and drama everywhere he goes. I suspect this more about selling clothes than bike racing, and in the end, I wonder: Is this sort of thing good for cycling? Comment below.

Image: Santiago Botero/Rock Racing