Top ten reasons you should do an organized century

10) You've read that article in Bicycling about doing your first century and figure it's the first step in your lucrative age grouper career. Possibly after completing a century you can start training for your first Ironman triathlon.

9) You like spending money and think it's fun to pay upwards of $50 for what a lot of cyclists just call a long ride. Unless you are lucky enough to find a ride that includes a jersey in the cost, then you'll only have to pay in excess of $100 to go on a long ride.

8) Lots of watered down, crappy donated Accelerade and tons of stale bagels, energy bar halves, and bananas, need I say more?

7) High potential to use your first aid training after a squirrelly rider crash, or have someone use it on you after they take you out.

6) An oppprtunity to feel like Lance as you pass the soccer mom on her vintage Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike with slicks (and aero bars). Give her a look back and hammer up that hill, leaving her in the dust like Ulrich eating pastries.

5) You enjoy getting yelled at by pissed off drivers who are now backed up by miles and miles of cyclists. Bonus points if you flat because of tacks that they threw on the road.

4) You love cold chicken breasts, pasta salad, and more crappy Accelerade at the "finish line". Nothing says thank you for the $50+ you spent on your entry fee like crappy finish line food.

3) You need another crappy event t-shirt. Oops, I guess I said there was nothing better than the crappy finish line food, I was wrong.

2) You've tried your hand at races and just haven't been successful. Charity rides are the perfect place to showcase your unappreciated power and dominate the unwitting!

1) You have a recumbent!