The Delta Century: Riding A Nostalgic 100 Miles on “The Tank”
Instead of doing a long run this weekend, I rode the Delta Century on a 33-pound mountain bike I still have in California, a 1996 Raleigh M-30 affectionately dubbed “The Tank.” This ride held special meaning for me, as it was the first 100-mile ride I ever did back when I was 17 and still in high school. Revisiting it decades later was a nostalgic experience, pedaling through vineyards, past the Delta waterways of the Central Valley of California, and alongside quiet farms on little-traveled roads. The camaraderie, good food, and ideal weather made it an unforgettable ride.
While the event wasn’t a race, there were plenty of reasons to take it on. First, the Delta Century was my original century ride, so it felt right to relive the experience after all these decades. Second, the Raleigh M-30 was the only bicycle I still own that had never done a triple-digit mileage ride, so it was time to change that. Third, with London-Edinburgh-London coming up in August, it was an excellent training opportunity, even though I’ll be using a road bike for that challenge. Finally, my friend Angie was looking for a training ride as well, and I convinced her to join me for this one. We had last seen each other in London when she was visiting her sister over New Year’s, so this ride was a great chance to catch up while putting in the miles. She also later noted that this would be a good way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our friendship.
Speaking of anniversaries, apparently, this was the 45th edition of the Delta Century–“a Northern California classic, among the flattest and fastest 100 miles or 100 kilometers anywhere” per the Stockton Bike Club’s website. One tradition the SBC maintained was marking the route with colored vinyl arrows corresponding to the different distances (100 miles, 100 km, or 25 miles) offered. Many (most?) organized rides have long ago dispensed with such a labor-involved practice of sticking the arrows on the pavement before each turn, instead providing paper route sheets and GPX files instead. While the SBC provided those too, the arrows were much appreciated–particularly because I forgot my Garmin cycling head unit on the charger, at the house! I had the route on my Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) watch and phone too, but the arrows were more convenient than looking at either of those.
Compared to last year’s Delta Century, which was plagued by rain and hypothermic conditions that led to the cancellation of the full 100-mile route, this year’s ride was blessed with perfect cycling weather. Temperatures ranged from 54°F to 72°F (12°C to 22°C), and the sky remained cloudy for most of the day, keeping the UV index below 5. The notorious Delta winds, which can be relentless, mostly stayed as crosswinds rather than blasting us head-on. Occasionally, we even lucked into a tailwind. With little traffic and mostly ample shoulders, the roads provided smooth, peaceful riding by vineyards, wineries, walnut orchards, roadside fruit stands, farms, and levee roads that hugged the waterways (see video below).
Motor traffic, thankfully, was not heavy. There was a section near Clarksburg—a region of the Delta west of Elk Grove—where it seemed like 75% of the vehicles passing us were Amazon’s Rivian electric delivery vans. It was like a movie—one after another after another, a Amazon truck with their distinctive sky blue rear doors would silently whiz past us.
The aid stations, spaced every 12 to 25 miles, were well-stocked with peanut butter sandwiches, ham-and-cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, cookies, water, and Gatorade. But beyond the food, it was the friendly volunteers who made the stops memorable. At the second rest stop, Bill struck up a conversation and asked me where I live. When I told him Galicia (Spain) and Colorado, he mentioned that his brother-in-law, César J. Pérez, was Galician, making for an unexpected connection. He also interviewed me for a nice video he made for the Stockton Bike club.
Later, at the third stop, Steve—the president of the Stockton Bike Club—recognized me. He asked if I was Felix Wong, then shared that many years ago he had read my ride reports of the Climb to Kaiser, Death Ride, and other endurance events. We talked about how blogging has largely faded, with most people now just posting photos on Instagram. But I still value sharing these ride reports, having been blogging for 30 years and having just published my 2000th blog post last week.
Compared to last year’s ride, the venerable mountain bike was able to attain an average speed that was 2.5 MPH higher (12.7 vs. 10.2 MPH). Several factors contributed to the increased pace, with the most significant being properly inflated tires. Using a digital gauge and filling the knobby tires to 55 PSI at a gas station made a major difference, as last year’s tires were probably running at only 25-30 PSI. Raising the seat by 20mm helped approximate the saddle height on my road bikes, although I could have gone a little higher still. Switching to clipless SPD pedals and cycling shoes instead of running shoes with PowerGrips also boosted efficiency. The dry roads also likely played a small role in improving speed.
Angie rode well too, though she experienced some discomfort in her sit bones. The official route was actually two miles short of a full century, so we tacked on an extra three miles at the end to make sure we surpassed 100 miles. Compared to my very first Delta Century ride 32 years ago on a borrowed Bianchi road bike, our total time was about half an hour faster, despite longer rest stops, which averaged a little over 20 minutes each.
The post-ride meal was a perfect reward, featuring refried beans, beef and chicken tacos, fresh strawberries, chips and salsa, and sparkling water. As we wrapped up the day, we noticed a wedding reception happening at Jessie’s Grove Winery and Vineyards—a beautiful venue for such an event.
With 101.1 miles logged, a ride time of 7 hours and 58 minutes, and a total time of 9 hours and 26 minutes, “The Tank” finally joined the triple-digit mile club, bringing this memorable journey full circle. Now, it’s time to set sights on London-Edinburgh-London in August.
Ride Data
Total distance: 101.1 miles
Ride time: 7h58m (12.7 MPH or 20.4 km/h average)
Total time: 9h26m (10.7 MPH or 17.2 km/h average)
