All-You-Can-Eat Century

In 2017, Spring City Cycling Club designed an entirely new course for the All-You-Can-Eat Century.  The new Century started in Huntsville, AL from the Bob Harrison Wellness Center on Pulaski Pike. The course was designed to put riders onto a wide road that facilitated separating large packs into safer, smaller groups.  The route follows a nearly straight path north across flat Madison county to the Tennessee line to our stash of hilly fun roads all over the Coldwater Creek and Elk River watersheds.  At the time, road conditions and repairs limited our return route options from the destination stop at the Old Delina Country Store in Lincoln County, TN.  We were forced to route for a mile onto the shoulder of US64 with a sporty left hand turn across high-speed lanes onto Swan Creek Road. This bit of road was unpopular with riders and especially the route marking team, who sprinted to lay paint marks between passing Peterbilt trucks.  

For 2023, our road scouting run revealed that Red Oak Road had been repaved in the last couple of years.  This reopened access to a whole inventory of our favorite roads back to Taft, TN and Madison County.  Our new Century route adds over 23 miles of previously unseen road, approximately 375 feet of additional climbing, all with less than two miles added to the overall length of the ride.  Additionally, the start/ has been relocated to the National Speleological Society on Pulaski Pike. The new finish is now a right-hand turn, eliminating the sporty left turn across traffic lanes to the old finish location the Bob Harrison Center.  We are pleased to offer this improved century with 23 miles of new scenic roads, more hills and improved rider safety.  

The 2024 route now turns west after Rest Stop 3 in Delina to head west on Delina Road to Gnat Hollow Road. This change adds 14 miles of road not previously seen on the AYCE and four miles to the overall length. It also completely closes the loop so that riders do not have any repeat or out-and-back sections.  This is much more interesting for riders and simplifies route marking and navigation.  The roads are pretty sweet, as well.

Descriptions, Maps, Queue Sheets and GPS Links

Download All-You-Can-Eat Century GPS route files and queue sheets at the AYCE RideWithGPS event page.

The now 107-Mile Old Country Store Century travels directly north into Tennessee.  At Kirkland the route crosses TN110 on Camargo Road.  For the next 60 miles the riders are presented with a twisting, hilly, shaded and very scenic route up to  the classic 1892 Delina Old Country Store at the top end of the course.  The Old Country Store is a popular regular stop for not only cyclists, but motorbikers, sports car enthusiasts, tourists and locals.  The store unfortunately closed in 2023.  We will still have a stop at the location, with baked goods, of course.

The Century features nearly 4800 feet of climbing over a unrelenting series of short hills, with almost no sustained climbs.  Make sure your front derailleur is well lubricated and functional.  Since this is Tennessee, pavement quality runs from billiard table smooth to abrasive chip seal, it is recommended to run 23 mm tires and sturdy rims.  Narrow tires and delicate race rims may result in a visit from the SAG vehicle.  The updated 2024 Route turns west onto Delina road after the Delina stop all the way to Gnat Hollow Road.  It then turns back south on Diana Road and rejoins the 2023 route at Center Hollow Road and proceeds to Old Highway 64, McBurg-Delrose Road, Cheatham Road and back to Old Railroad Bed, where it rejoins with the shorter routes. This takes in all the favorite roads from our popular Bugtussle Boogie and (infamous) Booby Bungalow weekend rides. The new northern loop adds 14 miles of previously unseen and very shady roads to the full century route.  When the course finally climbs out of the Coldwater Creek watershed at mile 86, it mercifully flattens out for the run back into Huntsville.  The last few miles pass by the classic Carter's Cotton Gin.  Six rest stops service the full century route.

2024 AYCE Map   

Includes 70-Mile, Metric Century and 39-Mile loops.


The 70-mile Old Elkton Pike Cutoff crosses the Century course at 36 miles reconnects at mile 73 of the Century route seven miles later. This is a spectacular long ride without the strenuous upper loop up to Delina. Riders still get in a vigorous 2300 feet of vertical gain, most of it between miles 31 and 50. Four rest stops. Century riders arriving at the Turn at Gunter Hollow Road at 39-miles after 11am will be directed onto this course. Note that the distance between the second rest stop at 27 miles and the third rest stop at Taft is 22 miles. Be prepared to go unsupported for that distance.

The 63-Mile Coldwater Metric departs the century route after traveling the newly paved and densely hilly Clay Jones and Red Hill roads.  The Metric traverses the across the middle of the Century Loop and rejoins at Coldwater Creek road at the fourth rest stop.  It is a nice route with plenty of climbing for the middle 18-mile segment.  2260 feet of climbing. Four rest stops.
   

Our 39-Mile Loop is a quick spin around the quiet roads northern Madison county.  Tour through the scenic cotton fields of Carter's Gin Road, a popular local cycling route. The route has been modified and extended to State Line Road so riders will see a short piece of Tennessee, a solid four feet inside the state line.  See if you can spot the paths of the giant 1995 and 2011 tornadoes that struck that area.  Two rest stops at miles 12 and 24.