They are supported rides that come complete with fully stocked rest stops every 20 miles or so, mechanics, SAG wagons (roaming vehicles that can either help you repair your bike, or give you and your bike a ride back if you need it), and generally followed by a meal and party at the end. In short, it is a safe and fully supported way to make a long, complex bike ride without having to carry all the food and water on your bike or worry about what happens if your bike (or you) breaks down.
Like most centuries, Chico has several different ride routes that require different levels of ability and conditioning. They are the Child Flower, which is a short ride down the bike trail for youngsters, the Flat Flower 30 mile and 60 mile versions that, as their name implies, cruise around the valley floor, down the Sacramento River, through the beautiful orchards and farmlands and then back to Chico. These are great rides for the beginning and beginning intermediate riders that haven’t ridden in the mountains too much, but would like to challenge themselves to some distance. The Mild Flower is a 65 mile ride that has 2000 feet of climbing, most of it on a hill called Honey Run, and then down to the valley floor for about 40 miles of riding through green fields and along the wet lands of the Sacramento Valley floor. The big attraction for most riders is the Wildflower, with its 4400 feet of climbing that goes up both Honey Run and its sister climb, Table Mountain. Either of these hills can be tough, but put one right after the other and it can be a challenging way to start cycling season. It can be particularly cruel on a very warm spring day!Continued
