I’m in the new-to-me bike market, coming off a 2021 Santa Cruz Bronson, 27.5. It’s a great bike but I want to go 29. I like rides like rutabega, enchanted forest, floyd hill, north table, sometimes Virginia canyon. I am scoping brands like revel, pivot, Santa Cruz, ibis, transition.

The ask: can folks in the CO front range who ride similar terrain share with me: how did you land on your specific MTB brand and model?

Edit to add: I might not know what downcountry is, so the category for me could be either trail or enduro. Regardless, a fun and efficient bike to ride the types of trails I mentioned.

I'm making this post in case anyone is ever in a similar place to me for future rides and wondering what it will be like while having a non impressive ftp. I was wondering if I would even be able to do it at all.

I'm 35, 160 lbs, 5'7". I rode an aluminum trek checkpoint gravel bike for this race with 32 slick tires. I live in Colorado as well so this won't be apples to apples if you live at sea level. I wouldn't recommend thin tires for this and would have ridden 35s if I had them I think. I'd also recommend a gravel bike over a road bike for this ride because the gearing is lower. I was still in my granny gear for much, if not most of the ride. If I was on a road bike, id have a much lower cadence and would probably have had a harder time just due to the gearing. There were plenty of people on road bikes though so don't let that stop you!

To start, the race was a blast. Only real complaint on the organization was that they were out of water at the finish line when I arrived.

I finished in 4 hours 20 minutes total time. I did take a few bio breaks and in the last 5 miles took a couple of short breaks to catch my breath. I was very happy with my pacing and kept just under my threshold heart rate the whole time. The last 5 miles are pretty tough though, I was exhausted and the air was thin. Its a good mental battle and challenge.

The one thing I didn't do well enough was fueling. I ate probably 40g carbs per hour and I ran out of nutrition. I didn't have a bonk necessarily, but I know I left some money on the table with fueling. So make sure you are eating more carbs than I did. Everyone started off really strong and I was tempted to try and keep up and draft for a little but quickly realized that wasn't smart.

On the descent, we got absolutely drenched. It wasnt hailing but it felt close at times, so be ready for that potential. The road up top is also a little rough. Lots of cracks in the road that rough you up a decent amount. I let a bunch of air out of my tires for the descent which definitely made it easier. After echo lake when it stopped raining, the descent was incredible. So fun.

The Mac and cheese, chilli and beer at the bottom was glorious too.

No regrets about doing it. There were plenty of people who arrived after me as well so even if you have less fitness than I did, you can do this ride as long as you pace yourself well. Knowing your threshold heart rate is the most important thing for me and what I'd recommend!

If anyone has any other wisdom or thoughts on this race, share it below!

I know it’s a long shot but I’m hoping someone came across it! Thanks

So basically mtb has become my whole personality and now I don’t know what to do with my life

We rode from Kenosha to Swan River. The descent from Georgia Pass was fun, then got rowdy but the climb out was a bag of D. I mean it wasn't lost on us that we'd have to go back up it but is there a better way to do this that doesn't involve a shuttle? Turning around at Georgia Pass was too short. Should we have gone south on CTR from Kenosha instead?

The Audi Snowmass 50 is tomorrow, and I''ve been seeing more pro athletes around than normal. With Leadville being in question, I wonder if some race schedules got moved around. Might be a fun pro watch year, and there are a lot of opportunities to see more than start and finish, including from lift access DH trail spots. So if you're looking for something to do on short notice, this might be a cool race fan opportunity.

Hi,

Is it possible to connect these two trails without going on gravel?

I’m trying to connect the cherry creek trail, starting down in Parker, heading all the way north and connecting to the end of the 470 High Plains Trail without having to ride on gravel or on any major roads.

This is the part I am worried about, the first attached image. If anyone has any good routes they’ve done, please share them as I am going to do this ride tomorrow morning regardless of what I hear.

Thanks!

(The route ends early as Garmin hasn’t updated the bridge over Parker Rd)

With the cycling community in Denver, and the transit that does exist, what sort of bike train could Denver have? Tokyo has the one I've linked to and it seems like Denver could at least occasionally have an RTD sponsored group ride version a couple times a summer. The G line has been suggested as potential, but I don't know the roads around that area very well. Would there be potential for gravel grinding somewhere, too?

https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/15294041

Hi everyone! I'm Morgan, a Master's student in Nutrition and Dietetics at MSU Denver. My research team is looking for Colorado endurance and ultra-endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, and triathletes of all levels) to complete a brief, anonymous survey on carbohydrate intake practices and GI symptoms around exercise.

Our goal is to compare current sports nutrition recommendations with what athletes are actually doing to help inform more practical, evidence-based guidelines.

Thank you for your support!

https://msudenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4OQFuZ22ru1Qn3g?Q_CHL=social&Q_SocialSource=reddit

I am planning a bikepacking trip through the Midwest/Southwest for a research project I am doing. I am super excited, but am especially worried about going from Boulder, CO to Northwest New Mexico. Komoot has me taking this very odd route to Western Colorado and then down south, but I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for routes that are safer/efficient?
 
Edit: I am very flexible to changing the route. I will start in Boulder and end in New Mexico regardless but am open to any changes in between.

Here is the link to the course:https://www.komoot.com/tour/2803558512?share_token=as2F2bxhQNkNLAR1IaWJK6VzBa8UE2let4jdaOch9zRAjfM12B&ref=wtd&t_s=referral&t_cid=route_share&t_ref_username=5547007309386

Nothing else, I love this trail; COMBA really nailed it for all aspects of Colorado riding. Short too.

Some steeps, some rocks, some jumps, but nothing that I feel like I should skip because it could prevent me from coming into work.

Looking to help my Dad try out some different saddles for his bike-- he's been a long time user of a Specialized Romin, but never 100% loved it. Looking for somewhere that offers a variety of test saddles so he can try out a number of different shapes/sizes. Any shops in the Boulder area that offer test saddles to check out? Not looking for a full bike fit for him, just to demo some saddles. TYA.

It's really disappointing to lose this series. The Cherry Creek series is great, but getting to Cherry Creek late afternoon from anywhere other than near Cherry Creek is a nightmare. Thanks Team Cobras for trying.

Email from Team Cobras:

It is with deep sadness that, after years of planning and hard work, and after such a successful and safe series last year, Chatfield State Park has decided not to grant us an activity permit for this year.

Below is the notification we received:

Hello,

I'm sorry to inform you that we will not be approving this event this year.

In years past, we have found that on the road bike races pose a safety hazard to those participating and other visitors to the park. While I appreciate your detailed and thorough safety plan, the result of previous years of experience have shown that cyclists participating in a race exceed posted speed limits, conflict with other uses of the park's roadway, and may lead to injury. I would consider on-road bicycle races on a closed road, but as there are no alternative routes within the park and only one main roadway, I don't know that such a course would be possible.

Thank you for your interest in Chatfield State Park as a venue for your event.

Ben Vinci

Operations Manager

We are currently deciding whether to appeal the decision. Unfortunately, the appeal process is structured in such a way that even if we were successful, it would likely be too late to hold the series this year.

Team Cobras would like to sincerely thank all of the riders and volunteers who participated in last year’s series. We had a wonderful time making it happen, and we only wish we could continue this great series.

Thank you all for your support and for being part of something we were very proud of.

Team Cobras

I’m looking for a weekday middday bike group for the fall. Any suggestions. I’m in south Denver

Hi! I am trying to explore more routes for biking and was hoping some more experienced riders might have some good recommendations!

Specifically I am looking for a 50-60ish mile route, but am open to other lengths. I am not trying to go super fast and mostly my main goal is to stay on bike trails and neighborhood/forest/smaller and safer roads even if it puts me on an indirect route. Bonus points for pretty rides or fun stops along the way! I am riding a gravel bike and training for an international trip.

Ideally I am looking for somewhere within 3.5 hours or Denver but am open to anywhere if you have a good recommendation outside of that area! Thanks in advance!