Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on March 6, 2018 at 11:29am

Climbing hills at the that altitude will be the biggest hurdle coming from Chicago. Fantastic route, though. Take a lot of sunscreen and expect serious temperature changes. The weather can change in an instant.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Wiessner on March 23, 2018 at 2:11am

A couple of friends and I from the Chicago area have been going out to Colorado for over ten tears now to do the Triangle, Ride the Rockies or Bike Tour of Colorado. What I've found is very helpful is to try and get out there three or four days before the ride to acclimate yourself to the altitude. It takes longer than that to fully acclimate but every day in advance helps. During that time, take it easy and only do easy paced shorter distances. Having some nice low climbing gears also helps. I'd recommend a compact gear in front (50/34) and a fairly big cassette in back (maybe an 11-28). A triple also helps (56/42/30) but with a 34 in front and a 28 or bigger in back you should be fine. There are some steeper sections (above 7%) but they don't last long. You will see quite a few 5 to 8% grades and they will last several miles. Don't be afraid to pull over and let your heart rate and breathing normalize a bit. None of these rides are races. The scenery is awesome; enjoy; you will love that!

• ▶ Reply