Last year it sold out the same day as Challenge Roth I believe.

Roth is the better/faster/shorter/cheaper race and most people seemed to try for Roth and then sign up for Frankfurt, if unsuccessful. I think Roth is 1 week after Frankfurt this year, so I would expect Frankfurt to sell out faster than last year.

Ill be signing up for my 4th time at Frankfurt,can't wait

I'm going to subscribe for the 2017 edition of ironman frankfurt but the bike leg scares me because:

1) i live (and train) in a very flat place here in italy, no climbs and not a lot of wind (and a lot of indoor training at about 5:00 am :) )
2) my first IM was zurich were climbs killed my legs, i've tried klagenfurt but even if everyone tolds me that the klagenfurt bike leg was fast and with easy climbs my legs have suffered the climbs a little less than zurich but always with a bad marathon time.

the first thing i'm going to do is to buy an indoor trainer (i think the kickr) that can simulate climbs (maybe one day i'll rce again in klagenfurt, wonderfull location)

the second idea is obviously to find an easier bike leg and only frankfurt and barcellona are compatible with my needs.

so i'm asking info about frankfurt bike course specially compared to klag or zurich.

thank you

Ok, I've done Frankfurt 6 times, Austria twice, Switzerland once and Roth once. There is nothing on the bike route for IM Frankfurt that need worry you. It is a fantastically fast and furious course. Very nice German tarmac the whole way round other than the cobbled section on each lap (can't remember the name of the village) which is a bit of a bone shaker, but you just sit and spin it out and watch as people's water bottles shoot down the hill at you :-)

In comparison to Austria, I would say it is pretty much even in terms of difficulty. I think Austria might actually have more ascent in the bike. There is nothing which is like Switzerland in terms of steepness - the German heartbreak hill is a lot flatter than the Swiss one, and it's all over in a blink.

It is my favourite Ironman of all the ones I have done, hence the return trips. To sum it up maybe a bit more succinctly:

Swim - Two laps, in a lake, pretty easy to navigate. Can be a bit crowded but that will largely depend upon how fast you are. Last time around swimming at the front I didn't get touched the whole way, but would be a different experience if you were in the 1:20 - 1:40 range I am guessing.

Bike - Take a 53 / 39 for upfront, and you could definitely get away with a 23 - 11 if you are a strong cyclist. I rode a 25 - 11 and span out on some of the downhills. Three main climbs on each of the two laps - first one is about 30km in and is I think the hardest, second one about 35km in which is a steady grind, and the third one is heartbreak hill which can sting a little on the second lap at about 170km, but it's nothing you need get out of the saddle for. Definitely a Disc and deep section front course if you have them. Wind wise, there is a 2km section through a hay field middle of each lap which always seems to have a wind blowing down it, but otherwise it is all pretty straight forward.

Run - 4 laps of 10.5km. Flat other than going up over the two bridges, but that is hardly a climb. Can be a bit disheartening if you are struggling as when you are on the other side of the river you can see and hear the finish chute crowds. There have been a few times I have been walking up the other side of that wishing I was there, and that can be a bit mentally hard, but if you are running strong, it is I'm sure fine.

Logistically, lots of good hotels to choose from. I have tended to pay a bit extra and stay in the official race hotel - the intercontinental. Booking early and being on their rewards program I have found it to be not too bad - 110 euros a night or so. However, last year they seemed to have jacked their prices up considerably, so I stayed in the hotel over the road - can't remember the name off the top of my head. Was excellent and I would probably stay there again as opposed to the intercontinental in all honesty - fraction of the price, but still excellent. If you want to get involved in all the race stuff you just saunter over to the other side of the road - the pros mostly stay there. Had breakfast next to Kienle the day after, and had a beer with Chrissie Wellington a number of years back - well we were having a beer, she watched :-)

Race logistics wise, very very well done. Can be a bit of a bind getting up to rack the day before - it is 12km out of town to the swim and T1 and there are shuttle buses, but last year the roads got totally blocked with people trying to get up there and lead to huge tailbacks. We were queueing for about 3 hours to get up there and the buses were all stuck with us. We were fine with the air conditioning in a car, but I wouldn't have wanted to be on the bus sweating with everyone. People were just getting off and riding the last few kms. Getting your things after the race is easy - it is all brought back to town by the organisers and you pick it all up near the finishing line.

There isn't much I can't tell you about Frankfurt, so message if you have any questions. I am toying with making a 7th appearance for 2017. I was expecting it to be sold out long before now, and was going to go do Copenhagen, Sweden or Maastricht, but there is a certain comfort in racing a course you know so well :-)

I have done both Frankfurt and Austria, i have to disagree with you. I think Austria has a much tougher bike course, the climbs were steep, there were 2 sets of 13-14% gradient climbs if i remember correctly with the last one much longer that leads to another less steep (5-6%) climb before an aid station

Austria's bike course is a good 5km short

But yes, Frankfurt is an awesome race, done it three times, definitely would go back again

thank you both for your reports.

i'm finding info about IM Frankfurt because it's in july and that date is perfect for me and above all for my family (we can go on vacation only in august !!! ).

I know klagenfurt climbs are 'categorized' as easy too but...my legs did not agree 2 months ago :)

So i hope that frankfurt climbs are quite different because if there is not a great difference i think i'll wait for barcellona on october trying to to train even during holidays (i ussually do not have my bike whit me when i'm at the sea with wife and kids but i can swim and run a lot).

thanks for these posts.
question - how does one rate the IM Austria BIKE and RUN courses? I know runtri.com rates them as very easy.. trying to figure out one person in my competition for an XC slot and figure out how fast he really is/ isn't...

Lap of the Frankfurt bike course
https://www.youtube.com/...VVKoBlub_-AbyETYCRCQ

From what I recall, I think the bike course at Frankfurt was easier for me than Austria or Switzerland, though it rained the year I did the race and the wet cobblestones weren't fun. All 3 of them have flat run courses.

Perhaps not the best gearing advice for someone worried about hills. He shouldn't be trying to "get away" with anything.

I went up Frankfurt with 50/34 and 11-27. I was very glad to have 34x27 on the climbs. You will have no need of 53x11 for anything more than a few seconds. Bring a good easy gear. You will not regret it.

I've done Frankfurt, Austria and Switzerland. The Frankfurt run is the best run of all of them in my opinion. Certainly my fastest time. Just long-flat straightaways by the river with the twice-a-lap bridge crossing.

The Austria bike was the hardest of the 3. Frankfurt was the second hardest. Switzerland had some rotaries and some climbs but I still thought it was a dream.

Austria's bike is tough. Lots of long, solidly difficult climbs. Nothing crazy steep but not by any means easy.

The Austria run is nice. A little narrow in spots. The only incline/decline is as year near Klagenfurt and go underneath a road. And it's only 3 laps, not 4.

I still liked the Frankfurt run better even though it was 4 laps and technically perhaps a bit more climbing. It was easy to maneuver and there were fewer turns.

I guess we could argue the point back and forth, but I certainly sat in the 11 cog for a fair bit of Frankfurt - definitely more than a few seconds. I settle at a cadence of 75 or so generally speaking and therefore like a heavier setup. I will concede that perhaps in the case of the OP, he could err on the side of caution and go lighter. None of those hills are grinders in a 39 / 27 setup though - nothing over what 6 - 7%? I guess the point I am trying to get across is that it is a fast bike course. Surprised you think that Switzerland was the easiest? I would put that as harder than Frankfurt. Shows the usual hey - ask a question and get 101 answers...

One thing I liked about Switzerland was we had a 30k-ish segment at the start of each loop by the water that was totally flat and not windy. So more than 1/3 of the bike right there is flat flat flat. It's a great way to get into a rhythm and make some good time. There was only one climb in Switzerland that really I thought was tough, that long, gradual one towards the end of the loop. The other two major ones were short and steep. I hardly even noticed the rotaries.

Frankfurt messed with me because I never felt I could get into a rhythm. As soon as I started to, there was another turn/hill/etc. There was also a long stretch up in the hills (towards the end of the loop) in Frankfurt that had really, really strong crosswinds with nowhere to hide. And the cobbled section with the turn was frankly dangerous. The day I did it, a female pro went down there and had to be medivac-ed out

One thing that might admittedly cloud my view of it was that the day I did it, the high for the day was only 49° F and my hands were so cold that I couldn't even hold my food.

49 degrees!? That sounds horrible. I did it last a couple of years back in the inferno. 42 degrees ground temperature, didn't even bother packing my wetsuit as the lake was something like 27 degrees the week before the race - ok, I did just in case, but you get the point. That cobble section can catch you unaware the first time hey, and I have been up there in the wet - think it was 2005 if poured down for the first 4 hours or so of race day, and there were a lot of crashes. Back wheel spinning all over the place.

I agree with Switzerland, there is only the one steep hill, but I though the other two were quite nasty in their own ways - long grinder sort of climbs. It's been a number of years since I did it though, so maybe the course has changed / my memory has faded.

i've done klagenfurt 2 months ago and zurich in 2013 and what i think is that 'difficult' is everything you are not trained for :)

i think klag is really easier than zurich because even if the climbs were difficult for me the descents were really long, fast and easy so that an athlete can regain time lost on the climbs.

i'll never race again in zurich because even the run course imho was terrible but i'll be back in klagenfurt for sure one day.

speaking about frankfurt i've seen som strava files and it seem that the climbs are easier than klag (1800meters vs 1200meters drop) but i've read that the wind is often present.

i've ride with a 34/27 in klagenfurt and in the second lap i'd liked to have a 29 ora a mountain bike :)...

I did Zurich this year. The climbs were tough coming from Tampa, Fl. The run, however, was great. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the race the route was altered to run down the Bahnhaufstrasse towards the train station, up the Rennweg into the heart of the old town, and right by the Fraumunster and Grossmunster before heading back to the lake. Loads of people eating outdoors as we ran right by. Huge numbers of spectators. Beyond scenic.

I know they've changed the Zurich run since I did it in 2009. Back then it was 4 loops with constant u-turns, short steep drops below the road or climbs above it, and a few sections where it was just plain too narrow. Don't know if that's how it was in 2013 but if so, I agree with you on it. I didn't like it then at all. Given the new course (fewer loops and looks like fewer sharp turns/drops, etc) I would try it again.

The swim was certainly fantastic. That was the cleanest lake I've ever seen.

You are right about the wind in Frankfurt. It was tough my year. And I also agree with you on Klagenfurt. I had 34x27 there and would have liked something easier the second loop. And that was my best ever bike (til that time).