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2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change?
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Website says "Updated Bike Course Coming Soon" Anyone have intel on what the changes could be?
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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I was wondering the same thing. I don't even know what it was like last year. I was hoping to find out soon so I could be aware of it when selecting training rides.
Any idea when an announcement will be coming?
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [zcruisers] [ In reply to ]
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Considering there were brutal fires last fall it might be a bit
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [Carl Spackler] [ In reply to ]
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The fires shouldn't affect the bike course at all. I've heard the problem is the commuter train is now running and they can't have the race cross the tracks in downtown Santa Rosa. It might be something more than that, I don't know any details. If it's just the train track issue I don't know why they wouldn't build a temporary fly over bridge over the tracks like they do in cyclocross courses sometimes.
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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thugbuster wrote:
Website says "Updated Bike Course Coming Soon" Anyone have intel on what the changes could be?

The two issues mentioned as part of the reworked course were the new SMART train service and some of the rough roads used for last year's race(s).

It looks like the SMART service currently only runs as far north as the Santa Rosa Airport (it is planned to extend to Windsor, Healdsburg and Cloverdale). I assume this runs on the tracks that roughly parallel the 101 on the eastside from Healdsburg north and on the west side from Healdsburg to south of Santa Rosa. The old bike courses cross back and forth to either side of the 101 with multiple track crossings. I can't remember any grade separated railroad crossings, so every one of these is another potential traffic control conflict with the assumption that trains don't stop.

Not sure on the rough roads to be removed. The old Vineman course had nearly had all asphalt rehabilitated and in fairly good shape when it was cancelled for HIM/IM SR. Maybe some of the old route will be added back in, but there is only so much road available on the west or east sides of 101. So this course may be headed for some kind of multiple lap solution:(
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [SummitAK] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the info! I'm just on the lookout for any huge changes in the course profile. After doing races with 6-7k of climbing (Whistler and IMCDA) I'm looking forward to a relatively pedestrian course elevation wise.
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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I'm curious as to how it gets changed. Loved the point 2 point more than i expected last year...and it was almost a net downhill if I recall. Riding thru the vineyards is so much fun so I really hope they don't take that away too much!
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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Expect it to change the day before too. Remember, it's the rider's responsibility to know the course even if officials change it without updating you or mark it incorrectly. Also if you obey officials telling you to go the wrong way because you trust they know the course. Come on, you should know better.
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [spectrum5825] [ In reply to ]
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Net downhill and an advantage of having a slight wind at your back for about the first 1/third of the bike! I disliked the sections with really rough pavement, but I understand the road selections. It was the best way to get between nice new pavement.

My big gripe was with the 2.5 loops that had faster riders overtaking slower riders for the final ~60 miles. I saw two accidents and a few more near misses that took out faster riders. Couple that with the fact that these loops were in town and along the most heavily trafficked portion of the course and it was a stressful last few hours on the bike. Hopefully the new course takes this into account. Since this is the area that the train travels, it just might make the course a bit safer for everyone.
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [ntc] [ In reply to ]
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What? Is that supposed to be in pink?
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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Haha yup, my bad. But really they did do last second course changes. My experience with communication at this race was very poor, to the point i have no interest in ever doing it again.
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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To address a few of the points ...

Yes the course is changing ... Why?
-SMART Train? Yes one of the reasons ... BUT you are still going to have the cross the tracks at some point
-Roads? Yes one of the reasons ... The RD is addressing comments and concerns from athletes in 2017 ... so yes, better road surfaces
-Fires? No ... zero impact on the course ... athletes riding the course will have no idea there was even a fire
-Safety? Yes ... By addressing traffic impact etc.

For those interested I have been doing a series of videos leading into Ironman SR ... I have been and will continue to address course and course concerns every week (among other things) ... you can always check the show notes and look for certain topics

https://www.youtube.com/...9dA2Mm39FIwf7IEUNQUw

-------------------------
Dave Latourette
http://www.TTENation.com
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [SummitAK] [ In reply to ]
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Last years course only crossed the active tracks in one place ... downtown SR (it did cross tracks north of Healdsburg but those are not active tracks) .... I doubt we will see anything more than a 2 "loop" course ... and considering start and finish points, maybe not even identical loops

-------------------------
Dave Latourette
http://www.TTENation.com
Last edited by: Dave Latourette: Feb 6, 18 12:39
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [Dave Latourette] [ In reply to ]
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Good Stuff Dave!! Thanks!
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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The new course is up here. We get to do Chalk Hill twice. It looks pretty cool to me, although the road quality is yet to be determined.

Next races on the schedule: none at the moment
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [alex_korr] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks!!! What’s Chalk Hill like? Looks short and punchy
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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Have not ridden it in a long time but it is about 0.4 miles long gaining maybe 200-ish feet based on Strava rides I could find. Nothing major unless you are coming from a pancake flat area.

Next races on the schedule: none at the moment
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [alex_korr] [ In reply to ]
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Didn't the Vineman course take Chalk Hill the other direction?

Janyne
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [thugbuster] [ In reply to ]
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thugbuster wrote:
Thanks!!! What’s Chalk Hill like? Looks short and punchy

It's more like Chalk Bump
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [alex_korr] [ In reply to ]
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alex_korr wrote:
The new course is up here. We get to do Chalk Hill twice. It looks pretty cool to me, although the road quality is yet to be determined.

Looks like a pretty nice course for IM distance. Covers a lot of the old Vineman course. Chalk Hill, or the section south of it, was scheduled for pavement rehab in fall 2016 after the last Vineman. I didn't check it out when there for last year's 70.3 SR. Going from memory only, some of the course south of River Road last year was in bad shape.
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [jmkizer] [ In reply to ]
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jmkizer wrote:
Didn't the Vineman course take Chalk Hill the other direction?

This is the same direction as the Vineman half for the years I was there.
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [alex_korr] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for posting the updated link. This is a MUCH better course than last year - better pavement - much of Chalk Hill was resurfaced - less traffic, much more scenic and interesting riding compared to the second half a year ago. It's got a lot more in common with the old Vineman course now (which is a good thing, IMHO, especially for us locals that enjoyed the rollers through the vineyards).
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [rahciao] [ In reply to ]
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The bike course for the race has just been posted

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/santa-rosa/course/bike.aspx#axzz56kN2TPd1

2018 Races: IM Santa Rosa, Vineman Monte Rio, Lake Tahoe 70.3
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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [ntc] [ In reply to ]
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Know a guy who is a sub 2:20 marathoner who got directed off course this past fall by race official and had to run an extra mile or so and off the podium.

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: 2018 Ironman Santa Rosa Bike Course change? [Dave Latourette] [ In reply to ]
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So I could fly into Santa Rosa and get on the train to the race and not even have to rent a car. That just seems unamerican.

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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