sbrrepeat wrote:
Plissken74,
The elevation on this course looks deceiving on the graph. Most of the "climbs" are more like false-flats with some short pitches. Hwy 36 is a 2-3% grade until you hit some rollers once you turn north, but the hills on that are short. Neva/Niwot is a gentle downhill. North on 63rd you'll find some rollers, nothing crazy. Riding west on Nelson are about four short ramps, two of which you might find yourself in your smallest gear for a short time. Of course by the third lap you may be cursing Nelson. St. Vrain eastbound is another gentle downhill. Southbound back to the Rez is mostly flat with a couple ramps. I think you will find yourself aero more than not.
All that said, you are correct in that the athlete traffic inherent in the three-lap course design, combine with fatiguing triathletes of varying skill levels and bike-handling finesse, plus sharing the road with vehicles traveling 60+mph, you might be safer on a road bike....
sbrr
Good explanation. Will confirm the only climb you'll be out of aero for is most likely Nelson Road from the orange arrow just east of 55th up to about 49th and then again from about the "o" in Nelson to 39th on the Ironman map.
Those climbs looks less substantial than the are because they're climbs originating from false-flats. You'll curse yourself because you don't understand why you aren't going faster.
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