No need to change your gearing unless you really suck at hills. Snow Canyon is the big slog. It's long but not super steep (maybe 10% max at points). It's also beautiful beyond words. What goes up goes down so you'll need a big gear to take advantage of the DH portions.

The run is a bitch and lots of ups and downs. I found it much harder than the bike (but that's always my case).

Good luck!

So I'm not sure exactly what the full route will be but here is my tp file for the half last May. It's the hills that make it hard. I rode it with a 52/36 and an 11-28 and I used all the gears. Im 158 pounds, ftp was around 270 for this race. Ran well after.

http://tpks.ws/...FYUE4267FFBFYF3JMYZE

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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For some riders a 42 front and 23 back going up a 10% grade might be mashing it a little too much. I'd at least get a 28 on the back just do you can have the flexibility of spinning up while seated.

Looks like the course is different from the 70.3 and is actually quite flat looking at the profile until the final snow canyon climb. Should not be near as hard as the old half course it seems. Still the one major climb.

its a great course and not too hard all things considered. actually relatively fast for the 70.3, considering the 3100 feet of elevation gain. lots of good fast downhills and excellent road conditions. I've done the 70.3 twice. the winds can pick up pretty good during the ride. the full course is different, now going up snow canyon parkway out of town versus returning that direction back to town. Looks to be a longer climb but not as steep. and should have a bit of tail/cross wind. I had 36/28 and also used all of that for the 70.3, which included the Snow Canyon climb about 5 miles topping out around 10-11%. unless you are very strong or like mashing at 40 rpms, might consider swapping out to a 28 rear. for context, i'm about 150+ lbs and 265 FTP. I finished in a respectable 2:39 and was able to run well.

It’s a different course from the 70.3. Check out the IM Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/IMStGeorge/

That gear is def too big for me, but as others said there’s lots of not-steep to go along with Snow Canyon. If you’ve got the legs go for it. I’m doing 52/11-36

The run is also not the same which is great because two looks of that beast and you’d have a bigger dropout rate than the last time they ran the full distance. I bet it’s going to harder than it looks though, none of it is flat and there’s not much shade.

It’s ALL ABOUT THE RUN....

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

I am pretty sure that a 52/36 with a 11/28 would be plenty.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

This is true for every IM and 70.3 course for 99% of entrants

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the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning

What is the steepest grade on the climb? I'm a strong cyclist and tempted to run 54/38 and an 11-25.

Unless your Lionel Sanders No one should run an 11-23! :)
11-28! Or even 11-30.

Check for yourself: https://www.strava.com/segments/1201565

You will like the 54 for some of the fast downhill portions. You should ask Hoffman on his ask anything thread about his gearing for St. George.

The shifting is so smooth on an 11-23 though. Love it for flat races (OPs Florida example is perfect). No gaps by giving up with 16t/18t. Agree that 11-28 is more practical for any sort of rolling or hilly terrain

Some comments on this thread are not relevant to the 2020 bike course.... please look at the bike course and then comment.

Get a 12sp system and you can run a bigger range cassette with fewer jumps....

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack

I'm not a dentist. I'm not spending $4k on something that doesn't make you any faster... [not pink]

That is not exactly true...when you are going down a hill and are spun out in your 53/11, I will still be accelerating in my 50/10... :)

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack

But I have a 55t front ring... 55x11 is the exact same as a 50x10...

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