My understanding is the race is not in jeopardy at all but that they are trying to workout bike course details. There is supposed pressure from the municipalities on the northern end of the course plus the construction issues around The Woodlands area. I bet the bike course changes to some degree but it doesn't matter much. The terrain around there is more or less the same so any changes won't really affect the degree of difficulty of the course. Just might be some different roads that have similar elevation and look to the currently mapped course.

I kind of don't blame the folks on the northern end of the course for being irked. They get almost zero economic benefit from the athletes. Nobody stays or eats up there, and it does create logistical problems for them on race day. So they get some of the headache without any $$$$ to offset it.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

So I have been following this closely and actually watched the live stream of the county commissioner's meeting from earlier in the week. I learned more about the towing and fireworks business than I ever needed to. When they got to the agenda item about the bike course they skipped right over it by tabling the discussion until 3/22.

From what I understand the locals in the northern part of the course hate our guts for riding on THEIR roads and are making a massive stink about it.

I seriously doubt the race will end up cancelled but I wonder if they will have to scramble for some course alterations to make it multi-loop and keep it closer in to The Woodlands? If that happens I honestly wouldn't mind so much. Multi-loop courses seem to be logistically better from a patrol and aid-station density perspective.

While I would say the probability that an outright cancellation happens because of this issue is close to 0, if it does, the WTC would probably have to issue refunds. They have done so in the past when they were forced to cancel for similar issues (IE not weather).

They changed the bike course at the Panama 70.3 twice in the two days leading up to this year's race. The changes were pretty major too.

So worrying about a possible bike course change 2.5 months out is sort of silly.

I don't think there has been any official concern (either from WTC or The Woodlands Township) the race could be canceled. I think that's some chicken little thinking by athletes, and that misleadingly titled article on TRS.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Right. TRS stirred up a bunch of muck but it was probably for no good reason.

I am not in any way worried. I will show up and race whatever course they provide.

Are you local? Until a few months ago, I lived on the north side of town and did 90% of my outdoor riding up north of the Woodlands. The locals are most definitely hostile to cyclists, with or without the IM course. I'm just surprised it took this many years for it to become a real issue for the IM.

I'd probably be happy with a multi loop course as long as it gets far enough north to enjoy some of the hills.

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-Andrew

No I am not local. Never been to the area, but looking at google street views of some of the course out there I can see what the issue ends up being. Narrow 2-lane roads and people who likely don't like seeing anyone who doesn't drive a pickup.

Contract dates are set for several years out. Next year is 22 April 2017.

There are plenty of non-truck drivers who are just as bad. I reached the point where I wouldn't ride solo up there anymore after being run off the road several times by drivers. It has nothing to do with narrow 2-lane roads, as traffic is usually so light that it's easy to get around cyclists with little to no impact to the drivers.

I do understand the irritation over the race day impacts. I've spectated IMTX several times, and the impact to traffic around the area is significant. Yes, it's only one day, but trying to get around anywhere near the bike course is impossible. If the folks up there get all of the downside, without any of the financial upside, they have a legit gripe.

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-Andrew

I find that to be quite shocking.

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I'm aware of that. I'm I don't know that the contract includes some of those municipalities or counties at the far end of the bike course though.

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-Andrew

I'm local (live and work in The Woodlands) and have been riding these roads since well before IMTX ever someone's crazy idea. Anyways, I don't feel like the locals are any more hostile than anywhere else or any worse now than 10 years ago. I worry less about hostile locals than I do roads that are unsafe due to construction issues which make it very tight.


I hate to tell you this but there are essentially no multi-loop options available that would include any significant amount of hills. There's actually an almost perfect two loop lollipop course that goes out the traditional way all the way to Highway 105, takes a by-pass around the town of Montgomery, then comes back down 149 to 1488 back towards The Woodlands. Once there hit the traditional route again and do the loop over again. But, not too many hills.

The rough math is:

T1 to FM1488 = 12 miles
FM1488, FM2854, (cross 105), Lonestar Parkway, backroads to FM149, then FM1488 to intersection above = 44 miles
Repeat that loop = 44 miles
FM1488 to T2 = 12 miles

Ugh. I hope they get the permits.

There's definitely some animosity towards the race with locals. I don't fully understand it. I live on the bike route and don't find it that difficult to get around. Maybe I'm just lucky to have alternate routes. My wife works in community relations for The Woodlands township and they get bombarded with complaints every year, but overall, I think everyone sees it as a net positive for the community. It's when you get out to the country roads that they are apparently putting out signs saying cyclists aren't welcome or something like that. I think I had caught that in one of the half paying attention conversations with my wife. I also think she's been asked to attend the neighboring communities town meetings specifically regarding this issue to see what they local governments are saying. Going to be interesting to see what happens, but it will almost certainly not affect this year other than some slight route adjustments at most (and from what I hear, that may be purely due to construction).

I know exactly the lollipop you're talking about, although I hadn't done the mental math on route distance. I've done that route often in training. It could get a little congested with that many riders.

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-Andrew

Most of that route would be fine. Or maybe I should say no less congested than any other multi loop course.

The one spot that would be tough would be the back roads portion bridging Lone Star Parkway to FM149. Those are small country residential roads with Spring Branch Rd. being some of the worst pavement I've ever ridden and it's about 6 miles long. It's so bad I don't ride it in my TT bike - only my road bike. It would be a minefield of lost bottles, debris, etc.

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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007

While we are on the subject, what are the hills like on this course? Not that hilly courses scare me at all (I did IM Lake Tahoe the first year), but I can't really figure out what this course is like. The elevation chart seems to indicate a number of rollers, but no real "hills" to climb.

For the locals they are hills, to others they are rollers and to anyone that lives in west austin they are flats. ;)

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36 kona qualifiers 2006-'23 - 3 Kona Podiums - 4 OA IM AG wins - 5 IM AG wins - 18 70.3 AG wins
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Some of us have actually been out of the local area enough to know better than to think they're hills. I also know not to call an overpass a giant hill when talking to someone from out of town!

Anyway, the rollers are enough to break up the monotony.

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-Andrew

No hills to climb, just rollers. My garmin shows 3000ft of climbing, but I cant say there is even one spot I considered getting out of the saddle other than to stretch in the 2 years I've done the race. Its the fastest course I've done like this owing to the perpetual tailwind on the ride north. Really nice bike course, it will be a shame if they have to change it, but can understand why.

Perfect use of pink. Well done.

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My wife is sitting in a town hall meeting right now. She's sending texts. Sounds like the route is definitely going to be changing. Apparently the end game appears to eventually have the route go on the new Grand Parkway loop around the city. Don't know if that will happen.I actually rode a charity ride on it last weekend. Nice road and great to be shut off from traffic, but might not be the most interesting.

The Grand Parkway doesn't come close to looping around the city... but yeah, pretty much brand spanking new roads, especially the northern part which literally just opened a couple of months ago.

I kind of find it hard to believe they will use the Grand Parkway since it's a toll road and $$$ lost will be a lot.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Yeah, it's not a full loop. She said it would be a multi loop route for riders. The tolls are why I said I don't know if it will happen. Only good thing is that if it's multi loop, the full interstate gives you room. You aren't limited to the shoulder.

I rode on a 12 mile section (24 mile loop you could do a few times) not yet open to traffic. I was told about 1000 people signed up. Wasn't much congestion at all. I think it could work, but it's not super interesting (at least the section I rode) and pretty wide open and exposed to the wind.

Not directed at you specifically, but had anybody bothered to read the full story over at TRS: it also sounds like Montgomery County's Precinct 2 doesn't want the race on "their" roads, either.

For those wondering, this is where Precinct 2 is: http://www.mctx.org/.../Precinct2_12013.pdf

My guess would be a multi-loop course that somehow avoids Precinct 2.

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