Gulf Coast 70.3 pavement quality

Anyone have any insight they can give me for the bike course - pot holes, chipseal, smooth?

Thanks!

The out and back is smooth and nice.

The section around the grocery store is meh, it’s a parking lot.

The loop to get on beachfront road is on those plastic mats with holes bc there are sections of the turn that are a trail, but that’s like 30 seconds of riding.

Beachfront is fine…ish, not nearly as smooth with some chip seal. Less about quality of road there and more the traffic. When it was Jeepfest it was gnarly, but other times it’s been ok. It’s still a fairly high traffic road.

Mostly ditto above. I would add that the sections along the beach are not that long and do not define the ride. The road surfaces are very fast.

Thanks and that’s great to hear!

Mostly ditto above. I would add that the sections along the beach are not that long and do not define the ride. The road surfaces are very fast.

I third it. Super fast course, the long out and back section is beautiful newish pavement. The turn around on plastic is sketch, do not try to save time there and risk wiping out. But that part is short.

Biggest issue imo is traffic on the beach road. Don’t put your head down, I saw multiple stupid things happen by traffic.

Anyone have any insight they can give me for the bike course - pot holes, chipseal, smooth?

Thanks!

There are 3-4 miles when you turn on to the long out and back that are pretty rough, and an intersection on the way back that is worthy of grabbing the bars. The main spot that is fairly jarring is once you turn right onto 30A, there are 4 miles until the Publix parking lo that you’ll have to keep you eyes on the surface. And when on the beachfront, watch for cars backing into the road. People have been taken out in years past.

It’s fast though. Hope you trained your aero position.