I’m signed up to do this race this year. Its coming up fast, July 8. Have any of you done this race in past years? If so, what can you tell me about the bike course? Are ther any sustained climbs, or just a bunch or rollers? What are the road surface conditions? I did Pacific Crest 1/2 last weekend and the roads were really rough (other than about 1/2 an hour on Cascade Lakes hwy.).
The course profile looks moderately hilly, but you really can’t tell much from that.
Thanks,
Mike H.
How you ride this course should depend on your run strength. The course is deceptively hilly, primarily because you have a 5 mile section at the front end which is in to a 2 - 3% grade. There are some larger hills but they are easily spinnable, though two or them are sustained and you will hit each twice. The roads are good and there is also some very nice free speed on the course, which you can take advantage of on two of the climbs, as well as some shade. The first lap will have come congestion as the Oly folks will also be on the course. I rode much of the race in my middle gears in the small ring up front. It worked well. This course is ideal for compact cranks.
The issue that you must grapple with is that the run can be hot and you are rather exposed. A fair amount of the field melted last year after riding the bike course too hard. It was a suffer fest for many on the run. If it hot I suggest you get your work done on the first lap and then cruise the second.
Thanks for the update. I’m hoping for a cool day, but won’t count on it. ACCUWEATHER is currently predicting a warm weekend. Too far out to really tell yet. I didn’t realize they had an oly race at the same time. This could get crowded. Web site also doesn’t say if they have a mass or wave start. I’m assuming wave start.
Mike H.
Wave start. Oly folks went first last year. It won’t get real crowded as there will be very little traffic over much of the course. We did not have a problem last year.
I dont think there having the Olympic event this year.
I train on the back half of this course quite often. It is deceptively hilly. Even though I don’t know the new IMCDA course the descriptions of it remind me of how I’d probably describe the Lake Stevens course. If that helps…
I’ve done Pac Crest a couple of times but the course was different this year due to construction so I can’t add much. The roads back in the Lake Stevens area are just ok but then I’m used to rough roads too so it’s kind of relative to what you’re used to. You might find them to be a bit on the rough side.
Put it this way, it’s not an easy course…
Thanks, Chris
No real killer climbs. The first half of the loop is rolling and some gradual downhill followed by gradual uphill. At mile 18 there’s a pretty good climb that’s about .5mi, but it comes after a real nice gradual downhill, so you should be ready for it. I rode the entire loop last weekend - it was nice and cool, I took it pretty easy and my speed was about the same as I typically do on flat rides. Not a bad course at all.
I’m with everyone else…there are some climbs, but they are manageable. The toughest part of the course to me are the false flats on the first 1/2 of the course. The first ~15 miles are rolling, but there are sections I thought were flat, but are actually gradual climbs…so if you don’t recognize them as climbs and adjust your gearing accordingly you can burn your legs out a bit.