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Rocky Mountain Endurance Series - Let's talk

2K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  ripper roo 
#1 ·
Rocky Mountain Endurance Series

Let's talk about worth. The cost is not too much considering you can do 7 endurance races for ~$625. (yeah...it's some cash, but compared to short, expensive cyclocross racing...it's nothing to complain about) However, the only race that I know to be worth a lot of coin is the Breck 100...which will be my pinnacle for the year. Is it really worth my/your time to do these races when high elevation biking is right around the corner? I realize that's for me to decide on a ride vs. race, but I'm looking for people that have done these races to comment on how they felt about them after the fact.

Many of the courses appear to be multiple loops on quite easy courses....especially Bear Creek. Who has done these races before (at least the ones that have been going on for the last few years)? Are some of them really going to be as brutally boring as I'm expecting? I really have not ridden in most of the areas that these races are being held...technical in the least? What is the turnout like for the front range races?

That's all. Thanks for any input! Carry on.

-Nick
 
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#4 ·
If you sign up for the series I guarantee people will be asking you to go on incredible weekend trips to ride the weekends you have races.

Wanna go on a 3 day trip to fruita? Nick: "I can't, I have a race at bear creek"
Wanna go ride the agate creek and canyon creek?. Nick: "I can't, I have a race in castle rock" DOH!!!!

I bet you skip at least one of the races over the year and at that point it's not such a good deal.
 
#2 ·
Free and all the suffering you could want Colorado Endurance Series 2013 « Colorado Endurance Series

I did the Breck 68 last year, very fun, well organized, great course and support. Would like to do the B100 but I'm hesitant to pay $225 for a 1 day race. I may do the 68 again or suck it up and do it at least once.

I attended some of the RME races last year as support/spectator. Ridgeline Rampage seemed like a really fun course. All seemed to be well organized. I'd say attendance was moderate, at least compared to some other races I've been to.

My take: if you like riding in circles at race pace, suffering and enjoy competition you'll have fun regardless of the course. If riding laps is not your thing see the link above...
 
#3 ·
This isn't what you asked, so sorry in advance. But if you haven't raced them before then I'd highly recommend checking out a couple of the Winter Park races. No, they aren't endurance races, but they typically have good courses -- often a couple 20+ mile point to point races. They are really well run, well priced, and usually well attended.

I did race the half marathon (30 miles, 3 laps) at Bear Creek a couple years ago. Doing six laps there does seem like it'd get a bit boring, but the race was well run.
 
#5 ·
Chad, I know you're going to do that just to F with me now. "Hey guys...Nick is racing a boring front range race...let's get a big group and go ride in Crested Butte this weekend to piss him off." Yep...you'd accomplish your task.

Ingluis...I've heard of some of the CO endurance series races...that'd be a bit more up my alley for sure. I'll make sure to follow up with them when the schedule is up.

drtdogger...I have raced the winter park series on occasion. Great races at a great price point without a doubt. The shorter sprints were never really up my alley at the time, but I have a feeling I'll enjoy them more this year.
 
#6 ·
I did a few last year. Pueblo, Ridgeline, Breck 68. Enjoyed the daylights out of them. I'm not a competitive person but did them to see if I could finish them. Done.

Will I do it again. Maybe in a year or two. They were really well run, organized, well supported, and well attended. Met tons of cool people and would recommend them to anyone.
 
#8 ·
The entire series is very well run and a good value. Bear Creek may not seem hard, similar to some of the other courses, but when you see the averaging close to 20 mph's for the race, it is a very hard effort because it is so fast of a pace. Warriors Cycling has always thrown a good party with all of their events, usually have a good source of refreshments and tacos post race.
 
#10 ·
I did four of the half marathon RME and four Winter Park races last year. It was my first year racing and had lots of fun. I preferred RME as they were a little longer and in different locations each time whereas winter park re-uses some of the same sections in different races. Also Winter Park has too many categories / there are so many different starts. Both are really well run though.

The best race by far I thought was Breck 34 - such an epic course. I'm going to try the 68 this year. Strangely for me the toughest race was Battle of the Bear, but that was more due to the crazy afternoon heat than the course.

If you are unsure just sign up for one at a time. It's not that much difference in cost and it'll give you the flexibility if you don't like it or can't make them.

Lastly RME is sponsored by Oskar Blues, so you get free Dale's at the end of each race :thumbsup:
 
#11 ·
Signing up to do the whole series will eat up your entire summer. Train, race, recover, repeat.

While you do that your adventurous friends will be slaying it in areas only dreamt about.

Personally the front range courses are boring. Hard to ride that race tempo for that long but a good way to get those big mile days in.
 
#12 ·
Believe it or not, there are more than a few folks out there who enjoy the focus of dedicating themselves to something truly difficult. I did a few seasons of serious racing - racing almost every weekend and some weekdays - and made some significant sacrifices to my more casual social riding (but I still got out with my non racing buds here and there) and I wouldn't trade those years for anything. Plus, you make all kinds of new friends in the racing world. Not to mention, getting really fit feels pretty good, it makes riding more fun. Plus, in my race years I went to many amazing places that I probably wouldn't have gone to otherwise.

Now that I've gotten the (at least serious) race bug out of my system there's plenty of time to pursue riding with friends on a non competitive level, but my racing years were their own kind of fun.
 
#13 ·
I did more than just a few seasons. I get it. Specifically doing the RM endurance series is not worth it to me when you can cherry pick the best races. Plus if you are tied to a series you don't have the flexibility to alter your schedule to go on adventures.

Plus once you are in a series you get trapped in the numbers game. "If i drop this race". " if i get 9th and he/she gets 7th..." "What flavor gel goes with my shoe color". ;)
 
#22 ·
If they had donuts at the aid stations I'd be there. Not just glazed, but Boston Creme's, Dunkin Chocolate filled and frosted, Vanilla Cremes, Long Johns, Chocolate Crullers.......mmmmmmm. How about a Latte station at mile 55, that would be some serious support.

The Growler had Bacon and M&M's. Not too shabby.
 
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