Wondering what to do with your day off this upcoming Memorial Day weekend? Ride, of course! As the cycling season kicks off, there are plenty of casual and competitive cycling activities to do.
Rescheduled from a previous date, the infamous Koppenberg Race leads the weekend actives for competitive road bike athletes. The Koppenberg Race featuring a 17% grade climb and is considered the queen of the spring time cycling events in Colorado. This event jump starts the cycling season with an impressive 5.5 mile road race circuit, with 300ft of elevation gain per lap, and includes 2 miles on a packed dirt road. Join in the fun if you are ready for a lung burning, leg twitching feast! More information can be found here. And, while you’re at it, you can prepare to recover well from this race with our compression gear and nutritional recovery supplements- specifically bars, gels, and recovery drinks. You have to get ready for the next ride, right?
Speaking of next rides, the 2016 – Cafe Velo Gran Fondo is on Sunday. This event starts and finishes in Monument, Colorado at the Pikes Peak Brewery. What’s great about this ride is that you have the option to choose from 1, 2, 3, 4 or up to 5 loops (110 miles, 9110 foot elevation gain) making it a great recovery ride from the Koppenberg Race or a great season starter if you are just now getting back on the bike. The ride covers a scenic 22 mile loop with an 1822 foot elevation gain through scenic Northern El Paso County; so plan according to your level of fitness.
While not local to the Front Range, this weekend also hosts the famous Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in Durango, Colorado. The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic is one of the oldest cycling events in the country (since 1972) and is a multi-event bicycling weekend for cyclists of all levels. Beautiful 10,000-foot mountain passes on the ride or race to Silverton on Saturday. Wonderful Sunday events in downtown Durango including kid races, the costume ride, road circuit race and mountain bike race. Monday completes the weekend with an individual time trial.
You’ll want to visit their website for more information.
If road riding isn’t your thing, consider making the trip to Gunnison, Colorado for The Original Growler endurance mountain bike race. This popular event usually fills up so fast you generally can’t get in to the event. Fortunately, this year’s Sunday’s Full – Growler and Half Growler are still open for registration. Keep in mind, the course takes place in rugged, isolated backcountry terrain. That means, check your bike for the right bike parts, have your hydration pack full, bring your nutritional items, and have all your necessary cycling apparel on hand. Why? Because the event is remote, organizers responding to mechanicals or an injured rider could be time consuming and difficult on this course. Plan accordingly.
Finally, maybe traveling this weekend isn’t your thing. No worries – we’ve got you covered! Check out Our Guide to The Best Bike Trails in Golden, Colorado to create an adventurous day of trail riding. Or spend some time preparing for the upcoming season. Consider performing bike maintenance, schedule a bike fit, or shop for new cycling apparel. We bet Our New POC Cycling Gear Makes You a Better Rider.
Peak Cycles - BikeParts.com Blog 