CdA Bike Course
In 2011 I did CdA Ironman on the old bike course. It was fairly technical, with lots of little climbs, a couple big climbs and lots of turns. The new course is not nearly as technical, but there is A LOT of climbing! I broke the loops down into 3 parts; the initial out and back on north side of the lake is 15.5 miles from the start to Hwy 95, lots of turns through town to get you out to the lake then a 1/2 mile hill of 6% then down hill to the turn around where you get to do all that I reverse. Easy peasy. The second part is hwy 95 to the turnaround, 19 miles this is where the work starts, a mile into this section and you are in the small chainring up over a smaller hill. Then the big hill, 2 miles of climbing at 6 % on a shitty shoulder (you need the gears to keep from spiking). Once you've crested this hill you drop down the other side only to begin the long (less steep hill)hill this one goes forever but isn't horrible. Over that one and you have a somewhat flat (false flat) ride to the last hill of this section and the turn around. There is fire station about 1/2 mile from the turn around. You will be gloriously happy to see fire station. The last section is from the turn around to the city park-21.5 miles is much faster because what was false flats on the trip out is false downs on the trip back and you are going down that long hill from the second loop. But you still have that big climb over the first big hill. None of the hills are horrible but you climb ALOT on this course.
I will download my metrics as soon as I get back on Monday.
I will download my metrics as soon as I get back on Monday.
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Thanks! Time comparison to the old course (V 2.0)?
Pretty close in a time comparison, I think my RR on CDA in 2011 was about 6:30:00 vs 6:20:00 on this course. That course had all kinds of different terrain where this is just hills. Much less thinking and more "just shut up and ride". EN ninjas will dominate on this course, which will demonstrate itself on the run. Lots of opportunities for climbing idiots to fry themselves especially early in the day. Which as you know will not become evident until latere on the second loop.
CDA Bike Course v3.0 is very, very different from v2.0. It is infinitely easier to figure out. There's nothing on the course steeper than 6%, nothing sneaks up on you, zero opportunities for the well-drilled EN athlete to lose their mind and get stoopid.
Yup, I agree completely. But don't think this course is easy.