Ironman Chattanooga Bike Course Review
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Team,
On the plane right now, flying back from my IMChatt training camp, passing the time by putting down some notes for you. This week I'll create a screencast that will walk you through the map and these notes in detail, but here's this forum post for now.
I'm encouraged, for you guys, by the social media conversations about this course. Specifically, they have missed some critical components of this bike course and people are going to pay for it.
Mile 0 to the Dollar General Store at...Nick-a-Jack? Someone remind me, don't have the map here. Total admin, JRA, nothing to worry about. The roads are shitty but it is what it is, everyone will have to deal with it.
We, the Camp Collective, decide to make this our Key Terrain for the first bit of the bike, where you'll shit from JRA to your IM effort. Note that from T1 to the top of the hill just before you make the turn from Cove onto Hog Jowl, you climb about 1300ft in 32 miles. This is truly "just a bike ride," not a big deal, but here's what's important:
- Pretty much everything is a false flat from the DG Store to the top of this hill above. So you're on a 1-3% grade..but you can't really tell that without paying very close attention.
- Up ahead is a hill (many, many hills) that look not that bad...but when you get to this hill you see that it's 6-7%. And it's also short enough that you'll be tempted to not shift, to spike the watts, etc.
- And you don't really no what's on the other side so you don't know if ^this^ strategy will pay off.
- Here's what's important: every non-EN athlete on the course will be unaware of these false flats and will be crushing these little hills because they happen inside the first 32 miles = the Stupid Zone. So...
Miles 0-32 Notes:
- Have your Garmin display % grade in real time, so you can identify very quickly when you're a false flat and not do what everyone else does.
- Shift, a lot. Don't do what everyone else will do, which will be to not bother shifting, hammering these little pops, etc.
- Stay on the gas across the crests and into the downhills, keep pedaling and don't coast. Keep the momentum rolling.
Hog Jowl, to Chickamauga (we were calling it chimichanga during the camp) 1st Lap:
- Net downhill, be sure to stay aero, on the gas, shifting a lot, maintaining your effort on the crests and into downhills.
- We determined that stronger riders could probably afford to spend a bit on the hill at about mile 38, but making sure to keep that rolling into the downhill, through that 90 deg right, etc.
Hill Out of Chimichanga
This is the Key Terrain on the course.
- I'll edit this post with exact numbers, but it's about a 2.1mi climb of about 700-800ft.
- Most importantly, you'll hit this at about mile 53 = too soon for people who've executed poorly to be feeling yet = they'll still be feeling froggy = they will hammer this hill = that's a good thing, for you!
- Hopefully, the town will fire up a festival and people will be on this hill cheering the athletes = a lot of excitement = they will ride even harder.
Cove Rd, 2nd Lap
- Still a touch too early in the race for most to be feeling it yet = they will continue to booger the false flats and the hills, but...
- They'll really be shutting it down on the crests and downhills.
Hog Jowl Rd, 2nd Lap, to Chimichanga
- People will be starting to feel it and will begin mailing it in, giving up a lot of speed opportunity on the net downhill.
Chimichanga Hill, 2nd Loop:
- You hit this at about mile 98 and this is where the wheels are going to come off for people who've been executing poorly all day.
- Then, after suffering up this hill, you've got 12-14 miles of crappy admin roads, in the heat, to think about your marathon.
In Summary:
Desired Endstate: you arrive at the bottom of Chimichanga #2 ready to ride it more solid-ly than you did the first lap. You'll then carry this momentum back to town. You'll do this by:
- Be aware of the false flats (see Garmin notes) and deceiving hills in the first 32 miles. Shift a lot and gain confidence in the people hammering these short hills.
- Stay on the gas on Hog Jowl, working the crests and downhills.
- Do your thing and be smart up Chimichanga the first loop.
- Repeat your focus on Cove Rd #2
- Repeat your focus on Hog Jowl #2
- Stay aero as much as possible throughout all of ^this^
- Negative split your effort up Chimichanga #2. That is, you show up at the bottom of gas in the tank to give it a second solid effort.
- You stay aero and focus all the way back to town, confident of having set yourself up for a good run.
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Comments
1. What direction is the predominate wind on the bike? And on which sections did it feel that it affected your riding?
2. Road conditions---- worst is the first 10-12 and last 10-12 miles ?
Winds picked up a little later in the day but nothing that I noticed a general direction from.
Road surface sucks from transition out to the state line at mile 7 and then the same from mile 107-114 (yes, 114 miles). From there the surface improves and the surroundings are meh. Once you make the split onto W. Cove Rd it's a pretty course for the most part.
The Chimmichaunga climb is out the other side of town startingjust before the left onto Chimmichaunga Rd. Any energy from the town will likely be behind you by this point. The climb starts out as false flat and gradually builds - 228ft in 2.8 miles maxing out with a nastly little spike before bombing down the back side and hooking up for loop #2.
There are lots of smaller hills where you'll be tempted not to drop into the small ring because it's only another 50m over the top. I was stubborn at camp but know 100% that I'll be hitting those in my 34 on race day. Grinding over 4-5 little kicks on each loop will add up.
You absolutely want a 27 or 28 on your cassette. Even with a compact I will be using my 28 several times on each loop to keep my power as reasonable as possible.
Thanks Coach!
Also, is there any comments on the roughly 130 degree sharp left turn the course takes on this descent? Seems like speeds on this decent will be very high and then all of a sudden this sharp kept turn onto another road appears.
The hard left turn is coming off the hill on Cove turning onto Hog Jowl. Just be expecting it as you come down the back side. It's not a super steep descent and you'll see it coming because I'm sure they'll have plenty of signs and volunteers yelling at everyone to slow down. The descent continues through the corner so you can't really carve through it with a lot of speed on a tri bike. If you seriously misjudge it you can just blow straight past instead of taking a header over the edge.
Other than that the roads are mostly good except for the 7 miles out of town in which there are about 8 sets of train tracks.
For me it's definitely a compact with 12-27 or 12-28. My typical race cadence is 98-103rpm so anything below 85 and I feel like I'm completely grinding. Even so, a few of the spits I'll still be in the 70s trying to keep the power in check.
Some of the rollers have short steep pitches them, many of them hit 9-10% for short stretches. I will definltely be going with an 11-28 or 12-28 and putting a K-edge chain catcher on the front derailuer.
Again nothing that changes our plan.
Having ridden both 193 and Chattanooga Valley Rd, I think this is a good change. Chattanooga Valley Rd is in crappy shape and 193 is smooth. a little flatter and fast. Just note that in the shoulder of 193 on that piece there are grooves in the road and you will want to stay just left of the white line.
Whether you've ridden this course or not, I think we need to take a real head ups cautious approach to it. 2 crashes today, both from "pot holes" and both required ambulances. I feel like these areas will be marked on race day but with the loop, it may become a little tight and things may pop up on you a little quicker with other riders around.