[Closed] Trans Rockies - how hard?

I'd say probably harder than Charles Bronson.

Depends on fitness surely?

billybob - Member

I'd say probably harder than Charles Bronson

But not as hard as Chuck Norris

The altitude won't help either unless you're used to it. We found tough rides even tougher due to this!

Lots and lots of walking/carrying... no matter how fit/good you are. Mate did it, he's pretty fit but not superfit (has done a few 6/12 hour events, places top 10ish). Trained properly for about 6 months. Did it as a mixed pair so he wasn't going as fast as he could have done but still foun it very hard.

did it two years ago (the wet year) and it was really tough...partly cos of the rain/mud for 5 days. But we'd trained, and it was do-able..

am doing again next week! the course has completely changed - it's considerably shorter (390km vs 550km) and less climbing (12K vs 15K), but is apparently alot more singletrack and more of it is rideable. I'm suspect it won't be any easier this year, even tho each day is shorter....I suspect being more technical will take it out of you just as much as a long fire-road climb.

I'll let you know in 2 weeks!

oh and after the first day, we didn't notice the altitude!

Did it last summer
Trained hard for a year on road and off road .
Used 10UTB solos as a guide to what kinda pace I could keep up.
Mail me if you want any more details .
Brilliant event and very well run ,but I was surprised by how many super fit folk had such crap techy skills (and I am no riding god). I think they were Tri-athletes that just wanted to say they had done 'The Trans Rockies' 🙂

[url= http://richardstransrockies2011.wordpress.com/ ]I guess I should have linked to my blog, seeing as I've taken the trouble to wirte it![/url]

not done the transrockies but rode over the alps 13 times last summer.

i'd say 2000hm and 70km a day is easily doable. assuming you're not in it to win it then just train a bit a for the weeks prior to it. it's the length of the climbs that'll get you. long slogs in the granny ring.

you're more likely to lose/make up time on the descents.

Brilliant event and very well run ,but I was surprised by how many super fit folk had such [s]crap[/s] less refined techy skills

if my experience is anything to go by you'll see this a lot.

thanks all

Twodogs - that's interesting stuff. Picked up your 3 bearded man 3 day blog, looks like we were the samish sort of pace (we were more 5 hours / day but Big Al was on a 35 lb Giant cr*p hardtail and had only been off-road about twice and we did make a few photo stops)

and yes - I picked up they had shortened the distances for Trans Rockies

All together now ..."On The Highway To Hell!"

Nothing like a bit of AC/DC to get ya going every morning 🙂

+1 about super fit down hill ability. Our Euro friends on trans alps were very nervous even on pretty easy downhill bits. I think their concept of mtb is dry skinny tyres mega climbs on fire roads and down on tarmac or vehicle tracks. I wont mention the young guy on a Yeti 575 walking down 😉 and I swear it was a simple straight down I didnt even unlock the suspension for.

^^ +1

last week i had a guy pushing up whenever we were off road. he said it was too slippery and therefore too dangerous. he wouldn't risk it. (it was wet/damp).

8 out of ten guests were really pissed off that they had to carry their bikes down over 700m of trail from Tuxerjoch (behind Hintetux ski area). "that is a walking path. you can't ride down that!". this was said when they arrived to where myself and the other two had been waiting for 20 minutes or more.

LOL alpin, jeepers crazy euros! Very strange.