Starting this to discuss the 2025 Triple Bypass. Looking for any tips and tricks from those that have completed the ride, or those riding this year.
I’m doing unbound this year and didn’t really plan on any specific triple bypass training aside from my standard weekly training - 1 vo2 session, 1 threshold session, 2 - 1.5-2 hr endurance rides, weekend long ride around 70-100 miles.
As the event gets closer, maybe I’ll move to two long threshold workouts/wk and drop the vo2 to emulate the climbs?
I’m 155 lbs and my gearing will likely be a 40T front with a 46T max rear. Is there any way to find out what I should expect for power numbers/durations on the 3 main climbs? I generally love climbing, but also live in Houston so I’m not exposed to a ton. I spent about 10 days including a 65 mile race in Colorado last year, and had the greatest time.
I plan on getting to elevation around 8-10 days before the event.
Personally, the two most difficult parts of TB are:
(a) the descent from the top of Squaw Pass (climb #1), because the Sun hasn’t reached this section of road by the time I’ve started downhill, and I’m a bit sweaty from having just climbed the pass. So, it can be chilly. For me, it’s been “I’m shaking uncontrollably” chilly some years, making the descent a bit dicey. During the COVID year, when the event was cancelled but I did the ride on my own), my wife met me at the top with a thermal jacket and leg warmers, which made a HUGE difference. So, my advice on this one is to just make sure you have the clothing you need to stay warm on the descent. It you get really cold at this point in the ride you may not ever get warm, especially if it’s a cloudy day.
(b) the segment from Silver Plume to the base of Loveland Pass. Most of the route is either a fairly steady uphill or so, while not always ‘easy’, you can generally find a comfortable gear and just crank it out. This section, however, has a fair number of shorter ups and downs (sort of rolling terrain, with a general uphill trend) making it difficult to get any sort of rhythm going. So, while not especially difficult, I’ve always found this section ‘grueling’ (physically and mentally).
Beyond these two sections, I’ve found the ride reasonably easy to accomplish, as long as you don’t overextend yourself, especially if you’re having any issues with the altitude. Make sure you’re eating and drinking regularly, and enjoying all of the people and their kits. And, thinking about another recent thread, be sure to put a smiley face sticker on your stem!!
I’ll be riding the Triple Bypass this year as well! I’ve done it twice before, though not since 2022.
The hardest part of the TBP IMO is the stretch between Georgetown and the Loveland aid station. It’s a climb the whole way but is very decieving because it FEELS like it’s flat for most of it. There’s always a headwind duing that section as well. It’s tough mentally because you feel like you should be making better time there than you actually are. Once you hit the bike path section you’re technically climbing Loveland pass, but again its deceiving because it doesn’t feel like you hit the mountain climb until after the aid station where you’re on open roads and it all opens up.
IMO if you can handle Unbound you don’t need to specially train for TBP. The climbs are all pretty forgiving gradients so its easy to pace yourself up them. It’s more about just having good sustained power and not going above threshold where you’ll start to suffer from the effects of being at those elevations.
I’m from the DFW area and registered this year as well. It will be my first Triple Bypass. I did sign up once several years ago but had to skip due to injury. I’ve ridden at altitude in CO a couple of times a year for the last several years so I’ve learned to pace myself on the climbs and to go in with a target power number (adjusted for the altitude) that I can sustain and watch my heart rate. I learned early on you simply can’t go too hard at altitude because it is difficult to recover.
I will be switching my 10-33 cassette out for a 10-36 to get one more low gear. I plan to arrive at altitude a week or so ahead to give me some time to adjust - that has worked well for me in the past.
For training I will do one long ride per week of 4-6 hours plus one or two intensity days during the week (SS and VO2). Building up longer and longer SS intervals really helps build the endurance.