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.
Looks like I’m reviving a dormant thread. Anyway, this will be my 3rd TBR and the first time I just stuck with my TR plan. In the past I jumped back and forth between a Training Peaks plan (Joe Friel) and a TR plan. That was not a good approach, lesson learned. This year I used plan builder and committed to “trusting the process” and to adapt my training plan to my life rather than adapt my life to my training plan. Honestly, I feel much better and more confident than in past years. I just got back from a trip up to Frisco to ride with my son who lives in Littleton, CO. Repeats up Vail pass actually felt very doable and I still have 2 left in the tank. Granted it’s not the most difficult of the TBR climbs, but it was easy to ride from our AirBnB in Frisco. I live in the San Antonio area and found that altitude kicks my ass if I get there 4ish days before the event. This year I will be getting there the day before so my body doesn’t have a chance to say WTF before the ride starts.
Thanks for the revival! I was thinking about it today but just didn’t know what to post. I’m coming from Houston but arriving 10-11 days early (staying at 10k ft) so will hopefully be good by race day.
I haven’t done anything special for training other than what I did to prep for the unbound 100 which went flawlessly a few weeks ago. Hoping to carry the training into the Triple Bypass.
I don’t really have a plan or expectations. All my big rides are always races which I obsess over the smallest details, so here I’m mostly just planning to enjoy the ride, take my time, stop at aid stations. My normal races have like 5ish mins stop time, so I’m looking forward to just taking it easy.
My NP was 218 at unbound, so with this added length and elevation, I’ll probably target for around 160-170.
My easiest gearing will be a 40:46.
Any thoughts on if any of the climbs will push me into long periods of required higher power output, or if they’re gradual enough I can just soft pedal it?
Any other general “strategies” or words of wisdom?
Gear wise I’m wearing a normal long sleeve but bringing a thin waterproof jacket for the first descent, along with some full fingered gloves. Will I need anything heavier than that?
I feel like you should be good with that gearing setup. I live in CO and run a 40/44 on my gravel rig for steeper/longer climbing routes and am generally able to keep power low enough to sustain and not hate my life. I think the tbp climbs average 3-6% so they’re gradual enough. Combine that with it not being a race and stopping at aid stations, you should be chillin.
For gear I was just planning on some arm warmers as well as a light waterproof jacket and full finger gloves. Contemplating leg warmers but will probably make that call the day of.
The climbs wont push you into a high power output. They’re all long and gradual, you’ll be more than fine with that gearing. Being at elevation will knock X% off your normal power though. The only way you’ll get in trouble is if you push too hard, you’ll find it hard to recover due to the elevation.
If you’ve never done the Triple Bypass before there are a few things that seem to catch people out from what I’ve seen (and experienced). Once you decend the first climb, you’re climbing the whole time until you reach the top of Loveland Pass. It feels flat, but you’re gaining elevation the entire time. Also there always seems to be a headwind the whole way from Idaho Springs to Loveland Pass. And finally, once you hit the wooded bike path after Georgetown, you’re technically on the 2nd pass. For whatever reason that seems to be the hardest part of the ride for most people.
You shouldn’t need anything heavier than what you’re bringing, just check the forecast before the ride. A few years ago I got stuck decending every pass in heavy rain or hail. That wasn’t fun.
Went 1x 46T with a 10-44 cassette which was perfect for all of the climbs. Kept it mostly Z2 and chill. Got it done in 7.5 hours which was well below my goal.
Ride went great! Gearing was perfect, but on the descents I probably would have been better served with a 44/46T up front as I’d spin out past 34-35 mph.
Ride overall went great. Coming from sea level and taking June pretty easy after unbound impacted a bit.
Had a great time and really treated it as a fun ride which was nice compared to the racing I typically do where I obsess over every tiny detail.
Coming from Houston I really enjoyed the added experience I got descending in the drops - something I don’t really do on a regular basis. During a training ride leading up to the Triple Bypass I hit 47 mph on my gravel tires which was a new high for me.
Impressive time! Was that moving or elapsed? I was 8:11 moving and 9:37 elapsed. I had way more stopped time than planned, but I filled up bottles and peed at each station, plus my wife, parents, and kids also met me at two aid stations, so spent a bit of time with them.
Congrats! my time was moving… elapsed was 7:49. I got fried in the heat last year so I wanted to keep moving before the afternoon heat or rain. The weather ended up being perfect to push at the end through the headwind from Vail to Avon.
Great time! I got caught with some light sprinkles but nothing bad. Weather was perfect. Also had a good chunk left in the tank to really make the last 4-5 miles a lot of fun.
