Hi! I am going to be bikepacking the Colorado Trail in July, and to prep with TR I set up a training plan based on a 9 stage / 9 day enduro stage event. Is that the best way to represent the CT bikepacking for training? I’m mainly concerned with being prepared for all the climbing with extra weight from the camping gear.
For anyone who has done the CT before, any tips? I am 182lbs and 323w FTP. My vacation period gives me only 12 days to finish, so I am concerned that I may not have enough juice to finish in time - I’ve never done more than a 60 mile overnighter bikepacking (but fairly experienced backpacking).
Setting the CT up as a “Stage Race” should do the trick for building out your plan.
How do you plan to approach the ride itself? The Enduro plan features a lot of surges/spikey kind of efforts to simulate the demands of that style of racing. If you plan on riding more smoothly without as much surging when you’re out on the CT, it might be worth looking at our Road “Gran Fondo” plan instead. While the nomenclature doesn’t quite line up, I think the workouts/types of efforts may suit this kind of ride a bit better.
Here are the instructions on how to edit your plan if you need them – or feel free to let us know if you need any help making any changes. You should be able to edit your target event’s “event type” by going through the Plan Builder setup/edit flow, which will change your plan’s focus accordingly.
As for the CT itself, I haven’t done it (or even a similar kind of ride!), but the first thing that always comes to my mind with big rides/trips like that is nutrition! Make sure to stay on top of eating/drinking, and even practice it as much as you can during your training so you’ll be more used to it by the time you get to the ride. Experiment with different kinds of food/drinks to find what works best for you. Beyond nutrition, it’ll also be key to make sure your equipment is in good, working order, and to make sure your bike is fitting you nice and comfortably. Try to make any changes you might need to make well before the ride so you can be well-adjusted.
Finally, here’s a related TR article you might find interesting…
