Any intel on the 65 mile course appreciated. I’m not from Colorado so no chance to recon and my gearing is not very low (46/33 front with 11-32 cassette). Trying to hack the RD to see if there is anyway I can squeeze a 36 but, I think I’m going to have to ride what I have now.
Its a climb on the way out and a descent on the way back - I’ll ask our man, Ben Delaney, for you since he has raced there before
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I did this last year (and will do it again this year). It’s a fun ride through some nice high-desert terrain.
It’s kind of split up into 2 parts:
- the first climb (roughly miles 15-35) is not so much a steady climb as it is a bunch of steep kickers with short descents. So it’s in and out of threshold repeatedly. I remember a few being pretty steep, but nothing super sustained (they just keep coming at you). It’s fun terrain though.
- the second climb (roughly miles 40-50) is much more consistent. Much easier to find a steady pace and just keep it. And through some really pretty & interesting desert. But - the top is really steep. It’s about 3/4 of a mile at 13%, on loose, rocky gravel. Depending on how hard you go on the ride up to this point, this can be tough! ( I was around a reasonably strong group of riders doing hard tempo on an earlier part of the climb and 9 out of 10 walked their bikes the last half mile or so. ). But once over that climb, it’s all downhill.
The roll out at the beginning is fast and fun with smooth roads. The rest of the road surface varies, but gets a little roudy in places - just ruts and loose gravel. The descents are fun - nothing technical at all - but enough you have to pay attention and choose a line. And not much loose sand - just a little here and there to ding the legs 
So the climbs are steep enough that eking any gearing you can would be useful, but it’s just got some steep bits - being under-geared might just be part of it!
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Spending some time in/around Boulder that week so, I decided to do Superville (Louisville criterium and Superior Morgul RR) instead. Maybe next year…