IMSG Bike Course Report

Courtesy of my friend, Jim Moss, following is a report on the St. George Ironman Bike course. . .

Jim's Bike Setup: Cervelo P2C, SRAM Red 53X39, 11-26 Cassette

Road Conditions (overall): On a scale of 1-5 I'd rate it a 3. There are some sections on Old Hwy 91 between Ivins and Gunlock that are pretty rough, lots of sealed up cracks and several cattle guards to navigate. This section of road is hammered and a little uncomfortable. There's some chip-seal in other places but it really isn't bad at all. Miles 1-20 and then 50-65 (backside of the 1st and 2nd loops) are in good shape - minimal road debris and some of it has been repaved recently.

Miles 1-31 are rolling, flat and some good sections where you can get into a solid cadence and cruise without much variability in power. However, SR-9 from 5-9 has a very long climb in it. I had it down to 39X25-26 most of the time but in the aerobars the whole way up.

Miles 33-52 involve a lot of climbing and this is obviously the hardest part of the course. People who don't have the proper gearing and don't stay focused on keeping their power in check will be sorry on the 2nd loop when they do this route again. Some climbs are steep and short and some are long and steady. Mile 46 there's a nice steep one that is pretty long and then there's a nifty switchback that starts out steep and gets steeper towards the end. And when you roll into Veyo it isn't over yet...going up the side of the volcano is a good climb and one that St. George marathoners know well.

Miles 53-55 are deceiving. You finish the Veyo hill and think you're going to hit the top and descend. After a very short-lived descent and a little bit of false flat you will find yourself fiddling with whether to stay "Big Big" or go "Little Little" in your gearing choice.

Miles 56-66 are also a bit deceiving. You're definitely running big gears and taking advantage of the downhill. But as many St.George marathoners will probably tell you, this section is an area where you feel like you should be just going down, down, down and instead you are being hit with an occasional roller uphill section that can throw your cadence off. Still, it is fast and fun. On race day it will no doubt cause a pile up or two of out-of-control athletes.

Miles 109-112 are downhill or flat. Nothing real interesting to mention here.

Scenery: It is fantastic, unique and interesting. The ride from Ivins through Gunlock and Veyo is rustic and it feels like you are out in the old wild west riding through a canyon around an old mining down or livestock ranch. Very cool. The views of the red rocks and mountains as you exit T1, head out on Telegraph and then onto Red Hills Parkway are fantastic. Riding out to Ivins along Snow Canyon Pkwy you'll see some amazing vistas and red rock cliffs and mountains as you pass by Snow Canyon - the sun at that time (if its a clear day) will hit those red cliffs and it will be an amazing sight.

Weather: I rode the course on April 26th, one year and one week before the inaugural event. I had to "wait it out" for a couple of days here on vacation and do some running and shorter rides to avoid dealing with some serious winds. On the morning I did the ride it started out sunny but cold with temps around 48 degrees. I had winds from the west/southwest at about 10 MPH. The wind funneled down the canyon around Gunlock and made it a bit colder in the shade. Arm warmers, knee warmers, gloves and a long-sleeve jersey. It warmed up to about 72 in the late afternoon. The Run course is going to face the afternoon and evening sun and there is no shade, none at all.

Final Thoughts: I'll probably flip for a compact crankset for xmas this year. That or throwing on my 11-28 cassette and seeing if that will help. My watts going up those hills was way over FTP and cadence dropped below my personal comfort range and there was little I could do about it aside from turning around and heading back downhill or stopping. The bike course will be challenging and fun and I have to say after riding it I'm pretty excited about the experience we'll all have on race day.

Thanks for the great report, Jim!

As I told Jim in an email, I feel like he is speaking a whole different language (cranksets, 39X25-26, 11-26 cassette). Biking is definitely my weakest area of the tri and where I need to do the most work.