Leadville 100 Rides

Lifetime Fitness Leadville 100 Training Rides

Want to train for the Lifetime Fitness Leadville 100 endurance mountain bike ride with an experienced LT100 finisher?

This ride is the one for you – we’ll teach you the ins and outs of the course, where to rest, where to dig deep, where the aid stations will be and how to finish this demanding ride in your best time yet.  These training rides are for the first time LT100 rider or for experienced riders who want to finish with a faster time and win a bigger belt buckle.

Unlike our more casual guided rides, Absolute Bikes Adventures will stick to a rigid schedule with specific details to help riders prepare for the annual August race.  We will start these rides early, both to simulate the actual race start and to complete our ride before the afternoon thunderstorms descend upon the high country.

Riders will need to be prepared for the high country by carrying proper clothing, food, tools and any other items to successfully complete a several hour strenuous, high altitude ride. Your guide will help you prepare, and you will be given a mandatory and recommended list of items when you book this guiding training ride.

Option 1 – Leadville to the Fish Hatchery and Back

The first training ride option is Leadville to Fish Hatchery and Back, roughly 54 miles covering the initial sections of the course which wind through Saint Kevin’s climb, Sugarloaf and the Powerline. We will turn around at the Fish Hatchery and power up the infamous Powerline climb, the most difficult part of the LT100 race because it’s encountered so late in the event. Guides will explain aid station locations and race strategy for this section.  We finish the ride on the Boulevard back to downtown Leadville.

Option 2 – Leadville to Twin Lakes

The second training ride is similar to the first, but covers more distance.  We’ll ride the first part of the course from Leadville to Twin Lakes, then return to town on county roads.  We increase the mileage by replacing some of the climbs with flatter, easier sections of the course.

Option 3 – Columbine Hill Climb

Starting in the beautiful mountain hamlet of Twin Lakes, we climb the infamous Columbine Hill and top out above treeline.  This training ride offers lots of climbing as well as great views and insights, things not always appreciated during the actual LT100 event!

Option 4 – Ride the Complete Leadville 100 Course

This is the big kahuna – ride the complete 100 mile course with an experienced and very fit guide, while having catered lunches and aid stations along the way.  Just like the actual race, we’ll start and ride all day. This is designed for 1-2 people who know each other well and ride together very well.

Although, these areas are open to the public and available to ride on your own, ABA can help you dial in the course and avoid the confusing sections. By riding with a guide you will spend your time riding and not getting lost. We can give you great insights for the sections to ride hard, where to rest, where to be extra safe and where to dig deep.

All our guides are proud of Leadville, and during the ride you will get a local’s perspective of the area’s history.  The LT100 course is just one of the area rides, many which can be used to train at altitude for the race. While enjoying one of the many scenic viewpoints, ask your guide to suggest other great training rides in the area.

All LT100 Training Rides depend on the weather. If you book a ride and it’s canceled due to summer storms, we will reschedule you on a future training ride.  Safety is our first priority and lightning is always an issue in the high country during the summer.  Knowing when and how to descent to safer ground is a key factor in running a safe guided ride.  All riders will be required to have a Colorado Search and Rescue (COSAR) card before the ride.

Some LT100 training rides will include 3-5 riders.  We will try our best to match riders of similar ability by requiring every rider to fill our a questionnaire before the training ride.

Call us to discuss these LT100 training rides and how we can help you complete the ride successfully or achieve your fastest time ever!

 

Rates for LT100 Training Rides

To book a Solo Ride, just you and the guide –  $150.

To book a Group Training Ride with 3-5 other mountain bikers in the group – $100/each rider

To book the Complete LT100  Course – $400 for the first rider or $500 for two riders.

 

LT100 Training Ride Schedule

Friday – Option 1 – Leadville to the Fish Hatchery

Saturday – Option 2 –  Leadville to Twin Lakes

Sunday – Option 3 –  Twin Lakes up the Columbine Hill Climb

This sequence will rotate throughout the summer so you can train for all sections of the LT100.

 

Absolute Bikes Adventures is under permit of San Isabel National Forest, Salida and Leadville Ranger Districts.