Anyone do the Telluride 100? I was curious how it compared to other longer mtb/gravel races. It’s way less expensive and it looks beautiful.
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Guess not many TR users have done Telluride 100! I am signed up to do it this year (2020). I have not done it yet but have read some race reports and will speculate a little.
The closest thing I have done is the Breck 100. I think Breck is slightly harder because there is a lot more single track, some of it quite technical… I have not done Leadville but I suspect Telluride is similar in terms of overall difficulty. Leadville spends more time at higher elevations but (if Strava data can be trusted) Telluride has more climbing overall (~15,000 ft) and more single track.
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I raced it this last season to replace the Breck 100 which was my A race and got cancelled due to snow and avalanche debris. The whole Telluride area is beautiful and I’d highly recommend it. This year was weird for it since CO had all the avalanche debris from the mega winter storms and they had to do an abnormal route which made it a little faster this year.
It had a good amount of single track in the beginning 40ish miles by the resort, then it became mostly gravel roads for the remaining loops. On a normal year when they do Black Bear and Ophir passes, it would be even more scenic (and uphill). Was about 12,000ft gain this year, and normally would be about 15,000ft.
Let me know if you have any other questions. I’d do it again this year if I wasn’t travelling!
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I did it in 2016 and am planning on doing it again this year. Awesome event and well worth it. Super family friendly. The gondola is free (at least it was) and if you have family they can cruise around the mountain. Super old school and the race directors are awesome. The clover leaf format makes it easy to refuel midway.
I would say it is easier than the original Breck 100, but harder than Leadville. Those extra 4000 ft of climbing will get ya. The hardest sections are in the first loop and the beginning climb of the second loop. Then it is all about grinding it out.
Thanks, good info, now it starts to make sense. I am/was tempted to do it in 2020, mostly for its scenic aspects (never been there), but could not quite reconcile past reports with published route. Maybe I should defer to 2021, hoping these scenic passes are back on the menu. Pierre.
Breck 100 makes Leadville look like a road ride. I wanted to do it last year, but couldn’t. Always wanted to it and to hear it’s easier than Breck 100, makes me even more curious. Breck 100 is brutal.
Agree, Breck 100 is right up there as one of the hardest 100’s. Unfortunately, it seems to be no more.
Telluride is a spectacular area - been going there since the mid 1990’s. The gondola is always free, the town is an absolute gem and mostly untouched by big developers, and the scenery is second to none in Colorado.