TRIPLE D RECON

Lance Andre is putting together his 6th Triple D winter bicycle, ski, and run race to happen this Jan 20th in Dubuque County. I am entered in for my 4th year for the 100K bicycle race. This year the route and starting point is changing from previous years. I headed over to Lance's house to do some race route recon. Before leaving I first got to exam the rig Lance is building for his 2nd run at Iditarod. Read about his first Iditarod here. http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/iowa-tough-guy-ends-hospital-after-iditarod-invitational

So together we went out on our Fat Bikes to explore the route and see how much work is needed to make ready.

Through trees...

THROUGH CREEKS

ACROSS RAIL ROAD TRACKS. OH AFTER THE TRAIN WENT PAST OF COURSE.

 

 

 

 

AND THROUGH THE WOODS TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE

 

 

 

You can't see the hills, the up and down killer hills on this overview. Lance would shout back to me "brake check" and I knew we were headed down a steep treacherous tires sliding hill. Only to be followed by a hill climb just as steep. I found myself spinning out and pushing my bike up some of these, even Lance found himself in that condition at times. My up and down heart rates shown below pretty much indicate the 'ups and downs"  of the terrain.

 

 

This is going to be a beautiful route. After leaving the hotel, and through snow mobile trails, the race route will drop down B Humke road to Heritage trail and onward to Dyersville. Then we turn around and head all the way back to Dubuque to the Driving Range bar, and head back up the snow mobile trails that have been traditionally the start of Triple D race for the cyclist. We looked at Snow Mobile trails to follow all the way to highway 20 and back into the trails that started the race and to the hotel for the finish. Some may finish before darkness falls, I won't and will finish with lights.

 

We have as snow storm coming this way. Just what us Fat Bike riders have been waiting for. I will be posting pictures of the route with trail conditions and produce a more accurate GPS route soon.