Cracking at altitude | first impressions of Boulder, CO

Boulder, Colorado is a MUST visit destination for cycling and outdoor enthusiasts. I thought I was prepared for the challenge, but the starting elevation here took my breath away, literally. So did the views :). Loved it, 11/10, would come back.

instagram: @bikewithcarolin

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The cycling scene heck the outdoor scene in Boulder Colorado is phenomenal yes it’s known for the Rocky Mountains but holy macro if you wanted to try something outdoorsy Boulder has you covered of course we came here to bike and if you climb like Justin might as well bring your climbing equipment cuz

Why not got to do it while you’re here on Pearl Street you’ll find every outdoor and climbing apparel company you can imagine it’s like scattering all the brands REI carries along a prominade each with their own distinct storefront and they have a scratch Cafe catered to fueling athletes pre during and post

Activity guys they even have a hydration station on top we’re starting our afternoon acclamation ride it’s only going to be 20 miles close to 3,000 ft um as a warm-up ride for tomorrow’s longer ride so we’ll see how our LS fair I was shocked by the pristine

Trails here when I first started gravel riding 2 years ago I was expecting to learn on these kinds of roads it’s absolutely unreal it’s like writing out of a page in a cycling Magazine hey everyone we’ve gotten very lucky with the uh with the road it’s very well paved and um it must have been graded recently as well I took this warm-up day lightly to get my body adapted to the elevation make sure our bikes are fully functional and familiarize ourselves with the area

Overall my body felt great Good morning everyone this is day T and we’re going to be doing 70 miles 8,000 ft today um had a little late start to sort out some things it’s 10: a.m. so we hope to finish by 6 and we have headlamps so we’re ready for any nighttime

Riding I rode the hardest ride of the trip with a UTI which is a urinary tract infection so I needed to get antibiotics that morning hence the late start I don’t recommend cycling with a UTI but I did it because I knew what measures I needed to take to diligently manage the

Symptoms knowing what my body can endure knowing how to alleviate the pain gave me reassurance that I can push through this for this one special day hey everyone we’re currently at 8 mil 1,800 ft out of the first 28 miles of the climb and uh I needed I

Needed a break badly and we’re just chugging along uh checking in with our bodies and I am I’m pretty wiped I only got like 4 hours of sleep last night we just encountered a segment that’s just uh littered with a bunch of rocks of various sizes very prone to Pedal

Strikes um and slippage so I’m just going to get off my Bike and Hike it up but it’s it’s nice see very Terrain We made it to civilization doing 25 miles 4,000 oh I’m so cute okay hey everyone we are let’s see 44 miles in and completed 6,700 ft of elevation which was brutal all that hard work though did lead us to this beautiful Trail called the Switzerland Trail we were riding along that uh

Trail that only Trail on the side of the mountain and now we’re on the opposite side it’s a long stretch it’s about 5 Miles riding into the sunset was absolutely magical basking in the Golden Light in the Serene mountain tops reflecting on how far we’ve come on this ride appreciating what our bodies can handle this is what I live for and I incredibly blessed to find my way here With 15 miles to go and the sun setting nothing to get bited we mutually agreed to hustle and empty our tank on this 3M uphill shaded Trail to milk any bit of remaining light to get us through it’s got to be sail last climb of the day

Dirt desent though booked it on that one oh my gosh we finished the last climb of this ride and we have maybe 10 more miles to go um what time is it 7ish 7:30 we got to make it back before it’s like completely dark hence Light it’s 8 p.m. I don’t even know if I’m going to wake up tomorrow um but yeah I’m just happy that we’re done and we’re back safe we’re pretty beat um and I think i’ I’ve done my part and feel just tired and Relieved I took away from this visit a couple things first I knew this ride was going to be hard but I didn’t realize how challenging it would be just 25 miles in it was on me I chose the route because I like type two fun I underestimated the combination of

Starting at high altitude and hitting 5,000 ft in 25 miles even though it was difficult I find satisfaction and joy in doing things like this sharing enduring experiences with others as a way to remind ourselves of how much more capable we are I can only imagine how

Competitive and fit the locals are since this is in their backyard Boulder has a supportive cycling scene at least from what I noticed in my four days here it’s a lovely place to bike and be outdoors in general secondly for some reason I was under the impression that to experience

A scenery like this I needed to travel abroad this trip changed my perception of what America had to offer reminding me of how vast and diverse the terrain is just within my own country I know it seems obvious but now I get it while I’m fortunate to have the privilege to

Travel abroad Colorado is hands down a place I would revisit and a heartbeat that’s the beauty of exploring the world the act of Discovery in every sense of the word both of yourself and your surroundings whether it’s local or abroad I encourage you to venture and

Get a taste of what this planet this universe has to offer for you you never know what incredible experiences await just outside your Doorstep