Rist Canyon-Loveland-Wellington 100
On the weekend of the Aurora Borealis, I embarked on a “do-it-yourself” century bike ride that provided endurance training and rewarded me with pleasant day on the bike. The decision to take on this challenge stemmed from the cancellation of the 100-mile route option at the Delta Century the previous week due to weather conditions. Determined to accomplish a century ride, I set out to find a route that not only fulfilled the distance but also offered a significant amount of climbing.
My journey began with a thrilling ascent up Rist Canyon Rd., a renowned 11-mile climb west of Fort Collins, gaining 2900 feet in elevation. This road gained international notoriety during the pandemic when pro-cyclist Lachlan Morton set an Everesting world record by repeatedly climbing the 11%, one-mile west side of the Rist Canyon summit for nearly seven-and-a-half hours. (His record was then broken three weeks later by retired Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, who scaled more than 29,031 feet of climbing more than two minutes faster than Morton on a climb near Segovia, north of Madrid, Spain.)
While I didn’t have the VO2 max of Morton or Contador, I was content to conquer Rist Canyon once from the east side, a feat that took nearly a couple of hours.
Reaching the top of Rist Canyon, I felt a sense of accomplishment and snapped a photo to share with my friend E, who humorously asked if I was in Utah. From there, I continued my journey through Stove Prairie, Masonville, and eventually Loveland. As the miles added up, I found myself running low on water and calories, so I made a pit stop at a Kum & Go in Loveland for a much-needed refreshment of Dr. Pepper and mini-donuts.
The remainder of my ride took me through north Loveland and Fort Collins, mostly on recreation trails, including the Power Trail, which provided a peaceful and car-free route. Turning towards Wellington, I opted to loop back south, skirting around Anheuser-Busch, through the Maple Hill subdivision, and concluding with a lap around my own neighborhood to achieve a perfect 100-mile mark.
One of the highlights of the ride was the favorable wind that accompanied me whenever I headed north, significantly aiding my progress. Despite the challenging climb up Rist Canyon and keeping my heart rate in Zone 2 virtually the whole ride, I managed to maintain a not-terrible average speed of 15.6 MPH.
As I completed the century ride, I felt a sense of pride and readiness for the double century I had planned to do just six days later. This ride not only tested my physical endurance but also provided me with a deep appreciation for the beautiful landscapes and the joy of pushing my limits.
Ride Data
Distance: 100.6 miles
Ride time: 6h27m (15.6 MPH average)
Total time: 7h29m
