FAQ
You got problems? Like Dan Savage sez, "Oh yes you do." This is the place that holds all the questions that just aren’t so easily categorized, but are important nonetheless. We’ve populated this section with a few of the questions that we’ve gotten already, but the closer we get to race time, the more this section will fill up.
- » Submit a question
- REGISTRATION QUESTIONS
CAMPING AND ACCOMMODATION QUESTIONS
TRAVEL AND TRANSFER QUESTIONS
COURSE AND RACE QUESTIONS
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Registration Questions
What date do you use to determine my age (for classification into age categories)?
We use your “racing age” which is the age you’ll be on December 31st of the year the race takes place.
Can I register for the event, even though I don't have my teammate’s details yet?
Absolutely. Just head to www.sportsbaseonline.com and you can enter yourself and leave your teammate’s info blank. You can come back later and fill those blanks in.
Will the race sell out?
Our guess is yes. We’re going to be handed a fairly small field limit this year. We’re not quite sure what it is yet, but with over 150 already registered as of March 30th, we’d guess that we will fill whatever field limit is handed to us.
When are the due dates for my payments?
After your initial deposit of $250 per rider, you have until March 31st to pay your first installment, then until June 15thth to pay your second. These are for your race only. You can add a la carte items (camping, meal plans…whatever) until July 1st and pay as you go for that stuff. If you register after May you’ll be billed for your entire amount at once.
When will registration close?
Registration closes as soon as the field fills.
Can I add extras at any time?
You can add meal plans, camping plans or extra banquet tickets up until July 1st.
Pricing?
We have a whole page HERE with all the pricing info you could ever want.
Camping and Accommodation Questions
Is it possible to stay in hotels throughout the event?
Heck yeah. From hotel rooms through luxury homes, Breck has it all. Give Great Western Lodging a shout – they’ve got a great deal for all riders and support staff. Mention The Breck Epic MTB Stage Race and discount code BE09.
When does camping start? End?
You can load in your gear on Sunday, August 21st beginning at 8am. You’ll need to be out by noon on Saturday, August 28th.
Can I bring my own tent?
Unfortunately, no. In order to accommodate the event a decades old “no camping within town limits” ordinance was repealed. In exchange we promised that our camping compound wouldn’t look like an episode of Sanford and Son. You must use our tents. You may, however, bring a 10x10 EZ-up and set it up within your camping compound if you’d like.
Do I need a sleeping bag or pad?
Yes on the bag, and no on the pad (unless you want more padding than we’re providing.) For a complete list of what we’re providing, check out the “Pricing” page.
Do I need a support team?
To each his/her own.
How much stuff can I bring?
As much as you want. We don’t have any transfers, so bring the kitchen sink if you want.
How much is camping?
$189-$239 depending on what size tent you need/how many people you have.
What about an RV?
Yup. Plenty of parking for your land yacht. We’ll have garbage and recycling service, port-o-johnnies and shower access, but unfortunately, no hookups. Camping is $99/RV and comes with one shower pass.
Travel and Transfer Questions
Which airport do I fly into?
The smart money’s on Denver International Airport (DIA) but you can also fly into Colorado Springs, Eagle County (Vail) or Grand Junction.
What about ground transportation?
Hertz is our preferred provider for ground transportation. Best of all, they rent Subies.
What about parking?
There’s plenty of parking at race HQ.
Race Logistics
Will the course be marked, or is it more of a wayfinding experience?
The course will be completely marked each day. Wayfinding here would produce a lot of confused and pissed off riders. There are just so many options out there.
Can we ride the route before the race?
Sure. Bring snowshoes.
Where can I find distance and elevation information about the course?
Head to the "Course" page. You'll find course descriptions, maps and a bunch of other info. If you'd like a GPS file, give us a shout.
How far apart are the aid stations?
They're strategically located where we think you might need them. Check out the Course page for detailed maps that include aid stations, marshaling plans and start/finish locations.
What about cut-off times?
They’re reasonable. If you’re a Sport-level rider or above you’ll have no problem. We want you to finish. If you miss the cut-off on one day we’ll make every reasonable effort to keep you in the race. This means relegation however, but we promise to be fair.
How much stuff can I bring?
As much as you want. We don’t have any transfers, so bring the kitchen sink if you want.
What if one of our team members can’t continue?
The remaining team member can start each day and we’ll plop you into the appropriate solo category. You will not be allowed to podium, however. If anyone else has a better, more fair suggestion, we’re open to hearing it.
Can we stage our own water bottles and food at the aid stations?
Hell yeah. Thanks to Subaru and Mountain Bike Magazine. Each team will receive 2 bags (per rider) imprinted with their bib number. You can place whatever you'd like in each bag (food, tubes, extra clothing...whatever) and we'll deliver it to the aid station of your choice. we'll then bring the bags and their contents back to the race compound at the end of each day so you can reload for the next stage. This program is a bit more fleshed out than the one we run in The Firecracker (we provide the bags here) but the F50 program runs really, really well and has always allowed those athletes to go long, but light. The bags themselves will be made out of recycled bottles (RPET) and you get to take 'em home at the end of the race. We call that a double bonus.
iPods?
Nope. Not allowed. Too unfair to the other folks in the race.
What about protecting our bikes each night?
We’ll have secure storage each night for all riders with a camping or RV pass. Riders not staying in the camping compound will be responsible for their own bike storage.
I have food allergies!
Bummer. Outside of catering to vegetarians and vegans we won’t be able to create special meals. That’s probably best left in your hands anyway.
Is towing allowed?
Only if you have a Colorado-issued CDL. Or if you're a motorboat. Or an OTR-certifed long haul trucker from the Stoughton School of Trucking (all my fellow Wisconsinites thow ya hands in the ayer!) Next question, please.
Are there other food options in town?
Wow. Yes. Everything you could want (almost.) Killer pizza, sushi, burgers/steaks, upscale cuisine, Mexican…you name it, Breck’s got it. And a big grocery store. 2 of them in fact, plus Amazing Grace, a natural foods store/coffee shop/restaurant that’s owned by Monique Merrill.
Tandem?
Are you crazy?
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Mountain Bike Stage Race? What?
Yup. Think of the Tour de France, but on mountain bikes. And without the UCI. Your place in the race is determined by your total elapsed time for ALL stages (also called “General Classification” or “GC”).
I’m concerned about finishing.
Well, if you’re a Beginner rider, you should be. This is really NOT the race for you. If you’re racing as a Sport-level rider or above, this is a manageable challenge. Each course is designed so that the best riders will finish in between 3.5 and 4 hours. That probably means 6-7 hours for a Sport man or woman. Make no mistake, those are big days in the saddle, but if the race director can ride it, so can you.
What to Bring
Everything – especially if you’re camping (except tents and pads of course – everyone’s gotta use our stuff so that we don’t start to look all Sanford & Son out there.) We’re at almost 10,000 feet – it’s not unheard of for it to snow in the middle of July. In general though, you can expect for it to be about 70-80 degrees with almost no humidity – in other words, perfect riding weather. At night expect temps to drop, sometimes into the 30's. And as usual, thunderstorms can pop up in the afternoon and drop rain or hail, but they usually pass quickly. Sunscreen at 10,000 feet is about as necessary as air. Check out the Racebook networking site and you might start or find a discussion about what everyone is bringing.
About the Dates
When? The short answer is August 21-27. Want the long answer? Right. Me too. Remember that time in band camp? Just kidding. Remember when we were discussing date options and we asked you guys to chime in? Well, with the help of the bike industry folks (and all of you) we’ve decided.
Is this a sanctioned event?
Nope. You won't need a license from USAC or the UCI.
Parking?
Is immediately adjacent to the camping/race HQ compound. You'll be given ample time to load/unload your gear and your car will be within spitting distance.
What about tech/expo?
We will allow tech set-up by prior arrangement. Give us a shout and we'll get you lined out.
Can you explain the team competition?
Pretty simple. Each rider needs to check in at each control point. That helps us keep tabs on you in the field and point the St. Bernard with the mini-keg of schnapps in the right direction should you wander off. Teammates must check in within 2 minutes of each other at each control point and at the finish. The penalty for not being within to minutes of each other is a 60-minute slam on the GC.
