The Best Mountain Bike for Leadville Trail 100 for "Regular Racers", First Timers, and Fast Finishers (#240)

Overview
We love checking out what the pros are riding, but "normal" riders aiming to finish the Leadville 100 MTB in under 9 hours or under 12 hours have different needs on race day. Ten-time LT100 finisher, coach, and author Jim Rutberg talks with 3-time finisher Adam Pulford about the best bikes, equipment choices for the 2000+ riders behind the race leaders. And, since they're both coaches, they throw in a bunch of training, nutrition, and race strategy tips as well.

Key topics in this episode:

• Challenges of Leadville 100 course
• Is Leadville a drop-bar bike course?
• Best Bike Setup for Leadville 100
• How much suspension do you need?
• Bottles or hydration pack?
• What about a hardtail MTB?
• Wheels and Tires for Leadville 100
• Crank length for mountain biking
• MTB, Gravel, or Road shoes and pedals?
• Training and Nutrition tips for Leadville 100

LINKS

• 5 Race Bikes from the 2022 Leadville 100 - Pinkbike
• Tech Week – Bike & Tire Guide for the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB
• Roundup: The mountain bikes of Leadville - Velo
• XC vs Trail Bike Geo: Trail vs cross-country mountain bikes: Which is right for you? | BikeRadar

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Guest
Jim Rutberg has been an athlete, coach, and content creator in the outdoor sports, endurance coaching, and event industries for more than 20 years. He is the Media Director and a coach for CTS and co-author of several training and sports nutrition books, including Training Essentials for Ultrarunning with Jason Koop, Ride Inside with Joe Friel, and The Time-Crunched Cyclist with Chris Carmichael. A graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology, Jim resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his two sons, Oliver and Elliot. He can be reached at jrutberg@trainright.com or @rutty_rides on Instagram.

Host
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly 20 years and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

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