The TBD Gravel Guide: Steamboat and SBT GRVL Edition
The TBD squad has been looking forward to our team meetup at the Steamboat Gravel (or SBT GRVL if you hate vowels) for almost two years, so needless to say, the stoke is high. As the resident expert (meaning I live in Colorado, raced at SBT in its inaugural year, and I spend way too much of my disposable income renting every dog friendly AirBnB in Steamboat), I’ve been sharing tips for the squad about the race, things to do in Steamboat, and other various tidbits. We thought it would be nice to let our internet friends in on a few of them, and if you happen to see us roaming around the Boat this weekend, please come say hello!
Getting to Steamboat
Unless you’re very fancy and have access to a private plane, it’s much easier to fly into Denver (DEN) and take your chances with the Illuminati. The drive from DIA to Steamboat without traffic is a relatively scenic 3.5 hours, without traffic. For a real pro tip, when exiting I-70 at Silverthorne, skip the first gas station on the right and instead continue 2-3 miles up US9 to the Kum & Go on the left. Better parking, better selection, cleaner bathrooms, and much less congestion. I’d also stop to stretch your legs on one of the Rabbit Ears Pass summits.
Where to Stay
Like many small communities, Steamboat has a complicated relationship with vacation rentals. But there is a very good selection of condos, houses, etc., on AirBnB. I generally prefer having a kitchen at my disposal so I don’t have to eat every meal at a restaurant. For summer recreation purposes, it’s much nicer being in or near the Old Town area rather than the ski hill, which is several miles Southeast of town. All the good bike rides start downtown. That said, exploring a ski area in the summer can be really fun.
If you prefer a hotel, my favorite is the classic Rabbit Ears Motel. The rooms are cozy but the vibe is charming, and the location can’t be beat. For a more upscale resort, check out the Steamboat Grand.
Food and Coffee
Steamboat is a nice sized town where people actually live year round. This makes for some very nice options for food, the all important coffee, and groceries if you’re doing your own cooking.
Big Iron Coffee is the best place we’ve found to start the day in the Boat. They roast their own beans in town, service is incredibly efficient and friendly, and it’s a nice place to take a call if you need to. They have a good selection of pastries and breakfast burritos as well.
If you enjoy wonderful bread and pastries (I mean, who doesn’t? Seriously), and marvel at the ability to bake them at altitude (this is my excuse for all my baking failures), I highly recommend checking out Smell that Bread. Their cinnamon rolls and monkey bread are particularly special.
My absolute favorite restaurant in Steamboat is Salt & Lime. My last trip, I visited twice in a week and could have gone again easily without getting tired of it. They almost always have a wait, but it’s worth it.
For a casual burger, the Back Door Grill is on my personal hit list for every visit to Steamboat. It’s extremely casual, the patio is dog friendly, the staff is great, and they have a bunch of very wacky burgers.
There are a number of breakfast options - Creekside Grill, Winona’s (if you like the cinnamon rolls at Smell that Bread but they aren’t as big as your head and that’s a problem), and Freshie’s are all great.
For groceries, in town you’ll find a Natural Grocers (think Whole Foods but smaller and more local), as well as City Market and Safeway near the ski hill which are large national chain grocers.
The Actual SBT GRVL Race
I know all this logistical information is really fun and useful, but I suppose we should get to the actual reason you’re coming to Steamboat—the gravel race! This guide will give you information about the race from our experiences in the past, as well as general good advice for people who choose to vacation and race in the Rockies, rather than stuff you can read on the website. So if you want general information, go there!
First off, the real scoop about the course. Depending on your preferred distance, it’s very doable to extremely challenging. You may consider the fact that between the 100 mile distance and the 140, there are 4,000 feet of climbing. Meaning that for the last 40 miles, after you’ve already done a century, you’re climbing 1,000 feet per 10 miles. Something to consider especially if you haven’t raced many very long distance events. My general advice is that if you’re relatively fit and want to check out the race, try the 100 mile distance. It’s doable even if you’re not used to being on your bike at altitude for 9 plus hours, and it has the most beautiful scenery of the course, which is at Steamboat Lake.
There is a semi-rowdy downhill at mile 85ish of the 100 mile course, or mile 125 of the 140 mile course, called Cow Creek. It’s nothing crazy, but it is rocky, and you might consider how not fun it would be to flat here and take your time. The last 10 or so miles are smooth rolling pavement where you can get with a group and hammer if you still have the inclination.
Just one cool place to lean your bicycle for a photo, among many.
Prep and Considerations
You’re racing on gravel for up to 140 miles starting at around 6700 feet of elevation. What could go wrong? Well, let’s see…
You might not dress appropriately—the difference between temps at 6:30 am and 2:30 pm in the mountains can be pretty drastic. Layer up! It’s helpful to start with arm warmers and a vest or rain jacket and have a plan for packing them away as the sun rises and you warm up.
You might get excited about racing and go out way too fast and die—this definitely happens, even for those of us who live at 5,000 feet. Getting your heart rate way up at altitude isn’t as forgiving as at sea level, so you’ll be regretting trying to sit on a pro’s wheel for the first 20 miles. Start out at a speed that feels easy, because it won’t by the time you’re 85 miles in.
You might get very dehydrated and get a terrible headache—a good rule of thumb at altitude is that you should pretty much drink 2-3 times as much as you would generally think necessary. Just trust me and try it…
You may forget to wear sunscreen and become a lobster—while it may not be too hot at 8,000 feet, the sun is pretty strong. I recommend starting with a good layer of sunscreen and reapplying every two hours. Aid stations generally have sunscreen but sometimes they run out, so have a plan to bring your own.
You could run out of water after skipping an aid station—like I said above, hydration is a must. While it may not seem as cool to wear a hydration pack, it’s really convenient, easier to drink from on bumpy gravel roads, and much more efficient for carrying and consuming lots of water.
You might get so focused on racing that you forget to enjoy the incredible scenery—just… don’t do that. It’s a race, but it should be fun, and it’s really gorgeous!
Other Things to Do
If you travel all the way to Steamboat for the race, it seems silly not to add on a few days to explore, relax, and get into the Steamboat way of life. Here are a few other adventures you might consider.
Walking around old town and checking out F.M. Light of the famous signs - you’ll know what I mean when you drive in and see an F.M. Light sign about every 10 miles from Kremmling. It’s a classic Western store where you can find cowboy hats, boots, and whatever else might delight you.
Hot Springs - there are two hot springs in / around Steamboat - the Old Town Hot Springs, which is right downtown on Lincoln Ave, and Strawberry Park Hot Springs, a more scenic and adult destination. Strawberry Park currently requires reservations, so planning in advance is a good call.
Hiking! There is so much hiking in / near Steamboat it’s nuts. A casual stroll would be up the Spring Creek Trail, an in-town out and back. Fish Creek Falls is a few miles from downtown, but starts with a gorgeous waterfall and can be turned into an all day hiking adventure.
Other bike adventures - okay come on, you didn’t think I wouldn’t include other bike stuff, did you?! The mountain biking in Steamboat is phenomenal. I’d recommend a ride like this one at Emerald Mountain. It’s about two minutes from downtown to the trailhead, and it’s a playground of smooth, well designed mountain biking that could keep you entertained for days.
Drive up to Steamboat Lake State Park for a relaxing day on / at the lake. Colorado has a number of state parks, but this is one of our Crown Jewels.
Friday night lights at the Steamboat Pro Rodeo - this is like a step into another era, but it’s really fun, and there’s nothing like sitting on bleachers, watching the sun go down over the mountains.
Visit the Saturday Farmer’s Market on Yampa Street for some Olathe sweet corn, Palisade peaches, or fresh bread.
Relax on the banks of the Yampa River with a picnic. Self-explanatory, just enjoyable.
I hope this guide is helpful, and motivates you to plan a trip to Steamboat for the race even if you haven’t already booked it for this year. See you out there!
Barb is the team manager for TBD-Colorado. She loves cyclocross, gravel and mountain biking and doesn’t mind a road race every now and again. She also enjoys adventures with her Golden Retriever, the Colorado branch mascot.
