Climbing the highest paved road in North America: Mt. Evans

I notice the altitude almost immediately, barely a kilometre after clipping in and setting off. It’s not debilitating by any means, but for the minimal effort I’m putting in, I’m breathing noticeably faster than I normally would. It’s hard not to feel like things are about to get a whole lot worse.

I tell myself to relax, to focus not on what’s coming but on how I feel right now. But it’s not easy. The ride’s only just begun and already I’m at the highest altitude I’ve ever been on the bike. Oh, and there’s 42km of climbing still to go.

I’m at roughly 2,300m above sea level, having just left the tiny town of Idaho Springs, Colorado. My destination: the summit of Mt. Evans where, at a breathtaking 4,300m above sea level, the air contains roughly 40% less oxygen than it does in my sea-level hometown of Melbourne.

Full article at CyclingTips here: https://cyclingtips.com/2019/08/what-...
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