Castelli is supporting the training ride series in 2026. They offer a huge range of apparel options for every weather possibility we get here in Colorado. This legendary Italian company is turning 150 years old in 2026. If that is not a testiment to it’s quality and innovation, we’re not sure what else is.
For rides ~40-55 degrees, layering is still really important, although each layer becomes lighter and ideally storable on your person should you warm up. Below are our recommended layering options as we leave the coldest days of winter behind and head towards spring. Get the best pricing on the Castelli site and pick up an item or two!!
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Ride & Route Info:
We’re kicking off our in-person rides with this one- come on out to meet and ride with new people! The ride departs from New Belgium Brewing at 10am. Please fill out the waiver to attend. We’ll stick around afterwards for a beer and food truck lunch. A free Fat tire is available!
Grab our clothing reco’s for late winter/early spring weather (& a discount code!) below. We’ll be there a little early with some First Endurance hydration & Liquid Shots and some rotating surprises through the training series.
Complete the ride and be sure to tag us on Instagram (@focofondo) and join our Strava Club for a chance to win prizes! This month we’ll draw names to win a Handlebar Bag from Snek Cycling- perfect for stashing some of those extra Castelli layers we’re all carrying around this time of year! Names will be drawn March 23rd, 2026. If you decide to add another bag to your set up, use code FREESOCKS for a free pair of Dry Creek Socks on purchases $30+. Expires March 31, 2026.
ROUTES:
Longer route option (56-miles)
Riders are encouraged to ride with similarly paced riders.
The Fort Follies will be leading a mid-paced (13-15mph) for women, femme & non-binary cyclists. It will not be no-drop, rather there will be occasional stops to regroup.
The Long Route Segment - If you’re the fastest guy or gal on this segment, you will win a Castelli Espresso 2 Jersey AND bibs. You must upload your ride to Strava by EOD and we’ll sort by date to see who went fastest on the day.
Shorter route option (27.5 miles)
Riders are encouraged to ride with similarly paced riders. While it will not be no-drop, there will also be a lanterne rouge to make sure everyone makes it back ok.
Note: As we move into in-person rides, it’s a great opportunity to work on pacing. You want to be able to complete the ride without blowing up and having to crawl back in. This often means being able to self-reflect early in the ride on if you are riding at a sustainable rate and being able to dial it back before it’s too late!
TIRES!
Tires are the easiest and cheapest thing to change on your bike to make the biggest upgrade to speed, fun, and comfort. We’ll be posting our WTB tire recommendations for each training ride based on the course. You can find these tires online or at Brave New Wheel.
March……The first in person FoCo Fondo training ride of the year. Everyone takes these differently, some people do race simulation, some people are just out for a good time. Either way, its always fun to go fast and feel like you have traction and the right equipment. For these two routes, there’s some B roads, there’s some chunk, there some unmaintained things. Bigger tires have been shown to go faster in these scenarios. For these routes we’re recommending the WTB Vulpine in a 45mm. Tan walls are in and they’re a bit lighter, there’s not much to slash a tire on out there but you’ll want that traction and volume with lower tire pressure for the chunky B road climbs and descents.
