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 spring days behind and head towards summer. Get the best pricing on the Castelli site and pick up an item or two below:

• Vest: Aria 2 Vest Men’s | Women’s

• Jersey: Espresso 2 Jersey Men’s | Women’s

• Base Layer: Pro Mesh Sleeveless Men’s | Women’s

• Bibs: Espresso Bibs Men’s | Women’s

• Socks: Espresso 18cm | 12cm

• Gloves: Espresso Gloves Men’s | Women’s

Castelli

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Castelli 〰️

Route & Ride Info:

It’s May- Yay! The ride departs from New Belgium Brewing at 9am. Please fill out the waiver to attend.

Grab our clothing reco’s for 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 throughout the year. We’ll stick around afterwards for a beer and food truck lunch.

ROUTES:

• How to download a route on Strava without Strava Premium.

• Longer route option (68-miles & TRAIL DAY!!!)

  • 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, on the day, you will win a Castelli Corretto 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.

  • This will be a longer day but there are water refill options along the way. Stop at the Masonville store with Zack or Whit and get grav daddy or mommy splashed as they’ll spring for snacks and drinks ;)

• Shorter route option (34 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

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.

Now we’re getting into it. The May long route is very different than the short route so we’ll split the recommendations. The short route has some things you’ve already seen in the other routes but has some classic FoCo Fondo lose, technical things. For the short route we’re sticking with our 40-45mm classic Vulpine recommendation. The long route, after a smooth dirt loop from New Belgium, goes to the Valley Trails of Lory State Park, then Horsetooth Mountain Park, then Bobcat Ridge. These are all crazy fun single track trails. As far as single track goes, they’re non technical. They’re not fun on a trail bike, but they’re wicked fun on a gravel bike with the right tires. For the long route in May, we’re recommending a WTB Resolute in a 50mm. With tight center lugs, the Resolute rolls faster than it looks on smooth dirt and pavement but in a 50mm width you have the volume to run lower pressure to have the traction and suppleness to rip the single track sectors with ease.