The indieVelo "Base Camp" Route-12.5km (7.7 mi), elevation 155m (508 ft)-a solid climb to help build your foundation!
Route Description
One of the eighteen original Beta routes rolled out on The Island in 2023, Base Camp is a 12.5km route with 155m elevation.
Starting from the east coast of the Island, the route leads you to North Lake, then down to South Lake, and back to the pen in the east. The primary challenge riders face is a 1.5km climb with a 6.5% average grade and pitches reaching 10% starting at km 6 rounding North Lake.
It goes without saying that this climb is where the Avengers will drop the mere Mortals in 95% of races.
Just after the descent, there is still a one-kilometer 2% gradient false flat starting at km 9.1, where the ultimate selection among the strongest may happen if someone feels courageous enough to attack one last time.
If, in most races, Base Camp should be a 1.5km all-in give it all experience, there is one thing to remember: in rare occasions, auto-braking corners combined with solid crosswind encouraged attacks from some riders split the pack into fractured groups before the climb.
Therefore, vigilance and optimizing auto-braking and cornering are essential to avoid getting dropped and producing unnecessary and highly lactate-generating efforts to close small gaps with the most skilled riders after the corners. You will need all you have for the climb. Don’t waste your watts!
Courtesy of Beta-tester Roman Edelhelfer!
Route Profile
Route details and description courtesy of Beta-tester Andras Beck!
Apologies in advance for being that grandmother bugging you to put on your coat because it is cold outside even if it is not, but the cliché “you will not win a race at an auto-braking corner, but you might lose it there” is more relevant than ever.
To prevent that from happening, take a look at this post explaining how to master corners, weather, and wind in indieVelo.
Thanks Luciano!
Check out the indieVelo-Route Descriptions page for more useful recon information.
Semi-retired as owner and director of his private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice after over 20 years, Chris is blessed with the freedom to pursue his passion for virtual cycling and writing. On a continual quest to give back to his bike for all the rewarding experiences and relationships it has provided him, he created a non-profit. Chris is committed to helping others with his bike through its work and the pages of his site.
In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to New York to support the charity he founded, TheDIRTDadFund. His “Gain Cave” resides on the North Fork of Long Island, where he lives with his beautiful wife and is proud of his two independent children.
You will read him promoting his passion on the pages of Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. Chris is co-host of The Virtual Velo Podcast, too!
