Experience Vs Ignorance | Can You Ride 100 Miles Blind? | GMBN Races The Leadville 100
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- The Leadville Trail 100 is a 105 mile XC Mountain Bike race that takes place at high altitude in the Colorado Rockies. We sent Chris Opie out to race it, blind, with no training and very little time to adjust to the altitude. Do you need experience to race a 100 mile marathon, or can you attempt it in ignorance?
In association with Garmin
Subscribe to GMBN: gmbn.eu/subscribe
Get exclusive GMBN gear in the GMBN store! gtn.io/sy
As a novice mountain bike racer with a solid level of base fitness from his road riding career, how will Chris get on against experienced Leadville veterans from Team Garmin, Walter Summers & Jordan Miller. Will he be able to tear his eyes away from the incredible views of the Colorado Rockies and concentrate on both his Garmin and the singletrack ahead of him?
If you'd like to contribute captions and video info in your language, here's the link 👍 gtn.io/sx
Watch more on GMBN...
Join Henry for an Everest Challenge 📹 gmbn.eu/everest
🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sounds
Submit your content here:
upload.gmbn.com/
Click here to buy GMBN T-shirts, hoodies and more: gmbn.eu/GMBNShop
The Global Mountain Bike Network is the best MTB TH-cam channel, with videos for everyone who loves dirt: from the full-faced helmet downhill mountain biker to the lycra-clad cross country rider along with everyone and anyone in between.
With the help of our pro and ex-pro riding team we’re here to inform, entertain and inspire you to become a better mountain biker, including videos on:
How to ride faster with expert knowledge
Fix everything with pro know-how
Ride anything with world-cup winning skills
Dial in your bike with bike set-up advice
In-depth entertaining features
Chat, opinion and interact with us on the Dirt Shed Show
Welcome to the Global Mountain Bike Network | Covering Every Angle
Thanks to our sponsors:
Canyon bikes: gmbn.eu/Canyon
Nukeproof: gmbn.eu/nukeproof
Chain Reaction Cycles: gmbn.eu/chainre...
DT Swiss Wheels: gmbn.eu/DTSwiss
crankbrothers pedals: gmbn.eu/crankbros
crankbrothers seatposts: gmbn.eu/8b
Continental: gmbn.eu/Contine...
POC helmets and eyewear: gmbn.eu/POCsports
Topeak: gmbn.eu/topeak
WD40: gmbn.eu/WD40
FSA: gmbn.eu/fsa
Ergon: gmbn.eu/ergon
Park Tool: gmbn.eu/ParkTool
Northwave: gmbn.eu/Northwave
Camelbak: gmbn.eu/camelbak
Douchebags: gmbn.eu/Douche...
Garmin: gmbn.eu/Garmin
TH-cam Channel - gmbn.eu/GMBNsubs
Facebook - gmbn.eu/GMBNFB
Google+ - gmbn.eu/GMBNGplus
Twitter - gmbn.eu/GMBNTW
Instagram - gmbn.eu/GMBNIG
GMBN Shop - gmbn.eu/gmbnshop
GMBN Tech - gmbn.tech/subsc...
GCN Tech - gcntech.co/subs...
EMBN - embn.me/subscribe
Leave us a comment below!
Have you got a question for our Adventure special Ask GMBN? Submit it in the comments below using the hashtag #askgmbn
Lycra man showing how is done!!!keep it up Mr Opie
So, how hard can Chris Opie shred?
Chris: Hold my lycra
Great job! Glad to finally see Chris on a MTB. We need to see more presenters do XC races. Looks like Chris Opie really is OP on a bike!
That belt buckle needs an episode of it's own 🤟🇮🇪
Too funny that the Garmin riders think Opie chickened out at the start but handily beat their times!
So true.
if he really was not training before that it is epic to finish and in that time - reminds me of when Harlan Price also did not train in ~2017 I believe ~ other than 3 weeks and was at 8:05 or thereabouts . True superior athletes have a way to succeed where us mere mortals need to train for 6 months minimum
Even when he is “suffering more that I ever have in a bike race” Chris doesn’t appear to be suffering.. Well done
Opie is seriously challenging Si for the title of the gcn's coolest presenter.
TheMashinac They're both cool for me.
All of them are amazing
I thought that was Emma, but unfortunately she moved on.
Can we get Opie (Yes, I know he's not part of GCN, so really he's a free agent...) and GMBN presenters to race this again? But also talk more about the bikes and setup, pre-ride stuff they've gone for. It never really got discussed on this and whether they'd go hardtail or full sus next time.
For those that have not experienced it, the elevation is no joke and makes a ride like this much more difficult. I did a road trip through Colorado and biking above 11,000 - 12,000 ft is something else. Above that altitude, I would just start feeling almost drunk. There were times where I had a hard time just keeping the bike going straight down the single track. I couldn't imagine doing a marathon race at that elevation.
I live here, in Colorado, and you never really get used to it. I ride all over Salida, Crested butte, burna vista and so on and feel like crashing half the time. It really is an awful feeling.
I tried recovering for 5 or 10 minutes, a few times. Jumped on, to start climbing again, and my legs were instantly burning. It was like I didn't get any rest.
Riding on the flats seemed ok, but climbing and altitude knocked me out!
Just for the rest of the world.. What are 11000 feet in meter?
Yes, it's the hardest mtb ride I'd ever done and will probably ever have done. Stupid sick hard.
@@chriswhatsoever2001 3350 m
Opie is hard as... awesome effort defintely need to showcase his ability more on gmbn
What a guy! That was seriously impressive, well done for completing it in under 9 hours.
It’s nice to see an event like this being ridden on mountain bikes, instead of the ever increasingly trendy ‘gravel bike’.
i saw a couple of gravel bikes, even a mountain bike with what looked like aero bars on it. They're everywhere!
Leadville is a mtb race for triathletes and roadies. The Breck Epic is a better XC mountain bikers' race. You will NOT see aero or drop bars there.
I do not know about the rest of you, but I am very impressed by Mr. Opie results and time on his first try. No whining either, just straight up comments! Well done!! The only thing I must have missed was the winning time of the Leadville, so I had to look it up which was roughly 2 hours ahead of him.
Nice one Opie great result.
Looked hard even though when you said it was tough it doesn't look like you were finding it tough.
What a beast of a race.
Great stuff #GMBN
Guys with the “Right Stuff” great to see such positivity amongst all of you guys. Kudos to all.
Finally this channel giving a go to XC races, I have not enjoyed this much since Neil raced along with Simon sometime ago, I really enjoyed this one. Well done Chris!
Watch a lot of GCN and GMBM and that was one of my favourite rides, great job by Chris in a super good time.
Oh I thought you were going to be blindfolded
Damn click bait!😂
It’s not clickbait idiots
@@haydengowell2409 oh wow. Not only did you miss the fact that they were both joking, you decided to insult them too. Nice.
Mark Evans your welcome
@@haydengowell2409 *you're
Awesome vid, you smashed it Opie! Looking forward to more content from you
I don't own a mountain bike, but I will if I keep watching these videos. Glad to see Opie having a blast on his crossover to GMBN.
One thought, it's hard to see the gradient if the camera isn't level. If possible (safe), can we get a camera level shot to the side sometimes on the climbs. GCN, GMBN challenge idea: who can ride one handed with a selfie stick up the steepest climb.- Joseph
The tricky thing is, a camera that is not pointed perpendicular to the trail will either over- or under-represent the slope, unless the zoom is completely neutral. (Of course, a camera that _is_ pointed perpendicular to the trail won't show enough trail to get a feel for the grade unless it's a distance shot or a _really_ steep slope.)
I'm not saying it's impossible; I'm just saying that it would require some forethought and even then would have some limitations.
Next year: Team GMBN ->Chris, Neil and Blake! Do it together!
Next year they should do a GCN vs GMBN at Leadville. Even tough this is mountain biking, I would put my money on Chris, Si and Jpowers.
@@normanzielke6108 Hardly any singletrack on the course. Calling it mountain biking is a stretch honestly.
@@tzs3889 it's off road so it's mountain biking plus don't forget the downhill (not as in Downhill) sections of it.
@@tzs3889 more like fire road biking
blake probably wants no part of 105 miles at altitude with no jumps and it be a race tbh
I'm not in 100 mile race shape, but I've raced dozens of times in the Leadville area(only on the snow). Leadville knows how to host races! The Leadville Winter Mountain Bike series is the absolute most fun that you can have in a bicycle race. Can't wait to do the Fat Bike Worlds there this winter.
Thank you for some XC stuff! Well about the time ;) great to see GCN guys getting on MTB too!
If you guys do come back we would love to show y’all around some of the local trails! Leadville is a great little place with a huge mtb community. Glad y’all made it and hope to see y’all again in the future and congrats to all of you guys it’s a huge thing just to finish!
Of course Chris wants to come back. Epic location, love the belt buckle, and what a great community-driven event. Kudos to the organisers, 26 years is an achievement. Thanks for sharing it guys!
Really like the cross overs. If you are not jumping it's just riding a bike. Most of us do just that.
Wait, there is GMBN lycra haha. This was great
This video is underrated, definitely need more content like this
Come to Sweden in August for the Vasa XC race 94km fantasic race
i love that xc content. there is nothing better than a stiff, lightweight and fast af mountainbike!
Wife and I went through the middle of that on accident to kayak twin lakes. I had no idea it was going on until i saw all the badass bikes stopping traffic. I was there again today too.
Chris Opie, MTB legend! Way to go👍😎
Opie you are such a beast. Killer job dude!
How in the heck did I miss Chris in GMBN?! Such a cool video to find at midnight.
Very Nice video, please do more Content about XC races and this kind of stuff
Seriously impressive! Big congrats, Opie!
This is awesome.
Turn up with a purpose-built team to drag you to the finish, bash the competition because you presume they’ve bailed before the start, then lose by almost an hour to a solo rider. Love it.
It was awesome watching a rodie crush a mountain bike event! more!!!
Umm, that like saying it's awesome watching someone rent an RV and say they love camping.
Leadville is a gravel race with a touch of smooth single track thrown in. Nobody would confuse that for a mountain bike race.
Awesome vid & nice to see Mr Opie on an MTB, more like this please!
ps. i hope there's a bike check on the way :)
Why are there "thumbs down" on this video? It's really good!
I'm so psyched this has been made being a mountain biker training for next year's Leadville 100!
Way to go "Speedy Opie"! You did an amazing job.
So sad he left GCN he is great presenting. Love this colaborations.
Hopefully Chris will come back and give it another go, now that he knows what to expect...RESPECT!
I did this race once. It was the hardest ride ever. I had never suffered so much in my life. Great experience, but I doubt I'll have a chance (or want to) to do it again. I'm glad I was able to check it off my to-do list. Now I know what true suffering and the real meaning of pain tolerance.
Come to North Dakota, for the Maah Daah Hey 100!
I cycled up Elk Mountain last month, you have my respect for the height gain Chris - cracking ride. Nice to see the trails at Brek too, tame but fun.
Beautifully done, Chris.
More XC content PLEASE!
Great Job Chris! It would be such an amazing opportunity to do that race!!
Utter respect, and a bit of love.
Top effort Chris , what an experience 🤙👊
Come on Everybody Give It Up for CHRIS!!!👏😀
For Better or Bikes making quick work of Powerline descent @ 2:01
Congratulations Chris, what an achievement! If you'd like to participate in any XC Marathon events here in Spain, let me know. Also the third weekend of August every year we climb from the village of Capileria (1400m) to El Veleta in the Sierra Nevada to 3300m above the ski resort. Great day out with spectacular views.
Mega gratz. Enjoy that belt buckle!
Well done Chris well deserved belt buckle 🤗
I did some dirt bike riding around that region. Super fun place. Bikes were barely running at the highest altitudes we were riding.
Totally awesome job.
Well done Opie! what an awesome event!
Nice! Now try the Cohutta 100 in Tennessee/North Georgia. Tight single track and soul crushing gravel climbs. There are also lower mileage options.
Crushed it, mate! Bravo
I had a race in Leadville a few weeks ago. The elevation was crazy!
Top job, proper bucket list race!
The elevation hit the founder really good😅 !
Nicely done! You crushed it!!
What a race, well done, thumps up!
Impressive! Glad you finished sub 9 hrs. and took home the big belt buckle!
Please do Salzkammergut trophy the A distance! PLEASE 🙏🙏
Yess! I’ve been waiting weeks for this video!
Nice job Chris. Next year, bring Si with you.
Shout out to Chris Shannon from Louisville eating up the trail!
I have that canyon bike it's amazing!! I've taken loads of Strava KOMs that were slightly out of reach on my other bikes.
Well done,Travolta!
Congratulations! I am wondering if my memory serves me right. Have we met before Opie at the Bicycle Habitat in New York? You look familiar to me. I remembered checking out your Carbon Fiber Full Suspension Mountain Bike at the shop early this year when I was working on my Italian Road Bike Build and having my old mountain bike checked out. Cheers!
I like the new format of the thumbnails
Great effort Chris!
This was awesome I know the guy who won this race went to high school with Howard Grotts.
This course sounds amazing, too bad I live in Australia.
Well some on down to Fox Creek for the XC state nationals on 29th of September... See you there in single speed class.
Same man
Obviously you didn't race the Colorado Trail Race. Lol 😂 makes Leadville 100 look silly 🤣. Sincerely 2022 CTR participant.
More XC content please!
Enjoyed this a lot
I watched the event this year so sick!!
Ride the Tour de Tucson 110 miles in Tucson AZ or the 100 mile Hardscrabble in Canon City Colorado
Congratulations Chris 👊😎🏆
Well done mate,really good video.
Well done. You realy done very difficult job.
Loved this video!!!!!
Great job, congrats. Great video too.
Hell yeah well done Chris!
Good job. Congratulations!
Come ride Iceman in Michigan!
Iceman Cometh Challenge, race between Kalkaska and Traverse City, 1st Saturday in November.
Need to get into Marji Gesick. Many riders have said it's harder then Leadville
Great video!
Well done Chris!
big respect
Hope you do the Tour Divide next year.
I have done 66 miles on my old Trek 4300 (26 inch wheels) twice now... Would love to try a new 29 incher!
I live in Grand Junction Colorado!
Great effort Chris. 👍
Great downhill skills Chris. Not just a roadie.
It's cool these guys are fast, but the people in the back work a lot harder and deserve a lot of credit. That's where some stories are, clean natural riders.