I wasn't able to get any riding in myself...arrived in Denver Friday morning, took 2 hours to drive to Leadville from the airport. Spent the afternoon going over things with my friends, checking out the crew access points, and making sure we had everything covered. Would have loved to get some riding in, but asides from not having the time, I was definitely feeling the altitude...could feel my heart-rate was up just from being there...
The atmosphere was terrific! I didn't go last year, so I can't compare it to what it was like with LA there, but everybody (locals, race organizers and volunteers, racers, friends/family) was really friendly and helpful. My friends who were riding arrived in Leadville 10 days early (to get acclimated to the altitude) and were immediately able to find other racers who very happily helped them get familiar with the course et al.
And for those who are interested in the bikes...lots of variety in the bikes (26ers, 29ers, tandems, single-speeds). Specialized and Trek were the most popular, and I noticed a lot of Moots, Niner and Santa Cruz bikes...
