On Wednesday, September 3, ultra-distance legend Kilian Jornet kicked off his boldest U.S. project yet. Titled States of Elevation, the Spaniard aims to climb every 14,000-foot peak in the contiguous states, travelling between and up them only by bike and on foot.
The route takes in Colorado’s 58 fourteeners before stretching west across Utah and Nevada to California’s Sierra Nevada range, ultimately finishing on Washington’s Mount Rainier. In practice, it’s the equivalent of riding a Tour de France stage and running a marathon every single day for roughly a month.
Jornet is no stranger to redefining endurance. His record includes victories at the world’s hardest ultramarathons, ski mountaineering world titles, multiple FKTs, including an Everest ascent. He also completed his Alpine Connections project in 2024, where he linked all 82 Alpine 4,000-meter summits in just 19 days and 1,200 kilometers by bike. But this U.S. challenge presents a new scale of difficulty: greater distances, higher altitudes, and far fewer logistical shortcuts.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly before setting off, Jornet admitted he hadn’t over-engineered his preparation. He kept to his trademark “mountain hours” with the bike now more central than ever. The focus, he said, was not on perfect planning but on adapting, enduring and simply keep moving forward.
Stage 2 (September 4–5) crossed the Front Range near Denver, where Jornet summited Mt. Blue Sky, Bierstadt, Grays, and Torreys, before riding through Breckenridge to climb Quandary Peak in the Sawatch Range.
Stage 3 (September 5–6) pushed into the technical Mosquito Range east of Leadville, where he linked Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and Sherman, then capped the day with Holy Cross, one of Colorado’s most remote fourteeners.
Stage 4 (September 6) delivered the biggest peaks yet. From the Evergreen Lakes trailhead, Jornet summited Mount Massive (14,428ft/4,398m) and Mount Elbert (14,440ft/4,401m), the Rockies’ two highest summits, in a single north–south traverse.
By September 7, Jornet marked a “rest day” with an 87km (54-mile) ride from Twin Lakes through Aspen toward the Elk Range. Rest being a relative term in the world of Kilian Jornet.
When we pressed Jornet on his equipment in the pre-event interview, he was deliberately vague. He revealed only that his bike was “a lightweight endurance setup—simple, reliable, and built for efficiency.”
With the project’s demands, the bike had to be tough enough to absorb relentless mileage, yet light and efficient enough to keep him moving through endless climbs and transfers.
At the time, Jornet’s discretion was partly due to his gear sponsor being a late addition to the project. But now that the journey is well underway, we know more about the bikes that are carrying Jornet through one of the most audacious endurance feats ever attempted.
Kilian Jornet’s custom-painted Treks
Kilian Jornet with his Project One Madone
(Image credit: States of Elevation Project)
For the States of Elevation project, Trek has supplied Jornet with two custom-painted Project One machines, each chosen for the vastly different demands of the journey.
For the rough gravel trails and rugged access roads leading to many of Colorado’s fourteeners, Jornet is riding a Trek Checkpoint, a gravel bike purpose-built for mixed terrain and long days on rough terrain.
For the fast, arid stretches of road that link mountain ranges across Utah and Nevada, Jornet will switch to a Trek Madone, the brand’s top-end aero road bike, with clip-on aerobars.
Kilian Jornet riding his Project One Madone
(Image credit: States of Elevation Project)
Both bikes are equipped with wireless SRAM RED AXS components and Bontrager Aeolus RSL wheels. It looks like the Madone is equipped with the mid-deep Aeolus RSL 51 or 62, and a shallower version, likely the Aeolus RSL 37, is used on the Checkpoint for gravel and climbing efficiency. For the long solo stretches, the Madone has been outfitted with clip-on bars for aero efficiency.
It looks like Jornet is using road pedals on both bikes and he’s wearing Fizik shoes. As a Coros-sponsored athlete, Jornet relies on the Dura cycling computer to route him to his next summit, which he pairs with the Coros arm-based HR monitor.
Kilian Jornet with his Project One Checkpoint
(Image credit: States of Elevation Project)
He’s wearing NNormal apparel, which is a relatively new performance brand founded by Jornet and Spanish footwear brand Camper. And his on-the-bike fuel is provided by Maurten.
You can follow the States of Elevation project on social media, via https://www.instagram.com/kilianjornet/.
