The Death Ride

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Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic

divad

Trad climber

wmass

Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 10, 2016 - 12:34pm PT

On Friday, driving from Tuolumne to Lake Tahoe, this bike event was being set up. Anybody ever done it? Looks like a killer.

zBrown

Ice climber

Jul 10, 2016 - 12:58pm PT

AT least 1500 on Y-tube have viewed it.

But to get back to the topic at hand, no, I have never done it.

Jon Glisky is rumoured to have tried it in an airplane.

RIP Jon.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Brandon-

climber

The Granite State.

Jul 10, 2016 - 01:06pm PT

My old roommate in Squaw Valley, Jesse Bushey (sp?) won the death ride one year, and credited it to froot loops.

zBrown

Ice climber

Jul 10, 2016 - 01:12pm PT

Fruit loops, wow. I'm gonna get a few boxes.

I bet that Cosmic guy uses them too.

Banquo

climber

Amerricka

Jul 10, 2016 - 02:35pm PT

I started doing the DR in 2001 on a challenge. I borrowed a bike (old double w/ 6sp cassette) and finished it. I bought a better bike and went every year but when I figured out that I had no doubt I could do it and nobody else doubted I could do it, I quit going. It's a pretty hard ride of 139 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing.

Rather than doing the organized ride, just drive the route and stash your lunch and water along the way then do it some weekday when there are less people around.

Here is my son at 14 and Cragnshag riding:

[Click to View YouTube Video]

The kid found it pretty hard.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

10b4me

Mountain climber

Retired

Jul 10, 2016 - 02:57pm PT

Always wanted to, but am now too old, and out of shape.

BruceHildenbrand

Social climber

Mountain View/Boulder

Jul 10, 2016 - 07:34pm PT

Did it. Too many people for me to really enjoy the experience. I went back a year later the week after the official event and just did it with a friend. It is pretty easy to self-support. I much preferred the 10-20 cars we encountered versus riding with 3000 other cyclists on 'closed' roads. YMMV.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

ne'er–do–well

Jul 10, 2016 - 07:44pm PT

Jon Glisky is rumoured to have tried it in an airplane.

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

Shetville , North of Los Angeles

Jul 10, 2016 - 08:08pm PT

Riding with 3,000 gapers sounds dangerous...Instead , do the Raw...Ride Around the Whites...155 miles on some of the loneliest roads in Nevada...No entry fees or silly lottery games...

Charlie D.

Trad climber

Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra

Jul 11, 2016 - 04:53am PT

I've completed it 3 or 4 times over the years, the best part of it is Monitor and Ebbets Pass gets shut down to vehicles. It's a great tour with a fun crowd if you like organized rides. It's a fund raiser for the Alpine County Library.

neebee

Social climber

calif/texas

Jul 11, 2016 - 05:50am PT

hey there say, ... wow, guys... very interesting...

thanks for sharing... :)

lars johansen

Trad climber

West Marin, CA

Jul 11, 2016 - 06:59am PT

Climbrunride has done it a few times. Maybe he'll post?
lars

Mei

Trad climber

mxi2000.net

Jul 11, 2016 - 10:58am PT

Was never into organized rides, especially the hype that drive hundreds to rush to the computer as early as in November the year before in order to get an entry before the event is sold out within minutes.

One year, an entry landed in my lap a month before the ride. Did four training rides and went for it as my first century (100+ miles) and rode it alone in <10 hours. I blew past most rest stops (ride report).

The year after, bought two entries off of Craigslist one week before the ride. This time, I stopped at almost every rest stop and did it in 10.5 hours (ride report).

Haven't looked at it again after they stopped allowing registration transfer.

The view dropping down Monitor Pass towards Hwy 395 is absolutely breathtaking. There are more photos in the above linked ride reports.

Willoughby

Social climber

Truckee, CA

Jun 28, 2017 - 06:59am PT

I'm not really into organized rides either, but I got talked into this one. What's the etiquette on the descents? It's my favorite part, and I'm worried there's gonna be a lot of people riding their brakes in my way. Also, am I gonna die?

monolith

climber

state of being

Jun 28, 2017 - 07:05am PT

The descents were never a problem for me as far as slow people are concerned, but I always got a very early start (before official start time).

jamatt

Social climber

Asheville, NC

Jun 28, 2017 - 07:09am PT

I did the Y2K version in 2000. I completed the 5 passes plus the bonus in just over 9 hours. I think it was 130-ish miles.

Things seemed to spread out pretty quickly and I had no issues with clumping up on the descents. Coming off the last pass was the fastest I have ever been on a bike, 55mph plus on two dime sized contact points. Straight line speed is not really my thing. I much prefer a long winding descent with technical cornering at much lower speeds.