# Death Ride 2008



## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

Who's in? (so far)

It will be my first. Not sure what to expect, but plan to take my bike out of storage the first week of may.


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## PaleAleYum (Jan 12, 2006)

*Me too*

My first as well


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

I'm in. 5th time. I love it. It's the Woodstock of long distance road cycling.

There's lots of brevet action this spring if you're looking for training rides:

SFR 200 Jan 26
SFR 300 Feb 23
SCR 150K March 1 
DBC 200K March 8
SRCC 200K March 15
SCR 200K March 22 
DBC 300K March 29
SRCC 300K April 12
SCR 300K April 19 
DBC 400K April 26

SFR = San Francisco Randonneurs www.sfrandonneurs.org
SCR = Santa Cruz Randonneurs http://pages.prodigy.net/scrandonneurs/
DBC = Davis Bike Club www.davisbikeclub.org
SRCC = Santa Rosa Cycle Club www.srcc.com


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## frecciaceleste (Feb 4, 2005)

I'm in as well, This well be my third DR. What to expect, I would say you need to train on fairly long climbs say 7 to 9 miles. The climbs on Monitor are about 9 miles in length. Also, do some century rides leading upto the event. If you are good climber you should be able to finish. Keep your fluid intake up (drink often every 5-10min or so) and don't forget to eat at the rest stops. Lastly, have a great time. Hope to see you there.

Dswiger


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## Chucko (May 15, 2007)

Haven't ridden it myself, but a friend has done a few Death Rides.

If I were training for it, I'd want to get in a bunch of high altitude riding to get acclimated. Sure, long rides at sea level would help with endurance, but there's no substitute for thin air training.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

I'm in. 3rd time with my wife. Luckily I live a short distance away so easy training.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

The ride is as much a test of sitting in the saddle for hours on end as it is altitude. I've got lots of friends who come up from the Bay Area or Sac area for it. They're all crazy riders so they can force their way through it without too much damage. The biggest thing is to stay hydrated or you'll have altitude sickness like you wouldn't believe. If I lived in the Bay Area I'd be going up and down all the coastal range mountains and doing Diablo (I think that's what it's called. Only did it once and haven't gotten back down before.), Mt. Tam, etc. to get in shape for it. If you have the climbers you'll do fine.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

I'll be doing it for the 6th time. I live in the bay area and ride the local mountains to train. I have always just driven up the day before, and the altitude's never been a problem. 

Do some centuries to train and to help figure out what and how much you need to eat. Also get in some riding in hot weather so you are heat acclimated. It's often pretty hot on the latter parts of the ride.

If you can, get in some shorter climbing rides during the week where you go at your threshold for 20-30 minutes at a time, and longer climbing rides on the weekend done at an endurance pace. I like to do repeats of Mt Hamilton (include the back side) or Mt Diablo but there's plenty of other climbs to do.


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## SpamnRice (Nov 17, 2007)

It'll be my first also.


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## sellsworth (Apr 6, 2006)

I'm in for #6. Last year I swore that #5 would be my last but I couldn't resist doing another. The price is worth it just for that first climb up Monitor in the morning. Hundreds and hundreds of cyclists and no vehicular traffic. My drive is short too so I won't worry about the lofty price of fuel.


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## RelevantAaron (Oct 16, 2007)

First for me as well....


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## rensho (Aug 5, 2003)

grrrah said:


> Who's in? (so far)
> 
> It will be my first. Not sure what to expect, but plan to take my bike out of storage the first week of may.


What!!! Why didn't you invite me? :arg:
Now I'm gonna have to kick your arse next time I see you. I've always wanted to do this ride, though just too chicken or lazy to try and get in.

;-), just in case people don't understand about the kicking arse part.


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## bradf24 (Nov 22, 2006)

*Looking for Death Ride Entry*

This ride is on my "bucket list" and this is The Year. Second year in a row that I signed up and did not get selected. Now I start the search for a second hand entry. If you have one and are not going to use it, I would deeply appreciate the hand off.
Thanks in advance for your consideration.
Brad "training for Death Ride anyway" Fuller


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## rzims (Nov 15, 2005)

I did it last year, but didn't get picked this year - if anyone knows of a ticket not being used, please PM me.
This is a great ride. Plan on long sustained climbs. 
As I found out last year when I cramped up badly that it's just as important to watch your intake during the ride as your fitness level before the ride.


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## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

rensho said:


> What!!! Why didn't you invite me? :arg:
> Now I'm gonna have to kick your arse next time I see you. I've always wanted to do this ride, though just too chicken or lazy to try and get in.
> 
> ;-), just in case people don't understand about the kicking arse part.


you kick my arse everytime we ride together anyways 

I wasn't even gonn sign up but was reminded by another buddy in the last couple of days it was open. I was unsuccessfull in the past, and this was the first time I forgot to cross my fingers.

I'll keep an eye out for a free spot. Same buddy may have conflicting plans.


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## CHUM (Nov 4, 2005)

rensho said:


> What!!! Why didn't you invite me? :arg:
> Now I'm gonna have to kick your arse next time I see you. I've always wanted to do this ride, though just too chicken or lazy to try and get in.





grrrah said:


> you kick my arse everytime we ride together anyways
> 
> I wasn't even gonn sign up but was reminded by another buddy in the last couple of days it was open. I was unsuccessfull in the past, and this was the first time I forgot to cross my fingers.
> 
> I'll keep an eye out for a free spot. Same buddy may have conflicting plans.


yah...you booger.....didn't invite me either.....rrr: 

my excuse for not entering.....i'm clueless...therefore rely solely on my buds to keep me *in the know*......you booger.......:wink5:


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## Sledge (Mar 31, 2006)

*I'm looking too*

This will be my fifth year in a row. And this is the third time I have not been selected. bah!
I'd like to get in queue if anyone has a ticket and can't use it please let me know.

It's a great ride. Tough, but very doable. Beautiful scenery the whole way. Amazing volunteers at every stop.


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## Sledge (Mar 31, 2006)

*Odd update*

I just received a selected rider email from the death ride?!? My assumption, if this is legit, is that many selected riders did not complete the registration and pay by the deadline so the death ride folks had another lottery to fill all the spots. It all looks like a normal registration from active.com and all the other riders names were there in the dropdown of selected riders. So, at least it appears to be legit. We'll see...

Anybody else get on of these emails


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## bradf24 (Nov 22, 2006)

*odd update*

Hi Sledge,
Good for you...my guess would be the same as yours...the lack of fee that had to be paid to get into the lottery this year probably encouraged people to sign up under more than one name and/or to sign up on a bit of a lark only to decide it is too tough a ride to do on a lark...on a Serrota maybe but not on a lark. Anyway, it is a great challenge and a great ride both in terms of support and course/scenery. I know that country well as I grew up in the Sacramento area and we had cousins in the Lake Tahoe area so we fished and explored those mountians lots. Also love the hot springs there. Spend a few extra days in Alpine County and you will not regret a minute of it.
Brad


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## Sherpa23 (Nov 5, 2001)

I'm in. Will be my 5th year in a row. My best friend and I ride it together and it is always a blast. The best organized ride in the US, imo.


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## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

Sherpa23 said:


> I'm in. Will be my 5th year in a row. My best friend and I ride it together and it is always a blast. The best organized ride in the US, imo.


Sherpa, good to see you back. Thanks for posting.


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## jms (Jan 9, 2008)

*What to expect*



grrrah said:


> Who's in? (so far)Not sure what to expect


 I did it in 2006 - it was my first organized century. Did all 5 passes in @ 10 hrs, got my pin and patch, etc.
The best part of the Death Ride is there's @ 15,000 ft of descending on some closed roads along with all the climbing. Down Monitor on both sides was a blast - like 50 mph or so in places, but you've got to be careful overtaking slower riders: cork pads on carbon rims made that "iffy" a couple times. Down Ebbetts is where lots of people crash. Down Carson is tough when you're tired, there's car traffic, and sketchy with the aforementioned carbon wheel/tree bark brake pad combo....in a hail storm.
Climbing Monitor is a very steady, long grade going both directions. Ebbetts starts out pleasantly enough, then starts throwing 12+ ramps at you late in that climb. On the climbs, you've got to be aware of riders coming downhill toward you, especially on Ebbetts, and coming up out of Hope[?] valley. Carson Pass is just looooog, heading for that last pass sticker.
The rest stop at Wolf Cr. is crowded, take your lunch break back in Markleville if you can hack it. The food @ the rest stops is okay. The volunteers are WONDERFUL - I can't say enough nice things about them! The porta potties are always jammed with people re-applying chamois butter - judging by all the wrappers in them.
Lots of the riders took it WAY seriously, seemingly a quasi-religious experience: almost like Muslims to Mecca. humor seemed in short supply at times.
Overall, It was okay - I enjoyed myself, and had a nice sense of accomplishment afterwards, but, have no great desire to do it again.
Hope you have a blast, and good luck. I'm sure you'll do great!


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## Sherpa23 (Nov 5, 2001)

Fogdweller said:


> Sherpa, good to see you back. Thanks for posting.


FD,
Thanks. I decided to return to racing this year (started training Feb. 1) so I've been lurking for a couple of months now. Will probably do mostly lurking and not much posting. I'm always available by pm, though.


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