Death Ride?

[maillotpois]

Anyone doing the Death Ride this year? It's lottery, so it is tough to get in (though you can almost always get a spot the day before if you line up at the expo for the unclaimed extra slots they seem to have). I didn't get inthrough lottery this year but will get a slot with team in training as I am doing a coaching program for them for it.

After reading Caligurl's post about that Redlands hell - I mean hill - ride where you get a sticker for each hill, it reminded me a lot of the Death Ride.

It is a tough ride, and weather can really be a factor. But I have ridden all over, and there's no more beautiful ride in my opinion. Something about those mountains and forests.

Anyway, just checking to see if anyone else is doing it. I highly recommend it - might make a good goal for next year at least for anyone who's interested.

[SadieKate]

Over my dead body.

http://www.deathride.com/

[slinkedog]

I think it was Susan who owns Team Estrogen who stated that she generally avoided rides that had words like "death," "suffer" and "devil" in them. I agree.

[maillotpois]

Now, now - don't just knee jerk react because the name is scary. You can do just 1 pass, or more if you like. You set your own pace and ride as far as you want.

And seeing the tandem bike with the skeleton stoker makes it worth it!! (S/he pedals and everything!)

[slinkedog]

Actually, this is a ride my husband has always wanted to do. He could probably make it, too. His only reason for not wanting to do it is because he's afraid that he won't be able to take descents as fast as he'd like because one of his friends who has already done it told him that there are too many riders who go slow on the descents.

[maillotpois]

Actually, this is a ride my husband has always wanted to do. He could probably make it, too.

So here's the deal - you guys both sign up for it next year. (Team in Training actually has a good training program for this, and you are guaranteed a slot.) Anyway, sign up and he goes off and does 5 passes and you do 1, 2 or 3 and meet up at the end and you look all fresh and relaxed and he's beat. Perfect!!

But I am sure that building up to it, you could do 5 as well. We had a woman on the team last year, she was AMAZING. She was in her late 60's and wasn't the fastest rider in the world, but she just kept plugging along. She made it to the cut off at Pickett's with 15 minutes to spare and did all 5 passes. Stuff like that makes me cry.

But I digress....

[SadieKate]

Now, now - don't just knee jerk react because the name is scary. You can do just 1 pass, or more if you like. You set your own pace and ride as far as you want.

I can attempt one pass all by myself without displaying my pathetic decrepitude (an aka_kim-ism) to the public.

Actually, yellow, Kim and I were talking about Ebbetts(?) last year but couldn't do it before yellow abandoned us for Yewtah.

[maillotpois]

Actually, yellow, Kim and I were talking about Ebbetts(?) last year but couldn't do it before yellow abandoned us for Yewtah.

Ebbetts is beautiful. My favorite of the passes. But it is SUPER narrow, and the nice thing about Death Ride is the road's closed to cars.

[yellow]

Actually, yellow, Kim and I were talking about Ebbetts(?) last year but couldn't do it before yellow abandoned us for Yewtah.

Oh, go ahead, rub salt in it. I miss the Sierra! (The Wasatch Range is nice, but it's not the Sierra.)

[SadieKate]

Oregon has rides like the Cookie Monster Metric and the Pub Crawl. Bend has the Ice Cream Century (or something or other like that). What is with California? The Death Ride. The Terrible Two. I think I'll move to Oregon.

[maillotpois]

Might as well live in Oregon with this weather. HARUMPH!!!

[snapdragen]

Oregon has rides like the Cookie Monster Metric and the Pub Crawl. Bend has the Ice Cream Century (or something or other like that). What is with California? The Death Ride. The Terrible Two. I think I'll move to Oregon.

Cookie Monster Metric has always been on my list of rides to do someday. Pub Crawl......who could resist?

Death Ride? Not in my lifetime!

[Bike Goddess]

If I were to do the Death Ride (not currently on my list nor is the Auburn Century for that matter either), I'd have to do some serious hill training. The Benicia Bike club group has a wicked training program which requires some cycling on the steepest hills they can find around here. When I saw what they did to prepare (these guys do this ride EVERY year), I decided I'd rather do centuries and have fun! No misery for me!

Yes, the area is beautiful. I know the roads up there well. Ebbetts is hard. Steep, narrow, windy. The only good part of the Death Ride is it is closed for part of the day. Can't imagine meeting one of those big recreational vehicles coming down as I was attempting to go up! Castrophe in the making.

There are two women from my town who are doing it (they are in). Unfortunately they aren't on this forum.

Sarah- You're one tough cyclist!