Death Ride

[maillotpois]

Once again, my DH and I are leading the Team in Training Death Ride team for the Sonoma/Napa/Marin areas. We have a great training program and some amazing rides lined up - including a weekend training in Markleeville riding passes about a month before the event.

You are guaranteed entry into the Death Ride - there is fundraising involved and it is for an excellent cause (leukemia research and patient services).

Creds: DH and I are both USA Cycling certified coaches, and we have been coaching for TNT for about 6 years. I love this event - it is the most beautiful ride I've done in CA for sure. We've got some great assistant coaches helping us, very well-supported training rides and we support all speeds/abilities/goals.

If anyone is interested (DEANNA?? You there??), send me a PM!

[jobob]

I'd love to do this, but I hate fundraising !

I'd rather write out checks to support others' efforts, than try to do my own fundraising ...

[maillotpois]

I know, but with the whole on line fundraising thing they make it pretty easy and provide a lot of support. Honestly, most people end up being more nervous about the fundraising than the ride (which for this ride they shouldn't be ), and have a much easier time with the fundraising than they ever imagined. I think it will be in the $3000 range, fyi.

You'll be so busy rolling out those 200ks you won't have time for our silly little training rides!

[Happy_Wheels!]

"Death Ride"!?

OMG!

From the title, I thought something terrible had occurred!

What a funny name for a bike ride!

Luv,

Happy_Wheels!

[smilingcat]

Oh Death Ride is one phenominal ride. Over the years the course has changed.

Start and finish hasn't changed. Start at Turtle Rock. You can even camp out at the starting place. The roads are closed off with exception of Carson Pass.

So you camp out at turtle rock. Beautiful deep blue night sky. you can clearly see the Milky way spanning across the sky. and you gently fall asleep in the alpine meadow of Turtle Rock. Make sure you're bundled up cause "baby, it's cold outside."

You used to be rudely awakened to the sound of roosters crowing, and cows mooing followed by the sound of locomotive. And they add that extra touch. For a patriotic feel, they blast Jimmy Hendrix version of Star Spangled Banner over the PA. I think the lousy PA adds to the effect. Maillo says they have become more genteel these days.

so now you are blarey eyed but awake. You get dressed and hop on your bike. you follow others like the lemmings. You turn right out from the camp ground follow the American River for a while. Mostly downhill to lossen up and warm up (NOT) You come to a fork!

Like a lemming you follow others in front of you. You turn left. and the fun starts. Start climbing to the top of Monitor Pass ele 8400 feet. mind you, you are only at 5,000 feet?? When you think you've had it, I often have seen a skeleton drawn on the road with a quote "Having fun yet?"

Anyway, it is a beautiful scenery, High Sierra at its best (or its worst well that's another story 800+ of us SAGed one year due to hypothermia me included at top of Ebetts pass, sleet in mid July)

At top of each pass there is a rest stop where you can get more water, banana, boiled potato, oranges... And everybody is so friendly.

The best climb I think is Ebetts pass. Why? Is it because it has sections with 15% or greater grade. maybe? or is it the view toward carson pass maybe? or is it the view of a spectacular waterfall maybe? or is it because the summit is the highest point of the ride at 9,000 feet elevation. Makes you light headed?? Also you've completed just under 10,000 feet of climb with two to go.

Now I've never ridden the backside of Ebetts. Thats something "new".

The fun part is you get E ticket ride back down Ebetts toward Turtle rock (I've hit 62MPH) and a little town of Markleeville where you get to have your lunch. yes you do three mountain passes before lunch time .

If I recall there was a cut off time over at Carson. And I heard that if you get there kind of late and looking exhausted. They ask you questions. You must answer them correctly to continue on. (Personally I don't remember this aspect)

What!, is your name?
What!, is your favorite color?
... (I think they copied Monty Python's Holy Grail)

If you can answer them correctly you get to continue on up Carson and Luther pass. At this point you're so tired you not really paying much attention to anything. I sure wasn't.

You get back to turtle rock. Oh its an uphill to Turtle Rock When you finish, you show all the colored dots you've collected along the way. And if you have all of them you get to sign your name on a poster. yipee!!!

A very fun day.

If you do go, take a camera and take lots of pictures. Oh so beautiful. Maybe I should put my name on the lottery. It would be 16 years since the last time... OMG I'm getting old.

Fond memories...
Smilingcat

[Bike Goddess]

Smiling Cat- I believe that Ebbetts pass is now BOTH sides instead of Luther Pass.

Also, when you come back through Markleeville, you pass your car and all that comfy warm stuff called dry clothes, before you go over for the last grind up Carson pass.

I've thought (note "thought") about this ride for many years since guys in my bike club do it every year. I'm a bit intimidated by the downhill part of Monitor (yeah, I know it's pretty beautiful scenery wise) as I'm not a fast descender. 62 MPH? I think I've hit 45 in my younger years.

But everyone says that you just do as many passes as you can. If you do all five you earn a jersey which is quite cool for rides around home (as in "impress your bike pals").

I know of people who start earlier so they can finish the ride- as long as you have certified lights, it's okay.

Regarding fund raising- $3000 is a bit to raise- I think the AIDS ride to LA is still 2500. But as MP says all for a good cause!

[maillotpois]

Great "ride report" Smilingcat!!

A couple of changes - you do both sides of Monitor and then Both sides of Ebbett's before lunch in the valley at the base of Ebbett's (maybe 5 - 7 miles from Markleeville). Then on to Carson.

They don't make you answer the questions any more - sounds funny!

And on the fundraising, TNT's fundraising #s are generally higher than some other events, like ALC, because they must ensure that at least 75% of the money raised goes directly to leukemia research and patient services. (It's generally closer to 85 - 85%, but 75% is their minimum.) So they calculate the fundraising amount by taking the costs for the event and simply multiplying by four. For this event, not only is there team ride permit and insurance costs, lodging and event entry and the general season expenses, but there's also food and lodging for the altitude camp as well.

And my "E ticket ride" is the lower part of Carson - I hit 58 there a couple of years ago.

[roadie gal]

The Death Ride was the best supported ride I've ever done. There were food and water stops everywhere and great people cheering you on throughout the ride.

Maillotpois, are those guaranteed entries part of or in addition to the 2500 lottery entries? Is TnT limiting the number of people?

[maillotpois]

our slots aren't part of the 2500 for the lottery - it's separate. TNT gets about 50 each year, and have for years. we're not a big group, and they like suppoorting us.

[Trek420]

maillotpois,

both are great causes and both are hard rides but Death Ride has 16,000 feet of climbing?

There's debate on ALC of how much climbing there is. The route changes, for some reason there's no "official" stat. But gear-heads on the ride with GPS etc I've heard anywhere from 24k - 27 sumthin'.

But that's over 7 days which has its own challenges of course. The back to back to back-ness of multi day rides is what's hard I think.

Both are great rides and great causes. Thanks for riding. Our cousin Marvin died waaay too young of Leukemia

[maillotpois]

And my step brother died way too young of AIDS.

Only problem with ALC for me is the multi-day thing. If I am taking several days to ride a bike, away from my kid, it's going to be in France and there will be porters.

[velogirl]

Apparently the Chamber "relieved" Alta Alpina of their ride director duties for the Death Ride this year. Does anyone know how that will impact the event? We met the former ride director yesterday and he didn't have much positive to say.

[maillotpois]

I had not heard that - not sure what effect it will have.

I won't be involved til the training actually starts - DH is taking over on the promo end. Our manager concurred that a head coach in a full arm sling probably wouldn't be the best publicity.