Getting ready for the Death Ride - our TnT team spent the weekend up in Markleeville riding some of the passes and generally getting used to riding in the area. We camped in Grover's Hot Springs (highly recommended- the hot springs are nice, and the showers even have hot water!).
Saturday was our Ebbets Pass day. We rode both sides, and it is challenging. All I could think as I struggled up the 2nd side was that this hurts, and it is only my 2nd pass of the day. What am I going to do when it is the day of the event, and it is pass #4? There are some steep sections, mostly on the East side, about 12%. The scenery is spectacular (I'm too tired to get the pics off my camera, maybe I'll get them posted tomorrow). I'm not sure if the altitude played a part in how I felt, but it sure makes for a convenient excuse.
Sunday (today) we went up Monitor from the West, then pedalled over to Carsons Pass so we could experience first hand how the little hill (it hardly shows up on the elevation profile) going up to Turtle Rock park can hurt, especially when there's a headwind. We didn't go up Carsons because of time constraints.
Monitor is one of the most fun descents I've ridden. Fast and wide open, with good sight lines around most corners. We had a strong head wind coming down, so I only bothered to hit my brakes for the tighter turns - otherwise, I just sat up and let the wind slow me down. I hit 45 mph at some point.
Unfortunately, to get to the descent, you have to climb first, and I was still a bit tight from Saturday's ride, so the climb up was not as much fun. There's also a few steep sections on Monitor, mostly near the bottom, and they got to me. The scenery is different from Ebbets - Ebbets has lots of shady sections, thanks to pine trees. Monitor is more wide open, with hardly any pine trees (almost like the top of Altamont/Patterson passes).
All in all I'm glad we did this - now I have a much better idea of how much work I have to do before July 14th - a lot! I'm going to sleep this off now - pics tomorrow.
JB
PS - the elevation gain chart is at http://www.deathride.com/course/elevationgiant.html
jobob
06-11-07, 12:44 PM
Wow! Cheers, JB ! :beer:
Just curious, what's your training plan between now & then?
jonathanb715
06-11-07, 09:27 PM
Wow! Cheers, JB ! :beer:
Just curious, what's your training plan between now & then?
LOL- ride a lot, climb more.
We're doing Diablo repeats on Weds. - minimum of 3, but as many as can be squeezed in. We'll also do a team ride from Livermore down to Mt. Hamilton via Mines Rd, and do Sierra and Palomares on the way back for good luck. The final hard team ride will cover Del Puerto Canyon and some other stuff. During the weekdays, I'll be riding as much as possible, and Mt. Diablo is only 10 miles away, so that will be where I climb. I'll wander down into Livermore when I need to add in miles.
I'm still hoping to post a few pics soon!
JB
backinthesaddle
06-11-07, 09:58 PM
LOL- ride a lot, climb more.
We're doing Diablo repeats on Weds. - minimum of 3, but as many as can be squeezed in. We'll also do a team ride from Livermore down to Mt. Hamilton via Mines Rd, and do Sierra and Palomares on the way back for good luck. The final hard team ride will cover Del Puerto Canyon and some other stuff. During the weekdays, I'll be riding as much as possible, and Mt. Diablo is only 10 miles away, so that will be where I climb. I'll wander down into Livermore when I need to add in miles.
I'm still hoping to post a few pics soon!
JB
I'm tired just reading about it! :eek:
spingineer
06-11-07, 10:02 PM
Terry Morse had one of his "Kiss of Death" tours this past weekend. I wonder how that went. Would have been good training for the death ride.
jonathanb715
06-11-07, 10:14 PM
Terry Morse had one of his "Kiss of Death" tours this past weekend. I wonder how that went. Would have been good training for the death ride.
I didn't see any of his SAG vehicles, but I did see the SAG vehicles and many of the riders from the Near Death Experience, which is run out of Kirkwood to get riders ready for the Death Ride. Lots and lots of riders going up all of the passes. I think Markleeville makes more money in June and the first 2 weeks of July than in the rest of the year combined.
JB
jonathanb715
06-11-07, 10:16 PM
I'm tired just reading about it! :eek:
I have a very understanding boss who lets me train when I want to (aka I'm self employed). I've been pushing some client meetings out past July 14th to make time to train - sadly, though, if I'm not working, I'm not getting paid.
JB
spingineer
06-11-07, 10:38 PM
LOL- ride a lot, climb more.
We're doing Diablo repeats on Weds. - minimum of 3, but as many as can be squeezed in. We'll also do a team ride from Livermore down to Mt. Hamilton via Mines Rd, and do Sierra and Palomares on the way back for good luck. The final hard team ride will cover Del Puerto Canyon and some other stuff. During the weekdays, I'll be riding as much as possible, and Mt. Diablo is only 10 miles away, so that will be where I climb. I'll wander down into Livermore when I need to add in miles.
I'm still hoping to post a few pics soon!
JB
You can do what Jobob attempted to do ... climb Welch Creek :eek:
tprevost
06-11-07, 10:53 PM
Wow! Cheers, JB ! :beer:
Just curious, what's your training plan between now & then?
... according to his post in Sean's LOOK thread, he's also buying a new bike :p
... always the instigator ;)
tprevost
06-11-07, 10:54 PM
I have a very understanding boss who lets me train when I want to (aka I'm self employed). I've been pushing some client meetings out past July 14th to make time to train - sadly, though, if I'm not working, I'm not getting paid.
JB
yes, but sometimes working towards a great goal is worth it! We look forward to reading more training reports and the ride report itself!!!! :D
jonathanb715
06-11-07, 10:56 PM
... according to his post in Sean's LOOK thread, he's also buying a new bike :p
... always the instigator ;)
I wish - I bought my current wheels in Feb, and I tend to ride my bikes 'till I break them.
However, after reading Sean's post, I do NEED a new bike.
JB
tprevost
06-11-07, 11:00 PM
I wish - I bought my current wheels in Feb, and I tend to ride my bikes 'till I break them.
However, after reading Sean's post, I do NEED a new bike.
JB
hammers work well ;)
jonathanb715
06-12-07, 12:10 AM
hammers work well ;)
Yes, they do. My other money-eating hobby is fixing up an old MG Midget - whenever he's trying to get me to replace antique parts with something more modern, the mechanic keeps referring to using a BFH. Took me a while to figure out what he was referring to.
JB
jonathanb715
06-12-07, 12:15 AM
Having some technical difficulties with my camera - did get a couple of decent pics, though:
This one is me, kind of hot and tired at the SAG stop at Hermit Valley
47123
The start of the climbing to the summit of Ebbit's Pass the 2nd time (ie, heading East)
47124
Hopefully some others had better luck with their pics.
JB
tprevost
06-12-07, 08:12 AM
Having some technical difficulties with my camera - did get a couple of decent pics, though:
This one is me, kind of hot and tired at the SAG stop at Hermit Valley
47123
The start of the climbing to the summit of Ebbit's Pass the 2nd time (ie, heading East)
47124
Hopefully some others had better luck with their pics.
JB
wow, that's beautiful!!!!
BenRidin
06-12-07, 11:05 AM
I'm doing Diablo rides every Tues & Thur. Weekends, I alternate between Diablo or Auburn. Last Sunday, I did three summits on El Diablo. This Sat is a Forrsthill training ride.
This training only helps the DeathRide mentality. Gawd help me.
BR
jonathanb715
06-12-07, 12:13 PM
I'm doing Diablo rides every Tues & Thur. Weekends, I alternate between Diablo or Auburn. Last Sunday, I did three summits on El Diablo. This Sat is a Forrsthill training ride.
This training only helps the DeathRide mentality. Gawd help me.
BR
The Diablo repeats are tough, no doubt. The most I've done so far is 2, so I'll be stretching myself tomorrow.
JB
jonathanb715
06-12-07, 12:14 PM
wow, that's beautiful!!!!
Yes it is. We drove over Pacific Grade and Ebbet's on the way in so that we could enjoy the scenery, knowing that once we started climbing we wouldn't be in any mood to enjoy it.
JB
BenRidin
06-12-07, 02:32 PM
Start early. Tomorrow is suppose to be warm. It's 73 right now. I wonder how warm it will be later on today.
BR
The Diablo repeats are tough, no doubt. The most I've done so far is 2, so I'll be stretching myself tomorrow.
JB
jonathanb715
06-12-07, 04:46 PM
73? I live in San Ramon, and it's been in the 80's since about 10:30!
We're hitting the park just as they open the gates at 8:00, and we've been working out where/how to stash ice and food along the way. At least there's plenty of places to get water on the mountain.
JB
edit: at 4:00 it was 92 degrees in San Ramon - that mountain is exposed, so it will be just as hot for most of the climb.
BenRidin
06-13-07, 12:00 AM
Yep,
It was hot today. I started around 5:45 at Ygnacio and Oak Grove. I baked all the way up to the Junction. Once I got there, it was 83 degrees. I took the Nestea plunge and cooled off under the faucet. Drank a water bottle then raced up to the summit.
I can't ride worth beans when I'm hot so I just poked along at a "steady eddy" pace.
BR
jonathanb715
06-13-07, 12:00 AM
OK, here's a few more pics:
The picture of me by this sign has a permanent place of honor in my scrap book (at the bottom of Ebbet's Pass):
47199
The meadow next to our campground:
47200
Climbing Monitor (and almost falling over as I give the thumbs up):
47201
Ready to roll to Monitor on Sunday morning:
47202
JB
jobob
06-13-07, 10:12 AM
Great photos JB !
I love that cheese wedge sign (that's what my friends & I call them). 24%, good grief. Did you climb that?
jonathanb715
06-13-07, 10:09 PM
Great photos JB !
I love that cheese wedge sign (that's what my friends & I call them). 24%, good grief. Did you climb that?
We climbed the pass (Ebbet's) right after this sign. Honestly, I don't think we climbed any sustained 24% grades - I suspect it refers to the next pass after Ebbet's (Pacific Grade) - there's no place for trucks to turn off after the sign. If there was a 24% grade on Ebbet's, it would have been on a switchback, not for very long.
JB
ericm979
06-14-07, 11:04 AM
Yes, the 24% section is on Pacific grade. Ebbets going west has a couple steep bits but they're only 15% or so.
spingineer
06-14-07, 02:07 PM
Reading this thread hurts my knees
terrymorse
06-14-07, 03:07 PM
Yes, the 24% section is on Pacific grade.
Here's a photo I took Saturday of the steep section on Pacific Grade: