Northern California - Death Ride Article In The Sacramento Bee

I saw this article about the Death Ride (http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/1983152.html) in the the paper today.

It ain't a freakin' race. :notamused:

But apart from that, nice article, thanks for the link!

thanks for the link. I did that 3 times in the late eighties. Was my favorite ride. Used to be 150 miles. Helping me get motivated now.

thanks for the link. I did that 3 times in the late eighties. Was my favorite ride. Used to be 150 miles. Helping me get motivated now.

Is that when it included Sonora Pass? I've heard it used to be part of the route. If so, then that's tough!

I think they had that exact same article published last year!

JB

Is that when it included Sonora Pass? I've heard it used to be part of the route. If so, then that's tough!

I don't remember Sonora pass. It was five passes. Carson, Ebbett's, Monitor. I think there was another. They got five due to doing one pass on both sides. Twenty years ago or so, my memory has faded. I do remember hitting 55mph coming down Carson before I wimped out. My buddy hit 60. I heard the route was up to about 175mi at one point in time.
Is my memory working a bit better? Is Sonora the speed bump when compared to the others??

I think it would be too far to do Sonora... it's like 20 miles south on 395 from Monitor. And it's not a speed bump- it's long and the upper reaches are very steep.

I know in the past they have done Pacific Grade, which has some 20% ramps, and Blue Lakes rd (both as optional 6th passes), and Luther pass. Luther's pretty small from the south side.

The reason I ask, last year I rode with a guy that had done the original Death Ride many years ago (it might not have been called the DR then). He said it used to be a multi day event (not sure how many), and it included Sonora.

The reason I ask, last year I rode with a guy that had done the original Death Ride many years ago (it might not have been called the DR then). He said it used to be a multi day event (not sure how many), and it included Sonora.

That could explain the official name: Tour of the California Alps.

Edit: It seems the Tour of California name was only added recently after a fatal accident in 2002 or 2003.

Luther was the fourth. We did both sides of one of the others. Thanks for the memories!

I'm really disappointed, BlankCrows. I thought it was going to be about the Ride Around the Buttes you, bigbossman and I did a few months back . . . .

Actually not certain, but I believe the fatality in the ride was due to a heart attack which led to a crash.

Also, about 20 years ago there was entertaining first person account of the DR in the Arts & Leisure section of the WSJ. I don't have a subscription to the site anymore, but I wonder if this is still in their archives...

It did have the title: Tour of the California Alps back in the Eighties. Someone said they just couldn't call it the Death Ride due to liability issues. But Death Ride sounds so cool and I always slept soundly after the ride.