Road Cycling - OMG i'm going to die

So, I have been living in Worland, WY for the summer and have been riding with guys who are 2-3 times my age. They have a ride they do every year called the beartooth loop. It is 114 miles with 15,000 ft of climbing(I can't believe it!) on saturday, and then a seventy mile ride back to Cody on sunday on a mostly flat road(or so they say). Are any of you familiar with this route that goes from Cody, WY to Red lodge, MT over Beartooth pass?

If you die, can I have your bike?

L8R

What size shoes do you wear? It they're US11, can I have you shoes when you die?

Dude, seriously... that sounds like a hell of a ride. I'm looking at this for next summer, but not sure if I'll have time to train for it properly: http://www.deathride.com/

I've climbed some of those hills north of Cody on horseback - good luck!

gotta love the name: deathride.com

That doesn't look that much harder than what I am doing, because I have to go up to 10,900 ft and then ride another 70 miles the next day. Our ride is just something the locals threw together, nothing official. Gonna be so cold up there brrrrr!

gotta love the name: deathride.com

That doesn't look that much harder than what I am doing, because I have to go up to 10,900 ft and then ride another 70 miles the next day. Our ride is just something the locals threw together, nothing official. Gonna be so cold up there brrrrr!

If you die, can I be your legally married significant other so I can sue? Nobody will have to know.

Who are you going to sue? It's a good thing that you guys have claimed my stuff! I was worried that nobody would want it. :lol:

The Deathride isn't that bad. I have done it the past 2 years and it takes me less than 9 hours total ride time to complete the 5 passes. The hard part is getting in. They have a lottery system due to the overwhelming number of people.

isn't deathride.com for the Markleeville Death Ride? I don't think it's the same ride as the OP was talking about.

Who are you going to sue? It's a good thing that you guys have claimed my stuff! I was worried that nobody would want it. :lol:

Your riding partner's families, their places of employment, the state, the government, and the helmet manufacturer, because those guys ALWAYS lose

So, I have been living in Worland, WY for the summer and have been riding with guys who are 2-3 times my age. They have a ride they do every year called the beartooth loop. It is 114 miles with 15,000 ft of climbing(I can't believe it!) on saturday, and then a seventy mile ride back to Cody on sunday on a mostly flat road(or so they say). Are any of you familiar with this route that goes from Cody, WY to Red lodge, MT over Beartooth pass?

Actually, I just did a fair amount of your ride during Cycle America's Bighorns / Beartooth tour a few weeks ago.

We did Red Lodge to the summit of Beartooth Pass, and then turned around and went back to Red Lodge. Next day we went onto Cody with an option to head-up Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (CJSH) and turn around at the top.

I imagine what you're doing is Cody to the CJSH to Cooke City, over Beartooth Pass and onto Red Lodge. A couple thoughts:
a) Cody to the CJSH is pretty much uphill the whole way, although there is a 4 or 5 mile downhill run to the entrance to the CJSH. The uphill stretches aren't steep -- most of it is false flat. I headed south along that road to Cody and the pedalling was fairly easy, but it wasn't so much of a downhill that you could just coast.

b) The first mile of the CJSH is the steepest part. You'll look at it and say "OH MY GOD" but it really doesn't stay steep for very long. I'm an East Coast-er, and we don't have altitude or 12 mile long climbs, but I was fine with a 30x23 heading up the CJSH. Once you're past the first mile, it's a very steady grade. The sign up top says 11 miles at 7% grade, which sounds about right. I didn't see the western / northern side of the CJSH though -- I turned around at the top and started heading back to Cody.

c) Again, I climbed (and descended) the Red Lodge side of Beartooth Pass. Beartooth is, without a doubt, the most gorgeous road I've ever seen. I did most of it in either the 30x21 or 30x23 gears. Bring lots of extra clothes for the top of Beartooth ! When I was up there (about a month ago now) it was 35 degrees with a 20mph wind blowing. It was C-O-L-D, with a major temperature drop occurring as soon as you go above treeline. Bring good brakes for the descent -- there are at least a dozen hairpin turns on the way down. Most of them have speed limit advisory signs in them which I found to be a pretty good guage of how much you needed to slow down.

d) The ride from Red Lodge to Cody isn't "flat" per se, but it might be as flat as Wyoming gets. Leaving Red Lodge is a long descent (only the first two or three miles of it are "coast-able") and then lots of false-flats but in the downhill direction. Then you turn south to Cody an dit's false flats but in the uphill direction. Once you pass the entrance to the CJSH, you'll start up the only notable climb, about 5 miles worth and then it's easy into Cody.

d) I hope this ride is supported in some way because of the stretches of road that I saw, there is *nothing*. I'd hate to have to carry enough water to make it from Cody to Cooke City!

We will have a sag vehicle w/5gallons of water in it. Good to see that someone has done this before. I hope I am ok with my 39x25. I have always found this to be low enough in the past, but have never tried climbs with 100 miles on my legs. Oh well I will be departing in 15 hours.

PS For those of you that want my stuff when I die- call toll-free 1-800-333-........j/k

Oh man! good luck!! you will do and feel like a million backs after you done (well, way after you are done :) )

BTW, do you have any gold fillings in your teath? :D