53-11 alltheway

Did any of you guys do the 2004 Markleeville Death Ride. I noticed they had 2800 competitors last year.....but there is no information on the ride itself for 2005 (july 9th).

All I know is that the change in elevation is a gain of 17,500 feet. But how long is it?

I will definitely be at this event.....probably the only thing that will be a challenge to me anymore....yawn.

SteveE

It's 129 miles if you do all 5 passess. Do a "google" search and read some of the ride reports from prior years. I've not done it but know quite a few who have. I you want more of a challenge you could go for the Devil Mountain Double, The Terrible Two, or the California Hill-Climbing Championship (formerly known as the Mt. Everest Challenge).

53-11 alltheway

129 miles......with a 17,500 ft gain in elevation. Yep, that's what I call a "death ride".

I wonder what the average mph is.......considering it is all "climbing" for 129 miles!!!

I wonder what a good finish time is?

travis200

Last year I did the Death Ride in 8 hours 45 minutes from start to finish. I was the 21st person to reach the top of the 5th pass. That included a couple breaks and a little time out for lunch. I should not have stopped for lunch I ate too much and was cramping on my way up the 5th pass (not pleasant). The year before was 9.5 hours. For the climbing it pretty much is half up half down. Nothing real tough just a long slow 125 miles. For 2005 I was thinking of skipping the Death Ride and going for the Everest Challenge. 29,000 ft of climbing in 2 days and 200 miles total. Plus it is a USCF race so even better!

jkoman

It's no longer referred to as the Death Ride as someone was recently killed while riding it.

divekrb

You should warm up with the Breathless Agony:

https://www.cyclingpros.com/onyx.htm

I did this last year during a record heat wave.

53-11 alltheway

I love these kind of centuries! Too Bad Galen_52657(with a little red star next to it) couldn't keep up with me on these type of rides....it's a pity, really.

roadie gal

I did the Death Ride in 2001. Whew! It took me a full 11 hours, and I was nowhere near the last rider in.

Monitor Pass is a slog, but not steep in both directions. Ebbett's Pass was a KILLER. It hits 17% near the top. Carson Pass is a slog, too. The hard part about Carson Pass is that you have to go back past your car at the 90th mile before you start it. I had to be pep-talked by a friend into not stopping and quitting.

But it is a beautifully supported and very scenic ride. And finishing feels like an accomplishment.

www.deathride.com

catatonic

Berkely has it's own death ride of sorts, you could play with 53-11.

I was oging to do it back in oct, but I screwed up my knee, so that was a no go.

rlong

Try the Breathless Agony Century, 4 passes, 114 miles, 12000 feet of climbing. It's held at the perfect time of year (April I believe). It's not too cold and not too hot. Took me 7 hours, but I had injuries from running a marathon 2 weeks previously. It really is a fun ride.

zhmontana

Does this mean that 53-11 is from somewhere in the Sacramento area... maybe we should ride together.

catatonic

i thought he was around the SF-O area.

TripleCrank

Don't know about Galen, but I'll definitely take a shot at keeping up with ya.

boze

hehehe..

i'd love to see somebody ride with 53-11 irl and report back about his incredible strength and stamina. pics would be good too!

MacMan

Oh man! I want to do that sooooo bad. I'm thinking that the Illinois Mountains may not be the best training area though

God I want to do that. Did I say that already?!

gcasillo

Right! We wouldn't want you falling off one of those treacherous peaks!

divekrb

Just adjust your brakes so they are constantly dragging. Then put in some 6 hour days. You'll be fine

sierraphoto

The Death Ride is in my opinion one of the best rides anywhere. However, despite all the climbing, none of the grades are too terrible. I think the Climb to Kaiser is a MUCH more difficult ride despite less overall elevation gain. Both are epic and shouldn't be missed if you have the chance!

MacMan

You're not kidding. Some of those overpasses are brutal. Have you any idea how thin the air gets going up and over one of those suckers? Gotta be hardcore to handle the Illinois Mountains.

rlong

Doesn't that ride pass a cookie factory at the turn around point (8,000 ft)? I planned to do the Climb to Kaiser the spring I tore my hamstring. It looks incredable on paper!

K&M

The good things about the Death Ride are great scenery, good support and a lot of roads closed to traffic. The bad things are the hassle, expense and logistics involved in getting registered, getting to, staying near, and getting home from the ride. If a hard ride is all you're looking for, just about any double century is harder. The Eastern Sierra Double even has similar scenery.

Velo Dog

I've done the passes individually (I live about an hour away) but never put the whole thing together. It was an absolute killer for me, but I'm a Clydesdale pushing 60. You'll just yawn your way to the top. Total is about 129 miles, I think, really pretty, with beautiful views from the top and pants-wetting descents. You should be able to find plenty online about it.