It's a great ride. You've probably already heard this but the hard part of the ride really doesn't start until after the Johnson campground, which is about 75 miles. From there it's pretty much a climb to the finish. It's a great ride. The only part I really hated was the bus ride back to the campground. It seemed to take forever, and being slightly dehydrated, going down the mountain in a bus made me feel quite nauseous.
Hope you have great ride, good luck and let us know how you do.