General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Death Ride 2009 -- Done Rss Feed  
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2009-07-13 3:39 PM

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Extreme Veteran
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Rocklin
Subject: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
If you get a chance to go do this one...do it. Hardest thing I have done in my life, but it was worth it to come down to the finish line. The ride is incredibly well supported, the people of the town of Markleeville, California are awesome, and the views are second to none. They almost made you forget about the misery...almost. I'll do a race report if anyone is interested in 2010. If you desire an endurance cycling event, this one is epic.

Final numbers:
Lowest Altitude: 5,521 feet
Highest Altitude: 8,721 feet
Ride time: 9:54 mins
Actual time: 11:06 mins
Mileage: 129 on the program, but my Garmin showed 124.1 which I hear is correct
Climbing: 14,939 ft
Average spd: 12.5
Max spd: 58.9 (could have gone faster, but had a scary cross-wind)
Calories: 10,695
Water bottles: 22-25

I'll never know the feeling of an Ironman, but I got a taste of being pushed well beyond my perceived limits and found another level.


2009-07-13 3:57 PM
in reply to: #2282075

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2009-07-13 4:00 PM
in reply to: #2282075

Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
Congrats.   I know you were concerned about it
2009-07-13 4:02 PM
in reply to: #2282075

Master
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Sunny Southern Cal
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done

That's awesome.  This event is on my bucket list.

2009-07-13 4:22 PM
in reply to: #2282139

Extreme Veteran
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Rocklin
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
wgraves7582 - 2009-07-13 1:57 PM

Wow - That is a fun sounding ride.

Does AdventureCorps do that or a local club?



It's put on by the Markleeville chamber of commerce. The entire town helps out, and the support from the community left me awestruck.

I was a bit terrified of the entire thing since my longest ever ride was 103 miles and 10K of climbing (and not at altitude). It's a tough deal to get into, you have to go online in December 2009 to get in!!!

It's an incredible event.
2009-07-13 4:50 PM
in reply to: #2282075

Master
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North Alabama
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
Congrats on the finish. That's awesome.

So, did you use flat coke or dr. pepper like you mentioned a few days ago?

Awesome!


2009-07-13 5:18 PM
in reply to: #2282075

Extreme Veteran
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Glendora, CA
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
congrats on the ride. it is on my list of rides to do, and like you said its is difficult to get into.
2009-07-13 6:26 PM
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Regular
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Doylestown, PA
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
Well done - congrats! Holy crap ~60mph on a bike is wild. I've prob only cracked 35 but haventreally raced either. Intense, huh?
2009-07-13 8:28 PM
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2009-07-13 11:00 PM
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Extreme Veteran
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Rocklin
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
LostSheep - 2009-07-13 2:50 PM

Congrats on the finish. That's awesome.

So, did you use flat coke or dr. pepper like you mentioned a few days ago?

Awesome!


They didn't have Dr. Pepper, and you know "I'm a Pepper", but they had Coke. I had a half a flat coke at the last three or four stops. At the second to last stop (before a 16 mile climb), people were downing Cokes more than water.

My stomach was a bit in turmoil after all the cytomax, and I truly believe the Coke was just what the Dr. ordered.

I'm a firm believer in a half a can, but I read you need to keep it going to be effective...I did, but that's also because I couldn't stand any more orange cytomax!
2009-07-13 11:05 PM
in reply to: #2282420

Extreme Veteran
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Rocklin
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
ironman2284 - 2009-07-13 4:26 PM

Well done - congrats! Holy crap ~60mph on a bike is wild. I've prob only cracked 35 but haventreally raced either. Intense, huh?


It was very intense...total thrill, but I waited until the safer parts of the course to do it. I was actually waiting on cars so I could max out my speed on this long downhill.

Unfortunately, I was saddened to hear today that there was a very serious wreck on one of the more technical decents...a guy went over the cliff at high speed. I don't know how that one turned out yet. I like to think I'm careful, but I had a bit of a close call on the same decent. Really sobering.


2009-07-13 11:40 PM
in reply to: #2282075

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Alexandria, VA
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
Do I understand the course properly? It seems there 5 pass route only goes through 3 passes? Did they really have you descending ~3000' off Monitor Pass, just to turn around and climb back up, and again into Hermit Valley? That seems killer on the moto. Is there not a more circuitous route? I dunno, Im not saying it doesn't look like fun, but I hate retracing my steps.

Good job on completing it, just the same. Congrats
2009-07-13 11:43 PM
in reply to: #2282075

Pro
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Wherever the trail takes me, WA.
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
That sounds awesome... However I think I would install a "GRANNY GEAR" for that ride!  Well done!
2009-07-14 7:26 AM
in reply to: #2283123

Modesto, California
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
aggiecatcher - 2009-07-13 9:05 PM
ironman2284 - 2009-07-13 4:26 PM Well done - congrats! Holy crap ~60mph on a bike is wild. I've prob only cracked 35 but haventreally raced either. Intense, huh?
It was very intense...total thrill, but I waited until the safer parts of the course to do it. I was actually waiting on cars so I could max out my speed on this long downhill. Unfortunately, I was saddened to hear today that there was a very serious wreck on one of the more technical decents...a guy went over the cliff at high speed. I don't know how that one turned out yet. I like to think I'm careful, but I had a bit of a close call on the same decent. Really sobering.

I heard there were a few wrecks in that same area, never want to hear that kind of news. I hope to get in this next year, its almost like signing up for an IM from what I have heard. It does look like crazy fun though!
How was the altitude? What gearing did you have?
2009-07-14 10:24 AM
in reply to: #2282075

Master
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Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
aggiecatcher - 2009-07-13 2:39 PM
Mileage: 129 on the program, but my Garmin showed 124.1 which I hear is correct
Climbing: 14,939 ft
Water bottles: 22-25

Congrats on a great ride!

22+ bottles of liquid... Are you serious? Was it super hot even at that altitude? I rode the Triple Bypass last weekend (118miles/13,068' climbing, 7500'-11,000+' elevations). I drank 158 oz (6.6 bottles) and finished perfectly hydrated. And I'm very dehydradation prone so I drink a lot more than the guys I ride with.

Edited by breckview 2009-07-14 10:25 AM
2009-07-14 11:06 AM
in reply to: #2284085

Extreme Veteran
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Rocklin
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done


22+ bottles of liquid... Are you serious? Was it super hot even at that altitude? I rode the Triple Bypass last weekend (118miles/13,068' climbing, 7500'-11,000+' elevations). I drank 158 oz (6.6 bottles) and finished perfectly hydrated. And I'm very dehydradation prone so I drink a lot more than the guys I ride with.


I met a guy who did Triple Bypass last year on the ride...cool jersey!!! I know it seems like a lot, but it's 2 an hour for the entire day (11 hours) which was essentially my plan. I drank six bottles in the first 2.5 hours on Monitor. It was around 85 during the 2nd, third, and 4th passes (later cooling with cloud cover and getting cold for the late riders). I was terrified of dehydration due to the altitude and the fact I'm a sweater. I was just dripping coming up the backside of Ebbets. The climbs are really slow, so there is no cooling effect when the wind wasn't blowing...full sun...just hot in my black/black kit.

I didn't really eat at the rest stops, so the cytomax and powergels were my main calories. I had 4 bottles on the climb up Ebbets Pass alone (13 mile climb). I also had three half cokes out of the can!!! I may have overhydrated, but I didn't feel it. Took one restroom break the entire day!

"Do I understand the course properly? It seems there 5 pass route only goes through 3 passes? Did they really have you descending ~3000' off Monitor Pass, just to turn around and climb back up, and again into Hermit Valley? That seems killer on the moto. Is there not a more circuitous route? I dunno, Im not saying it doesn't look like fun, but I hate retracing my steps.

Good job on completing it, just the same. Congrats

Each pass is totally different. The front side of Monitor is evergreen, the back side is desert. Ebbets Pass front is long, then steep, but the back is short and steep. While you climb the same pass twice, it doesn't feel like it. It sucks going down though when you know how steeps its going to be going back up. The cool thing is Monitor and Ebbets are closed to traffic.

Oh yeah, I rode a triple. Most people either had triples of compacts with 27's on the back. I met a guy who quit and was waiting for the SAG wagon at a rest station after 4 passes (with only 30 miles to go) because he thought "triples were for pu$$ies." Ha ha, his five pass finisher jersey will have to wait.

Sign up...it's an awesome ride. It's very hard to get into, and registration is in December!


2009-07-14 11:07 AM
in reply to: #2282268

Cycling Guru
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Fulton, MD
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
That is some SERIOUS time in the saddle!!  Very well done and congrats on the accomplishment!
2009-07-15 7:48 PM
in reply to: #2282075

Champion
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Calgary
Subject: RE: Death Ride 2009 -- Done
sounds like a killer race, I am jelous.
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