Death Ride 2005

Here are some pictures taken from The Death Ride 2005. This is officially called the Tour of the California Alps. What it is, is one of the hardest bike rides in America. It crosses 5 mountain passes in 129 miles and you gain almost 16,000 vertical feet along the way. We started at 5:45AM and finished together about 12 hours later. Actual riding time was around 9 hours, 15 minutes. There were about 2600 riders on the Death Ride. That includes a couple of folks from CVC, Agata Wysiadecka, Mike Fair, and Mike Brand. This was our first Death Ride and we had a great time!

The cycling gods were smiling on us for the big event. The weather was partly cloudy, a bit breezy, with temperatures mostly in the 70's during the climbs. This was quite a contrast to the day before (and after) where it was very hot, with a high of about 95F in Markleeville.

The Death Ride is a climber's paradise. The climbs seem to go on forever, the descents are thrilling, and everywhere you look the views are nothing short of spectacular. Even the spectators join in the fun cheering you on along the route. A few other interesting sites observed along the way were: a guy on the side of the road singing and playing his guitar, angels ringing bells and shouting encouragement, and a bride on the back of a tandem. Particularly impressive were the large number of riders that participated in and finished this tough event.