Just found out I got into Death Ride a/k/a Tour of the California Alps. Anyone ever do this ride? Recommendations regarding gearing, clothing, etc. Thanks.
Bastard! 
Sorry Hid. But my entourage still has room for a soigneur and a massage therapist. Either of these positions sound good to you?
Congrats on getting in. I have done it many times and plan on it this year as well. The weather will be damn chilly at the start. I usually go with leg and arm warmers along with a vest. There is a clothes drop after the fist passes at the aid station. As you can see from the course profile, it is either straight up or down with very little flats. I use the lowest gearing possible due to a high pedalling cadence and some past knee issues that flares after about 130 miles of hills. Make sure you make it to the last pass (Carson pass) where you will be treated to all you can eat ice cream at the aid station. There is only about 15-20 after that anyway.
Have fun.
Low gears!
The night before I did it in '93, I panicked and put my mountain bike crank on my road bike. My housemates all laughed and snickered. They were all stronger cyclists than me, so I tried to ignore them.
I spent the day waiting at the top of each climb (after the first one) for them. By the fourth pass, two had bailed out completely.
Get yourself a 30 or 34 small ring (triple or compact) with a 27 in back. You’ll have a much more enjoyable day and get up the hills faster overall.
Hid and others,
If interested in doing the deathride but didnt get in through the online lottery/entry, you can usually show up very early ride morning and they will let you enter then. A bunch of us have done that a few times with no problems.
Has anybody ever had experience doing the ride as a bandit? I would love to pay an be part of the ride legally but I didn’t get in and I still want to do the ride. After all these are open roads and I would rather do the route with 500 companions than on my own. I have no problems supporting myself, a Camelbak and some Boost will do.
Last year at about the 10 mile turnoff of rt89, they had police officers and volunteers there. You had to have a number on the front of your bike to get through the checkpoint barracades. I worked registration last year on Friday and anyone who wanted in the ride, got in at early morning registration on Saturday.
Unless you plan to carry an actual camel you will not be able to carry enough water for 10 hours of riding and there really is nowhere along most of the route to buy your own water and calories.
Two years ago they were inspecting our bikes at about the same 10 mile mark to see if we had the offical DR water bottle which they told us we needed to carry to get through.
Willy