[rv5869]

does anyone know what some of the faster times are for the Death Ride? I once heard that Gary Fisher completed it under 7.5 hours, just curious if this is just a rumor.

 

[travis200]

The top finishers each year are usually in around 8 hours or so total time. I have heard quite a few rumors all around 7-7:30 hours as being the fastest times. My best last year was 8:30 with a wheel trueing at the top of the 4th pass. The one good thing is you ride most of the ruphills by yourself but coming down is quite sketchy with alot of riders riding over the yellow line and you flying down at close to 60 mph. I have had a quite a few close calls the last couple years.

 

[norcalscot]

I've done the Death Ride 5 times and I've heard the 7 and a half hour hour Gary Fisher rumour before, but I can't say one way or the other whether it's true or not. I've done a 7:43 before (2004) for all 5 passes - that got me second finisher of the day to sign the poster, but it's difficult to tell because it's not a mass start event and riders can leave whenever they choose. Most of the fast riders I know start at 5:30 when you are no longer required to carry lights...

The fastest time I know of that I can verify was 7:35, but since riders' times aren't recorded by the organizers there may well be riders who have done it faster. However if this is the case then they've have kept it pretty quiet.

I'd say from my personal experience that a sub 8 hour Death Ride is a pretty good achievement.

I didn't get in this year :-(

 

[norcalscot]

I crashed in 2003 coming down the front side of Ebbets (having just finished pass # 4) because the riders going up were riding 6 or so abreast and left me no room to descend. Ebbets is the worst for this - in many places there is no line marking the center of the road and because it is a closed course many riders take up much more room than they would normally. It's just a hazard of the ride I guess, but something you've got to watch out for.

The one good thing is you ride most of the ruphills by yourself but coming down is quite sketchy with alot of riders riding over the yellow line and you flying down at close to 60 mph. I have had a quite a few close calls the last couple years.

 

[rv5869]

7:43, is that total time or ride time?

 

[norcalscot]

Total time including all stops.