Oh boy! I got rejected, I have been trainning and looking forward for the ride. I would be the 1st time rider...

What can I do to get in?

Thanks very much.

/td

for ride tickets. I'm pretty sure they are transferable. But you won't find any now as they usually show up once someone pays for the ticket and finds out they have a conflict.

Best of luck

I've bought tickets the last two years. They are transferable. The longer you can wait the more are available and the cheaper they get. A couple months before the ride there's usually a couple greedheads trying to scalp DR tickets for 2x face value but a week before the ride people are begging to get anything for them. Paying face value and including the active.com fee is fair.

Oh boy! I got rejected, I have been trainning and looking forward for the ride. I would be the 1st time rider...

What can I do to get in?

Thanks very much.

/tdI've shown up the morning of the ride early and they let me enter. They know a lot of people can't make it so they sell their spot. I had to pay the late fee, though.

Keep training and about 2 weeks before the ride keep checking Craigslist for people selling their tickets.

Good luck!

On Friday at packet pickup there are people standing around trying to sell their tickets (for face value). As mentioned, check Craig's list, various bike forums, mailing lists, etc. Also you may want to ask what the cut off is for people to purchase their tickets. Because once selected people still need to purchase their tickets. There maybe some people who decide not to. You can also get in by signing up for Near Death Experience or Kiss of Death.

there's always Climb to Kaiser.
http://www.fresnocycling.com/kaiser/2007/index.htm
My buddy is not doing the death ride (wifey won't let him train) so I'll do the Kaiser with another buddy.

i didnt get in either =( id be a 2nd time rider, finished last year, barely. id like to give a better showing and of course, beat my last years time. the ride is a hoot mustardfj40, keep looking for a registration, itll be worth it.

my issue with just showing up looking for day befores is that im in seattle, it is a long way to go for less than a sure thing.

The last two years I have bought my tickets off Craigslist about a month before the event.

My riding friends and I have completed the Death Ride a number of times, and also have riden the Shasta Century.

http://www.shastasummitcentury.com/

Both are challenging rides, we all prefer the Shasta Century. No lottery, less crowded, half the cost, overall a better ride. FWIW

Theres's also Climb to Kaiser (http://www.fresnocycling.com/kaiser/2007/index.htm) and the Everest Challenge two-day (everestchallenge.com). I haven't done CtK yet but the EC's like two death rides back to back. Most people enter the race categories but there's a "tourist" category which is not timed/placed.

The Everest Challange is a level above the Death Ride - I think it would break the fun barrier for most first time DR riders... But a beautiful area to ride.

The Climb to Kaiser is an alternative not quite as much verticle elevation, the finish of the ride drops down into the lower foothills = very hot with traffic.

Another possibility is the Terrible Two in Santa Rosa/ Napa/ North Coast. 200 miles/ 16,000' Beautiful ride with some steep climbs it's earlier in the year - mid- June.

FWIW

Go do it on your own, preferrably on a different date so you won't have to deal with all the other cyclists in your path, etc. I never got the mind-set where you have to do THE organized ride..What, you want to have it count, or something?

Self supported, it's a challenge, same as if you rode with all that crowd on the "official" day. It's probably even more difficult because you have to keep yourself motivated without seeing all those other people suffering. On the other hand, you have a clear road and your 'entry ticket' money can buy you a tank of gasoline..

Just stash some food bags in strategic places and go for it!

BTW, the Everest Challenge IS a lot tougher. Quite a bit different when almost everyone is actually racing. The second day of the EC is brutal.

I've ridden the Death Ride passes and others in the area on my own and with small groups, and in the Death Ride. The riding is better on your own- while the roads are open to traffic there isn't much, drivers are much more polite than in the Bay Area, and you don't have to deal with 2999 other cyclists, some of which are suffering from oxygen deprivation.

But, while I'm not one for crowds, there is something about doing the event that's more than just riding the roads. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe the cameraderie of shared suffering, or the sight of a stream of riders ahead on the first climb up Monitor as the sun is coming up. Or perhaps that whatever speed you're doing, there's someone to be competitive with or someone to be social with, or both.

If you like big climbing rides, it's worth doing the event at least once.