Frequently Asked Questions

Please direct and public concerns with roadway to our Caltrans Customer Service website (csr.dot.ca.gov) where they can submit a customer service request ticket for any needed road repairs on State Route 4 in Alpine County.

For any general comments or concerns they can always email Caltrans District 10 at District10publicaffairs@dot.ca.gov or call our mainline at (209) 948-7543.

Registration fees are nonrefundable. Details on our refund policy are located on the registration page of our website:  Registration Details (deathride.com).

Event check-in will be at Turtle Rock Park, 2 miles north of Markleeville, Calif. Check-in on Friday, July 11th will be from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm. Limited check-in before the ride on Saturday, July 12th  4:00 am to 4:45 am.

The ride officially starts at 5:00 am with the opening ceremonies, then staggered starts at 5:15. Any rider who starts before that time realizes that 1) He/she is riding at their own risk and 2) Aid stations and pass checks may not be open when you arrive.

Riders have 13 hours, from 5:00 am – 6:30 pm to complete the course and apply for the Finisher’s pin and the prestigious Finisher's jersey and apparel. Cours hours may be subject to change.

The event runs from 5am-6:00pm PST on July 12, 2025. Highways (89 & 4) close at 5am. The Monitor Pass section (89) re-opens to vehicles at noon. The Ebbetts Pass section (4) re-opens at 4pm. Aid station cut-off times are posted on the route map, and we strongly encourage cyclists to adhere to these times, as they are designated to keep you safe. Cyclists without bibs will not be allowed on the course. Cyclists with bibs who are riding the course outside of those hours are riding at your own risk. Course hours may be subject to change.

Full support aid stations will be stocked with water, soda, snack items, seasoned potatoes (early in the ride), hard boiled eggs (early in the ride), PB&J, trail mix, licorice, and products from our official nutrition sponsors. Lunch will be provided at the Wolf Creek rest stop. If you have specific food items that you want to make sure you have available at certain points in your ride, we encourage you to pack those items with you. While we have worked hard to ensure there will be ample food on the course, we cannot guarantee how long certain inventories will last.

Don't plan on it. Cell service in Alpine County is spotty, and much of the course will be out of range. EMS, HAM radio operators, SAG vehicles, and aid stations are placed throughout the course for your safety. Please don't hesitate to stop and ask questions or flag someone down if the need arises.

We have two answers for this:

1) Primary reason was safety.  We had too many complaints from motorists and Caltrans on the amount of cyclists on the road.  The left turn off of 89 onto 88 was especially dangerous.  Too many close calls.  Also, the left turn at the top of Carson Pass coming out of the last rest stop was crazy.  Quite a few accidents coming down 88 at the end of the day when cyclists were exhausted.  And, the trend to leave from top of Carson or Woodfords and not return to start finish.

2) There was secondary reasoning too, although it took a back seat to safety, and that was getting the west slope of the county involved, hence Bear Valley. By doing that (adding BV) we were able to CLOSE ALL THE PASSES/PACIFIC GRADE to vehicles, making the ride even more safe and enjoyable for the riders, volunteers and first responders.

Since this is a tour and not a race, e-bikes will be allowed, HOWEVER:

1. NO CLASS 2 throttle E-bikes allowed. ONLY CLASS 1 and CLASS 3 pedal assist E-bike allowed.
2. Tech. support is available for non-related battery issues on E-bikes.
3. Understand that most e-bike batteries will not withstand the full course.
4. Safety is always a must, and we’ll ask you to yield to the human-powered cyclists when applicable (i.e. sharp, steep corners, crowded sections of the route, etc.)
5. E-bike riders are not eligible for the all-pass Finisher perks (jersey, pins, poster signing, etc.)

Ice cream for all participants will be at the finish line at Turtle Rock Park.

Drop bags will be available at the Monitor Pass rest stop and the Topaz rest stop. You will have a pull tag on your bib that you will put inside the bag with your belongings. Sharpies will be available and we strongly encourage you to also write your name and phone number on the outside of the bag with a sharpie. Once the rest stops close and Highway 89 opens, rest stop captains at those locations will be able to transport the drop bags back to Turtle Rock Park to the finish line where your items can be retrieved. Unclaimed drop bags will be held for one week at the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce in Markleeville. After one week they will be donated to charity. Drop locations may be subject to change.

Please note a "Drop Bag" to us does not mean a bag that a cyclist leaves at a destination point during our tour. We offer clear plastic bags for you to offload extra gear (like jackets, bike lights) that you do not want to carry for the remainder of the ride.

Sag vehicles will be on the course for the duration of the event. If you need assistance and are pulled from the course, realize that depending on the location, you may need to wait until the road opens for the Sag vehicle to transport you back to the start/finish.

Please stay tuned for 2025 Death Ride® Merchandise

Parking will be available along Highway 89 near Turtle Rock Park. Please be sure that you are parked completely off the road. We bring a crew in the week prior to mow all the weeds. Thank you!

Registration is open until Saturday, July 12th and will close at 4:59am through BikeReg. Don't delay - Register Now!

We do allow transfers. Online transfers are enabled for our event, there is a $20 transfer fee that will be paid by the transfer recipient. Participants can transfer their entry from through BikeReg.com.

Yes, Proxy Packet Pickup (allowing someone else to pickup your bib) is allowed if the person picking up can provide a copy of the registrant’s Photo ID, and a copy of the confirmation email, or QR code which I will email out to all registrants soon. Most importantly, your event waiver must be completed and signed through BikeReg before a friend can pickup your bib.

Friday, July 11th from 11a - 7p and Saturday, July 12th from 11a - 7p

All-Pass Finishers (who collect all stamps on their bib) will have the opportunity to sign the official Finisher's poster, collect a Finishers pin and will receive information on how to order their Finisher's apparel online. Finishers will receive an email following the ride with an invite to order their Finishers jersey. Please keep your bib # as you will need to enter it on your online order. 

Friday, July 11th

* TBD

Saturday, July 12th

*TBD