Okay, super beginner question, but I'm going to the Red for my first real sport climbing trip, and in anticipation of getting shut down pretty hard, I want to know if theres a good way to clean a route you didn't get up. I don't want to lose any draws because I climbed a bit beyond my ability.

Bail biner. I think there is something funky called the texas rope trick too..

www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1657055;

As a beginner, stay away from the texas rope trick. You are increasing risk to save about $2.50.
The bail biner is the standard last resort. But even then you will first need to exhaust all other possibilities, such as:

• One of your mates might actually pull the move.

• You might be able to get up by via a brownpoint (grabbing draws).

• There might be a ropegun nearby who'll finish it for you for a bribe (Mota y cervesa).

• You could go off in-direct, and place the rope above you at the next bolt with a stick clip.

• You could stick clip up the entire thing; but... eeewww.

• You might find that if you work it enough you'll eventually send it, in the meantime getting used to taking sport falls.

• You could leave all your draws in place, pull the rope and leave for a break. Then when you come back to find all of them gone, post up a whine here and then get 4 days solid of smartassery from the MP community for being so stoopid.

Sweet. I was thinking about just having a few biners on hand. Definitely going to stay away from the Texas Rope Trick. And I don't plan on giving up easily, and someone in my group will likely stick a move I can't make, but I don't wanna make them do it over and over to bail me out. Thanks for the help.

If you've got other folks in your group that will most likely be able to finish the route, you could just offer to go first and put up the draws. No big deal if you don't get the whole route.

Just be sure to balance your karma and offer to clean on easier routes.

One cool thing about hitting up super popular sport crags like the Red is that a lot of times the uber classics in the harder grades are being constantly projected and have draws hanging on them.
Just pick out a route you're interested in and if you trust the gear thats in place then have at it and it's no big deal if you can't get to the chains.

Remember that the Red is still sandstone and while most bolts are good, it is not worth your life to risk lowering off one bolt. On any sport climb where I am on softer rock or questionable bolts, I will clip in direct (while still on belay), clip my rope through a bail biner at my current bolt AND through another bail biner on the bolt below. Then your belayer can lower you while you clean your draws. Some may say this is overkill but I think I am worth more than 5 bucks. On the REALLY steep routes, it also makes it easier to clean your route when being lowered vs rapping from your bail biner.