Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Raam 2010

Anyone here besides me signed up for RAAM this year????? I'll be on the four tandem team, Team JDRF. It's fixin' to be lots of fun! :thumb:

http://www.teamjdrf.org/

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/raamfp.php?N_webcat_id=109

I just saw a RAAM team carbo loading at Home Town Buffet in Oceanside last night. They were from Europe. Good luck with the event!

I know someone that's trying it solo this year. Go Rick!

Good luck on the tandems. I've done some fairly long rides on a tandem, nothing like RAAM though.

BF member Davidad is the mechanic for solo rider Amy Xu.

The 68 y/o guy with the yellow and black cap.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/RAAM%20AMY%20XU/DaveisThere.jpg

Amy with the chase van
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/RAAM%20AMY%20XU/27876_1392993236724_1588969889_3091.jpg

My friend Barbara Buatois is about to get started!! She's riding a recumbent, she's a multiple recumbent world champion and she's also a very nice and friendly lady.
Go Barbara!!!!!!

Good luck to everyone!

While I root for everyone entered I do have my favorites...Go Sandy Earl and team Bent up cycles.....It looks to be a bent rider leadersboard so far. Barbara Buatois the young high speed record setting rider on a low racer and Sandy Earl the 40 something ultra racer on a carbent high racer.

Have a great event & keep us informed!

I was at the Men's solo and RAW start today. Lots of fun. :) There are a lot of seriously good solo riders out there this year. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. Robic though, is off to his usual Jack Rabbit start after only one time station. They are supposed to have some strong winds out in the desert tonight. 25-30mph. Hopefully tailwinds...

You start on Saturday, right?

You start on Saturday, right?

Go to Live Coverage:
http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/rcrank.php?s_N_category_group=1&s_N_Race_ID=1

You start on Saturday, right?

1 pm Saturday here in the states, I don't remember if that's Sunday where you are in Australia or Friday...I think maybe it's real early Saturday Morning. ;)

1 pm Saturday would be 6 am Sunday.

You appear to be underway and have covered quite a distance already.

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/rcrank.php?s_N_category_group=2&s_N_Race_ID=1&N_webcat_id=109


I see there are a couple Aussie teams in the bunch!!

BF member Davidad is the mechanic for solo rider Amy Xu.

:thumb:





Amy with the chase van
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/RAAM%20AMY%20XU/27876_1392993236724_1588969889_3091.jpg

Wow, now that is amazing!:thumb:

Homeyba and his team mates are leading their division at check point 25, 1455 miles into the race.

One of my fellow Audax Atlanta riders... Kevin Kaiser... is the lead American and riding in 4th place overall right now.

These guys are beasts...

And go Homeyba! :thumb:

I was curious about the time limits. Since some people have pulled out due to the time limits, are they strictly enforced at the end? A lot of people are on the edge, but they have let a couple of people that missed the time limits at Durango continue.

Jure Robic completed the 3005.1 miles in 9 days, 1 hour, 1 minute for an average speed of 13.85 mph.


Homeyba's 4-person mixed tandem team is about to roll over the line!!

http://www.raceacrossamerica.org/raam/rcrank.php?s_N_category_group=2&s_N_Race_ID=1&N_webcat_id=109


BTW - I read once that the time limit is 72 hours behind the lead rider in your category. If you fall more than 72 hours behind the lead rider, you're out.

They're in!!

6 d 14 h 55 m at an average speed of 18.91 mph, and winning the 4-Person Mixed ( 50-59 ) tandem category.

Considering it takes 3 days to drive across the U.S., that's an amazing feat. My guy dropped out in eastern Illinois. He had not been able to hold his head up on the bike since the day he crossed the Continental Divide, and he was having trouble keeping his eyes focused. I think that was a good decision. Still an amazing ride.

Looks like Homeyba's team won their division

It was a great race this year! We didn't go as fast as we wanted but we did go fast enough to break the mixed tandem record by 6-7hours! We had awesome weather and a great crew. It's hard to imagine being able to ride all the way across the US without even getting sprinkled on!


btw, Machka I don't believe they use the % cut off for slower riders anymore. There are three cut-offs across the country and if your average speed is too slow at the cut-off you are DNF'd. They will wave a DNG for speed because of extra-ordinary events and they are pretty sure you can make up the time.

Congrats!

It's pretty cool that the event exists, although it's the last thing in the world I'd ever want to ride in. Unless they want a 45 day ride, that is, then I might consider it.

It's cool to see the local LSR people on a national event like this. It's like passing a corner lot, seeing some guys playing flag football, so you join in, and then find out they're actually the Dallas Cowboys out having fun. I feel the same way when I see their names pop up in the RUSA magazine. That's not to say I know them well, as they are either riding longer routes than me or way ahead of me if they're on the same routes.

Pat and Charlie will be forever etched in my mind, after I was standing on a corner in Nemo, Texas, for 11 hours, they came rolling in at 5:00 AM and said "Hi, we're Pat and Charlie, we're here to relieve you." Ahh! They also organized and ran SAG for the most recent brevet I did.

Congratulations on the fine ride.

Bernie, Congratulations to you, Linda and the rest of the team! One of your last minute support crew was Thomas, I ride with him sometimes on the weekends.

And my friend Barbara won the women's race on her recumbent!!
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/news/raam-update-barbara-buatois-wins-raam-in-first-try_122319

And my friend Barbara won the women's race on her recumbent!!
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/06/news/raam-update-barbara-buatois-wins-raam-in-first-try_122319

The woman's race was very exciting this year, I had a lot of fun following them all. In her pictures after the end of the race she doesn't look like she is tired at all. Just more tan than she was at the start.

I wonder if Barbara might challenge one or more PBP records next year, riding much closer to her home.

B. Buatois had a very impressive ride. She is a supremely capable athlete.

Also notable is that Tim Woudenberg won the men's 50 and over solo race too (on a recumbent).

I liked how the RAAM was such an international event. :)

B. Buatois had a very impressive ride. She is a supremely capable athlete.

Also notable is that Tim Woudenberg won the men's 50 and over solo race too (on a recumbent).
he was also in last place on a recumbent :)

he was also in last place on a recumbent :)

Heh. Yeah, but he was ahead of each of the other racers when they DNF'ed. I wonder how the DNF rate this year compares to last. I thought I heard that the weather in Colorado, in particular, was quite bad, taking its toll on everyone.

a lot of the slower riders missed most of the really nasty weather, although it was hot at the beginning and in the Midwest. Woudenberg finished faster than 4 of the under-50 men and all of the women, so I'd say that was an impressive ride. I'm impressed by all of the solo riders for that matter, tough ride.

The woman's race was very exciting this year, I had a lot of fun following them all. In her pictures after the end of the race she doesn't look like she is tired at all. Just more tan than she was at the start.

I wonder if Barbara might challenge one or more PBP records next year, riding much closer to her home.

I'm pretty sure PBP is in her agenda for next year! And probably to make a good time! She rode it in 2007 on the back to back tandem wih her now husband Julius Makuch.