Tabr 2017
 

Another years race starts , on Saturday .

https://transambikerace.com/ roster looks like 160+ for the start..




....

Oooo, are we able to go dot watching like we did with the Aussie race?

The company I work for supplies library books and one of the books in our warehouse at the moment is how to train for one of these races - yes, Virginia, you can make anything overly complicated and technical.

what's the title of the book?

There is a facebook group that is dominated by spot watchers with the occasional post from a racer. I think this link will get you there https://www.facebook.com/groups/5247...82933/?fref=nf

Hopefully it's a safe ride for everyone involved... it's an awe-inspiring amount of riding and grit from all these folks.

160 people, that's just crazy

http://images.alslib.com.au/9781472919878.jpg

Ultra-distance cycling by Simon Jobson and Dominc Irvine
ISBN: 9781472919878
Published by Bloomsbury in the UK, but will be available in the US, even if via an associated US imprint.

I haven't had to catalogue it, I just walked past it in the shelves and, like I always do when I see a bike book, had a quick look (perk of the job, I get to see lots and lots of books). It's pretty detailed and technical, like any of the training books. Not my sort of thing so I didn't look too closely. Worth a look if you're that way inclined though.

thanks. I think working in a library would drive me crazy, too many neat books to look at.

Friday at the LBS, we had a bunch of people cutting it close, with last minute issues,
and folks wanting high end stuff , in stock.. :lol:

Rather unprepared, I'd say. Oh well so it goes..

Only 1 lane plowed over Mc Kenzie pass, hope they brought tights, etc.






;)

....

I saw one person that shifted into the spokes on Thursday, you meet them?

Saw?In PA?

LBS in Astoria was nuts on friday .. with those not prepared, several bikes, in inventory, on the floor,
got cannibalized for parts, for the last minute repairs/replacements..


They Just don't see locals wanting that premium level stuff.





....

Latest update: they all are behind where the late Mike Hall's pace was.. at that point in the race.. nearing Pueblo Colorado

I missed this one. I thought this race was after RAAM? Guess not.

RAAM leaves from So Cal now, it's supported, repair backups, motor homes, food brought along..

TABR rules all that out.

Both are still badass, though.

yeah, RAAM is still a crazy ride. The person I knew that rode it missed the time cutoff at the Mississippi and had a bad case of Shermer's neck.

One state border line to go , for the front runner.

And he's well in front of Mike Hall's record. There's a bit of chat on the facebook page about whether people want Mike's record to fall. Watching the dots, the virtual 'battle' between Evan and Mike has been fascinating.
Pity Janie has dropped behind Lael's record but she's still in a solid third place.
It's really stretched out at the front end now.

It appears that a rider has died after being struck from behind.

I know, have met, or have ridden with at least five people that have completed RAAM.

Maria P. Won the women's individual a few years ago. One of the nicest people I've ever met. This year, she, her husband Jim, and two riders (don't know who) are doing RAAM as a 4-person relay team.

Kevin K. I'm sure RAAM afficionados would know this better than me, but I think Kevin finished RAAM solo twice. First(?) American finisher once (or maybe twice).

Gernot W. I recall it is twice he did RAAM as part of a 4-person relay.

Mary F. Won women's 2-person-relay division, setting a world record for fastest a 2-person-relay with both people being women over age 60. As Mary joked, all they had to do to set the record was finish. They did that and also beat the other women's team(s).

Richard L. Completed RAAM as part of a 4-person-all-male relay team. All 4 were at least 70 years old.


Don't know anyone that came up Shermer's Neck on RAAM, but do know a couple people that developed Shermer's Neck during a 1000 brevet or a 1200 grand randonnee.


Before having total double knee replacements and then being bashed into by a vehicle driven by a ____, my ex-wife and still friend, Lynn L, became double-RAAM-qualified when she completed the PacTour Elite Tour. Upon completion, Lynn told Susan N that having completed the Elite Tour, she had no interest in doing RAAM. Susan told her, "don't do RAAM solo because it is too hard; don't do it as part of a 4-person team because you don't get to ride enough; do it as part of a 2-person team."

Think about that. Susan Notorangelo, RAAM solo winner, wife of Lon Haldeman, etc., said "don't do RAAM solo ... it is too hard."

My recollection is that a rider getting hit and killed on RAAM led to the current follow-car rules. And perhaps other rules, too.

RAAM is expensive to enter and expensive to do. I don't know what happens to all the entry fees. And one person I know, that is crewing again this year, but has also been a RAAM official, has commented to me that he doesn't know what happens to all the entry fees, because they certainly don't help the officials with expenses as much as they ought to.

from FB, just seen.

We've just spoken to the Kansas Highway Patrol and confirmed rider Eric Fishbein was struck and killed last night on highway 96 in West Kansas. We are terribly saddened and our thoughts are with his family during this time. We are all reeling from this and are doing our best to get through today. To all racers, please know we're all pedaling together wherever we're sitting. Let your loved ones know where you are and what you plan to do. Some will keep pedaling, some will go home. We urge all to take the time to find the quickest path to healing. At this time we are discussing next steps to move forward. We ask for patience and understanding as we all try to get through this.

Mike Hall whose record pace is only bested by 1 rider currently , was killed in a car collision in Australia earlier this year.



:(

Looks like Evan Deutsch is going to finish this afternoon with a new men's record.

There was an old Bugs Bunny cartoon where he was in the circus, competing with a Russian bear. Bugs says "and now, I'll dive 50' into a barrel of water." The bear says, "I'll dive 100' into a bucket of water!" Bugs says, "I'll dive 500' into a wet sponge!" And the bear says, "I will dive one thousand feet into a block of cement! On my head, even!"


That's kind of my impression of RAAM. If the record was 30 days, I might consider doing it, and seeing if I could do it in 29. But as it currently operates, it's kind of a contest to see who can do the most unreasonable things to their bodies and minds. As I recall cycling history, that's pretty much how the old 6-day bike races operated, too.


A few years ago, I was "RAAM Qualified" by finishing a 500 mile race. And my perception of that is that the RAAM Qualification process rules out those riders who are half-nuts. Because to do solo RAAM, you have to be full-nuts, not half. Anyway, that 500 mile race taught me a valuable lesson, and that lesson was, don't do 500 mile races. Or anything longer!

Evan Deutsch of Portland, Oregon is our new record holder! 17 days 9 hours 8 minutes.

I think TABR has had a fatality every year. Or is it just 2 out of 3, I don't recall. One of the women interviewed in "Inspired to Ride" was killed fairly close to Yorktown.