"bent" rider qualifys for RAAM

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jim Kern did 486 miles in Saturdays early season RAAM qualifier in
Florida. A top DF racer only beat him by 10 miles for the fastest RAAM
qulifier in the UMCA's history! Jim is 48 Chris is 32. A 16 year age
diference.
Great ride Jim Kern on your Bacchetta Aero!
I am sure Team NoCom will easily beat this time? We shall see....
The Aero is the bike for a solo RAAM crossing.

Mr. Gorilla

If that was a 24 hour race I would say it was a hell of a feat for anyone,
let alone a 48 year old, and expecially so if it was done without drafting.
Are there previous records for the event, Mr. Gorilla? Has anyone broken
the 500 mile mark?

skip

skip said:

If that was a 24 hour race I would say it was a hell of a feat for

anyone,

Quoted message said:

let alone a 48 year old, and expecially so if it was done without

drafting.

Quoted message said:

Are there previous records for the event, Mr. Gorilla? Has anyone

broken

Quoted message said:

the 500 mile mark?

skip

Here is Rich Pinto's full report from the Bacchetta list:

Subject: Recumbent history made at Sebring 12/24 race (rambling, long)

Recumbent and upright history was made at the Sebring RAAM
qualifier
this weekend, with simultaneous super human performances by 48 YO
recumbent
rider Jim Kern, and 32 YO upright rider Chris McDonald.

Bacchetta team member's James Ossa, Jay Copp and Bill Wolf also
did
extremely well, medaling in their various categories despite some
serious
intestinal and other medical problems. The event conditions were
really tough, and
it really took their toll on all of the riders at the race, with DNF's
being
common on both the 12 and 24 hour races.

The Bacchetta team ended up completing their first centuries
between
4:25 to 4:45, with three of the four riders competing in the no draft,
24 hour
division.

The Sebring course (despite being in supposedly flat Florida) has
not
been kind to those attempting to qualify for RAAM. The constant high
winds,
hills, and slowdowns for stop signs and turnarounds really conspired to
keep the
speeds much lower than they would be in ideal conditions.

The former course 24 hour record holder (431 miles) from England
was
there doing the 12 hour race, and was previously the only male to ever
qualify
for RAAM (minimum 425 miles in 24 hours) at the event.

Both Jim Kern and uprighter Chris McDonald were in the RAAM
qualifier
division, where any drafting or proximity to other riders at any point
would
result in a disqualification.

On a day that was pleasant and sunny but very windy, the riders
set
out at 6:30 AM on a three mile loop of the 3.7 mile Sebring race track,
then an
89 mile loop out on the open roads, and then back to do multiple laps
on the
11.2 mile loop on the local roads. RIders would experience hundreds
of
hills, stops and slowdowns for traffic and turnarounds in the course of
the 12 hour
daytime ride, very far from an ideal course to maximize speed.

After 6:30PM, the 12 hour race concluded, and the 24 hour
riders rode
onto to the mostly unlit concrete (with many expansion joints) Sebring
racetrack for the 3.7 mile night loops.

In the end, Bacchetta Aero rider Jim Kern ended up with 486.5
miles,
just 26 seconds short of completing the lap that would have given him
over 490
miles. Jim was riding a borrowed bike, with just a couple of mile test
ride
to fit him to the bike. Jim's final average speed was 20.41 MPH for 24
hours.
We knew he had a chance to get his last 3.7 mile lap, and even people
who
did'nt know Jim got drawn into the screaming frenzy at the finish line
as the
official 24 hour time clock expired.

Jim's 24 hour distance was more than doubles the previous UMCA
12 hour
recumbent record of 241 miles set by Bryon Grimley in 2000.

The upright rider Chris McDonald finished with 500 miles (!!)

shortly before the time expired. IMO, after looking at the conditions
and tracks
involved in other UMCA upright records, his was possibly the single
best one
day performance on an upright in the history of the UMCA.

Chris is the coach of a professional womens team in Denmark, and
a US
citizen who has been living abroad for the last several years. He had a
Danish
documentary film crew following him during and after the race, as he
has
apparently got quite a reputation in his adopted land. I got to talk
to him and
his dad for quite a while during and after the race, both very nice
people.

Thanks again to Jim, James, my St. Pete buds Jay and Bill, the
tireless and supportive wives of Jay and and James... Carla and Conchi
(sorry if I
mispelled!), James son Jimmy, last years RAAM relay crew member Terry
Frank
(and her killer pooches Crystal and Rudy)

Also congrats on the great 24 hour bent performances by Larry
Grahm
and Dave Balfour! Great job guys!

Support was tougher than I thought, I'm going to sleep now for
about
two days ;<😉

Rich Pinto
Bacchetta Bicycles

Skip,

It is my understanding that at Serbring the winds are always high and
the previous 24 hour record holder did 432 miles at last years event.
So this DF dude was awesome and Jim Kern was awesome at 48!
For what its worth Jim just got the bike from Rich Pinto the day before
so this 24 hour was his maiden voyage on the bike!
Most impressive!

Mr. Gorilla

Hi,

Whereas 500 miles in a 24 hour period is an amazing achievement, it is
not the record. On August 7, 2004, Andreas Clavadetscher of
Liechtenstein set a new world 24-hour road of 505.37 miles at an
average speed of 21.06 mph on the Schoetz-Aberswil-Gettnau road circuit
in Switzerland. Shortly thereafter, on September 19, the 2004 Race
Across America winner, Juré Robic of Slovenia broke the newly set
record extending the distance to 521.975 miles at an average speed of
21.75 mph.

Jim McNamara

Zach said:

skip said:

If that was a 24 hour race I would say it was a hell of a feat for

anyone,

Quoted message said:

let alone a 48 year old, and expecially so if it was done without

drafting.

Quoted message said:

Are there previous records for the event, Mr. Gorilla? Has anyone

broken

Quoted message said:

the 500 mile mark?

skip

Here is Rich Pinto's full report from the Bacchetta list:

Subject: Recumbent history made at Sebring 12/24 race (rambling,

long)

Quoted message said:

Recumbent and upright history was made at the Sebring RAAM
qualifier
this weekend, with simultaneous super human performances by 48 YO
recumbent
rider Jim Kern, and 32 YO upright rider Chris McDonald.

Bacchetta team member's James Ossa, Jay Copp and Bill Wolf also
did
extremely well, medaling in their various categories despite some
serious
intestinal and other medical problems. The event conditions were
really tough, and
it really took their toll on all of the riders at the race, with

DNF's

Quoted message said:

being
common on both the 12 and 24 hour races.

The Bacchetta team ended up completing their first centuries
between
4:25 to 4:45, with three of the four riders competing in the no

draft,

Quoted message said:

24 hour
division.

The Sebring course (despite being in supposedly flat Florida)

has

Quoted message said:

not
been kind to those attempting to qualify for RAAM. The constant high
winds,
hills, and slowdowns for stop signs and turnarounds really conspired

to

Quoted message said:

keep the
speeds much lower than they would be in ideal conditions.

The former course 24 hour record holder (431 miles) from England
was
there doing the 12 hour race, and was previously the only male to

ever

Quoted message said:

qualify
for RAAM (minimum 425 miles in 24 hours) at the event.

Both Jim Kern and uprighter Chris McDonald were in the RAAM
qualifier
division, where any drafting or proximity to other riders at any

point

Quoted message said:

would
result in a disqualification.

On a day that was pleasant and sunny but very windy, the

riders

Quoted message said:

set
out at 6:30 AM on a three mile loop of the 3.7 mile Sebring race

track,

Quoted message said:

then an
89 mile loop out on the open roads, and then back to do multiple laps
on the
11.2 mile loop on the local roads. RIders would experience hundreds
of
hills, stops and slowdowns for traffic and turnarounds in the course

of

Quoted message said:

the 12 hour
daytime ride, very far from an ideal course to maximize speed.

After 6:30PM, the 12 hour race concluded, and the 24 hour
riders rode
onto to the mostly unlit concrete (with many expansion joints)

Sebring

Quoted message said:

racetrack for the 3.7 mile night loops.

In the end, Bacchetta Aero rider Jim Kern ended up with 486.5
miles,
just 26 seconds short of completing the lap that would have given him
over 490
miles. Jim was riding a borrowed bike, with just a couple of mile

test

Quoted message said:

ride
to fit him to the bike. Jim's final average speed was 20.41 MPH for

24

Quoted message said:

hours.
We knew he had a chance to get his last 3.7 mile lap, and even people
who
did'nt know Jim got drawn into the screaming frenzy at the finish

line

Quoted message said:

as the
official 24 hour time clock expired.

Jim's 24 hour distance was more than doubles the previous UMCA
12 hour
recumbent record of 241 miles set by Bryon Grimley in 2000.

The upright rider Chris McDonald finished with 500 miles

(!!)

Quoted message said:

shortly before the time expired. IMO, after looking at the

conditions

Quoted message said:

and tracks
involved in other UMCA upright records, his was possibly the single
best one
day performance on an upright in the history of the UMCA.

Chris is the coach of a professional womens team in Denmark,

and

Quoted message said:

a US
citizen who has been living abroad for the last several years. He had

a

Quoted message said:

Danish
documentary film crew following him during and after the race, as he
has
apparently got quite a reputation in his adopted land. I got to talk
to him and
his dad for quite a while during and after the race, both very nice
people.

Thanks again to Jim, James, my St. Pete buds Jay and Bill,

the

Quoted message said:

tireless and supportive wives of Jay and and James... Carla and

Conchi

Quoted message said:

(sorry if I
mispelled!), James son Jimmy, last years RAAM relay crew member Terry
Frank
(and her killer pooches Crystal and Rudy)

Also congrats on the great 24 hour bent performances by Larry
Grahm
and Dave Balfour! Great job guys!

Support was tougher than I thought, I'm going to sleep now for
about
two days ;<😉

Rich Pinto
Bacchetta Bicycles

The Bachetta bikes are excellent long-distance machines. Comfortable,
fast, and with no-problems handling.

Kudos to the Bachetta team!

BikingBill rollin on 26's.

BikingBill said:

The Bachetta bikes are excellent long-distance machines.

Comfortable,

Quoted message said:

fast, and with no-problems handling.

Kudos to the Bachetta team!

BikingBill rollin on 26's.

I agree. So far my longest ride on my Aero was a 400 kilometre brevet
in 2004 and I've done 7 double centuries on an Aero since getting my
first Aero in the spring of 2003. If the roads are dry the Aero is my
bike of choice for long rides. BTW, Jim Kern has been on several of the
double centuries I've done in the past couple years though riding his
Barcroft Dakota. He is nice to ride with when I can keep up with him.

Zach

As ususual your posts are stupid and ignorant Mr Mac.
But of course this is usenet and I can say it like it is.
The course in Florida was held on real roads except for the night
portion of the event which was held on a controlled track.
America and RAAM conqures all comers weather they win or not. It is
that tough of an event.
Few people want to compete since there is little sponsorship and out of
pocket expense can exceed 20000 dollars to do this event.
So Mr. Mac are you going to sign up and ride your trike?

Mr. Gorilla