RAAM News

On Jun 13, 7:07 am, "Richard Cheese" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Riders have been issued penalties for riding against traffic.

Jeff Oatley has had two 15 minute sleeps.

Brett Walker had a 2 hour sleep and had digestive issues and he vomited 3
times while riding uphill.

59 year old Patty Riddle got sick in the desert heat.

Yeah, we're talking real riding skill here.

Quoted message said:

Riders have been issued penalties for riding against traffic.

Jeff Oatley has had two 15 minute sleeps.

Brett Walker had a 2 hour sleep and had digestive issues and he vomited 3
times while riding uphill

Quoted message said:

59 year old Patty Riddle got sick in the desert heat.

------------------

Quoted message said:

On the detour section before Prescott, AZ, we passed John Spurgeon (single

speed bike) and stopped ahead to set up a camera shot. Much to my surprise,
John stopped alongside our car, and said he wanted his crew to take a photo
of him and I. His single speed bikes have been working well, and he has yet
to walk a hill. Dealing with the heat yesterday was a far bigger concern for
him than worrying about his simplistic equipment. We watched him ride into
TS#7 (17th place) in Prescott where he stopped and talked with me while
getting a massage. John only rode 6,000 miles in the past 9 months. He
intentionally gained 10 pounds before the race (like Daniel Wyss did last
year). As long as the temperature is nice, he will sleep alongside the road.
His father Paul (gave him pizza) and brother Dan are on his crew. He said he
is not truly doing RAAM with one gear, as his single speed bikes have
different gearing. The minivan that is not following behind him has a
garbage can bungee corded to the rear bumper.
-------------------
this seems kind of stupid even to a RAAM enthusiast like me, carry 3 or 4
different single speed bikes with different cog sizes?? Why not bring just
two 9sp bikes. I know endurance people are eccentric, but this is really
weird. They do mention the crappy two week prep of no riding and lots of
pizza and beer to get your weight up before the event. The solo leader is
in Trinidad, Colorado, 1100 miles into the race. But next comes Kansas,
that was the graveyard for a lot of riders last year. In fact one guy from
Italy got stranded there, because he ran out of money, and I think he's
still there. He was working in a tavern in one of those podunk towns the
last I heard.

On Jun 13, 10:05 am, "Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

this seems kind of stupid even to a RAAM enthusiast like me, carry 3 or 4
different single speed bikes with different cog sizes??

I see Lon Haldeman smiling at a single-speeder carrying a selection of
bikes.
=====

As with many things, the original "concept" if you will was exciting.
Likewise the first few races. John Howard rides RAAM? Cool.

Some guy from Brazil wins some flakey open-wheel series race event? In
the words of an old friend: Tastes filling! Less great!

--D-y

in message <[email hidden]>,

Callistus Valerius (') said:

this seems kind of stupid even to a RAAM enthusiast like me, carry 3 or 4
different single speed bikes with different cog sizes?? Why not bring
just two 9sp bikes.

Or take one single speed bikes and carry a couple of spare cogs in a back
pocket. Or fit a Rohloff.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Let's have a moment of silence for all those Americans who are stuck
;; in traffic on their way to the gym to ride the stationary bicycle.
;; Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Dem, OR)

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>,

Callistus Valerius (') said:

this seems kind of stupid even to a RAAM enthusiast like me, carry 3 or 4
different single speed bikes with different cog sizes?? Why not bring
just two 9sp bikes.

Or take one single speed bikes and carry a couple of spare cogs in a back
pocket. Or fit a Rohloff.

You guys are expecting rational decision making from a RAAM competitor?

Bob Schwartz

Simon Brooke said:

Callistus Valerius (') said:

this seems kind of stupid even to a RAAM enthusiast like me, carry 3 or 4
different single speed bikes with different cog sizes?? Why not bring
just two 9sp bikes.

Or take one single speed bikes and carry a couple of spare cogs in a back
pocket. Or fit a Rohloff.

They should run RAAM under the self-supported tourist
or no-technical assistance MTB racing rules. Carry your
cogs in your pocket and get rid of the support cars.
Enforce 8 hours of rest off the bike per day so the riders
don't fall asleep while riding and/or get killed (which is
why the follow cars were instituted). Then, each
competitor has to carry their own tools, spares, food and
water. But as these are tourist rules, give them an
allowance, somewhere from $20-60/day, that they can spend
on food, drinks, spare parts if they can find a bike shop,
or a cheap motel if they figure they'll ride better with
a decent night's sleep.

I started writing this as a joke, but I actually think
this would be a hell of a lot more interesting and
tactical than RAAM as it exists today. TV audiences
would watch it too; they watch "The Amazing Race."
Mid-race arguments between captain and stoker in the
tandem class would make the best TV, of course.

Ben
VP for Development, RBR Studios

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted post said:

On Jun 13, 10:05 am, "Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

this seems kind of stupid even to a RAAM enthusiast like me, carry 3 or 4
different single speed bikes with different cog sizes??

I see Lon Haldeman smiling at a single-speeder carrying a selection of
bikes.
=====

As with many things, the original "concept" if you will was exciting.
Likewise the first few races. John Howard rides RAAM? Cool.

Some guy from Brazil wins some flakey open-wheel series race event? In
the words of an old friend: Tastes filling! Less great!

You knew Ben Franklin?

LIVEDRUNK is still mad about RAAM's discriminatory no-booze rule. That's
a human rights violation!

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

On Jun 13, 6:19 pm, "[email hidden]" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

They should run RAAM under the self-supported tourist
or no-technical assistance MTB racing rules. Carry your
cogs in your pocket and get rid of the support cars.
Enforce 8 hours of rest off the bike per day so the riders
don't fall asleep while riding and/or get killed

Dumbass -

The tweekers (FRAAM riders) will never go for it.

8 hours sleep/day = no tweek

thanks,

K. Gringioni.

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

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

Callistus Valerius (') said:

this seems kind of stupid even to a RAAM enthusiast like me, carry 3 or
4
different single speed bikes with different cog sizes?? Why not bring
just two 9sp bikes.

Or take one single speed bikes and carry a couple of spare cogs in a back
pocket. Or fit a Rohloff.

They should run RAAM under the self-supported tourist
or no-technical assistance MTB racing rules. Carry your
cogs in your pocket and get rid of the support cars.
Enforce 8 hours of rest off the bike per day so the riders
don't fall asleep while riding and/or get killed (which is
why the follow cars were instituted). Then, each
competitor has to carry their own tools, spares, food and
water. But as these are tourist rules, give them an
allowance, somewhere from $20-60/day, that they can spend
on food, drinks, spare parts if they can find a bike shop,
or a cheap motel if they figure they'll ride better with
a decent night's sleep.

....

Quoted message said:

Ben
VP for Development, RBR Studios

In Thailand up North, you had to get used to seeing drivers hit dogs along
the side of the road, but it was an act of mercy as it wasn't like the dog
was going to see a vet or anything. Kill it quick, move on, nothing to see
here.

I thought the follow vehicles in RAAM served the same purpose.

--
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...