no riding today but still bikey

I pay enough attention to the Race Across America to know that competitors and their crews are in the final countdown. Solo women riders begin the 3000 mile race across the continent on Tuesday with the solo men beginning 24 hours later. It's a busy week of activity at Oceanside, CA with rider meetings, crew meetings, inspections, and all the hoopla and hype you'd expect of an event that bills itself as "The World's Toughest Bicycle Race" which also is celebrating it's 30th anniversary this year. Simultaneous to RAAM is the Race Across the West. Race Across the West follows the same route as RAAM, with the same start time but riders finish up a mere 860 miles away when they reach Durango, CO.

As an interesting aside, a few of us were talking bike the other day following a club ride. Of course the subject of RAAM came up. (I was wearing my "Race Across America Qualified" jersey) The comment was made that they wouldn't want to race across the country but would like to "take like a month and just do a leisurely ride across America". I noted that if you expected to ride across America in a month you'd have to ride 100 miles a day, every day, head winds, rain, lightning, Rocky Mountains, whatever. Not very "leisurely" for all but the very fittest of cyclists. Now they had a bit more of an idea of what a 8 or 9 day finish meant. ;-)

Though I won't be riding either RAAM or RAW this year I am helping out a bit. My support vehicle cot with integral storage will be following cyclist Mick Walsh on his Race Across the West solo effort. (Mick during the 2010 RAW)
My Furnace Creek 508 crew chief from 2010, John Henry Maurice, will be crewing for Mick. I will also be providing some home based computer support for Mick as he makes his way to Durango.

My 1200w inverter will be taking a bit longer ride. It is in a vehicle going from Oceanside, CA all the way across the country to Annapolis, MD. Of course, a return trip is on the books as well! It is providing power, as it has multiple times on ultra bike races, to a microwave oven. This time it will be making the trip a bit more comfortable for Keith and Alex Kohan who are serving as course officials for the RAAM solo men.

Looks like the closest I will get to an ultra bike race this year will be officiating for Race Across Oregon in July. I've been a course marshal for a couple of OBRA races but never for an ultra.

To all the cyclists and their crews, best of luck on RAAM and RAW. Godspeed! What an adventure awaits!