The Race Across America (RAAM)

Adventures on a 3,086 mile cycle race across the USA – from Oceanside, California to Atlantic City, New Jersey

Man, Machine, Mountain

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The steep winding road dropped down the eastern side of the Appalachian Mountains. Three men, alone beneath the moonlight, raced as fast as they dared.

The first man that bats flying across might see, was on a bicycle, sweeping to and fro across the dark empty road. Veins in his forehead stood to attention, his headscarf flapped wildly in the air vortex created by speed. Adrenaline pumped as he picked a racing line from the clues his headlamp beam picked out in the semi darkness.

The other two were in a following minivan, seemingly connected by a short invisible umbilical cord to the rider, giving him support and reassurance. The rider was always kept within 30 feet of their windshield – so that their headlights could help illuminate the road in front of him and the flashing amber lights on their roof could provide protection from the rear.

The van swang left and right through bends, exaggerated movements changing the angle of the headlights in order to provide maximum visibility and less shadow ahead. In this way the bike and car danced along the road at around 50 mph, locked together as if in a tango embrace. The cyclist and the driver moving with total focus – often they were within 10 feet and knew any error from either could be disastrous.

Suddenly, up ahead, another slower-moving team came into view and were soon in the cross-hairs of the racer. When safe, the cyclist swept at high velocity past them and the van accelerated through and tucked back in behind him, keeping that “invisible cable” tight. In a few seconds on the steep descent, the passed team were simply specks in the rear view mirror.

The navigator in the passenger seat hadn’t been able to look as the team hit the summit and had started the scream down the mountain. For the cyclist and the driver, their vehicles performing to command, this was truly living. They were totally focussed, and completely in the moment. At the bottom of the long drop, and the grade returned to single digits, the cyclist let out a loud “wahooo” on the race radio and punched the air. The navigator was now able to open his eyes and look through his fingers. I was able to release my tight grip on the steering wheel…

This was just one moment in the crazy adventure that is – The Race Across America (RAAM).

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Prologue

A few days previous, and over 2000 miles west, ultra-endurance athletes from across the world had gathered in Oceanside, California for the start of The Race Across America (RAAM). For over 40 years, this annual event, “The Worlds Toughest Bicycle Race” has welcomed individuals and teams to cycle the 3083 miles coast to coast across the USA – from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

As a “single-stage time trial”, once the race clock is set in motion it never stops until the moment you arrive in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Your race time includes sleep and that taken up by any issues you may have. Each individual or relay team (of 2, 4 or 8 cyclists) needs a mandatory support crew to keep them safe at all hours as they move across the varied terrains, through complex weather patterns and multiple timezones.

Having taken part as a crew member previously, I have some experience of what this all takes. With the complexity above, teams often look for experienced hands to augment their crew, and so it was that a couple of months ahead I was recruited to join Team Breathe America. In exchange for my time and knowledge of the race, my flights, hotels and daily expenses were covered. So, not knowing anyone else on the team, I headed from London to San Diego – it would be a great adventure!

Team Breathe America, raising money for The American Lung Association were entered in the 8 person team category, which means they have 8 cyclists who race across the country in a non-stop relay. One of the team’s cyclists is always on the road, 24 hours a day, which requires an entourage of support crew, all travelling across the country together.

I looked at this as a type of “3 ring circus”:

Team Breath America had two racing sub teams (called Bake and Shake), each consisting of 4 racers and 4 support crew members. One of these teams was “active” at any one time – with cyclists doing “pulls” of 6 miles or so in sequence, with 2 crew in a “follow vehicle“. This vehicle, which sits behind (or close to) the active rider at all times, was responsible for rider safety, rule compliance and navigation. A “racer van” containing a driver, navigator and the remaining 3 riders/ bikes in the sub team, hopped ahead each time to set up the next rider exchange, which happened every 6 miles or so for the entire race. This sequence of short pulls and highly efficient transitions was necessary to achieve the team’s target:

“To race 3083 miles across the country, non-stop, at an average cycling speed of 18 mph!‘

The “non-active” racing sub-team was transported to a hotel 150 miles or so up the road, resting ahead of a full “racer team exchange” where they would take over as the active team for the subsequent 8-10 hours of racing. This alternation between our two sub-teams would continue for the entire race.

Outside of the 16 race team members, were the 8 person “base camp” team. With two other Transit vans and a car at their disposal, they were responsible for moving the “off” racer team and their crew up the course to hotels, setting up the food/ other support, as well as shopping and cooking.

Each role was critical to the success of the team.

Team Breathe America had been on the starting line last year, but several counts of COVID meant they had to withdraw at the last minute, and defer for a year. With the passing of that time, the team had now raised a phenominal $400k (to date) for The American Lung Association, and were now ready to fulfil their long standing ambition to race their bikes across the country.

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Setting Up to Race

Oceanside is a seaside resort a few miles north of San Diego. In the late 18th, and early 19th century, the Spanish created a series of 21 religious communities, “missions”, in a line along the Californian coast, at an approximate distance of one day’s horseback riding from another. The lands controlled by the largest of these, San Luis Rey de Francia, over time formed the city of Oceanside.

Since 2006, The Race Across America has started beneath its 2000 feet long pier, but before Team Breathe could return to the start line this year, there were a few days of intense preparation. Team members arrived from all over the USA, vehicles were hired, kit put together and necessary modifications were made. One of my jobs was to crawl under a couple of Transit vans and bolt on a towing hitch that heavy rear bike racks would slide into. The race also requires vehicles have very specific signage and lighting, so these were all added to all the vans and cars in the places required and signed off by race control. With vehicle preparation completed ahead off schedule, our focus turned to execution drills – practicing team and rider exchanges to get the racer and crew machine well oiled

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The Race- Part 1 – Oceanside, California to Parker, Arizona

Individual solo racers have a little more time to complete the crossing, so started a few days ahead. The team entries kicked off their race at one minute intervals just after lunch on Saturday.

All the team gathered on the seafront, as 8 of our riders passed through the start line together. Our clock started and we pointed ourselves East. Two of our riders would then continue beyond the promenade as there was in a non-racing zone for a few miles to get beyond the city limits. In the open countryside the true racing would begin with one rider on the road at any one time.

Our support crews gathered at the start line to see the team off. The core of the team were family members and friends from the founders based out of Anchorage, Alaska, but we had team members from many states of the USA – and one Englishman of course!

We passed Salton Sea, a large salt water lake that lies directly above the San Andreas Fault. Before 1905 it had dried up, but then springtime flooding from irrigation canals off the Colorado River flowed into the bowl. In the two years before the overflow issue was resolved, the lake had again reformed. Now with the hotter weather it has been evaporating which has led to heavy metal pollution. Clean up activities are underway to try and rebuild the resorts which once lined it

Upon arrival in Brawley, just 15 miles from the Mexican border, it was so hot that it was impossible to go outside for more than a few minutes at a time. Thankfully the hotel had a small swimming pool where the water was at least tepid rather than boiling.

At 9pm, Team Shake swept into Brawley and it was time to swap out the crew and riders. In a couple of seconds we were on our way. It’s fair to say the quick transfer was a bit of a learning curve for all the crew and the Crew Chief made it clear (whilst acknowledging this was the first one and would probably be the worst) that this needed to improve. Passports were also needed as we would be close to the border and with the immigration controls and political situation around it, that may encounter additional patrols and checks from US Homeland Security.

We headed east out of Brawley, towards the city of Blythe, the last before we headed over the Arizona border. After midnight it was still over 100F on the car dashboard, but still well short of the record June temperature here of 124F (51C). Crossing the desert, then the Colorado River and reaching Arizona is an early milestone on RAAM and we rolled into Parker, AZ at 4am to hand over to Shake. One State was done.

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Part 2 – Parker, Arizona to Bluff, Utah

A frontier mining town, Prescott was for a few early years the capital of the Arizona territory before it ultimately moved to Phoenix. In the 19th century it was a typical Wild West town, one time home to the infamous Doc Holliday.

At 5,400 feet it was a tough climb for the riders to get here, although it was through some fabulous canyon scenery. Once the Shake team arrived, Bake headed out into the afternoon sun

Once out of the Prescott Valley, the route swept between high mountains towards the town of Jerome, AZ. After miles of empty roads Jerome comes as a welcome bit of civilisation, perched on a sharp bend in the road, at 5000 feet elevation overlooking the Verde Valley. Here, almost 2 billion years ago, an undersea volcano created two blocks of rock containing dense metal ores. Over time one of these ore blocks moved and eroded and breached the surface rock. The Copper deposits found here are amongst the biggest ever found. Mining led to the development of the town in the late 19th century.

We then descended into the Verde Valley towards Cottonwood, AZ. This was a very fast stretch for the riders as the grade down was sharp, and then after Cottonwood the route followed a dual carriageway. As with many faster roads in America, a substantial hard shoulder meant the cyclists were actually kept well away from the main traffic. Also, a general rule of RAAM is to avoid hindering traffic, so here we were able to position the close support car “follow vehicle” in the shoulder.

There are two main modes of close vehicle support / protection of the active rider in RAAM. During the daytime (7am to 7pm local time) the rules (based upon State rules, police and agreements with RAAM) dictate that a slow moving vehicle, potentially hindering traffic, is prohibited. In this mode, known as Leapfrog Support, the close support “follow” vehicle instead overtakes the rider and finds a safe spot between half a mile and a mile ahead, where it is possible to get the car at least 5 feet off the road. Once the rider has passed, this leapfrog repeats. Using this method, close contact is maintained with the rider in case of any issues or mechanical problems, however traffic flow is maintained.

After 7pm (and in some of the Indian Tribal lands) then Direct Follow is then mandatory. During the “night’ hours the follow vehicle must remain directly behind the rider at all times.

We then swept towards one of my favourite sections of RAAM, through the city of Sedona. Huge sandstone rock formations surround it. We arrived at the perfect time. The rocks (called Schnebly Hill Formation) are unique to this area, and when the sun starts to set, they glow a beautiful pink.

By the time we reached Flagstaff we were cycling on part of the famous “Route 66” and now in Direct Follow mode (as per pic below). The active rider always keeps in touch by a team radio with an ear piece, that is only allowed in the right ear so that surrounding traffic can still be heard. As this is a fast relay team, a few miles ahead the next rider was in the team’s “Racer Vehicle”, being prepared for a quick handover/transition.

North of Flagstaff we travelled through a stretch of huge volcano craters, the largest being the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Astronaut training took place here in the early 1960s under the Apollo programme, as the heavily cratered, rocky surface was a good facsimile of the moon.

Thankfully, unlike the surrounding terrain, the road through this area was smooth and fast, so good forward progress continued to be made by the team.

A few hours later we crossed into Navajo Nation, a massive self-governing Indian Reservation, which covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. At 27,000 square miles, the Nation is actually is larger than 10 other states of the USA. Near its south western corner, a Trading Post at Cameron, AZ is one of the RAAM time stations and the site of the next Team Transition between the two halves of the team. Whilst we had some food and got ready to be transported to the next hotel in Bluff, Team Shake headed straight out on the road.

Riding through the night, Team Shake passed through the Navajo Nation, around dawn hitting Monument Valley and Mexican Hat, home of scenes from countless Western movies. Although this is a serious race, the team did stop for a couple of photos at the viewpoint in Forrest Gump! At this point they found the RAAM Media team on hand for some quick interviews and progress updates.

Shake pulled into Bluff and we were up and ready to do the team exchange.

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Part 3 – Bluff, Utah to La Veta, Colorado

We headed out from Bluff, Utah, our team cycling towards the red sandstone formations of Montezuma Creek towards Cortez, Colorado. This area has fabulous mountains, canyons and rock formations on a massive scale. We passed through the Navajo Nation lands and the old cave dwellings used by ancient peoples.

The climbs were as big as the scenery, up to 8,500 feet in altitude. The roads were long, rolling and straight. We headed along the valley of the Montezuma Creek. Progress was held up for 30 minutes or so due to one way traffic on dirt roads the development of a highway through Native American territory. Occasionally the racers have to get a mandatory transit in the van through short areas that are too dangerous. Last time I crewed on RAAM there were big forest fires so we had to do several “real time” diversions notified via Race Control. With RAAM and the the Nation forbidding cycling, it was necessary to load up all the team and bikes on the Racer vehicle and drive a mile or so, beyond the construction.

The photo above does give a good idea of the layout of the Racer vehicle, used to make the rider transitions. Here there are 5 bikes on the rear rack (one for each of the team members and a spare), usually one would be on the road.

As we were in daytime leapfrog mode, we were able to briefly drive a bit ahead of the rider to stop and look over the valley towards the cave rooms at “The Canyon of the Ancients” (video below). From around 7500 BC, this area was once home to an ancient native people, who during the “Great Pueblo Period” 1075-1300AD cut dwellings into these cliffs and others in the region.

Entering Colorado, the race took us within a couple of miles of “Four Corners” a unique place where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado meet in a single spot. Beyond, we raced through the Mesa Verde National Park towards Cortez.

We were now racing along The Old Spanish Trail which connected Santa Fe in New Mexico to Los Angeles via Pack Horse caravans. This was our first rendezvous with this, as it generally takes a more northern route to the one we had taken so far in RAAM. It was here, passing through Mancos that had the first sightings of the enormous snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains in the far distance. The climbing so far had often been tough, but we were now heading towards the Great Watershed Divide of the USA.

Team Bake finished our shift at Pagaso Springs, CO, a beautiful city of lakes, mountains and trees. Over this stage of the race the scenery had changed from sandy deserts to lush green forests. Whilst Shake took over the active race, we transferred east to La Veta to sleep and get ready for our next shift. After an hour or so in Pagaso, we headed high up into the Rockies and overtook team Shake on the long 7% climb up through Wolf Creek Pass. At almost 11,000 feet, this is the highest point on RAAM and is on the Continental Divide of the USA. C.W. McCall realised a track “Wolf Creek Pass” in which he describes it as “37 miles o’hell”. This is where flexibility in the team strategy really helps, as riders can do shorter stints as needed – to replace riders before they get tired and keep up the momentum. It is here that a rider in the two-man RAAM team I was crewing for 2 years ago got altitude sickness and the team then were unable to continue the race. Having more riders in the team certainly helps as if one is struggling you can adjust the pulls so he can sit out for a while until recovered. No such option a couple of years ago!

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Part 4 – La Vita, Colorado to Pratt, Kansas

Nutrition and logistics is a crucial part of the success of a team and Team Breathe America were fortunate to have great people in the “Base Camp” team. Johna and Eric led the “sustenance team” who at all times of the day and night prepared food and made it available to everyone.

At La Veta, we stayed in a sort of single story motel and amusingly when we arrived there we found some other random guest staying in one of the open plan rooms! Here, as per the photo below, we had to take the handover as active team from the other sub team around 2.30 in the morning! The moon was bright in the sky but the air was crisp and cold.

As the team were running 24 hours a day, our sub team’s “on time” and our sleep time could be at any time of the day or night! Blindfolds and ear plugs were a necessity. There was also no room for prima-donnas as 4 people not only shared a room with 2 double beds – but due to the team transitions this would be before or after 4 people from the other sub-team would sleep in the same ones!

The night time shifts were obviously quieter from a traffic point of view, but there was the additional challenge of mandatory close follow of the rider and driving hundreds of miles in one stint behind a series of riders averaging 18mph. This was more challenging, both from a concentration point of view, but also in direct follow mode one rider pulls into a transition and the next immediately leaves, so there is no stopping in the follow vehicle for hours on end. At team transitions (between Bake and Shake) all the vehicles are left running and follow vehicle drivers and navigators run in and out of the car as the next rider needs to continue straight away.

Having crossed the Rocky Mountains there were now over a thousand miles of the Great Plains to cross. Whilst flatter terrain, the challenge here is the often stormy weather, high winds and endless straight roads.

As dawn came, the weather deteriorated and high winds and driving rain made the long roads difficult for the riders. Some of these roads were also frequented by massive trucks, travelling at high speed without the ability to stop very quickly. At one point we were warned by the other vehicle that a big rig was bearing down on us. I managed to quickly get us off the road, but the truck flew by very fast – the driver seemingly able to simultaneously hold the wheel, blast the air horns as loud as he could and also give me the middle finger!

We raced through miles of empty prairie, with a few “little houses’ and barns that reminded me of the Ingells family from the 70s TV show. Getting straight out of Dodge City we passed a huge train wreck caused by a recent tornado, over 100 trucks had been thrown off the rails and the clear up exercise was still ongoing.

This stage was across the plains, miles of wheat and maize fields for as far as the eye could see. Rotating irrigation gantries created massive circles in the land that can be clearly seen from aircraft flying above. We cycled across a great area of empty plains, the Comanche National Grassland, where this great tribe once roamed.

As we passed Mullinville, Kansas, we were amazed at seeing rows of iron sculptures that lining the road. These are the creations of M.T. Liggett. Just after WWII, he escaped (what he saw was) his dull life on a farm by joining the navy. By all accounts he had some incredible adventures which he has been immortalizing in metal since the 1990s. Some of them take the form of his stories, others are drawn from elements of his character and still more embody political statements. Many artworks are kinetic, designed to move in the strong prairie winds, often made from old farm implements (see above).

Strong winds buffeted us, and towards the horizon a thick, dark band of cloud indicated the imminent arrival of some serious weather. The forecast was very bad, so we were happy to pull into our hotel in Pratt, KS just before the worst of the storm rolled in.

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Part 5 – Pratt, Kansas to Jefferson City, Missouri

Luckily the storms had largely passed before Team Shake arrived in Pratt, so the cyclists didn’t see much of it, and after the usual fast changeover and our team were out on the road. The team changeovers were pretty dramatic and could be quite tense. Our half team would be sleeping (in Pratt in this case) and when Shake were roughly an hour away they would call in and the Bake team (4 support crew and 4 riders) would be woken up and get some food. Each vehicle members had to fill their own cooler boxes with ice and their favourite drinks and snacks and then carry them and any other kit to the transition point on the course. This was usually near the hotel, if not we were transported there in the support Transits so we were stood by the side of the road ready to go. The other half team would sweep in, and after a Le Mans style driver change with engine running, our team would sweep out to continue the non-stop race progress across the country

Leaving well before breakfast, we continued our transit of Kansas. The roads were quiet due to the time of day and the countryside was very peaceful. As dawn spread, it illuminated lakes and standing water left from the previous nights deluge. With open road, golden sky and the single red cycle light to follow ahead, it was a smooth start to the day. Race radio updates from the cyclists echoed this as they found a type of “flow” in the flat roads and smooth asphalt. Yellow centre lines flicked below the car and the shadow of trees loomed large from peripheral vision and then receded. As we progressed towards Wichita. Our cyclists could no doubt agree with The White Stripes (7 Nation Army)

I’m goin’ to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I’m gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I’m bleedin’, and I’m bleedin’, and I’m bleedin’
Right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will think no more

Passing to the north of Wichita, the temperature was rising, but whilst the “sweat was dripping out of every pore” the mercury today was at a very polite level compared to the deserts of earlier days. Farmland obviously dominated, but we travelled through some pretty little towns. Right wing politics was often reflected – subtly in flags, but sometimes less so in truck containers with huge painted “TRUMP” slogans!

Some of these towns had interesting names.

El Dorado was a quiet little place, but oil was discovered in the late 19th century and by 1918 this single field was responsible for nearly 10% of world oil production! Next up was Eureka, which means “I have found it”, and sure enough we did, but didn’t stay as we were in a race!

After a long day on the straight roads of the Great Plains, we rolled into Iola, KS for the next transition back to Shake and then after a short food break we were on our way to the next team handover point in Jefferson City, on the Missouri River.

This next section of transit was interesting as we drove through the Ozarks, an area famous as a boating destination for billionaires. Completed in 1931, the Bagnal Dam turned the upstream Osage River into a large lake. Because of the associated flooding of numerous tributaries, the huge lake now resembles a Chinese dragon (see below). This was a very beautiful part of the drive, crossing multiple rivers, lined with boathouses and expensive mansions. The Osarkland “Road Trip Tradition” store offered both knives and chocolate and declared itself “worth stoppin’ for”. Sadly we were in a race and had to get to Jefferson City ASAP, so couldn’t stop, not even for a pecan log roll!

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Part 6 – Crossing The Mississippi – Jefferson City, Missouri to Bloomington, Indiana

I was a late night start, as we crossed the central belt of the US, over the 2000 miles mark. We only had 4 hours sleep in Jefferson City. Due to the nature of the race, each half-team’s support crew would be on shift in active support of our racers for 8-10 hours, then our racers and us would grab food etc and then be driven in the Transits for 2-4 hours to the next team transition point. We would then get straight into bed at whatever time of the day or night that would be. We were then woken for food again when the on shift cyclists were an hour’s cycling away! Sleep ranged from 2-3 hours up to 5 hours or so depending on the terrain faced by the cyclists. With flat terrain and favorable tailwinds the unofficial objective of Shake was to give us as little time between the sheets as possible!

Jefferson City is built on a bluff where the Ozark Plateau hits the Missouri River. It is in the middle of the state, between Kansas City and St Louis, and the explorers Lewis and Clark recorded passing this point as they journeyed up the river, before heading west to try and find a route to California. Heading in the opposite direction to their journey, we ventured out into the darkness, firstly via the city centre. Our first rider, Andy, passed the beautiful, illuminated State Capitol building in very little traffic, before we headed across the Missouri, the country’s longest river. This would be the first of many crossings today – the route sweeping to and fro as we followed its banks.

As we progressed east, the weather deteriorated and we had a couple of hours of electrical storms. During the hours of 7pm and 7am “Direct Follow” is mandatory. Very heavy rain meant high concentration was required, to keep the car and rider racing at 20mph, whilst safely “coupled” in this way. Visibility was very limited and standing water was everywhere. Huge flashes filled the sky, temporarily lighting up the whole river and road. Lightning forks snapped across the black sky. In the void ahead, the little red cycle light fought for my attention amongst this heavenly show.

We again crossed the Missouri at Hermann, in the Rhineland area, known for its German Heritage, vineyards and wine – in 1860 almost half of all settlers were from the German city of Koblenz (on the Rhine).

Today we met some “Dotwatchers”. These are Race Across America fans who follow the race live via the moving dots on the map representing each team’s GPS tracker. Some of these super-fans often try to rendezvous with the racers on the course to say hello!

Then we started a gradual diagonal to skirt towards St Louis and to cross the Mississippi north of the city at Alton. The rain had stopped and the sun was rising. Even the smoke from a factory blown east by the wind looked pretty – like a fast moving steam locomotive. The dawn and dusk were always terrific times to be riding.

Before going over the bridge we had to check in at a Timestation. There are over 50 of these on the course between Oceanside, California and Atlantic City, New Jersey. At each of these it is our responsibility in the Follow Vehicle to submit the time of arrival in the race app. One of our riders, Bo, lives locally, so his wife and family came to cheer us on just before we hit the Mississippi River. By now, the weather had improved and the day was bright and sunny. Bo’s wife took the pic below when we stopped briefly, with the race in full swing it would be rare for all eight of Team Bake to be in one photo!

Left to right are:

Mark (Racer Van crew and team cycle mechanic), Andy (Rider), me (Follow Vehicle driver), Aaron (Rider), Trevor (Rider), Samuel – AKA “RSK” (Follow Vehicle Navigator), Bo (Rider) and Dreux (Sub team chief and Race Van crew)

After a quick hello and photo we headed across the mighty Mississippi, and via a long straight stretch of US 140 East, into Greenville Illinois where we handed over the race to Shake, before driving on to Bloomington, Indiana, the third state of the day.

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Part 7 – Bloomington, Indiana to Bridgeport, West Virginia

“Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads“

This section involved 12 hours of direct follow overnight today, so there were not many photos, and my strong bladder was tested!

Most of our hotels were on the race course itself which better supports the “hot transitions” between our 2 sub teams.

We started the day at Bloomington, Indiana, named after the amazing flowers the initial settlers found there. As soon as we did the transition we headed directly past the stadium which was the setting of “Breaking Away” a fabulous movie about Indiana University’s famous “Little 500” track cycle race. In the film a team of “cutters” from the local limestone quarries take on the University teams from Bloomington. Well worth a look if you haven’t seen it.

RAAM Media crew were on location to film the “team exchange” between Shake and Bake so we had a good bit of banter with them. Due to their own schedule up until then they only seen Shake out on the course, so they were excited to eventually catch up with Bake! They wanted to check we did exist and see if the “Shake” trash talk about us was true! After explaining we were the faster half of the squad, and had a lot of laughs and banter, our thankfully very smooth transition was recorded for posterity by the media team and off we sped into the distance.

We mainly followed US 50 East, via Greensburg, for the next section. Here we saw the trees that grow on top of the courthouse tower, which are described on the town entry signs as “world famous”.

We then raced over the Ohio border towards Oxford, just north of Cincinnati. As we entered our 9th State in the race, we encountered folks by the roadside and cheers. A lot of people in Ohio seem to be aware of RAAM coming through their towns in this state and were there day and night to cheer on the racers. We came through several towns in the early hours, to the sound of cheers, cowbells and claps! A number of local groups support manned Timestations with cool pools and food and drink for the races, often in exchange for team souvenirs.

Today was quite challenging as the transition points between our sub teams was generally based upon distance travelled / time station locations and not necessarily terrain. As we had progressed east off the Great Plains, and into hilly areas, the ride between those set points was starting to take a longer time. The previous sequence of 8-10 hours on/ 8-10 hours off was now moving into shifts of 12+ hours. For us in the direct follow vehicle, this was a particular challenge as its the only vehicle that never stops once in “direct follow” mode at night. Keeping alert, fed and watered whilst continually moving was critical, and toilet was an art form with the “trucker’s bottle’ supplied!

Luckily my navigator (Samuel from San Fransisco) are from different countries and backgrounds so had a lot of interesting topics to talk about – so we kept each other occupied and awake. Towards the end of our shift we even managed to get an emergency coffee delivered to us which was very well received.

At Chillicothe, Ohio, the original state capital, we did the team exchange to “Shake”. After 12 hours+ and 228 miles following a bike at 18 mph, it was time to get shuttled to Bridgeport, West Virginia where a quite tired looking me (below) could note that it would be “mostly sunny with a high of 80F”!

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Part 8 – Bridgeport West Virginia to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

By the time ouractive racer got to us at Bridgeport, WV, we had raced around 2670 miles (almost 4,300km) since leaving Oceanside a few days earlier. The team had cycled at an average speed of just over 18 mph, non-stop through the entire period. We were now just 400 miles from the finish line and hoped to complete the race within the next 2 team shifts. Although the distance to the end was coming down, this section is where some solo riders actually end up failing, as we were about to head into the highest sections of the Appalachian mountains. Although these are not as high as the Rockies we had crossed earlier, the gradients are steeper and there are multiple peaks and drops to cover. So as well as a physical challenge to face, there is a mental barrier, on top of very tired legs. The finish seems so close at this point, yet also far away and difficult to achieve.

As it was afternoon, we were not in “direct follow” mode so could leapfrog the rider and stop and wait for them to go past. Occasionally the stops were at interesting places and (for example) we were able to check out some Civil War history at Grafton. The town grew up with the expansion of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and in 1852 the inaugural engine passed through on the first railroad across the Appalachians. As an important rail junction it was fought over fiercely and Sam and I stopped at some civil war guns and stories at the town memorial to wait for the rider to pass.

The climbs were long and grinding for our cyclists, and at various points we could see the physical grimaces on their faces. Tiredness was naturally becoming a big factor. Although their bike turns were relatively short at 6 miles or so, they were consequently pretty frequent and the riding speed was fast and consitent. Everyone across the whole team was pushing themselves to the absolute limits of endurance and sleep deprivation.

Occasionally the rider sequence had to change on the fly if one rider was unwell, an on the fly bike fix was required, or an adhoc decision was taken to swap riders around if the terrain of the next few miles suited one rider and their bike better than another. On top of this demand, after 10+ hours on the road, the cyclists and crew were then shuttled to the next handover point to try and grab some sleep before the other half of the team arrived. Then it seemed almost immediately we were back out on the road again. It was a very grueling experience for everyone.

Hindsight is 20:20 vision, and in retrospect some of the cyclists may have brought different bikes/ lower gearing options if they had researched this section more. The grades were steep and low gearing and drop bars were essential, however a couple of cyclists had only brought TT bikes. On very steep rises this gearing was not enough, and the riders were zig zagging up the mountain roads. This made it even more important for the support crew to remain alert to any fast moving vehicles from behind. This is where the team radios were essential. The rider had a 2 way radio and ear piece so were able to be in constant communication with the follow vehicle.

As darkness fell after another magnificent sunset, the roads started to ramp up further. Everyone was struggling with the steepness of the road, even our minivan was straining and whining as it crept along at a few mph. I know from my own long distance riding experience that on these types of roads in the dark the cyclist is in his own headspace, a mantra in the mind is formed by the constant turning of pedals. All existence is reduced to the arc carved by a white headlight beam on the road ahead. It’s quite meditational.

Everyone was now tired and a little cranky, but it’s the nature of the race and part of the challenge it presents. Sometimes a rap song played out the window through a loud hailer is what gets you through!

And still we progressed, slow up the mountains and fast in the descents. The lowest point of the race was about 200 metres from the top of a very steep climb, when a cyclist ran out of gears, energy and hope. The next changeover was still a couple of miles ahead, over the summit and out of radio range between our vehicles. With an outburst of profanities aimed at the mountain, he was forced to get off his bike and walk for a section. More profanities came when the cleated shoes (that cyclists use to clip firmly into their pedals) were causing a slip problem for even walking and so the only solution was to go barefoot. The mountain didn’t seem however to care or respond to the language, it just remained dark, steep and windswept! After a 1/4 of a mile or so we rendezvoused with the racer van and the next cyclist was on their way.

We headed up the aptly named “Big Savage Mountain” and the descent following it was spectacular and amazing fun. This was where we whizzed down at 50mph as per the intro to this piece; man, machine and car in close proximity. Intense concentration from everyone. After a long day and night in the mountains we headed towards our 16th and final team exchange at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. This was an interesting section of the race course, as West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland converge to a small point, just a mile wide, at Hancock. So we crossed the borders of each state and back several times within a few miles of racing.

Before we arrived there was a change of plan. The mountains had taken a huge toll on the physical reserves of the Team Bake riders, so to keep up speed, it was decided to swap the fresh Team Shake riders and Racer van in a few miles before the next planned exchange. As Samuel and I continued to do follow vehicle support it gave us the unique experience – of being the only members of the active race support team to work alongside both Shake and Bake racers. It was interesting to see how the team dynamic of Team Shake racer van was compared to ours – it seemed they were a little more jokey with each other, whereas our team were a bit more focused and serious. Both approaches had been successful!

We were however pretty glad to eventually arrive in Waynesboro for the Follow Van crew exchange – it had been 14 hours without a break crossing the mountains. Our bladders were full to breaking point and we were getting fed up of drinking sodas! Our active support role for the race was now done, as Shake were now heading on the final 200 miles to complete to the finish line. We celebrated our successes with breakfast at a super traditional “mom and pop” joint. “Traditional” here is a euphemism for 1970s decor. Huggy Bear may have met Starskey in a place like this. It seemed Columbo may be somewhere ready to with “I know you have handed over to Shake now, but I need to ask you just one more thing”!

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Part 9 – The Race Across America Finish, Atlantic City, New Jersey

We stayed a bit longer in Waynesboro that usual as it was going to be a relatively fast transition to the finish line via highways. In time the Base Camp team herded us into the Transits so they could drive us to Atlantic City. When we got there it then seemed that Shake would be a bit later than originally expected as there had been some sort of mileage calculation issue.

As we crossed the Susquehanna River on the highway I was now on quite familiar territory. A few years ago I undertook a thousand mile ride on a 2 speed folding bike, from Massachusetts to Virginia, cycling along the east coast and camping. I was forced to get a train across this river at Havre de Grace in Maryland as cycling was not allowed on the road bridge. From the van I could see that railway bridge. Then we crossed the Delaware River on the big suspension bridge, where I had got a lift across from a stranger and then dropped in to visit some of my JPMorgan work colleagues in Wilmington. On that cycle I had dropped down the riverbank from Philadelphia so had not got as far east as Atlantic City. So the journey east beyond the river today would be new ground for me

We arrived in Atlantic City and found our hotel and had time for a bit of a wander before Shake arrived. when they were a few miles out, we all walked down to the finish line, which is on Atlantic City’s famous boardwalk. All riders met a few hundred metres from the finish line and we cheered them through it.

What an adventure it had been, racing across the continent non-stop at an average of around 18 miles per hour. Everyone was exhausted, but rightly satisfied with a job well done. Jeff, the crew chief had done an amazing job with planning, logistics and traveling to and fro along the course to make sure everything was on track at the various hotels etc. The base camp team had provided food, support and encouragement at all times of the day, and had transported the “off duty” teams across the whole of the country. The 2 active racer support crews had got the racers across successfully, and the racers had each pedaled their share of the 3083 miles. Team Breathe America had made the second fastest time of all in the race, cycling across America in just 7 and a half days. What a team and what a result!

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Epilogue – Lasting Friendship

Race Across America with the team had been a fabulous experience. Crossing a continent by land in a short period of time with a solid purpose is always going to be a first class adventure. Add that to not knowing anyone and the crazy schedules we put ourselves through then it would definitely make or break us as a team.

The good news is that we were unbreakable, we may have arrived in California as a group of individuals from many places, but we became a great team. It was also great fun too, not too serious and we had great banter between the two half teams, a motivational competition within a competition.

I also came to learn about the dynamics, who knew each other before and understand the cheeky banter between folks. With the intensity of the race there would be some edge from time to time, but we all knew everyone was doing the best job they could in the unusual circumstances.

We will aim to meet up and do something again, but until then, thank you my friends on Team Breathe America! It was a blast!

Celebration meal in Atlantic City

The 8 cyclists and 16 crew members

Front Row (L-R)

Johna (Basecamp – Nutrition), Sam (Basecamp), Eric (Basecamp), Bradley (Basecamp), Tim (Basecamp)

Rear row (L-R)

Nate (Shake Crew Lead), Dom (Shake Crew), Dreux (Bake Crew Lead), Levi (with beard, Shake Crew), Trevor (Bake), Kev (hiding at back, Shake Crew), Andy (Bake), Ben (Shake), Michael (Shake), Mark (Shake), Bo (Bake), Aaron (Bake), Steve (Shake), Samual (aka RSK, Bake Crew), Mike (Basecamp), Mark (Shake Crew / Chief bike mechanic), Dan (Basecamp), me (Bake Crew), Jeff (Crew Chief)