The race and more...

February 1, 2014

Today I officially begin my training for the inaugural TransAmerican Bike Race which begins on June 7th. The route has the riders...108 signed up at this point...heading from Astoria, Oregon, to Yorktown, Virginia a distance of 4200 miles. The race is run non-stop which means riders can ride as much as they can handle round the clock.
The race is to be a "gentleman's agreement". Rules include but are not limited to: 'Zero' outside support from friends, family, or strangers; no drafting; no 'emergency' assistance other than a life-death situation. Running out of food in the middle of nowhere doesn't qualify; race supplies may only be sent to a commercial address such as a post office, bike shop, or motel. Not friends along the course.
Satellite tracking at key checkpoints...I'm not sure how this will work...will be used by most racers.
A number of people have told me that...'I'm too old, it's too dangerous, it sounds like a terrible experience, etc., but to me, I think it sounds like fun! A lot of it! BTW...just don't throw that quote back at me after a few days on the road. That's all I ask. Oh, and for your prayers as well :)

The course follows the Adventure Cycling TransAmerican route and is definitely not the most direct route from coast to coast. There's also that issue of dealing with those bumps on the map we call the Rockies. Climbing anyone? How about 211,000 feet of climbing! And descending:)
For those interested in checking out the website for themselves, you can find it at:
www.transambikerace.com

One of the biggest concerns I'm still having is deciding which race bike to take. My newly acquired 22lb. Carbent High Racer or my rugged 36lb. partially streamlined socked Gold Rush long racer.
Both bents have their merits, which I'll get into at another time, but suffice to say that the Carbent(CB) is mounted on my Cateye CycloSimulator trainer and will be used in that mode for theforeseeable  future.

The reason for using an indoor trainer is that I'm in a sling recovering from shoulder surgery. On January 16th, I had my 3rd rotator cuff surgery on my right arm and my fourth overall all in under seven years. Under doctor orders, an indoor trainer is fine but I can't take a chance with road riding until at least February 26th which is when I expect the sling to come off. Anyway, I'm a little over two weeks out from surgery, in a sling and on Vicodin for pain management. The trainer it is.