The Race Throughout America, or the RAAM as it’s mostly identified, is a straightforward sufficient idea: bike from one finish of the USA to the opposite as shortly as attainable. However, like all issues in biking, the easy premise belies the race’s deep-seated complexity.That compounds if you attempt to do it quicker than anybody has ever accomplished it earlier than.
As a substitute of a easy pursuit, it turns into a full-blown staff operation with workers members, a number of bikes, a number of automobiles and a boatload of planning to get that entire flotilla of shifting components throughout the nation in perpetual movement.
When Colin O’Brady and Lucas Clarke begin the RAAM in Oceanside, California on June 15,they may attempt to be the quickest duo ever to cowl the three,000 miles it takes to get to the end line in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey. Their aim is to do it in lower than six days.
The problem of the “sub six” aim
O’Brady left, Clarke proper have been pals since first grade
(Picture credit score: Pranalens)
Going “Sub Six” – which can be the title of their venture – can be the quickest time for a RAAM duo by a good distance. The present document sits at 6 days and 11 hours, or, extra exactly because the precise mileage of the race adjustments barely yearly, 19.85 miles per hour for all the crossing.
“We have been pals, greatest pals, since first grade and we have been doing all types of cool stuff collectively for many years,” Clarke advised Biking Weekly.
Collectively Clarke and O’Brady have climbed Mount Rainier, accomplished ski mountaineer races and tackled different adventures as a duo however regardless of O’Brady’s background in triathlon and Clarke’s excessive degree of biking accomplishments they two have but to do “one thing large” on a motorcycle as a unit.Clarke recommended the RAAM final yr and that was all it took for the duo to get off the blocks making ready for the problem.
O’Brady and Clarke might not be family names within the biking world however each athletes have an enormous cache of athletic credentials that has created an elixir excellent for a run on the RAAM document.
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O’Brady is a world-renowned journeyr with a number of world information to his title, together with the primary unsupported crossing of Antarctica by human energy and snowboarding with a 300-pound sled 900 miles throughout the continent. Lucas Clarke, in the meantime, is likely one of the high grasp’s cyclists within the nation with three grasp world observe titles to his title. He’s additionally a former single-speed document holder on the Unbound Gravel 200.
Collectively, the 2 discovered the right center of their shared athletic Venn-diagram with the try on the two-person RAAM document.
“For the final 10 years, I’ve been fairly targeted on adventures and fairly excessive environments. From being alone in Antarctica for 54 days, summiting efforts a few instances, being on K2 in winter and, you recognize, sadly, shedding pals from a tragic climbing accident, I’ve been undoubtedly type of in a life-or-death stakes form of sport, so to talk,” shared O’Brady.
“In most methods, RAAM is lots completely different, I’ll say, as a caveat, I do assume using your bike in the midst of the USA, in the midst of the evening, on open roads, is definitely fairly harmful, however maybe not in the identical means we consider falling right into a crevasse alone in Antarctica, or having getting hit by an avalanche on Everest.”
Zone 2 and wind tunnel testing: discovering marginal positive aspects for a 3,000 mile take a look at
(Picture credit score: Pranalens)
While you get into the weeds, the complexities of a RAAM document boil down to a few common pillars for achievement: the endurance of the using, the gear selections and the staff construction. The trouble is pretty easy: – O’Brady, and Clarke will conduct a staff relay of 90-minute on, 90-minute off stints all through the period of the journey.
Whereas each riders are extraordinarily match athletes, using 90-minute shifts for six straight days is a singular problem. Each riders will spend little or no time above “zone 2” cardio ranges of output. Nevertheless, that output will equate to round 36 hours of using over the 5 plus days which strains components of the physique past what most biking efforts would pressure.
For each O’Brady and Lucas, this meant engaged on neck strengthening akin to that of an F1 driver to maintain the aerodynamic place wanted for the race, in addition to all of the supporting muscle mass of their higher physique and core that assist the cardio system. However, the on the bike work was pretty easy for each riders because it all revolves round pushing that essential “all day” energy of zone two as excessive as attainable.
The technical features of the race and the staff development are extra advanced and it’s additionally the place enormous positive aspects might be made.
The Sub Six venture has a full slate of technical companions which incorporates Princeton Carbonworks, Ventum, and Le Col package. With the backing of these model companions, the duo has been capable of practice for a yr on the gear and tweak it to their particular person wants as riders, particularly since Clarke is a rider who has a ton of expertise in aerodynamics and biking whereas O’Brady has little or no latest biking expertise.
The staff has spared no element with the 2 riders spending time within the Silverstone wind tunnel within the UK to optimize all the main points of their technical package. On the earth of RAAM, which is usually contested by amateurs, this quantity of dedication is uncommon.
“Colin labored laborious on dialing his place in a number of bike matches, ensuring he was comfy for lengthy rides on the bike. We have been capable of make some tweaks and add some helmet integration stuff in there, together with working with Le Col on the pace go well with improvement.. So yeah, lots of that was on me, determining the parts and whatnot, and bringing that entire package deal collectively from a motorcycle standpoin,” Clarke stated.
“However, by far, the most important a part of the RAAM is the staff dynamic.”
Teamwork makes the RAAM dream work
(Picture credit score: Pranalens)
To be exact, the staff will likely be round 15 individuals who will likely be working collectively to get two riders, two vans, eight bikes, 16 wheels and an RV throughout the nation at 20.1 miles per hour. And the clock by no means stops, with exchanges occurring frequently each 90 or so minutes, with Clarke prone to tackle a barely greater workload on the bike given his biking expertise.
Past Clarke and O’Brady the staff features a staff director who manages a staff of workers that features cooks, mechanics, drivers, a coach, a physician a navigator who plots the exchanges and potential obstacles on the highway forward.
Not like the opposite lengthy distance biking occasions that could be self supported, just like the Tour Divide, the RAAM is a totally supported race which implies help will not be solely allowed however as integral to the hassle because the using, particularly for the 2, 4 and eight rider staff classes the place there isn’t a probability for the hassle to cease.
“When you consider RAAM you assume it is two guys using bikes,” O’Brady stated.
“However as I zoomed out somewhat additional on it, and we interviewed a bunch of different individuals who had accomplished RAAM, everybody’s story was probably not about their bike or their health. It was all in regards to the logistical parts of this venture.”
“You shortly begin to understand you are asking individuals to take basically, two weeks out of their lives, away from work, in a van or an RV, and in addition not sleeping. Like, people do not essentially do nice beneath these situations, both.”
Whereas the race itself is barely a 5 to 6 day occasion, the Sub Six staff has arrived early in Southern California and had a “gown rehearsal” within the Texas Hill nation which required the complete staff to make a second journey collectively to iron out any kinks or could-be hiccups earlier than the primary occasion.
(Picture credit score: Pranalens)
When the rubber meets the highway, RAAM received’t simply be a race towards the clock. A brand new document is an thrilling aim to attempt for, sure, however for O’Brady and Clarke it’s a celebration of a lifelong friendship and having the bodily health to compete – whilst “middle-aged dads.”
“Lucas and I coincidentally walked right into a first-grade classroom once I was 5 years previous, and we have now been lifelong pals, you recognize, that’s fairly uncommon in our tradition that pulls us in 1,000,000 completely different instructions. We have been by way of so many issues collectively–from the start of our kids to weddings to shedding grandparents and shedding family and friends. We have grieved, we have laughed, we have adventured. We simply have 35 years of life expertise collectively,” O’Brady stated.
“So the fantastic thing about this venture, and I feel that that extends past simply the six days on the bike, is that setting a giant aim collectively has allowed us to weave the tapestry of our life collectively all through the final couple of years. I feel there is a actually lovely story about, you recognize, two guys who are usually not solely greatest pals, however middle-aged dads nonetheless with the ability to push their physique on the highest, highest efficiency and hopefully set a world document.”
