Relay Teams Across America:
RAAM for the Real World

By Chris Kostman

Originally published in Tail Winds, September/October 1992

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Intrigued by racing across America, but put off by the thought of back to back triple centuries for nine days straight? Enjoy sleeping at night, eating solid food, and keeping up with "Beverly Hills 90210?" Well, your call has been answered with the new Team Division of the Race Across AMerica (RAAM), offered for the first time in the recent 92 race, held July 26 to August 2 from Irvine, CA, to Savannah, GA.

Per race rules, teams of four riders were able to participate, with any combination of relaying and drafting allowed within teams. That means that either one, two, three, or all four riders could ride at any time, depending on the terrain and conditions. Interestingly, all of this year's teams opted to ride one at a time in order to keep the riders fresher and stronger for the duration of the 2909 mile race. Different rotation schedules were developed by the teams, involving stints on the bike from 30 minutes to four hours, and breaks of 30 minutes to seven hours. Rotation strategy possibilities are limitless, but developing the ideal schedule is a necessity in order to ride competitively and to remain within the 24 hour cutoff behind the lead relay team.

All of the 92 teams were East Coast-based professionals, i.e., riders with real jobs and real lives away from cycling, and they primarily had triathlon backgrounds. The winning team was Team Manheim of Atlanta, Georgia, which covered the 2909 miles in six days and 37 minutes. It included a corporate CEO, a plumber, a fitness club director, and a business man. Their average age is 40 years young! Yet in spite of their real world commitments, the foursome managed to cross the continent over 51 hours faster than the winning solo RAAM racer (Rob Kish; 8:03:11 on attempt number seven, but that's another story), with an average speed of 20.1 mile per hour for the entire race. Who says RAAM and the real world don't mesh? With the team race, cyclists can have it all: RAAM and a real life. Interested?...
 

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