RAAM is looking like it will be a cool race this year.
For the first time an unfaired recumbent rider is competing in the solo division.
James Kern.
Riding a Bacchetta highracer. I think he’s a newbie at RAAM. But he won two major qualifiers overall. Good signs!
Over the first day he was maybe 8th place.
After a couple days he’s now 3rd.
Looking good, Jim!
If he does well, it will bode well for recumbents. Also, this hasn’t been tested before. ‘Bents *should* be much less stressful on a biker’s body. Will they? This is pioneering, baby! Good luck, Jim!
But that’s not all: this is also the first year for the RAAM Enduro. This is a non-sleep deprivation division. Like the soloists these riders should take a week-plus to finish—but they have to clock in an official 40 hours of time off the bike. At least. They can sleep more if they like. But they’re thinking that the winners shouldn’t be overly taxed and relying on their support crews like addled babies if they get 4-5 hours of sleep a day. It’s enough to keep the hallucinations away. (Why not have ’em be off the bike 8 hrs a day?) I note the famous Jonathan Boyer is back at it with a high average speed already, in 3rd place, and getting plenty of rest. (He won years ago, sleeping normally. But came away very impressed.) I see another huge multi-winner is in the Enduro class: Robic. Enduro seems like a neat thing, to me. I’d like to see an Unsupported class but a RAAM official told me no way.
https://stats.raceacrossamerica.org/2006/reports/overview.html
