The real record for RAAM is 14 days and it was set by Richard Berg in 1954.
He rode across the country on his own.
That is, unsupported, without a huge and expensive system of followers, handlers and caretakers.
So he’s the hero.
OK, in one sense.
But everyone likes breaking records so much, why haven’t they broken this one?
I say it’s because he’s so much better than anyone after him. They’re all afraid. They’re chickens and slow and wimpy.
He’s the star and he’s untouchable.
Probably he had no training method. Probably his bike weighed a ton. He is the best on pure talent alone, isn’t he.
I have no idea about the background of who he is or his record. I just know that no one seems to care much about breaking it. Why? There can only be one reason: they’re slow, weak, afraid.
Yes, let it be known! The gauntlet is thrown. …As of 1954. Everyone since then has cowered from Richard Berg and his 14 days.
Beat it if you can. If you can’t, admit defeat.
I salute Richard Berg and his legend! : )
That said…c’mon, people. Someone try to ride across the country as fast as they can and report back to us. If you can do it in 13 days 23 hours you’ll be the new alltime world hero of the greatest American distance record, bar none. Across the land. The pinnacle.
Pick your own route. It’s just out there, dangling.
There can only be ONE RIDER who breaks that record.
(It’s a bit like the unfaired recumbent record for miles ridden in an hour. It was set in 1934 at 28 miles and still stands. It’s just dangling there! Quite a few riders will try to break it this summer.)
What advantages would today’s rider likely have over Our Hero Richard Berg?
He or she could ride a much lighter, more reliable and far more aerodynamic bike. He or she can use far more efficient feeding, watering and energy systems. There are probably more restaurants and motels along the way! The roads are probably much smoother. Training and monitoring methods are far more developed.
Can this be enough to break the record? So far it hasn’t been! None of it has been enough to break Mighty Richard Berg’s record. (Who was that masked man anyway?)
A suggestion: Use the Bikecentennial Route. Thousands have. It’s quite well-known, mapped and standardized. It’s a nice safe route for a record. (Similarly, the Great Divide Race route uses the standard Divide Trail route.)
Lastly: make your accomplishment easily verified by bringing along a GPS unit and doing whatever else strikes your fancy as being a legit way to record what you do. You’re the first. Set the pace. (Maybe get time-stamped and signed receipts from convenience stores along the way. Take a digi-pic of you and the clerk.) It shouldn’t be too hard. You’re the boss.
