Eight Guys, One Bad Idea - The Road to RAAM 2021

I looked down at the countdown  on my phone this morning to see that RAAM is just 144 days away.   HOLY ****!!!   We only have 144 days until we ride out on a nine day roller coaster ride across the country and we aren’t even close to being ready.   Not even close and I am starting to get a little nervous.   This is the list off the top of my head….. We need to fill out a few support crew spots. We don’t have a bike mechanic rolling with us.   So, if you are a mechanic and reading this and you are looking for something to do in June give me a buzz.   We need to decide on a rider to vehicle communications method. We need to decide on a vehicle to vehicle communications method.   Finalize the budget!! Finalize the list of our support vehicles Gather all of our spare parts for the bikes Finalize the apparel and jersey order We could use a few more sponsors/partners for the journey.   If you are reading this and are interested hit me up.   D...

Name:   Francis Alueta  From:   Aiea, Hawaii How long have you been cycling:  I have been cycling for over fifteen years now.   What is your athletic background :  Soccer and Triathlon What is your injury history:   I have been luck so far.  So, please don't jinx me.   What was your first bike:   As a kid, my first bike was a blue single speed chopper by Schwinn. As an adult, it was a Specialized Allez Elite What do you remember most about your first bike: The  Chopper had a wide turn radius. With the Allez it was a 10speed and I did my first  sprint triathlon on it.   What do you ride now:  Parlee RZ7, Parlee TTi, Look 566 and Cervelo P-Series Tri What does your preparation for the race look like:  I will take the same approach I take for Iron distance triathlon, except more saddle time and I plan on losing weight.   What do you expect to get out of the race:  I ...

Here are some of the tunes on our playlist for the race.  Check back as we will be updating this list daily. You can find the playlist on Spotify by clicking here!    1.  Kingdom by Downstait     2.   A Horse with No Name by America      3.   Gangnam Style by Psy      4.   Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1 by Pink Floyd      5.  Major Tom by Peter Schilling          6.  The Champion by Carrie Underwood featuring Ludacris       7.  Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond       8.  No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper      9.  Don't Look Back by Boston      10.  Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men      11.   Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers Band      12.  More Than A Feeling by Boston     13.  Carry on Wayward Son by...

Name: Jeff Jordan From: Raleigh, North Carolina   How long have you been cycling:  Around two years   What is your athletic background:  That’s a great question.  Baseball is where I excelled in my prime.   What is your injury history:  Nothing too serious; face and leg shrapnel, cracked ribs, broken hands, fingers and toes.   What was your first bike: 20” HufFy   What do you ride now:   2014 TREK 2.5 OCLV Carbon   What do you remember most about your first bike:  All I remember about my first bike is the metallic silver frame with purple HUFFY letters down the frame, oh and the day I switched to mag wheels was amazing.   What does your preparation for the race look like:  My preparation looks a bit grim at this point, I’ve got a lot of work to do, hello Peloton.   What do you expect to get out of the race:  Not sure what to expect from this race; pain immediately comes to mind. I think a lot about the...

Name:  Keith Marsh From:  Loveland, OH   How long have you been cycling:  I’ve been riding since I was very young.  I remember in middle school getting out and riding to friend’s houses and later on in high school (before I got my drivers license) I would ride to the mall to spend the money I made on my summer jobs.   What is your athletic background:   Up until my late 40’s I was a distance runner with numerous half marathons and a one full under my belt.  I have and still play basketball when I get the chance.  Now in my 50’s I stick mostly with boot camp style workouts at a local gym and some trail running.   What is your injury history:   Thankfully, I haven’t had any major injuries.    What was your first bike:  I had a small 26” single speed bike with a banana seat   What do you ride now:  Fuji Altamira 2.0 58cm, full carbon with Shimano Ultegra components   What do you remember mos...