| Archive for justcycling.myfastforum.org Just Cycling |
| bbnaz |
WHICH IS THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST BIKE RACE?February 10th, 2009 The Race Across America has long touted itself as the "World's Toughest Bicycle Race". But is it really?Often media sources seem to state without any real argument that the fabled and internationally acclaimed crown of Le Grand Tours, Le Tour de France is the toughest bicycle race on Earth. Certainly, Le Tour is no around the park club race and in a popularity contest, Le Tour de France is one of the most anticipated and viewed sporting events in the world but is it tougher than RAAM? While professional cycling suffers from a lack of financial recognition when compared to other widely publicized sports, still there is a benefit for pro-racers-expert support, trainers, nutrition, equipment, clothing, medical staff, elite-level coaches and the ability to focus all of their attention on becoming the best cyclist they can be. For the most part, RAAM racers are amateurs, with families to support, who don't have agents. Which means that they need to acquire the knowledge and find the time to raise much needed sponsorship dollars while simultaneously recruiting and training their support crew. They are often forced to wake up at 2 a.m. to "knock-off" a hundred miles before readying their children for school and getting to their day job on time. Still, year after year, they arrive from around the world and line up on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, in one of the bravest moments of their lives, to turn the cranks of their bicycles and head off on an epic journey to reach the east coast-over 3,000 miles away. Let's look at the numbers and then let you, the cycling fan decide. 
Key Averages are based on winning performances and while all efforts were taken to be as accurate as possible they are not exact. 1 Stages - RAAM is contested in a non-stop ultra-endurance format with NO scheduled rests or breaks from the start to finish line. 2 Number of Team Racers - There are numerous team formats in RAAM allowing from 2-8 racers per team. The chart above represents an 8 person team. These riders form a relay team and often ride splits as short as 15-20 minutes from start to finish. 3 Avg. Daily Time in Saddle (Winner) - In Team RAAM, presuming that each individual racer rode identical amounts of time they would each ride 3 hours daily. In Solo RAAM, the 2008 winner's crew reported that he slept a total of 14 hours over 9 days. The rule of thumb for RAAM soloists is if you are in it to win it you must ride 22 hours a day. 4 Drafting - In Solo RAAM, no drafting is permitted at all. In Team RAAM, members of the same team may ride at the same time and draft off each other, but not off of other racers. This technique is rarely utilized but it is permissible. 5 Climbing - Official climbing statistics for RAAM are not available, but are estimated at over 100,000 ft. The TDF is awarded this category. 6 Public Traffic - RAAM is contested on public roads which are not closed to public traffic and racers must obey all traffic laws. 7 Night Racing - Due to RAAM's single-stage format, the racers ride around the clock. 8 Avg. Speed On Bike (Winner) - The Team RAAM speed listed in the chart above represents the winning teams average speed of all 8 relay racers. The Solo RAAM average speed is an estimate and taking into consideration sleep breaks by 2008 winner. 9 Avg. Speed Overall - The 4.18 mph average speed accredited to the TDF winner is based on 22 total days from the first to the last stage. One day was subtracted from the 23rd day total to account for the hours of the day preceding the start of stage one and the hours following the conclusion of the final stage on the 23rd day. While this comparison may seem unreasonable to some, it would be completely unfair to Solo and Team RAAM racers if it was not factored into our comparison. RAAM's toughness level cannot be adequately assessed without due consideration to this signature aspect of the challenge RAAM presents. Conclusion By the standards considered above, RAAM is the World's Toughest Bicycle Race. RAAM is 806 miles or 26% longer than the TDF. The average daily mileage of the Team RAAM winner was 557 miles, the Solo RAAM winner pedaled an average of 335 miles a day while TDF winner only averaged 98 miles a day. On average, the 2008 TDF winner was in the saddle for less than 4 hours per day. The Solo RAAM winner rode an astounding 22 hours+ per day. Team RAAM winners averaged 3 hours per day comprised of 15-20 minute splits that are performed in "sprint mode." The average speed of the Team RAAM winners, while not drafting and racing an additional 806 miles longer than TDF contestants, was 23.24 mph while the 2008 TDF winner hammered for 25.09 mph. Not bad, for a bunch of amateurs with day jobs! What do you think? Please email worldstoughestbikerace@gmail.com and include the name of the race you think is toughest in the subject heading. Your comments are also welcome and some will be selected for publishing. We will compile the totals and declare a fan selected winner. Another candidate? We accept write-in votes! |
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| Bro Deal |
FRAAM (FRed Across AMerica) is a joke. It has always been more of a sleep deprivation contest done on public roads, and the mental and physical fatigue endangers the racers and innocent people. It is irresponsible. The newish sleep rules were only formulated after the race killed people, and they don't do much to prevent future deaths. | ||||||||
| Fontfroide |
Just to be controversial and local, I nominate the Three Peaks cyclo cross.
Although I have no idea who anyone could figure out which is the "toughest race". One day? Tour? VTT? RAAM always seemed to me to be something amazing and hard to believe, but I am not sure it is a real race. I guess it must be a race though. |
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| berck |
Not fair comparing it to the Tour. Everybody knows the Giro is tougher.  
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| Bro Deal |
It is hard to call an event that is done by a small collection of nuts a real race. FRAAM is the same small joke it was twenty years ago. If I get a small group of idiots to run across the Arizona and New Mexico desert naked in August while balancing an egg in a spoon would that be the hardest running race? |
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| bbnaz |
Really Bro? A sleep deprivation contest? Numerous deaths? Can you cite statistics for that please? There have been deaths but no more or less than can be attributed to any other long term race. Exactly how long have followed this race which you so sneeringly call FRAAM? Who said anything about running naked in Arizona and New Mexico with eggs? Same small joke it was 20 years ago tells me that you know little to nothing about RAAM nor its evolution or much of anything else that doesn't fit your tongue in cheek posting.
Really...why don't YOU start a worthwhile topic that meets your criteria of "real" racing. 
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| cardinal guzman |
Sounds very hard and most unpleasant.
Maybe the hardest physical bike race, but there are harder technical races.... http://www.discoverydiving.com/uwbikerace.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/6282094.stm |
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| cadence |
I can remember watching RAAM back in the day when it received more television coverage, especially this guy.
http://www.ultracycling.com/about/hof_haldeman.html And this guy. http://www.allbusiness.com/retail...tail-miscellaneous/4134393-1.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Boyer I don’t think it’s the hardest bike race in the world though. |
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| Bro Deal |
Okay, one death and one paralysis. But my position stands. The accounts of FRAAM are filled with stories about falling asleep in the saddle, riding off the road, and hallucinating while riding. It does not take much sleep deprivation to reduce reaction time and mental function to that of a drunk. It is irresponsible to hold such an event on public roads, and it is only a matter of time before a rider veers into the path of a vehicle and causes the deaths of innocent people. A sleep deprivation/cycling event should be held on a track or a closed circuit. It will make it easier for the few fans that might want to watch such a contest to follow the event. It will also make it easier for the rest of us to watch riders follow pink elephants off the track, resulting in a spectacular crash; we'll be able to catch the highlights on Youtube, perhaps to a sound track appropriate for Benny Hill.
Unless my parents have thrown it out, somewhere in my boxes of old cycling magazines stored at their place is the Bicycling magazine that covered the first race, the edition that was won by Lon Haldeman and was not officially called it RAAM yeat (if I remember right). Is that long enough?
You are missing the point. A real race comes not from the course. It comes from the competition. Any one of us on this board can come up with a course harder than FRAAM. If hardly anyone shows up to race it then it is not a real race. It is something akin to a circus geek show. Ironman Hawaii had almost the exact same humble beginnings as FRAAM. It grew from four competitors--if I remember correctly--to a huge and respectable sporting event. FRAAM will never grow to such proportions because the idea of cannonballing across the U.S., while it has a certain purity to it, limits its participation to a few crazies who build their lives around three hundred mile training rides. The growth of relay teams show a direction for growth, but the race has not taken it. That is to attract hardcore recreational cyclists who are looking for a once in a lifetime experience. Divide the race into stages that have lengths that can be done day after day by someone who can train for twenty hours a week in his build up to the race. That means somewhere between 120 and 150 miles. It would have to be something between a cycle tour and race. Other events that target a similar type of participant are packed and have to turn away applicants. I get the feeling that the organizers of RAAM are very poor businessmen.
You asked for an opinion. I gave you mine. |
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| SlowRower |
Surely, the answer is "it all depends". The TDF is hard because of the repeated days of high intensity. Long distance races are hard because of the sleep deprivation, mental strain, pain in body from holding un-natural positions too long etc.
The RAAM does seem almost ridiculously stupid though in comparison to the TDF's common sense approach. |
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| maffy |
the burning run festival. it could be huge. |
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| Bro Deal |
I plan to get a large sponsorship deal from a major sunblock maker. With the advent of global warming, naked desert spoon running is destined to be a growth sport. |
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| Jackov |
I still think I'd be more inclined to watch the traditional road races. | ||||||||
| Drongo |
I suppose it would bring a new meaning to the phrase 'appearance money'. I'll grab me coat. |
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| cardinal guzman |
Who would you like to see doing a naked spoon race?
Off the top of my head, I'd like to see Alison Goldfrapp and Oscar Pistorius in the mixed doubles. Maybe Danny de Vito and Anne Widdicombe? |
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| last km |
Briggita Bulgari and Inas Culda | ||||||||
| Slapshot 3 |
NO PLEASE NO Seen the naked pics of Beth Ditto??? HMMM |
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