Miles and Miles

Riding a motorcycle designed for the track across the country is less than advisable. Consider the implications of sitting on a hardened seat, bouncing along the highway at 80 miles an hour, tucked into a position that renders the knees and lower back completely trashed.

Those of you who ride and race bicycles generally know what I'm talking about. Those of you who have raced RAAM know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Long distance rides and races, of the pedal and non-pedal variety expose the rider to all sorts of new aches and pains, perhaps, that would not revealed during shorter rides. This is probably one of the biggest issues to tackle for the endurance racer and there really isn't a good way to illicit these aches/pains without putting some long miles in the legs and back and neck, etc.

So, after about 19 hours or riding my motorcycle (the miniscule gas tank made stopping every 130 miles a necessity), I made it to Chicago. Rode straight through the heat of Nebraska and the downright cold and dampness of an Iowa overnight. Hadn't felt that kind of chill since the Race Across America and while at first I was nostalgic for the humidity and the night, it soon became a cumbersome task to wipe the mist off my helmet visor and keep the brain awake.

Blah, blah, blah, I made it, but it did prove an interesting comparison between long distance motorcycling and long distance cycling.

Sunday I'm gonna go check out the United States Pro Criterium Championships in Downers Grove. I did that race several years ago and had a blast, up until the last corner of the last lap. Prior to the race it had rained and the course was damp, especially in the corners. The last corner headed into the uphill finish has a section of cobblestones in the exact apex of the turn.

Wet cobblestones plus a bunch of zealous racers equals disaster.

The guy in front of me took the corner hard, his wheels slid out from under him on the wet cobblestones and he slid across the field. I was sitting top ten headed into the finish and then I was doing my best impression of an acrobat. I landed on one guy who broke his shoulder, the guy who hit me ran over my arm, his tire burning my arm and breaking his wheel, and about 30 other guys ended up in the pileup. I was carted to the finish with my broken bicycle where my upset parents sat waiting to see what had happened to their son.

Memories...anyway, I'm returning to the scene tomorrow to check out the pro men and talk to some vendors about the 2008 Race Across America.

Thanks for reading...

Tim