T. Kenji Sugahara

Hey... don't forget the women too!

Colleen McClenahan, Sarah Tisdale, Kim Rueter and Deb Stewart
conquered the course and went home with a giant salami.

Stop by the blog for pics!

k-

http://www.obra3.com

On Jul 24, 2007, at 10:37 PM, Matthew Rider wrote:

> After having been involved with RAO the last two years as a crew
> member I can attest to the event being an incredible experience and
> a very hard ride. Last year I helped crew for a friend that did the
> event on a fixed gear bike. This year I crewed for that same friend
> and another friend of ours. We got to talking during the race about
> how to get OBRA members interested in the event. We came to the
> conclusion that a four person team would be doable by a group of
> 'normal' OBRA racers without any (or much) special training.
>
> Please feel free to ask me about it. I'm also sure Richard Haight
> (richardhaight@hotmail.com ) who barely even knew the event existed
> just one week before it happened and John Spurgeon
> (john@sabertoothsalmon.com ) (fixed gear RAO, single speed RAAM)
> would be happy to talk about it.
>
> The route is absolutely beautiful, competition and camaraderie is
> great and time after time people dig deeper then they thought they
> could and create a fantastic experience.
>
> Recommended.
>
> Matthew "Bike" Rider
>
>
>
> On 7/24/07, Fischer, Jim E (Corvallis) < jim.fischer@hp.com>
> wrote:I realize a few folks like to comment on the happs at the
> Tour. The
> doping thing bugs me, too, but think for a second about some of the
> amazing accomplishments by mere mortals in your own backyard.
>
> Think for a moment about Race Across Oregon.
>
> Granted, the race is shorter than TdF at only 535 miles/40,000'.
> Only a
> handfull of folks show up to race it solo. They generally only
> have one
> or two support vehicles. Some even ride triples and cannot afford a
> carbon bike. Most cover the cost by scraping together their
> pennies all
> year...no big sponsors to cover the cost of a motor coach, bikes,
> energy
> product, transportation and race entries.
>
> If you're lucky, a crew member might zoom up ahead and write your name
> on the road in chalk.
>
> If you're lucky, there's sufficient light to see it...or you're awake
> enough to be paying attention.
>
> Check out some of the photos. You'll see some pretty amazing
> things...folks who are obviously not climbers doing some serious
> vertical.
>
> Folks on 2-man relay teams finishing solo from 150 miles out (after
> riding 400 miles) when their team mate needed emergency medical
> attention due to heat issues. You might even see some crazy old guy
> who's done this stuff forever helping crew after a van fell of its
> jack
> injuring his shoulder...but he stayed to crew until his rider was over
> the line before going to the hospital.
>
> The rookie solo division had some very inspirational folks in it.
> Adam
> Garmon finished in 44+ hrs after getting sick and nursing his way
> to the
> bottom of Timberline on bread. We had dinner with him last night
> at the
> banquet after the race. He broke the all time solo RAO record up to
> Timberline from the highway completing the climb in 38 minutes.
> May not
> seem fast compared to Contador, but Adam had just ridden 530 miles,
> ~35000' and it was midnight...again. There were no crowds. There
> is no
> prize at the top. He was in last place.
>
> So why did he bust ass and throw down a time that would hurt most
> of us?
> I guess you'd have to ask him.
>
> I have no idea how he did it. I really don't.
>
> I apologize for my rambling. I know folks love their heroes and the
> spectacle of the Pro Tours.
>
> When that spectacle loses some of its brilliance, it's nice to know we
> can find other inspirational cycling competition. We just need to
> look
> a little to find it.
>
> My two cents...
>
> Fish
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org

Matthew Rider

After having been involved with RAO the last two years as a crew member I
can attest to the event being an incredible experience and a very hard ride.
Last year I helped crew for a friend that did the event on a fixed gear
bike. This year I crewed for that same friend and another friend of ours. We
got to talking during the race about how to get OBRA members interested in
the event. We came to the conclusion that a four person team would be doable
by a group of 'normal' OBRA racers without any (or much) special training.

Please feel free to ask me about it. I'm also sure Richard Haight (
richardhaight@hotmail.com) who barely even knew the event existed just one
week before it happened and John Spurgeon (john@sabertoothsalmon.com )
(fixed gear RAO, single speed RAAM) would be happy to talk about it.

The route is absolutely beautiful, competition and camaraderie is great and
time after time people dig deeper then they thought they could and create a
fantastic experience.

Recommended.

Matthew "Bike" Rider

On 7/24/07, Fischer, Jim E (Corvallis) < jim.fischer@hp.com> wrote:
>
> I realize a few folks like to comment on the happs at the Tour. The
> doping thing bugs me, too, but think for a second about some of the
> amazing accomplishments by mere mortals in your own backyard.
>
> Think for a moment about Race Across Oregon.
>
> Granted, the race is shorter than TdF at only 535 miles/40,000'. Only a
> handfull of folks show up to race it solo. They generally only have one
> or two support vehicles. Some even ride triples and cannot afford a
> carbon bike. Most cover the cost by scraping together their pennies all
> year...no big sponsors to cover the cost of a motor coach, bikes, energy
> product, transportation and race entries.
>
> If you're lucky, a crew member might zoom up ahead and write your name
> on the road in chalk.
>
> If you're lucky, there's sufficient light to see it...or you're awake
> enough to be paying attention.
>
> Check out some of the photos. You'll see some pretty amazing
> things...folks who are obviously not climbers doing some serious
> vertical.
>
> Folks on 2-man relay teams finishing solo from 150 miles out (after
> riding 400 miles) when their team mate needed emergency medical
> attention due to heat issues. You might even see some crazy old guy
> who's done this stuff forever helping crew after a van fell of its jack
> injuring his shoulder...but he stayed to crew until his rider was over
> the line before going to the hospital.
>
> The rookie solo division had some very inspirational folks in it. Adam
> Garmon finished in 44+ hrs after getting sick and nursing his way to the
> bottom of Timberline on bread. We had dinner with him last night at the
> banquet after the race. He broke the all time solo RAO record up to
> Timberline from the highway completing the climb in 38 minutes. May not
> seem fast compared to Contador, but Adam had just ridden 530 miles,
> ~35000' and it was midnight...again. There were no crowds. There is no
> prize at the top. He was in last place.
>
> So why did he bust ass and throw down a time that would hurt most of us?
> I guess you'd have to ask him.
>
> I have no idea how he did it. I really don't.
>
> I apologize for my rambling. I know folks love their heroes and the
> spectacle of the Pro Tours.
>
> When that spectacle loses some of its brilliance, it's nice to know we
> can find other inspirational cycling competition. We just need to look
> a little to find it.
>
> My two cents...
>
> Fish
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>

Fischer, Jim E (Corvallis)

I realize a few folks like to comment on the happs at the Tour. The
doping thing bugs me, too, but think for a second about some of the
amazing accomplishments by mere mortals in your own backyard.

Think for a moment about Race Across Oregon.

Granted, the race is shorter than TdF at only 535 miles/40,000'. Only a
handfull of folks show up to race it solo. They generally only have one
or two support vehicles. Some even ride triples and cannot afford a
carbon bike. Most cover the cost by scraping together their pennies all
year...no big sponsors to cover the cost of a motor coach, bikes, energy
product, transportation and race entries.

If you're lucky, a crew member might zoom up ahead and write your name
on the road in chalk.

If you're lucky, there's sufficient light to see it...or you're awake
enough to be paying attention.

Check out some of the photos. You'll see some pretty amazing
things...folks who are obviously not climbers doing some serious
vertical.

Folks on 2-man relay teams finishing solo from 150 miles out (after
riding 400 miles) when their team mate needed emergency medical
attention due to heat issues. You might even see some crazy old guy
who's done this stuff forever helping crew after a van fell of its jack
injuring his shoulder...but he stayed to crew until his rider was over
the line before going to the hospital.

The rookie solo division had some very inspirational folks in it. Adam
Garmon finished in 44+ hrs after getting sick and nursing his way to the
bottom of Timberline on bread. We had dinner with him last night at the
banquet after the race. He broke the all time solo RAO record up to
Timberline from the highway completing the climb in 38 minutes. May not
seem fast compared to Contador, but Adam had just ridden 530 miles,
~35000' and it was midnight...again. There were no crowds. There is no
prize at the top. He was in last place.

So why did he bust ass and throw down a time that would hurt most of us?
I guess you'd have to ask him.

I have no idea how he did it. I really don't.

I apologize for my rambling. I know folks love their heroes and the
spectacle of the Pro Tours.

When that spectacle loses some of its brilliance, it's nice to know we
can find other inspirational cycling competition. We just need to look
a little to find it.

My two cents...

Fish