Possible RAAM changes?

[William]

I'm not throwing this out as a commentary on the unfortunate accident that happened in the RAAM this year (or last year). Really more about soliciting ideas on how the RAAM could maybe be modified to remove the sleep deprivation aspect of the race. This would seem to be the part of the race that has the most dire consequences for the riders safety.

I think the idea of check points at certain intervals that require the rider/team to rest for a set period of time before they are allowed to continue to the next check point in the race is a good one. All the time gained or lost to competitors would be bike to bike performance. The aspect of gaining time on competitors by resting less would be removed.

My $.02,

William

[BumbleBeeDave]

1) Require team cars to stay with riders at all times.

2) Mandatory 24 hour rest period after each 72 hours of racing for all competitors.

BBDave

[xcandrew]

1) Require team cars to stay with riders at all times.

BBDave

That seems unnecessary and impractical. They are required to do that at night ("in darkness"), and that makes sense. Why can't a rider ride alone during the day for half an hour or an hour while the team car goes to buy lunch, get some supplies, or whatever? It's just riding bike!

I know Breedlove crashed during the day, but I think I read that his support team was with him just a mile before and he seemed fine. If you are going to fall asleep or otherwise go unconscious while riding a bike, I don't think having a car with you will make a difference. It's not like they can reach out with robot arms and snatch you away from harm. People who have ever felt drowsy while driving know that turning up the radio doesn't help, and it's not like there is going to be constant chatter between the rider and crew. It's got to be up to the rider to know when to stop and take a nap break.

[Bill Bove]

Yeah, just end it. What does it prove? Who can sleep the least and still ride a bike for a week? It's different from brevet riding where the course is set up to force riders to get off their bikes at regular intervals and even go at a pace to allow the rest stops to open before they get there. Either turn it into a real stage race with daily starts and finishes or make it a randonee.

[e-RICHIE]

the race shouldn't stop just cuz of the atlantic ocean.

[Bill Bove]

the race shouldn't stop just cuz of the atlantic ocean.
Right on e-Man! When they get to the east coast they could jump on one of those water bikes that John Howard was going to ride to Cuba.

[Fixed]

Right on e-Man! When they get to the east coast they could jump on one of those water bikes that John Howard was going to ride to Cuba.
What has John Howard not done? I bet e-RICHEY knows him.cheers

[weisan]

William-pal, those are good thoughts. BBDave too. I would like to play devil's advocate and chime in from a slightly different angle.

In my mind, the RAAM event is likened more like an extraordinary human feat that is going into the record books. So, by extension of its definition, anything that takes on extraordinary human effort would naturally require a fair amount of risk-taking and inevitably stepping into the big unknown of understanding human limitations, so to speak. How much is too much, you ask? Well, that depends on the individual.

I would argue that every individual who is taking part in this event is well aware of the risk and the sacrifice they are making. Personal safety is certainly an important aspect, I won't argue with that. But for RAAM, I think any attempt to increase safety margin or impose "rules and regulations" may detract from the competitive objective of the event, which is to "probe and discover the human limitations" (not the official tagline, just my own).

It is the responsibility of the individual participant to set themselves up with proper safeguards eg. having someone as part of the crew team who is knowledgeable in sports medicine science and will monitor the athlete's vital signs throughout the event or the intelligent use of technology to track their whereabouts and current state of being.

One could say that the inherent difficulties associated with the event is what lure people into accepting the challenge.
I emphasize the word "accept". Nobody is forced into doing it. They accepted the risk and everything the event has to offer, the second they made up their mind to take part in the event. People who made those choices are not young children incapable of making sound decision. This is not the same as mandating helmets in bicycle races. That was occupational hazard that demands action to protect oneself and also for others sake. It's logical and perfectly normal to ask question of such especially when human lives are lost. There's nothing wrong with evaluating the situation every now and then if new information surfaces.

My personal view is that until this event changed in its nature, there shouldn't be any iron-clad rules that draws boundary on where this human endeavor starts and where it ends. Let it be the free-form expression of one's quest for
meaning in life, whatever that means.
:D

weisan

[Bill Bove]

Weisan, Bob Breedlove did fully accept the challenge and the RISK of competing in RAAM, but what about the poor slob in the pick up that HE ran into? The guy was just trying to get home to his family and now he'll lay awake at night reliving a fool on his bike going through his windshield.

Sorry to sound so negative but dying in sports should have ended in the colusium.

[William]

Weisan, Bob Breedlove did fully accept the challenge and the RISK of competing in RAAM, but what about the poor slob in the pick up that HE ran into? The guy was just trying to get home to his family and now he'll lay awake at night reliving a fool on his bike going through his windshield.

Sorry to sound so negative but dying in sports should have ended in the colusium.

Weisan-pal, I agree totally.....if you could run it on a closed course. I'm all for live & let live. But, I was thinking along the same lines as Bill Bove. Whether a driver had a license or not, the public is involved with the race where ever it goes.

William

[Andreu]

Sr. William,
thanks for bringing this to a separate post. It needs the debate. The "other" thread you refer to was, in my opinion, very distasteful.
gràcies,
A

[Andreu]

the other post ended very distastefully.

[Kevan]

These ain't boys 'n' girls, these are adults playing a not so funny game. Everyone is well aware of the risks, it's not like these racers have been duped into attending.

Having a car follow the cyclist the whole way would most certainly cause traffic to back up, take risks in passing that might put the rider in greater risk, and frustrate local authorities to the point where routes would be band in certain towns.

[JohnS]

These ain't boys 'n' girls, these are adults playing a not so funny game. Everyone is well aware of the risks, it's not like these racers have been duped into attending.
.
But is the general public aware of the risks? Face it, after several days the riders are zombies.

[Kevan]

Retorical, I believe, but deserves some sort of reply. Obviously, no.. there's no way to guarantee that the general public is made aware of this event rolling through their towns. I suppose the organizers can advise local radio stations, along their route, to mention in their traffic reports this event, but there's no guarantee.

Let's face it, every organized cycling event that includes cyclists mixed with motor vehicles is fraught with peril whether the cyclist is a zombie, inexperienced, or does a bone-headed move.

I can't imagine the frustration and heartache someone would feel after killing someone through no fault of their own. But life marches on... and these events happen not only to cyclists, but to kids who run out into busy roads, motorcyclists who get rear-ended as they wait to turn off a road, and Lord knows what else. Life's a risk.

[Too Tall]

BB - "...a fool on his bike going through his windshield."

To quote James "***"?

[zap]

Didn't the death 2 years ago happen within sight of the support vehicle?

My question is, will communities allow this race to go through there jurisdiction. Impaired driving laws could quite easily be enforced and riders pulled off the roads to rest.