RAAM Update: Night Riding, Neck Devices, Ohio ETA

Here are the latest updates about Mike McClintock's solo Race Across America, most from Tom Wiseman, Assistant Service Manager in our Medina store, who is on his Mike's crew.

Tom and crew chief Bob Haugh did some roadside engineering to create the PVC/backpack/seatbelt sling that Mike is wearing in the above photo taken yesterday, needed after Mike experienced excruciating neck pain from riding on hundreds of miles of chip and seal roads. This morning Tom posted these updates to his Facebook page:

Mike rode through the night again (24 more hours after just 4 hours sleep) to rest in Trinidad CO. His spirits lifted with the neck device. Huge winds at the Cuchara Pass summit forced one rider to walk while Mike used his MTB skills to fight the 30+mph wind to get out of there.


Encountered first rain and true cold (47deg) Mike was even forced to stop at one point and warm up in the chase car. Now after less than 3 hours rest he is headed for the Kansas state line. New GPS unit was overnighted and hand delivered.

Now that he has that new GPS unit, you can track Mike's progress live at:

http://www.myathletelive.com/storage/races/201125/index.html. (On the right side of the home page, scroll down the solo riders and click on Michael McClintock.)

For more details about the McClintock Race Team and more links, you can go to our website at www.centurycycles.com/for/raam.

OHIO ETA

On the McClintock Race Team Facebook page, somebody asked if the RAAM route will take Mike near or through Ohio. The team response: "He will be coming through S. Ohio. Oxford, Blanchester, Chillicothe and Athens are his time stations. Right now it looks like he should get into those stations 6/25 - 6/26."

SMALL WORLD DEPARTMENT

Debbie Petcher, wife of CC Medina store manager Mike Petcher, has been updating their friends at church and beyond about Mike's progress. She got a reply from Steve and Carol Hopkins, who are traveling across the country in their 5th wheel trailer and were Century Cycles customers when they lived in Ohio and rode tandems with the Petchers. The Hopkins were in Colorado, saw Debbie' emails, and offered the assist Mike's RAAM effort in any way they could. Then they emailed that they saw the McClintock Race Team. "The car lights and bike lights and music blaring, they passed by. It was very dark and we only caught sight of the lights and music, but we were sure it was Mike because of the music. Good pedaling, Mike, and God speed."

OUR FAVORITE MCCLINTOCK RACE TEAM PHOTO

Speaking of Mike's amazing team, here they are! Seated, left to right: Logan Ragar, Mike McClintock, and Robyn McClintock. Standing, left to right: Tom Wiseman, Bob Haugh, Erik Christensen, and Debora Summers.