First-ever ‘Trans Am Bike Race’ will shove off from Oregon

Six months from now a bicycle race of truly epic proportions will begin on the Oregon Coast. On June 7th riders will begin the inaugural Trans Am Bike Race from Astoria to Yorktown, Virginia. That’s a whopping 4,233 miles of racing that will be missing one important thing: support. That’s right, competitors in the Trans Am Bike Race will not be allowed any outside assistance.

Each racer (80 people have signed up so far) will be tracked via satellite and their progress can be followed online by “virtual spectators.”

Nathan Jones, a Portland-based volunteer organizing the Oregon portion of the event, said the Trans Am is part of a larger trend in self-supported “bikepacking” — a lighter (and often faster) version of traditional touring where you carry all the gear you need. “It seems 2014 is going to be a pretty big year for self supported bikepacking in Oregon. The Trans Am along with the Oregon Outback are going to bring a lot of exposure to the previously smaller world of bikepacking.”

Here’s more from a Trans Am statement:

Unsupported and underground adventure bike races have been steadily growing in popularity over the last decade in the US and around the world and thanks to satellite tracking technologies and the web have developed a widespread and loyal following. Typically the events have been low key and wilderness based with small numbers of autonomous adventurers getting together informally and pitting themselves against each other, nature and the elements with minimal equipment. The most prominent of these events is the Tour Divide which has no formal administration but which has grown to attract a field of over 130 participants. Like the Trans Am, there is no entry fee, and no prizes. Racers assume sole responsibility for their own trip, logistics and personal safety.

For the Trans Am, competitors will follow the same route first mapped by the Adventure Cycling Association back in 1976.

If this is your cup of tea, there’s plenty of room to sign up.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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9watts
9watts
10 years ago

What a hoot!

dan
dan
10 years ago

Yikes, sounds like the RAAM, only catering to an even more masochistic crowd. Given that RAAM participants travel on little to no sleep and suffer nerve damage that sometimes requires surgery, I’m not sure that upping the ante to forbid support is really in anyone’s best interest.

9watts
9watts
10 years ago
Reply to  dan

I don’t think the rules prevent anyone from stopping at the corner grocery and grabbing a burrito en route. 🙂
The lack of outside support is my favorite part. Maybe this will encourage teams?

mkpaa
mkpaa
10 years ago
Reply to  9watts

Teams are forbidden too. Riding in a group / drafting is not allowed.

JV
JV
10 years ago
Reply to  dan

I am not familiar with this format, but is there a set road course to follow, or is it just point-to-point over whatever route the participant chooses? This sounds like the Cannonball Run of cycling. And is a huge accomplishment for any finisher.

Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones
10 years ago
Reply to  JV

Check out transambikerace.com for details.

CaptainKarma
10 years ago

I’ll watch with morbid fascination. Someone will die from sleep deprivation induced hallucinations.

Fozman
Fozman
8 years ago
Reply to  CaptainKarma

Checking back on this article, nobody died.

Kristen
Kristen
10 years ago

It reminds me of the Continental Divide race that happens every year. Same sort of “no outside support” rules, same virtual spectating, same system of keeping track and checking in.

Nathan Jones
10 years ago
Reply to  Kristen

You are indeed correct that the format is based on Tour Divide! 🙂

nuovorecord
nuovorecord
10 years ago

In-freakin’-sane! Ergo, I like it! 🙂

Alliwant
Alliwant
10 years ago

Sounds a lot like a brevet, but with a competitive twist. Brevets are explicitly not competitive. The distance and self-reliance emphasis means that the riders will have to sleep a little more and go a little slower. I imagine that just completing this epic is gratification enough for most entrants.

Nick Sande
10 years ago

Sorry to be nit-picky, but the use of the term “bikepacking” here is incorrect. Bikepacking is an off-road version of on-road bike touring. The cool Trans-Am route featured here is paved.

Jane
Jane
10 years ago
Reply to  Nick Sande

Your impression of what bikepacking is is incorrect. Try again.

Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones
10 years ago
Reply to  Nick Sande

I get what you are saying, but the real essence of bikepacking is framebags and camping. Terrain doesn’t matter.

bubba hedrick
bubba hedrick
10 years ago

I’m using racks and panniers. I guess that rules me out of bikepacking in your terms..Panniers rule!

Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones
10 years ago
Reply to  bubba hedrick

It’s still camping and racing, close enough! 🙂

GreeceMonkey
GreeceMonkey
10 years ago

as a 3x RAAM crew member, i’m sorry to see my services won’t be needed here.

LOL, JK… but seriously, watch the boredom demons out there participants!

Willie
Willie
10 years ago

Yes, this could be a torture fest for those that want it to be like RAAM solo, or it could be a swift tour or anything in between. It has no time limit like RAAM has, so it’s totally up to each rider to decide how fast and far to go each day.

Foz-man!
Foz-man!
10 years ago

I’m planning on riding this route about the same time (at least to Denver, if not farther). I’ll be touring, so not supported. But I’m not going to be racing anyone, and I’ll be getting plenty of sleep. 😉

Jimm Pratt
10 years ago

Not convinced it’s the *first* unsupported event, as many of the participants of ROAM rode unsupported, crossing the country on their own (carrying camping gear, supplies, etc.) from Oregon to Washington D.C in 28 days. (http://www.velomobiles.co.uk/tag/roam/)

Nathan Jones
10 years ago
Reply to  Jimm Pratt

First Trans Am