(Photo: John Spurgeon)
Imagine racing a bike for over 3,000 miles and up 100,000 feet of climbing in just under 12 days.
Sounds grueling right? Now imagine doing that on a singlespeed.
Hillsboro resident John Spurgeon is competing in the Race Across America (RAAM) with one goal and one gear. He left Oceanside, California on June 10 and is now somewhere near Greenville Illinois.
He has ridden over 2,000 miles and he and his crew hope to finish in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the next few days.
Spurgeon is no stranger to challenges. Last year he became the first person to ever complete the 538 mile Race Across Oregon on a fixed gear (that event has 40,000 feet of climbing).
For RAAM, Spurgeon spared his knees and opted for a freewheel, but his feat is nonetheless impressive.
(Photo: John Spurgeon)
Along with his steely legs and determination, Spurgeon brought along two bikes made by Portland-based builders. His orange-painted Ira Ryan is outfitted with aerodynamic bars and 40-15 gearing for flying along the flats. When the road turns vertical, he switches over to a silvery Vanilla with a 39-tooth chain ring coupled with a 16-tooth cog.
(Photo: John Spurgeon)
So far, he’s in 17th place and is averaging about 300 miles each and every day.
The most recent entry to Spurgeon’s blog was posted last night. It seems like Spurgeon is facing the demons of this physical challenge. With his average speed dwindling, and the dreaded time cut-off ticking closer, his crew must decide whether to push the limits, or pull back.
Whatever happens, Spurgeon’s journey has been an inspiration to thousands of people and I hope he makes it to Atlantic City to celebrate this amazing accomplishment. Keep going John! You can do it!
Follow Spurgeon’s progress and daily stats on the RAAM website.