RAAM Crew Equipment

♦ Safety is #1 priority at all times.

♦ Park off the road at all times unless protecting fallen rider!!!

♦ Don’t spend too much time beside the rider, talking or handing off.

♦ Stop at stop signs and lights — no penalties.  Vehicles must stop too.

♦ Leapfrog:  stay behind the rider about 90% of the time.  You won’t be much help if you go ahead as soon as your rider passes, go around a turn and your rider breaks down.  If the rider is in front of you, you will come upon the rider quickly.

♦ When doing leap-frog support, mark turns with crew pointing in correct direction.  Park vehicles pointing in direction of turn, if possible.

♦ Pedestrian hand-offs while leapfrogging:  hold bottle by top or bottom so rider can snatch easily.  Running alongside the road may bob the bottle up and down too much for the rider to grab it.  Practice hand-offs!!

♦ During pedestrian hand-offs position one crew up the road with a water bottle, another crew 100 feet along with a different food bottle — gives rider time to stash the bottles.

♦ Rinse bottle mouth pieces if dropped and get under ice immediately.

♦ Window hand-offs:  driver maintains a straight line, rider moves over to vehicle, navigator leans out as far as possible, take empties first, then hand off full bottles.  Practice hand-offs!!

♦ When the rider stops, have the rider park the bike in front of the pace vehicle.   It’s easier to work on the bike at night in front of the van and safer.  And no one moves the bike forward except the rider!

♦ When a rider re-starts, the crew can’t push the rider — but can hold rider upright while getting into pedals

♦ Keep the motor running, except for gas stops.

♦ Use the trip odometer to keep track of distances between turns and/or between time stations.

♦ Keep triangle covered unless actually following rider.

♦ Lights:  Overhead flashing yellow  lights and van emergency flashers must be on when following rider.  Never on when driving at highway speed.   Flashing lights may be on when van is stopped.

♦ Dim headlights when oncoming traffic or if you are approaching traffic from behind.

♦ Cut music when stopped.

♦ Cut music, PA when near houses, campgrounds, etc.  No complaints!!

♦ If  your rider hasn’t peed twice, drunk 4-5 water bottles, and eaten lots of calories and salt by 12 noon, plan on a DNF!

Copyright 2002

UltraMarathon Cycling Association

PO Box 18028 Boulder, CO   80308 www.ultracycling.com

Lee’s Quick Tips for crew, cont.

♦ Stop and Eat sheets:  record all intake of calories, sodium,  and fluid as well as peeing. For stops record time off bike, race location and reason for stop.  Remind each other to make entries on Stop and Eat sheets.

♦ Salt sources — dill pickles, tablets, V8, tomato juice, Cup O’Soup-type instant soups, cheese, chips, etc.

♦ Start with more water and ice than you think you’ll need.  It’s cheap and you can always dump it at the finish! Don’t break all the ice bags — you may need to move from ice chest to ice chest.

♦ Park vehicles so that rider can pee behind door and not be seen from behind. If necessary, use a privacy sheet (keep with TP). Crew must be discreet, too — they can be penalized.

♦ Spray water on rider with water bottles.  Cheap and easy — but don’t spray shorts and crotch.

♦ Say  “Thank you” and “Please” for the entire race!

♦ “Milk” boxes that stack and can store things are good.  Label the boxes!

♦ Go through the van before the race — everybody must know where everything is.

♦ After hand-offs, refill bottles immediately and keep on ice.

♦ Put things back where they belong in the pace van.

♦ Strip warmers off the rider, then turn clothes right side out before putting away.

♦ Wash dark glasses and night glasses before putting away.

♦ Dirty rider clothes in one place.

♦ At a minimum, take a large (68 qt) ice chest in the center of the van and a small chest up front to hold a few bottles at the ready.  Don’t drain all water from ice chests.

♦ Mix liquid foods in gallon jugs before start.  Then just keep two of the rider’s bottles filled with each product.

♦ Put clear contact paper over names, logos, etc.,  to attach them to vehicles.   Waterproof and protects souvenirs.

♦ Take garbage bags.

♦ Relay teams practice exchanges a couple of times.  Don’t need to tag rider, front and rear wheels just need to overlap.

♦ If new rider not ready to ride, old rider continues on.

♦ Best hill climbers on hills.  Change riders at tops of passes — new rider already has warm clothes on.

♦ Crews need food, fluids and sleep!  If they collapse, the rider is done!!!

♦ Crew snooze whenever possible.

♦ Crew pee just before dark.

♦ If the rider can’t stay awake, try a 10 minute power nap or a 90 minute sleep break. Better to finish later than not at all.

♦ Trade-off driving at night, if tired!

♦ Cheer on all riders and crews!

♦ Get reservations at start and finish ahead of time.

♦ Put a cash bag in vehicle to buy whatever.  Not all small stores take charge cards.  Decide if receipts needed — getting them takes time!

Above all, have fun!!!!!!

Equipment for a 24 Hour

Race or RAAM Qualifier

Bike bike spare bike spare wheels

pump/quik fill, spare tube & tire irons for start

speedometer heart rate monitor aerobars headlight spare headlight taillight spare taillight headlight extra batteries taillight extra batteries reflective tape on bike and back-up bike

reflective vest reflective ankle bands Clothing

2-3 short sleeve jerseys arm warmers

2-3 pair shorts knee warmers/light tights wool leg warmers/tights rain pants polypro undershirt wool/heavy jersey thermal vest windbreaker raincoat helmet

1-2 cycling caps 1-2 sweatbands polypro balaklava winter hat 2 pair cycling gloves glove liners winter gloves rain mitts 2-3 pair light socks 1-2 pair wool/heavy socks cycling shoes

second pair of shoes, one size larger in case feet

swell

booties/toe warmers sunglasses clear glasses prescription glasses spare glasses

Medical medical insurance card prescription medications sunscreen Chapstick

Bag Balm/Vaseline Nupracanal (to deaden bad saddle sores)

ibuprofen

Tums NoDoz

liquid Malox mouthwash toothbrush/paste Mylanta

salt tablets

Personal

street clothes walking shoes alarm clock toiletries

Pace/Support Vehicle roof bike rack yellow rear flashing lights slow moving vehicle triangle, magnetic

Caution Bikes Ahead signs CB-PA system (optional) external music system (optional) rider’s CDs/tapes (optional) cell phone (optional) FM (car to car) radios (optional) rider to car radio (optional) flashlights keys for all vehicles for all crew clipboards highlighters to mark turns on route sheets indelible marking pen pens

pads of paper maps

calculator stop & eat sheets money/credit cards in money bag

camera/film

first aid kit

paper towels

Equipment, cont.

garbage bags handi-wipes toilet paper privacy sheet sleeping bag pillow wash cloth safety pins neck ice socks signs with rider number / totem sponsor signs clear Contact paper to put signs on van milk crates (labelled) to store supplies emergency flares small shovel fire extinguisher jumper cables bungee cords car jack extra fuses

Food and Drink

large ice chest to hold gallon jugs of liquid food

feeder ice chest between front seats

Camelbak spare Camelbak spare bladder

2 - 4 24 oz bottles for water

4 - 8 16 oz bottles for liquid food / electrolyte, label each with indelible marker

ice (more than you think you’ll need) gallon jugs of water with screw lids powdered food, pre-measured either into gallon

jugs or into plastic bags, to be mixed on the road

sources of salt:  V-8, salt tabs, dill pickles

crackers (assorted) cookies (assorted) fruit (assorted) energy bars (assorted) chips/pretzels (assorted) sandwiches,  pre-made or supplies:

bread turkey / ham cheese mustard / mayonnaise peanut butter jam

thermos(es) with hot water Cup O’Soup

thermos(es) with coffee/tea sodas crew food and drinks Ziplock bags

12v hot water heater (optional)

Bike Parts

2 spare tires

4-6 spare tubes (long-stem?)

floor pump tri-flow allen wrenches screw drivers pliers needle-nose pliers bottom bracket wrench headset