Trans Am Bike Race

The Trans Am Bike Race (TABR) is an annual, self-supported, ultra-distance cycling race across the United States. The route is about 4,200 miles (6,800 km) long and uses the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail that was developed by the Adventure Cycling Association for the Bikecentennial event in 1976.[1] The route runs from the Pacific coast in Astoria, Oregon to the Atlantic coast in Yorktown, Virginia, passing through ten states. The inaugural race was in 2014, which 25 people completed, the fastest of whom took less than 18 days.

Bikecentennial Route

It is not a stage race, the clock never stops from the moment the riders leave the start to the moment that they reach the finish, so it is a long individual time trial. Riders must therefore strategically choose how much time to devote to riding, resting, and refueling each day. Being self-supported or unsupported means that drafting is not allowed, receiving any form of support from other racers, friends, or family is not allowed; all food, accommodation, repairs, etc., must be purchased from commercial sources.[1]

Organization and following the race
Trans Am Bike Race 2015 start

The race's founder and main organizer is Nathan Jones, who also participated in the 2014 event, finishing in 13th place, and rode the Tour Divide mountain bike race in 2010 and 2011.[2]

Rider positions are monitored using GPS satellite-based tracker devices mounted on participants' bikes that upload their positions to the Trackleaders website for the participants and followers to view. Many participants also update followers on their progress using social media websites.[3]

A feature-length documentary, called Inspired to Ride was made about the inaugural edition, in 2014. The focus of the film was on the male and female winners, Mike Hall and Juliana Buhring, but many of the other racers were also featured, including the actor Brian Steele. The film was made by many of the same people who were involved in the Ride The Divide movie about the similar Tour Divide mountain bike race, including Mike Dion and Hunter Weeks.[4]

Rules and results

Rules are listed on the official website. The idea of self-supported or unsupported bicycle racing is a key component, and any type of bicycle is allowed, including recumbent bicycles.[5]

The main results are summarized in the table below. It is notable that only two women had completed the race, both in 2014, before Lael Wilcox won the 2016 edition with a come from behind finish to overtake the long-standing leader, Steffen Streich in the final day. In 2016, there was a new pairs category and participants were able to ride the route in either direction (west to east or east to west).[6]

The current record is held by Abdullah Zeinab, who completed the 2019 race in 16 days, 9 hours, 56 minutes. [7]

YearStartersFinishers1st (time)2nd3rd1st female (time)
2014 (Eastbound)[8][9]4525Mike Hall
(17d 16h)		Jason Lane
Edward Pickup
Juliana Buhring /
(20d 23h) (4th total)
2015 (Eastbound)[8][10] 41 24 Jesse Carlsson
(18d 23h)		 Evan Deutsch & Kim Raeymaekers (equal 2nd)
none finished
2016 Eastbound[8] 58 45 Lael Wilcox
(18d 0h 10m)[11]		 Steffen Streich
(18d 2h 18m)		 Evan Deutsch
(18d 7h 44m)		 Lael Wilcox
(18d 0h 10m) (1st total)
2016 Westbound 8 6 Jason Marshall
(26d 15h 03m)		 Thomas Lambolais
Terry Roe & Ken Simpson (pair)
Adi Coventry-Brown
(37d 11h 31m)
2017 (Eastbound) 132 [12] 62 [13] Evan Deutsch
(17d 9h 8m)[14]		 Jon Lester
(18d 12h )[15]		 Janie Hayes
[16]		 Janie Hayes
(3rd total) [16]
2018 (Eastbound) 124
(1 deadly hit, John Egbers)		 44 [17] Peter Andersen
(16d 20h 41m) [18]		 Indiana Schulz
(17d 15h 25m) [18]		 Kraig Pauli
(18h 14h 46m) [18]		 Tanja Hacker
(22d 20h 8m)
2018 (Velomobile) 2 2 Marcel Graber (16d 6h 40m) [18] Dave Lewis (17d 20h 33m) [18] n/a n/a
2019 (Eastbound) 74 46 [19] Abdullah Zeinab
(16d 9h 56m) [18]		 Keith Morical
(19d 11h 53m) [18]		 Omar Di Felice
(20d 09h 06m) [18]		 Lea Meszarosova
(21d 10h 04m) [18]

Similar races

This form of ultra-distance, unsupported bike racing first became popular with the Tour Divide mountain bike race, which was first held as a mass-start event in 2008. The Tour Divide starts in Alberta, Canada, follows the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route through the USA and finishes at the Mexican border in New Mexico. The Transcontinental Race started in 2013 and is the event that is most similar to the Trans Am Bike Race because it is on paved roads; however, that route varies every year with different start and finish locations being used and riders must choose their own route while visiting certain checkpoints. Similarly the Indian Pacific Wheel Race (IndyPac) was first held in 2017, racing across Australia, from the Freemantle Lighthouse, Perth, to the Opera House, Sydney. The Race to the Rock has been held in Australia, from Adelaide to Uluru since 2016. The first three editions have all been won by Sarah Hammond.

The BikingMan race series, bring athletes across the Andes Cordillera of Peru with IncaDivide race, in the Hajar mountains of Oman with BikingMan Oman and around Corsica. BikingMan races are self-supported but every athlete gets a survival map of a recommended route and can rest at the base camps of the checkpoints.

The self-supported nature of the TABR makes it very different from supported ultra-distance events like the Race Across America (RAAM), in which each racer has a large support crew with multiple vehicles. All such support is prohibited in the TABR and similar races that are described as self-supported or unsupported. Ultra-distance audax and randonneuring cycling events are somewhat similar except that drafting is allowed in those and the organizers often provide support at the control points.

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References
  1. Beltchenko, Neil. "2014 Trans Am Race". Bikepackers Magazine. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  2. Beltchenko, Neil. "Nathan Jones". Bikepackers Magazine. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  3. "Inaugural TransAm Bike Race". Adventure Cycling Association. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  4. Ackerman, Michael. "Color me inspired". Bikepackers Magazine. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  5. "Rules". Trans Am Bike Race. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  6. "2016 Inquiry". Trans Am Bike Race. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  7. "2019 results". Trans Am Bike Race. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  8. "Results". Trans Am Bike Race. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  9. John, Timothy. "Adventurous spirits: Mike Hall, Ed Pickup, and the Trans Am bike race". Road Cycling UK. MPORA Pure Action Sports. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  10. Crowley, Liam. "Jesse Carlsson races to victory in the Trans Am". CyclingTips. Wallace Media Pty Ltd. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  11. "2016 Trans Am Trackleaders leaderboard". Trackleaders. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  12. "Trans Am Bike Race 2017 Live Tracker". Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  13. "Trans Am Bike Race 2017 Live Tracker". Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  14. "New Course Record". Facebook. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  15. "Jon Lester Of Three Lakes Finishes Second In Trans Am Race". 29 June 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017. – interview (5:12)
  16. "Janie Hayes finishes third over all in Trans Am Bike Race across America". Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  17. Trans Am Bike Race 2018 Table retrieved 30 July 2018
  18. "Results". Trans Am Bike Race 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  19. Trans Am Bike Race 2019 Table retrieved 29 July 2020
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