Conference noted::bicycle

2407.0. "Bicycle Across Missouri 1992 - BAM'92" by SHALOT::ELLIS (John Lee Ellis - assembly required) Tue Sep 08 1992 19:58

    
    As a consolation ride for not doing BMB'92, I decided to try something
    new (for me) this year - BAM - from which I have just returned. (Yes,
    the hardest part is the driving!)
    
    Some of you may have done Bicycle Across Missouri - it is now in its
    12th year or thereabouts, and some people keep coming back year after
    year, top prize going to the redoubtable Bob Harting (who lives in
    Chesterfield, where the ride starts) - he's done every BAM so far.
    
    BAM is 565 miles starting outside St. Louis westward to outside Kansas City
    and back. (There is also a half-BAM, and they also ran a century on
    Labor Day comprised of the hardest hills in the BAM route.)  The time
    limit is 64 hours, starting 6:30am Saturday, giving you up 'til Monday
    evening to complete the ride.  So at a minimum of 185 miles per day, it's 
    essentially a shorter BMB or PBP rather than a RAGBRAI or BRAT or BRAG.  
    
    It's "not a race" ... unless you want to, of course.  While you could
    conceivably do it all in daylight within the time limit, people generally
    include a fair amount of night riding.  The course is suited to that - 
    very low traffic - and most checkpoints have places to sleep.
    
    This year's field had maybe 60 full-BAM riders, so it's a BMB-size event.
    (I thought it was a much larger!)  Also, as you can imagine, it attracts
    ultramarathon types and a fair sprinkling of RAAM veterans and hopefuls.
    
    The AYH puts it on.  I found it a challenging, but very well run, well
    laid out, and "nice" ride.
    
    A major difference from BMB and PBP is that PSV's are *encouraged*
    rather than discouraged and prohibited from the course.  PSV's may
    accompany (drive behind) riders only at night, and have to leapfrog
    during the day.  Unsupported riders usually get friendly help from
    passing PSV's (water, etc.) and you're often invited to ride along with
    them at night.  So PSV's add a measure of safety for *all* riders.
    (Saturday night brought violent thunderstorms to the western end of the
    course; ride officials drove round asking PSV's to shelter or accompany
    any lone riders, which in this case included me!)
    
    So much for the intro.  Next will come details on my ride and others'...
    
    -john

    
    RE: .1 -- Debbie Breaud was the first woman to finish half-BAM.
              She came in around midnight.
    
              Another Texan, Gary Smith, a DECcie and PBP veteran, 
    	      was not able to do the ride. He came all the way up 
    	      from Dallas, with equipment, PSV, and crew lined up, 
    	      but at the last minute had to pull out.  He had crashed
    	      a fortnight prior to BAM, which still didn't keep him from
    	      riding a 4:52 century (!) at HHH the following weekend,
    	      despite the discomfort.  I assume that was the major factor
    	      because he still had some pain in Chesterfield.  Sorry you
    	      couldn't ride, Gary.
    
    -john

    	John,
    
    	I'm still amazed at how much you can remember on such a long
    	ride.
    
    	Oh, and, uh..., Debbie Turner was second to Seana Hogan in
    	RAAM'92. I know you knew that, but some of the other readers
    	may have been confused. 8-)>
    
    	Scott

    John,
    	Thank you for the wonderful description of the ride.  I really
    enjoyed reading it.  One thing however, I noticed the finishing times 
    outlined in .1 and the first finisher was recorded at 9:26 Sat evening.
    Is this correct for a 6:30am Sat start?  That's quite an average.  I
    assume the number in () was (hours.minutes) so he must have come in
    Sunday or the ride started on Friday.  Thanks for clearing this up.
    
    Steve
    

    
    Thanks, Steve, proofreading as a career is not obsolete!  The finishing
    days should have been Sunday and Monday, not Saturday and Sunday. So
    the 38:something for the first finisher is correct.
    
    Glad you enjoyed it.
    -john