The wacky folks on Bikejournal have come up with the idea of a real/virtual RAAM and Back tour competition, that starts as of Monday 7/30.  Here's the original discussion thread:
 
http://bikejournal.com/thread.asp?ThreadID={00D6B0CE-D37F-4652-B755-BA73006D80F7}
 
Like TTTT, we should put together a recumbent team or two (or more!) -- teams consist of 5 riders.  The "Winners" are any team who completes the mileage total ( >6000 ) by the Equinox (Sept 22nd).
 
I'd like to form up a 'bent crew of the TTTT folks, since we're all on Bikejournal, plus one other (Rawhide?  Nelson?  Foo?  Mark Leuck?  speak up) who's putting in good miles this year, just to have a (potentially) relatively high mileage total compared to some of the distance hounds from Bikejournal who are teaming up for this thing.  Bud, Greg, Steve, you in?  Since we don't ride together on a regular basis, we would be in the "Virtual" team division.
 
Even people with mid-to-low mileage can participate, obviously -- it's all in the spirit of motivation.  Who's gonna step up to form the 2nd BJ RBENT team?  Have some fun!

Let me know if you need me, Happy to offer my mileage as well!
 
Take Care,
Nelson.

Coolness....  Team RBENT #1 is formed - FlyingLaZBoy, BudBent, Kwijibow, Rawhide, and Aikigreg   ( I don't think the Stradas are on BJ... yet...)
 
Another group wanna put themselves together?

Quote from FlyingLaZBoy on Jul 26^th, 2007, 9:04pm:

 
With all we have going on in our personal lives,getting ready for H'NH,& then the TTT's, that's a lot for a person with adult attention deficit syndrome.

OK, the RAAM'n'BAC race has begun...  Bud, DJ, Nelson, Greg, I'll be emailing you for weekly mileage totals every Monday, or please send 'em to me yourself to  PBAcoustic@gmail.com.  I'll update our progress, and post the weekly Bikejournal summaries here in this thread.  It should be interesting -- to make the 6088 miles in 8 weeks requires a minimum of 761 miles per week amongst the five of us -- very doable.  However, obviously, the goal is to whip up on those other teams!  
 
There are eight teams involved (I'm surprised it's not more).  Here's the Bikejournal thread for weekly standings (updated on Mondays)
 
http://www.bikejournal.com/thread.asp?ThreadID={0809010E-8E89-4DBF-96D3-CDCF23907977}
 
And in finest Bikejournal style, here is the "trash talking" thread:
 
http://www.bikejournal.com/thread.asp?ThreadID={00D6B0CE-D37F-4652-B755-BA73006D80F7}
 
Enjoy,
Paul

Yep, and I'll top 600 for the first time all year...  Woulda been nice to add Sunday's century to it!

Quote from Bud_Bent on Jul 31^st, 2007, 8:57am:

 
 
And I thought I was doing "OK" with my 625 miles ridden in July. With H'NH comming up,I going to tone down the miles ridden for August.

Our first week's RAAMnBack Report from the road, to Bikejournal.com:
 
RBENT Flyers - Virtual Division 7/30 - 8/5
FlyingLaZBoy 118.25
Bud_Bent 211.1
CatRoad254 127.56 (Last minute substitution for Aikigreg)
Rawhide no data
Kwijybow 197.66
Team Miles for Week 654.57
Cum Team Tot Miles 654.57
Last checkpoint Passed Tuba City, AZ
Scheduled miles 761
Ahead/(Behind) Schedule (106)
Miles to go 5433.43
 
 
RBENT Flyers Update, Aug 5:
 
It didn’t take the Flyers too long to reach the first check point…and we are now, as they say, "Beyond Hope"…  Hope, Arizona, that is...But, we stopped in there at the RV Park to use the facilities.  
 

 
Then, before we got to Tuba City, although we knew the extra miles wouldn’t count, we just couldn’t RESIST heading over to the Grand Canyon and cycling on the Grand Canyon Skywalk!!!  (OK, I took some liberties with other people's photos! --    )
 

 
I’m best cycling buddies with one of the managers, so he made special arrangements for our arrival, clearing all the people off of it, and sending us to the front of the line.  Gotta watch it, though, on that curve – that glass floor is slick, and it’s not banked, either!!!  But it was the COOLEST!!!!!!
 
Tuba City, however…  We got so confoozed….The name of the city most probably came from Toova, a Hopi headman from Oraibi. The Navajo name for Tuba City, Tó Naneesdizí translates as "tangled waters."   Tuba City is located within the Painted Desert, and is the Navajo Indian Reservation's largest community. Just for fun, we stopped to view the side-by-side  dinosaur and human tracks…  and strangely enough, we found a deposit of fossilized RED LIPSTICK….   Apparently, the Pansy People had been here before us… (Millenia ago!)????
 

 
But here’s where the confoozing point comes in -- Arizona does not currently observe Daylight Time, however the Navajo reservation does.  So we didn’t know WHAT time it was when we checked in!!!
 
Onward to Durango!!!