Team Bacchetta

Raised next door to Stanford in Palo Alto, CA, I learned to bike at an early age and was riding the Santa Cruz mountains by the time I got my 3-speed. this was before helmets and before lycra. In Levi cutoffs and T-shirt I rode the east side of the 2000’ mountains but did not ride the 35 miles over to the coast until getting a used 10 speed. I was probably 14 at the time. Continuing to bike, though not competatively, I moved to UC Davis for a little over a year where biking is more a way of life in the community. I finished my education up at Humboldt State University where I traded in the Mercier for a Kawasaki. Several years later, back in the home town, I returned to bicycles and soon after to organized rides. Centuries then double centuries offered a zen very different from motorcycles as well as a chance to be a part of a larger community of cyclists that had developed since I had left. The Santa Cruz mtns were becoming a biking mecca and it was great to be a part of it. Failing to complete the Grand Tour Triple century in 2000 due to knee and back problems I vowed to complete at least 300 mi by arranging with a friend to drive a support vehicle with me the following year from Redding, CA south. I thought then to try for 400 miles and call it the Valley Four but really had no idea how far we’d get that day. At this point I started using recumbent bicycles for long rides. We started at midnight and ended it at 9PM out around Modesto, almost 320 mi later. The following year I rode it unsupported - a double loop originating in Davis with mini-marts supplying the requisite chocolate milk energy drink. A couple of good friends joined in for 2004 and we’re still doing this ride.

Other events came into the picture starting in 2003 with Furnace Creek 508. I was quite anxious about this event as it was a “race” and I felt out of my league and on the wrong type of course for a recumbent. This 500 mi event has 35,000 feet of climbing and I was riding a 30 lb bike. Overcoming several problems including Hot feet and loose stomach we finished sunday afternoon in 7th place. The following year didn’t go quite so well. Crew & I decided to call it quits after 354 mi because of lung problems. We were in second place at the time.

2005 we went up to Portland for the Race Across Oregon, another High mileage event (537 mi 40,000feet climbing). They had never had a recumbent solo this event. 39 hrs later we rolled up to the snowy, 6,000’ finish on mount Hood 3rd place overall.

I still don’t know what posessed us to consider taking faired recumbents out on RAAM in 2004, but we did. Lightning Bikes makes a fully faired recumbent (HPV) that is rather fast and our 4-man team, raising funds for Lou gehrig’s disease, came in first overall that year. As it is very streamlined it was not a complete suprise that we came in first but we were estatic that a rookie team could even keep it together for the duration.

I captained a 4-person RAAM recumbent team in 2005 where we raced against another recumbent team, came in 1st in our division and 3rd overall in the 4-person teams.

2006 I land in Florida for the Sebring 24 hr TT and surpassing what I felt was a respectable 486 miles I rode the previous year I ended up with a 516 mi first place finish. Looking forward to getting out on RAAM this year.