Covering over 4,200 miles, the Trans Am Bike Race (TABR) is the longest self-supported endurance road race in the United States. It is a grueling test of determination and skill as cyclists ride unsupported across 10 states traversing the country from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia. This year 56 cyclists hit the pavement to mark the race’s 7th year, the inaugural race was in 2014 with 25 finishers. From the moment the riders start, the clock never stops until they reach the Yorktown Victory Monument in Virginia.
If you’re on the Capital Trail at the right time, you might get a front-row seat. The cross-country route connects to the Virginia Capital Trail between MM 35-36 and follows the Trail all the way to MM 0 before circling around the Jamestown visitors’ parking lot and continuing onto the Colonial Parkway for the final 22-mile ride. In fact, that is the reason Trail Ambassador Ephraim Seidman chose MM 35-36 as his adopted mile. Best known as Prince Purple on the Trans Am FB page, he has been welcoming cyclists to Virginia since 2016.
what motivated you to get started?
I cycled from Virginia Beach VA to LA for the 1984 Olympics. So I know what it is like to be on an extended bike trip. I had so many kind and generous people help me out on that and subsequent bike trips, that in some way I feel I am still paying it back by helping other bike tourists when I can.
My Trans Am Bike Race (TABR) story started when I bumped into a TABR cyclist on the Virginia Capital Trail sometime during the 2016 race. I try to always talk to and support riders with bags & gear on the Trail and was surprised at the small amount of gear that was on his bike. I wasn't familiar with bikepacking then. Of course, I knew of the Trans Am bike route, but not of the race. That unknown racer mentioned the movie Inspired to Ride about the inaugural TABR back in 2014. Saw that, and then I was hooked! And on top of that, TABR16 was won by Lael Wilcox and I thought it was really cool that a woman came in first!
How did you get started as Prince Purple?
My wife and I raise dogs to become Guide Dogs for the sight impaired/blind. Every time we get a new pup, I open up a new FB page for them so fellow puppy raisers can follow our progress and friends & family can see what we are doing. There is a FB page for the TABR and in 2017, I started to follow and post. Back then, we were raising Elvis, so I posted under his FB name Elvis Da-Pelvis. In June of 2017, I planned to ride the first two maps of the Adventure Cycling Association's Trans Am route. Yes, the same route the race is held on! I crossed paths with several racers (planned by the way!) as I was traveling East to West (Yorktown, VA to Astoria, OR) and they were traveling West To East. My first day out on the TA I met the eventual winner Evan Deutsch at MM 23 and was shocked he actually stopped to talk to me. Was fortunate enough to meet several of the other top racers on the TA during that trip and that sealed the deal for me as far as being a TABR fan!
After we gave up Elvis, we got Prince to raise as a Guide Dog. Since 2018, I have stayed with Prince Purple on the TABR race FB page. Prince Purple has become somewhat of a celebrity as I make it a point to try and meet each and every racer that makes it to central Virginia. I post videos and pictures and support racers with cold drinks and food.
What was your most memorable encounter?
UPDATE: Sadly Thomas had to scratch from TABR22.
I have made new friends from the many years of posting on the TABR FB page. Mostly I have actually never met in person as we are just FB "friends". But some of the racers I have now met several times and I feel a special relationship with them. Yes, believe it or not, some racers have done TABR 2, 3, or even 4 times now!! I can vividly remember meeting some of these racers in the middle of the night just to see them again. For instance, 80 year old (!!) Thomas Camero is currently racing in his 5th TABR, having completed three. He is a legend! I have met him twice and look forward to seeing him again in TABR22!
What is the toughest part?
For me, getting up every hour or two over the course of a night to check on the location of a racer so I can get up in time to meet them, usually at "my corner" in Ashland. Each racer has a tracker with them that uploads their location on the route to the race page and allows fans and Trail Angels to track them. Their position is represented by a "Dot" on the race page. That allows Trails Angels and Dot Watchers to intercept and meet racers all along the route. A little creepy maybe, but the racers get used to it! The hardest part for racers is completing the race! TABR traverses 10 states, through the high mountains (with ~1,000 miles at >5,000 ft elevation) topping out at 11,542 ft at Hoosier Pass, crossing the plains with more times than not a headwind, on to the rollers of the Ozarks, and by the time racers reach Virginia they still have ~560 miles to ride!
What have you learned from the experience?
To never give up! Every year some racers, unfortunately, have to scratch (drop out) due to health or mechanical issues. But some of those will return to do the race again - sometimes it takes multiple attempts - until they complete the race and their journey. This race is HARD! I give them incredible respect for that.
How do you prepare?
I spend many an hour just looking at the race map trying to guess when racers might stop to rest/sleep or eat. For me to be able to "ambush" them I need to predict when they will be coming through central Virginia. And they are ALWAYS ahead of their Dot. A huge amount of guesswork is involved. I live in Richmond, so I also have to take into account getting to Ashland by car and that means what is the traffic situation on I-95...
Have you adapted anything from when you first started?
Early on, I was asked for a track stand bike pump and now make sure I always have that for racers to top off tires. I give everyone the same - a frozen sports drink to slip into their back pocket to cool them down, sports drinks to drink on the spot, a PBJ sandwich on toasted multigrain bread, a banana, and either GORP or granola bars. A few years ago I started posting a "Welcome To Virginia, we got ya now" as racers cross the Kentucky/Virginia border. Many a racer has told me when I meet them that they have been waiting to see that post of them crossing into Virginia for the entire race!
What do you enjoy most?
Love, love, love, meeting the racers and hearing their stories. By the time I see them at my usual location in Ashland, I get to tell them they have less than 100 miles to finish their journey. After ~4,100 miles, it is sometimes quite emotional for the racers... and for me.
Who was the first to reach Yorktown in 2022? That would be Kraig Pauli who finished in just 17 days 9 hours and 14 minutes! The last finisher arrived in Yorktown on July 16th, to wrap up the 2022 Trans Am Bike Race. Brian Berry, the lanterne rouge, had a final time of 40 days 22 hours and 7 minutes. Just 27 of the 56 cyclists completed this year’s race. Congratulations, to all the riders!
You can view their stats at http://trackleaders.com/transam22
K. Pauli finished the TABR 22 in 17 days 9 hrs & 14 min.
