There are few sports which are "cheap" once you take them beyond just being a hobby and cycling is no exception. As an example of the costs involved with ultra-cycling, most sources will say that one should budget a minimum of $10,000 in order to do RAAM "on the cheap". This usually means: 1) everyone in the support crew is a volunteer, 2) Support And Gear (SAG) veichles are owned by someone on the support team and/or are otherwise donated, 3) no additonal gear is rented/purchased 4) everyone travels together and no airplane tickets or shipping are required, or individuals pay for their own tickets.

Considering this perfect scenerio rarely ever happens and the fact that the rider entry fee for RAAM by itself is $3,000, the realistic funding for RAAM tends to be upwards of $25,000 with some budgets going as high as $50,000. It should be noted though, the high end of the spectrum is usually reserved for either: international competetors who also have to buy costly airplane tickets and ship all their gear; or, for those who have to hire out a substantial portion of their support staff and rent most of their gear.

I've been making a go at ultra-cycling on my own so far, but I've been forced to make countless compromises along the way. Unfortunately, competing in RAAM and other ultra-endurance events is taking my cycling budget to an entirely new level and has put me at my breaking point for self sponsorship. I'm developing an outline for sponsorship levels and a better way to accept donations. In the mean time however, if you would like to sponsor/support me for RAAM or any of my other rides/races, please contact me.

Most of my previous rides/races have been either event supported, self supported, or supported by a friend or family member. And, while some of my upcoming events will fall into that same category, many of the longer/larger events will require an actual support crew at some level. RAAM in particular will require by far the largest support crew.

While not every event requries every position, in general, the following support crew positions will be needed: Crew Chief, Bike Mechanic, Navigator, Masseuse/Masseur, Cook/Nutrition Specialist, and Driver.

Depending on the event, some positions will need to be filled multiple times and most crew members will likely will pull double duty filling more than one position. RAAM being by far the longest and most demaning event, it is expected that the support crew will be comprised of between 8-12 crew members. If you would like to volunteer for any of these positions for any of my rides/races, please contact me.