Bob Breedlove rode from Huntington Beach, CA to Atlantic City, NJ, in 9 days 19 hours 47 minutes, a new transcontinental record for a 50-year old rider.

Breedlove left Huntington Beach, CA at 6 p.m. EST on June 22, his departure timed to allow him to ride through the worst of the California desert at night. Breedlove's route, designed by RAAM director Lon Haldeman, covered 2,890 miles with 95,000 feet of climbing. For comparison, the RAAM 2002 route was 2,992 miles with 100,000 feet of climbing. The old record of 10 days 6 hours was set by Tom Davies in RAAM '95.

UltraCycling Contributing Editor "Bubba" Jeff Stephens found Breedlove at about 4 a.m. in Springfield, OH and joined him on the bike until dawn. Stephens reports "He had come off his sleep break a few hours earlier and really perked up when he saw me in a vehicle with "RAAM VAN" license plates. Although we had never met he immediately recognized my name and complimented me on the nice articles I write in UltraCycling magazine. This humble and genuinely friendly demeanor only grew during our short ride on the bike together. How refreshing!

Jeff Stephens photo

Bob was riding at a steady 17+ mph pace. That's certainly a bit faster than I rode after seven days on the bike! Although he hadn't done a transcontinental crossing of this nature since 1994, he indicated that his mental attitude was high and that he was feeling strong and relaxed."

Breedlove, from Des Moines, IA, raced solo RAAM twice, finishing second in '94, and twice raced RAAM on a tandem.

After the events of September 11 Breedlove decided to ride to remember and honor heroes that have fallen in the line of duty - not only those that fell on September 11, but those that make the sacrifice everyday, in all forms of public service.