Local pedal pusher embarks on the ride of a lifetime!

Dr. Michael Bannister has been practicing dentistry on Daniel Island for the last 14 years. But this week, he has set aside his instruments to test his skills in an operation he has never experienced before - one that will push his limits, both physically and mentally.

As you read this article, Bannister and several of his closest friends are biking from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis, Maryland as part of “Race Across America (RAAM),” an event that has been dubbed the world’s toughest bike race. Participants must ride 3,000 miles across 12 states and tackle more than 170,000 feet of uphill terrain.

“It’s longer than the Tour de France,” said Bannister, in a rare moment of pre-race rest in his Daniel Island office, where a fleet of bikes hanging overhead serve as vivid symbols of his passion for the sport. “And instead of doing it in three weeks, you do it in one. There is no drafting. One person at a time, across the country.”

Bannister, an avid cyclist, and his fellow bikers - Anne Moore, Chris Moore, Geoff Duncan, Patrick Lackey and Timmy Finch - are part of the Lowcountry-based “Bike Law/Cycle for Survival” team. The idea to join the race was never on Bannister’s bucket list, he admits. But after Anne, a physiologist and trainer, started circulating the concept among their tight-knit biking group last year, they began to give it serious consideration. It would require a tremendous amount of funding ($30,000), a team of four bikers to tackle the grueling, non-stop ride, a dedicated crew of eight to support them, an RV and a Sprinter van, and a host of supplies and equipment.

“The budget was the first hurdle,” said Bannister.

The crew didn’t take long to decide they wanted in. With help from some business friends who came onboard as sponsors, they raised $15,000 to $20,000 within just a few weeks. Next they lined up volunteer crew members, who committed to take part in the 12 day transcontinental journey, secured the rest of their funding requirements, and selected the charity “Cycle for Survival” (an organization that supports those battling rare cancers) to be their beneficiary. With the final pieces of the puzzle complete, they officially entered the race in September of 2016 and started training in October.

“We thought - we can really do this!” said Bannister. “…It’s hard, but it’s attainable.”

The tough part would come next. The biking group was used to riding long distances, but endurance pushes with little recovery time was not their norm.

“You have to train differently,” continued Bannister. “…You don’t train to go fast. You train to go farther. I had never done that in 35 years of biking.”

When Bannister set out to do a 70 mile bike ride in a day as part of his training, he’d pile on another 20 or 30 miles. On one ride he logged 110 miles - and 163 on another.

“More important than that,” he explained of the increased distances, “you have to be able to recover and do it again eight hours later!”

To get experience on uphill climbs, he and his team would travel to the North Carolina mountains - or do multiple runs on the Ravenel Bridge (one weekend Bannister and Anne completed 100 miles).

For the Race Across America, the Bike Law crew will travel continuously utilizing a two-person team on eight hour shifts. Each team will have a rider bike for 30 minutes, then take a break while the other teammate rides for 30 minutes. The other team will rest for eight hours and then switch places with them.

“Depending on the rotation, we’ll (each) do 100 to 160 miles per day,” added Bannister. “Biking constantly…Thirty minutes on, thirty minutes off. You can maintain a higher speed - and keep your core temperature down.”

And speaking of temperatures, they are prepared to take some heat. They expect to experience temps over 100 degrees outside in Arizona and the Mojave Desert, but they are ready.

“There’s no way to prep for that here (in the Lowcountry),” added Bannister. “We have a nurse on our crew and I have ordered IV equipment. We cannot get into trouble!”

Their team also includes a certified bike mechanic - Anne’s husband, Chris Moore, who will fill the role of crew chief. Another member is an efficiency expert and yet another is gifted in the area of cooking for groups. All are important cogs in the wheel when it comes to keeping things running smoothly.

“Everybody has their own special thing,” added Bannister. “And we’ve all known each other for years.”

One unexpected and devastating change-up to the team took place at the last minute, when a biking injury left Anne unable to compete. Bannister called the turn of events for his dear friend “a nightmare,” but she is with the team as they compete this week, offering support every step of the way. Timmy Finch will take her place on the course - but Anne will join her teammates on a bike when they cross the finish line in Annapolis.

The Bike Law/Cycle for Survival peddlers expect to complete their journey in seven days or less. While adding a Race Across America badge to his cycling career will be an incredible milestone in and of itself, Bannister has another experience he hopes to take in on the momentous ride.

“They say the sunrises are the best because you’re facing East,” he said. “The sunrise though Monument Valley in Arizona is supposed to be awesome. They say that’s one of the coolest things. I don’t know that any of us has ever seen it.”

Last week, just days before he and his team left South Carolina bound for the West Coast, Bannister’s anticipation of the big event had clearly reached an all time high.

“I’d be happy to do it now!” he said. “I’m tired of thinking about it! You think about it when you’re on the bike, you think about it when you’re off the bike. You think either I should be riding more - or I should be riding today instead of doing day to day activities. You get antsy. But you feel confident that we can do it…I’m ready!”

To follow the team’s progress, be sure to like their Facebook page (Bike Law/Cycle for Survival). You can also visit the Race Across America website at www.raceacrossamerica.org and view live tracking of riders. Sponsors for Bannister’s team include Bike Law, Boyd Wheels, Schwalbe Tires, Lucey Mortgage, Barefoot Oral Surgery, XX2i Optics, rentcharleston.com, Sea Sucker, FitMed Partners, Johnson & Johnson, and the Rudy Project.

Geoff Duncan

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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