Description
FREE for Club Spinistry members! Click here for the RAT 1000 Facebook Discussion Group
RAT 1000 Mile Gravel Stage Race, RAT 1000 Self Supported Group Departure for ITT, RAT 1000 mile gravel stage party, Mini RAT & Tiny RAT. Plan to join us because these will be memories that last forever.
Please note that the expectation is for all riders to adhere to the Traffic Codes for each state that they ride in at all times. Failure to operate bicycles safely and properly can lead to disqualification. Littering can lead to disqualification. Trespassing can lead to disqualification and might also get you shot. Don't do any of these things. More details soon!
Planned RAT Stage Race/Party Distances (subject to modification). This is for the folks who want to travel as a group and gather together at the same overnight location each night.
Stage 1 Saturday 6am Start from Texarkana
140 miles, 2852ft, ends in Paris
Stage 2 Sunday Start TBD
127 miles, 3700ft, ends in Denison
Stage 3 Monday Start TBD
141 miles, 4782ft, ends in Henrietta
Stage 4 Tuesday Start TBD
125 miles, 2330ft, ends in Vernon
Stage 5 Wednesday Start TBD
104 miles, 2417ft, ends in Childress
Stage 6 Thursday Start TBD (please note, this could change to Tulia)
102 miles, 4511ft, ends in Silverton (camping only)
Stage 7 Friday Start TBD
124 miles, 2188ft, ends in Vega
Stage 8 Saturday Start TBD
139 miles, 3333ft, ends in Tucumcari
Self Supported ITT is essentially "Tour Divide" rules. Riders are only allowed to utilize assistance available to the general public under normal business and agency operating conditions. The clock starts as soon as the rider starts and doesn't end until the rider finishes. Live tracking is required as well as publicly available tracking logs. Approved assistance exceptions are typically allowed during Group Depart week from approved "Trail Angels".
Mini RAT is for anyone who wants to follow the RAT route with no expectation of completing the full route. Ride as many (or as few) as fits into your schedule. We have a single weekend route for people who want to pedal back to DFW: Mini RAT Day 1 140 Miles Texarkana to Paris
Mini RAT Day 2 110 miles Paris to Rowlett Train Station.
The Tiny RAT is a 150 mile lollipop from Farmersville to Paris and back which primarily utilizes the NETT. Saturday night overnight in Paris is included which offers the opportunity to socialize with the RAT riders as they come into Paris. Please note, this is not an "easy" ride. 75 miles each day is likely to feel more like 100 on these sections of the NETT. Self navigation capability is EXTREMELY important. We will provide the route but it will not be verified before hand. It is likely that on the fly adjustments to the route may be needed, particularly in the case of inclement weather.
Race Contact Info
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
RAT 1000 Wall of Fame
Please be aware that there are numerous RAT finishers prior to the "Permanent" 1000 mile route established in 2018. There have also been stage race finishers with approved reroutes due to inclement weather as well as 1000 mile "mud crew" in 2018. These finishes do not currently appear on the list.
1000 Mile Finishers
Dana Burch
130 hours 59 minutes (2019)
Tiphane Want
181 hours 13 minutes (2024)
Under 6 Days
Holden Marrs (2022)
7 Days
Keith Jordan (2019)
8 Days
Rich Waldschmidt (2019)
Peter Rajcani (2019)
Levi McCoid (2023)
Rowell Balais (2023)
Chuy Eaton (2023)
Dan Summers (2023)
Aaron Atkinson (2024)
9 Days
Neil Smith (2022)
10 Days
David Sherrill (2024)
Rich Curtis (2024)
Email us if your finish does not appear. spinistry@gmail.com
Routes
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RAT 1000 FAQ's
Is transportation provided? No, riders are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from their Start/Finish locations. Amtrak does provide service to Texarkana. Again, this is intended to be a Tour Divide (and other Epic point to point rides) "primer" event. Tour Divide participants have to make their own travel arrangements to/from Banff Alberta and Antelope Wells New Mexico.
How do I get the routes? Simple, just signup for the event. Signup is free for Club Spinistry members. You can join Club Spinistry here.
What are the rules? This is considered a self supported event which (mostly) follows Tour Divide rules. To qualify for an official time you must follow the route. Go arounds are fine for safety purposes but not convenience purposes. Bypassing a muddy road is convenience, bypassing a raging, flood engorged creek crossing is safety.
The follow the route exception is what we call the "city limits" rule. You are not obligated to follow our route through a city or town, just where you enter and exit the city limits. Everyone's needs are different so people are welcome to route through town in whatever way best gets them to the amenities they need.
Self supported means self supported. No overnighting at house that belongs to friends or family. You can't have your brother in law bring a different bike for you or stash a water cache on your behalf.
Trail Angels are allowed for. Don't turn down a free beer or sandwich from a stranger or an offer from farmer Brown to set your tent up in his yard. Please be aware that Trail Angels and bonus amenities are much more likely during Group Depart Week in October. Support from other RAT riders is allowed for as well. They are also considered Trail Angels. Please don't take advantage of this feature by incorporating "domestiques" into your strategy.
Is drafting allowed? The short answer is no. A cooperative effort between riders to secure a favorable overall time is completely against the spirit of this event and would lead to public humiliation and disparagement. That said, a couple of riders trying to cooperate to punch through 50mph headwinds atop the Caprock would be considered rider support. Use good judgement and don't be a dick.
What is the best bike for the RAT? Now you've gone and opened a can of worms...Conditions vary tremendously over the 1000+ miles of the route. The vast majority of the route can easily be ridden with 35mm tires. There are short sections where people will wish they were riding a fat tire bike. The sweet spot for most riders are tires between 40mm and 2". Tour Divide type setups work well for comfort and cargo capacity but it can be done on a CX bike packed light for a motel tour as well. We would highly discourage anyone from attempting it on a road bike, a bmx bike or a recumbent.
Could I hotel/motel instead of camp along the way? Most definitely. Realistically, most riders sleep in bed more nights than at camp sites. Any publicly available accommodation is appropriate. Staying with friends or relatives along the way would be outside of the "rules". The routes was specifically designed to access all amenities from towns/cities as often as practical.
Towns and Amenities With Mileage
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Place
Texarkana, AR US 71854
Directions
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