Cooperation between Peiker CEE and Fritz Geers

The Race Across America (RAAM) is notorious for its relentless toughness. Covering a distance of approximately 5,000 kilometers, it takes participants through various climate zones, from the West Coast to the East Coast of the USA. Along the way, riders cross vast mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains, battle desert heat, and endure freezing nights in the mountains. This extreme challenge requires not only peak physical performance but also perfect coordination between the athlete and their team.

Fritz Geers participated in RAAM for the first time in 2023 and secured an impressive seventh place overall (Category 3), setting the record as the youngest German finisher in RAAM’s 40-year history. For Geers, constant communication with his team was essential to complete the race safely and quickly. This is where the Ceecoach, Peiker CEE’s reliable communication device, came into play.

The Importance of Communication in Ultracycling

In ultracycling, a discipline where athletes are on the move for days with minimal breaks, communication with the team is crucial. RAAM presents unique challenges: riders must navigate extreme conditions, often without access to mobile networks. The Ceecoach from Peiker CEE addresses this issue, enabling reliable wireless communication over distances of up to 500 meters, even in areas without mobile reception.

The constant connection allowed Geers’ team to keep him informed about road conditions, upcoming weather changes, and planned breaks. In the scorching heat of Arizona’s deserts or the steep climbs of the Rocky Mountains, it was crucial for his team to support him at all times without technical difficulties.

Peiker CEE also sees teamwork as one of the greatest advantages of the Ceecoach: “Our goal was to develop a device that enhances group communication without distraction or a heavy focus on technology,” explains a product developer. “With the Ceecoach, multiple people can communicate simultaneously, which is invaluable in extreme sports like RAAM.”

Fritz Geers adds: “During the race, there were many moments when I was completely cut off from the outside world—no network coverage, no people for miles. In these moments, the Ceecoach was my lifeline. It allowed me to stay in touch with my team, even as we crossed Nevada’s deserts or the empty plains of the Midwest.”

Technical Advantages of the Ceecoach

The Ceecoach was specifically designed for outdoor activities like ultracycling and offered Fritz Geers several advantages. One key factor was its high audio quality. Even in strong winds, during descents, or on busy roads, Geers could clearly communicate with his team.

This was particularly important for Geers, as any communication disruption could cost valuable time. “There were moments when I was descending on narrow roads with trucks speeding past me. Yet, I could still hear my team’s instructions clearly,” he recalls.

Besides excellent sound quality, the Ceecoach’s battery life was another crucial factor. Every break during RAAM costs athletes time, so extra stops to recharge devices had to be avoided. The Ceecoach’s long battery life was a significant advantage for Geers and his team.

Another plus of the Ceecoach is its ease of use. “I never had to worry about how to operate it. It was simple and just worked—which was exactly what I needed during the race,” says Geers. Thanks to the Ceecoach’s intuitive controls, Geers could fully focus on the race without being distracted by technical issues.

The Ceecoach in Teamwork

A unique feature of the Ceecoach is its ability to integrate multiple participants into a communication network. During RAAM, Fritz Geers was constantly connected to his entire team, which provided support in various areas. “It’s not just a race for me; it’s a race for my team too,” Geers emphasizes. “We all have to function as one unit, and the Ceecoach was our communication tool to maintain that unity.”

The Mental Challenge: Communication as Mental Support

Beyond the physical strain, RAAM presents a massive mental challenge. The long, isolated stretches, often lasting hours or days without human contact outside the team, can lead to isolation and mental exhaustion. In this regard, the Ceecoach served not only a technical function but also provided psychological support for Geers.

“There are moments when you feel like you’re fighting the elements completely alone,” says Geers. “In those moments, hearing my team’s voices and knowing I wasn’t alone helped me push through the toughest phases of the race.”

Battling Exhaustion

A key aspect of RAAM is managing sleep deprivation and recovery. Geers and his team had to find the optimal balance to minimize break times while maintaining performance. “Sometimes, I only slept for a few minutes, but those minutes had to be perfect,” explains Geers. “Everything had to be just right—from the temperature in the support vehicle to the right mattress. Even the alarm had to go off at the exact right time.”

Communication as the Key to Success

Throughout RAAM, Geers and his eight-person team faced numerous challenges that could only be managed through constant communication. Sleep deprivation, extreme weather conditions, and physical exhaustion created situations where clear and reliable communication between rider and team became a matter of survival.

During the race, Geers experienced a moment that highlighted how close endurance athletes operate to their limits. After several days with only a few hours of sleep per night, sleep deprivation took its toll. In a particularly dangerous moment in the Rocky Mountains, Geers fell into a microsleep during a descent. “I remember my head suddenly dropping to my chest, and I momentarily lost consciousness,” he recalls.

Such moments underscore the importance of a team’s ability to intervene when an athlete reaches their limits. Thanks to the Ceecoach, Geers’ team could react immediately without him needing to stop or manually operate the device.

Only through constant communication with his team, who monitored his ride and immediately raised the alarm, was a potentially life-threatening situation avoided. “My team warned me through the Ceecoach and had me stop before I crashed. Without their quick reaction, my race could have ended there,” explains Geers.

Extreme Sleep Deprivation

“At one point in the race, after many hours without real sleep, I started hallucinating. I thought I was on a meadow, giving a thank-you speech to an imaginary audience. My team immediately pulled me off the bike and made me sleep.”

The Path to Optimization

For Fritz Geers, RAAM is not just a physical challenge but also a technical and logistical project. His strategy for success relies on fine-tuning his equipment and body. “I always approach big projects step by step. Every detail counts—whether it’s choosing the right food, the length of breaks, or how I communicate with my team,” he explains.

Before RAAM, Geers worked intensively to optimize every aspect of his preparation, with communication playing a crucial role. The Ceecoach allowed him to make quick adjustments during the race without losing valuable time. This was a decisive advantage in maximizing performance and focusing on the race itself.

Ceecoach as the Key to Success in Extreme Sports

RAAM is a race that demands not only physical endurance but also technical precision. For Fritz Geers, using the Ceecoach from Peiker CEE was a crucial factor in his success. The device enabled constant, reliable communication with his team, even in the most remote and extreme environments in the USA.

The collaboration between Peiker CEE and Fritz Geers demonstrates how modern communication technology can be used in extreme sports to maximize performance while ensuring athlete safety. As Geers prepares for his next RAAM, the Ceecoach remains an indispensable tool, helping him push the limits of what is possible.

_{Pictures: © Julian Barth Text: Fritz Geers}