BOOSH!Joined: 17 Jul 2007Posts: 2042Location: Nearest bar.
RAGBRAI is the Register's Annual Great Bike ride Across Iowa. An average of 472 miles of rolling hills and corn fields over 7 days with 10,000 regsitered riders, and thousands more unrigistered ones. 50 to 85 miles a day, with stops in rural towns with populations as little as 70 people for beer and great food.
Last week I joined a group of 6 for my first time on this ride, and it was amazing. I learned a lot about riding my bike, alone and with a group. By the end of day 7 I felt like I was twice the rider I was when I started. I rode faster, and longer than I thought I would ever be able too.
As you would expect; riding early with the bulk of all the registered riders is not fun. A slow paced crowd, packed full of douches and over-critical ass holes can really take the fun out of things. (I can tell you more about that in person.) Days usually started around 12 for us, leaving the roads wide open, with not very many other riders around for the packers, and other like-minded teams. Each day someone took a turn to drive the RV ahead to the halfway meet-up town (oasis) and then ahead to the overnight camp spot.
The rides between towns offered challenging hills rolling one right after another, and flat lanscapes with corn as far as you could see acented with sparse farm houses and silos. Here are a few shots...
Here's a look at one of the larger pass-through towns that was throwing a party, and me drinking with the Mayor of one of those towns:
(Yes that was actually the Mayor.)
It was very interesting so see such a different way of life. I have never been through such rural places. It was really cool to be apart of something so huge, and to see these small towns people react to such a thing Especially the ones who were having RAGBRAI go through their town for the first time. Wanting to show you how their corn combine works, or their classic tractor collection. Selling their home made pies, and pork bbq raised and cooked 50 yards from where you were standing eating it. Road side parties with open kegs and water slides. Kids offering sled rides pulled via 4-wheelers.
Every day felt like an awesome Thursday night ride; except I got to get up in the monring and do it all again. It was an amazing 7 days.
I guess that's all for now. I have more pics and more stories of the ride I'll have in a more detailed posting somwhere else. I just wanted to share a little bit of the awesome ride I had.
Happy Stick Person
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 1:08 pm
Joined: 20 Sep 2006Posts: 1168Location: Leschi
you're still a choad and this picture of you in your squid suit proves it...
BOOSH!Joined: 17 Jul 2007Posts: 2042Location: Nearest bar.
Happy Stick Person wrote:
you're still a choad and this picture of you in your squid suit proves it...
Whatever fuck ass! The humidity and heat was awful! This wasn't a 30 mile romp around some island!
Yeah I felt a little silly.
also I hate you.
ksep
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:26 pm
Joined: 27 Jan 2007Posts: 1879Location: Westlake
MyNameIsJeff wrote:
* 50 to 85 miles of riding a day in the summer
* every day like a ben country .83 ride
* a couple of cascade douches, but
* Road side parties with open kegs and water slides.
* pork bbq raised and cooked 50 yards from where you eat it
* drinking with the mayor
Registration is open for this year, tell me more. I'll be disappointed if .83 can't put together a solid team of people that want to ride bikes, eat bbq, drink, and camp for a week.
How did you find that group of six people with an RV? Were they local or did you rent the RV? I take it the odds of winning the group lottery are better than the individual lottery, or were y'all one of the thousands of pirates?
_________________ -Kevin
MyNameIsJeff
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:30 am
BOOSH!Joined: 17 Jul 2007Posts: 2042Location: Nearest bar.
abamfici wrote:
Registration is open for this year, tell me more. I'll be disappointed if .83 can't put together a solid team of people that want to ride bikes, eat bbq, drink, and camp for a week.
How did you find that group of six people with an RV? Were they local or did you rent the RV? I take it the odds of winning the group lottery are better than the individual lottery, or were y'all one of the thousands of pirates?
Ahh I'm already getting excited for this!
The people I rode with were friends of my boss. They've been riding Ragbrai for 12 years now, and invited me along. 2 of the dudes live in Iowa and one takes care of the RV. Having a support vehicle is key.
Yeah, we were in the "pirates" group. Other than a warm fuzzy sensation, there really isn't a benefit to paying/registering. I guess you get to stay in the authorized camps? But its always easy to find spots away from the masses, and better in my opinion. I wouldn't bother with registering.
The main group of riders set out every day around 7-8ish. To avoid all those douches we would ride out around 10 or 11. Doing that makes it so the people you are riding next too are chill, and it's not so crowded. The downside is some beer gardens close up or get stopped by State Patrol, but that's not that common.
Obviously, Band of Gypsys (the team I rode with) isn't really going to want to take on a bunch of random people from here, but that doesn't mean a .83 team couldn't camp with/ride with them. They would be cool about "mentoring" if you guys wanted it.
Ragbrai is awesome. July 19th - 25th 2009 - Let's go.
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BOOSH!
Joined: 17 Jul 2007
Posts: 2042
Location: Nearest bar.
Joined: 20 Sep 2006
Posts: 1168
Location: Leschi
Joined: 27 Jan 2007
Posts: 1879
Location: Westlake
