RAGBRAI 2014

July 19 to July 27 - Rock Valley, IA to Guttenberg, IA - 475 mi.

From July 19 to July 27 my brother Brad and I participated in the 42nd Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa; more commonly known as RAGBRAI. This was my 6th ride and Brad's 1st. We both had a great time and a few photos and brief descriptions are included below. Many other 2014 RAGBRAI photos can be found at http://ragbrai.com/

But first:  My wife Susi is the best. She supports me beyond anything I deserve. She is the real hero of this week's adventure as she drove us to the RAGBRAI starting point in Rock Valley, IA and picked us up at the finishing point in Guttenberg, IA. She has spend countless days and precious vacation time the past few years driving me to and from bicycling destinations across the US. Thanks honey, I love you.

Saturday, July 19 - Transportation from Altoona to Rock Valley
Brad lives in Manchester, IL and drove up to Altoona, IA with his wife Angela and older daughter Olivia on Friday, July 18. We had a very good time visiting with him and his family Friday night. At 10:00 AM we were on our way to Rock Valley and Angela/Olivia on their way back home. We arrived in Rock Valley around 2:00 PM just ahead of many of the other riders. We had little trouble getting to the camping area and unloading all our gear. Susi called on her way back and said the traffic lines getting into Rock Valley were getting pretty long. Brad and I found a suitable camping spot on the high school baseball field and set up camp. We walked down to the entertainment area but not a lot was going on. After dinner we returned to camp. The evening fireworks put on by Rock Valley were very good.

Brad (left) and me after unloading in Rock Valley, IA

Day 1 - Sunday, July 20 - Rock Valley to Okoboji, IA - 72 mi.
We were off to a 7:30 AM start from Rock Valley. The ride was "super flat". We ate pancakes at Chris Cakes in Hull and arrived in Okoboji around 3:30 PM. The shower lines at Okoboji High were pretty long and it was around 6:30 PM by the time we took the $5 shuttle to the entertainment area in Okoboji. Hairball was the main entertainment with rock music from the 80s. Pretty good stuff. We got back to camp around 10:30 PM.

Lake Okoboji - very nice evening

 Day 2 - Monday, July 21 - Okoboji to Emmetsburg, IA - 42 mi.
We were off to a bit later start from Okoboji since the ride was only listed as 40 miles. We took our time and stopped at every town along the way and still arrived in Emmetsburg around 1:00 PM. Camping was at the community college and the facility was very nice. Most of the evening was spent talking to fellow campers while keeping cool inside the college building. Sleeping was a bit challenging with the heat and humidity.

Day 3 - Tuesday, July 22 - Emmetsburg to Forest City, IA via the Karras Loop - 112 mi.
After the relatively long ride Sunday and the heat and humidity from Monday, Brad didn't think he still wanted to ride the extra 25 miles of the Karras Loop. Thinking we were not going to ride the loop, we were in no hurry to leave Emmetsburg. By the time we arrived in Bancroft for lunch consisting of a Mr. Pork Chop chop it was already noon. Leaving Bancroft, Brad said he felt pretty good and was going to ride the loop. I told him that this meant we would not arrive in Forest City until around 7:00 PM but he still wanted to get in his first century (100 mi.) ride. I was game so off we went. We arrived in Lone Rock before 1:00 PM and got our Karras Loop badges. I lost Brad when I went to the porta-john then had some pie. He called and was a mile out of town waiting for me. The 8 miles back to the main route were into a reasonably difficult headwind but we managed to team up with two other riders to form a line taking turns breaking the wind for each other. This made the 8 miles go by pretty fast. Once we returned to the main route it was just a matter of keeping the pedals turning for four more hours until we reached Forest City. We were both pretty bushed but got cleaned up and took a shuttle to the main entertainment area where I had dinner. Brad had already eaten at a food stand by the middle school where we were camped. We walked back from downtown and as we reached the middle school were walking with another guy and talking. As we got to where there was more light I discovered that the other guy was Rick Hubbard who I had worked with years ago at MidAmerican Energy. We had a nice conversation before turning in.

Day 4 - Wednesday, July 23 - Forest City to Mason City, IA - 43 mi.
After the long ride yesterday, we were looking forward to a short, relaxing day today and that is exactly what we had. We rode past I-35 and arrived in Mason City early in the afternoon. This was "hump day" and Mason City did a terrific job of hosting. Bret Micheals, the lead singer from Poison, was the entertainment headliner. I couldn't make it until he took the stage as I had walked all over Mason City looking for the Pizza Ranch to have a reasonably-priced dinner. I never did make it and settled for a burger at Hardee's. Brad had left me a voice mail but then his phone battery died. I walked all over the vendor/entertainment area several times but couldn't find him. I listened to a half-dozen songs from the warmup group Warrant then walked back to camp at East Park. Brad was there but handn't been there long. I talked to a tatoo artist and his friend from Minot, ND until it was dark then turned in.

Day 5 - Thursday, July 24 - Mason City to Waverly, IA - 65 mi.
We were off to another early start today and arrived at the camping area in Wartburg College in Waverly around 3:30 PM. The route continued to be very flat. Another great day riding. The camping and shower facilities were very nice. After cleaning up I walked to the entertainment/vendor area for dinner and was back at camp by 7:30 PM. I was tired so laid in my tent and listened to music until about 11:00 PM then went to sleep.

Day 6 - Friday, July 25 - Waverly to Independence, IA - 70 mi.
It rained during the night but had quit long enough for us to get packed and load our gear on the truck. Not far out of town it began to rain and the next few hours we were riding in 60 degree temperatures under a steady, "soaking" rain with a pretty stiff wind out of the south. We were riding north and east while it was raining so the wind was just a minor nuisance. By the time I got out of the porta-john in Sumner the rain had quit. I had a DC and donut at a Casey's then headed the last few "easy" (east) miles where the route turned south directly into a stiff headwind. Much of the last 40 miles were south and at times the headwind limited by speed to 6 mph. However all the sections were 6 to 8 miles long before an east or west section which broke up the headwind into manageable time periods. It helps knowing that though you're cranking away, it will only last 45 - 60 minutes before getting something of a break. As the afternoon went on, the wind started to die down and the last section heading south was not bad at all. It warmed up enough that the rain jacket was no longer necessary. The last section was on very nice pavement along where many Amish families live. Very pretty and peaceful and the Amish children very cute. For those who know what happened last time I arrived in Independence on RAGBRAI, I was not threatened with arrest this time for wanting to walk my bicycle on a sidewalk and apparently there was no "wanted" poster of me from before. After cleaning up Brad and I walked to the Presbeterian Church for a nice dinner. It was starting to look like rain so I walked back to camp to close my tent rain fly then  I walked to downtown Independence. The old mill museum was open and I had a nice tour. Included with the old mill machinery displays was a 1904 Spaulding shaft-drive bicycle; pretty neat but the gearing did not allow for coasting - very nicely preserved.

1904 Spaulding shaft-drive bicycle

Day 7 - Saturday, July 27 - Independence to Guttenberg, IA - 71 mi.
This was the last day of RAGBRAI and we were supposed to meet Susi, Angela, Olivia and Isabella around 1:30 PM. All I heard all week was other riders "bitching" about the two big hills on the last section before Guttenberg. It got to be a little much. Hills are good, you just have to slow down a little and enjoy the scenery. Not that it's easy because it isn't - but if you take it all in, the top is reached in relatively short order then you can enjoy the exhilarating down hill. I had a great time on this section. It reminded me of SW Wisconsin where I had ridden only a few weeks ago on my 1,200 mile tour - beautiful and peaceful. Brad and I got separated pretty early in the day but arrived in Guttenberg at nearly the same time - 1:00 PM. We found our families and took photos of the Mississippi River wheel dipping. The bags were easy to find and very quickly we had everything loaded in the van and were on our way to our sister and brother-in-law's home near Milan, IL. We arrived just before 6:00PM. My sisters and nieces had prepared a "hero's welcome" for us - very, very cool!!!

RAGBRAI End in Guttenberg, IA - 7 days, 475 miles

RAGBRAI Hero's Welcome at Deb & Randy's - Thanks Olivia and Isabella

Congratulations to Brad on finishing his 1st RAGBRAI

Brad was much faster than I was due to his "sweet" ride!

Sunday, July 28 - Visiting with family, playing with my grandson Logan in North Liberty and returning home.
Terrific week. Great time with my brother. Outstanding visit with family. My sister Deb and brother-in-law Randy host our family every year on this weekend - Bix weekend in the Quad Cities. I often run the Bix 7 road race and did so last year with my nephew's daughter. On one occasion, many of the family walked the Bix 7 while I ran. We always have a great time and Deb & Randy are the most gracious of hosts. Our aunt Jo Ann who lives in Australia is usually visiting the US during this weekend. All of the immediate family were there this weekend; Deb & Randy, my other sister Cathy and here husband Bob, my brother Brad and his wife Angela and their two daughters Olivia and Isabella and Aunt Jo Ann. We had a great time together over the weekend.

Susi and I left after a huge lunch and drove around Davenport, IA where we lived for a number of years in the 1990's and early 2000s before I transferred back to Des Moines. Thinks have sure changed since we first moved there in 1995 and even since we left in 2002 - truly amazing. On the way home, we visited with our younger daughter Jessica, son-in-law Matt and 2-year old grandson Logan. Logan is getting really fun; laughing and running and talking. He showed us his new playset and sandbox the we walked to a nearby playground. We went to dinner at Pizza Ranch (finally I got to a Pizza Ranch) then headed home arriving at 8:00 PM. Great time with Jess, Matt & Logan.

Logan and Grandma

What a great week. This was probably my most enjoyable RAGRRAI. I had the opportunity to ride some nice Iowa highways, visit with people from all over the US and beyond, spend a week with my brother and visit with family. It doesn't get any better than that.

Next Up: Possibly the Des Moines or Quad Cities half-marathon and hopefully the remainder of the north half of the Mississippi River Trail from Minneapolis to Lake Itasca State Park, MN. For now, some R&R, half-marathon training and of course some more local bicycle riding.

July 2 - 2014 Bike Trip - Epilog

For me, bicycle touring has a spiritual aspect to it. The everyday hustle and bustle of life gives way to concentrating on the fundamental aspects of life; food, shelter, personal safety, etc.. There is plenty of time while turning the pedals all day long to ponder the meaning of life and to think about (and be thankful for) family and friends (both old and new, living and not) - the only things that are really important . This is probably what I enjoy most about touring.

I also like the challenges that bicycle touring offers. Planning the trip is almost half the fun for me. I have my maps to study or create and spreadsheets I've created that help plan the daily mileage and overnight accomodations and also help manage the trip cost. More fun though are the physical challenges. Little is more rewarding that a major climb, especially mountain passes that can be 30 miles long and take 6 - 8 hours to achieve and the exhilarating down hill run that follows - too cool!!! Also rewarding is a day of smaller but steep climbs that seem to go on and on and on all day. Completing such a day is exhausting but very, very rewarding.

This years trip was every bit as enjoyable and rewarding as each of the other past trips I've had the pleasure of completing. I can hardly wait to do another. What can I say, I love bicycle touring.


So, with this summer's trip having been over for a couple of days now its time to assess the trip and evaluate what went right and what didn't

Trip Statistics:
1,200 miles, including Section 1 of the Adventure Cycling Lewis & Clark route.
23 days total, 22 riding days + 1 rest day
6 camping days
4 Warm Showers host days (includes stay at Deb and Randy's)
12 motel days
0 flat tires (Schwalbe makes the best bicycle touring tires - Marathon Plus)
0 bicycle mechanical issues (Co-Motion makes the best touring bicycles; $$$ but worth it)

Highlights:
Great Trip!! Practically the entire trip was a highlight. Specific highlights include:

1.  Family support:
    a.  My wife Susi is the best; always supportive and going out of her way to take me, meet me or pick me up.
    b.  Meeting my sister Cathy and brother-in-law Bob in Pleasant Hill, IL
    c.  Staying with my sister Deb and brother-in-law Randy in Milan, IL

2. Great Warm Showers hosts:
    a.  Bruce and Joan Berggren (Nebraska City, NE),
    b.  Kelly Burt (St. Charles, MO)
    c.  Brian Hill (Quincy, IL),
    d.  Doris and Jess Lionberger (Dallas City, IL)

 3.  Terrific people I had the opportunity to meet/speak with along the way;
    a.  Ruth Varnum at the old railroad museum in Pepin, WI.
    b.  All the guys at the various Casey's along the way who get together each morning and were willing to talk to a stranger in stupid looking spandex shorts (Yeah, I know they look goofy, probably especially on me. Heck, they look goofy to me too. But try sitting on a bicycle seat for 6 - 8 hours a day and you'll likely agree that they are worth the strange looks you get from those who don't ride bicycles).
    c.  All the folks at the baseball diamonds in Marthasville, MO who made a traveling stranger feel welcome.
    d.  Eric, Heidi, Coralee and Ramona from Carbondale, CO who I had the pleasure of sharing some time with on the Katy Trail. Eric and Heidi - you have two terrific little girls.

4. Scenery/Geography - This trip took me along the Missouri River between Omaha, NE and St. Louis, MO and along the Mississippi River between St. Louis, MO and Minneapolis, MN.
    a.  This was my second time on Missouri's Katy Trail along the Missouri River. This was once again an excellent experience; great scenery and very peaceful.
    b.  The Mississippi River scenery was excellent in the following areas;
         (1)  Between Hamilton and Nauvoo, IL
         (2)  Between Quad Cities and Savanna, IL
         (3)  Nearly the entire segment in Wisconsin
    c.  The ride in Wisconsin was outstanding. I couldn't believe how green everything was. There were some challenging hills on the south and north ends. I would ride this again.
    d.  The downhill ride between Chestnut Mountain Resort towards Galena, IL. Wheeeee!!!!
    e.  The Adventure Cycling Lewis and Clark Section 1 routing around Kansas City was very challenging both because of the hills on the county roads and the local traffic. Completing this challenging portion safely is very rewarding. I cannot say enough about how courteous and patient the drivers were and this contributed to my safety.
    f.  Missouri State Park campgrounds; second to none I'm guessing.

What Went Right:
Nearly everything.
1.  I only got rained on one day out of 23; that's pretty good.
2.. New gear that performed well: CygoLite Expilion 800 front and Hotshot rear bicycle lights. I'm convinced that using the extremely bright daytime flash mode on the front light saved my bacon on several occasions by notifying oncoming traffic of my presence when traffic was also coming from behind. The rear light is also super-bright and can be seen for a long ways even in daylight.

What Did Not Go Right:

1.  I carry many bicycle repair parts. These are packaged in two bags; one for routine maintenance such as a flat tire, chain lubricant, small took kit, etc. and one for more serious maintenance issues such as broken cable, broken chain, broken spoke, etc.. I have never used 95% of this and it weighs a LOT. I need to continue to evaluate what is essential (of course each would be if that is what broke) and try and reduce the weight.

2.  Cycling companion. I placed a "companions wanted" add on Adventure Cycling's web page. Four people responded. The first was from Canada and leaving New Orleans (New Orleans/Baton Rouge were my Plan A starting point) a couple of weeks before I wanted to leave (my first and perhaps biggest mistake). Another was from Wisconsin who decided he did not have time on his schedule after all. Another was from California who had to cancel due to sickness in his family. And finally, the one I ended up riding with who could not be St. Louis before June 18 - which is the primary reason I could not reach my ultimate trip ending point in Lake Itasca, MN. I wasted at least 5 days (which is the amount I cut my trip short by) to honor my commitment to this gentleman. Had I not wasted these days, I could have been through Minneapolis while most of the trails were still open and reached Bemidgi/Lake Itasca before the July 4 weekend - before all the accommodations were booked. This is the first time I have ridden with someone I connected with over the internet and I learned that I should have asked more questions (I didn't actually ask any) and had a fundamental understanding about what I reasonably expect from a touring companion before agreeing to ride with them. This gentleman and I were fundamentally incompatible as cycling companions. Among the incompatibilities were;
    a.  Age difference.
    b.  Desire to camp as often as possible.
    c.  Cycling ability. If " 55-60 miles per day at a leisurely pace" (as stated in my companions wanted ad) does not mean 10-12 mph with a loaded bike on flat ground with no wind, and stopping to take in the sights, then the person would not be a suitable touring companion for me.
    d.  Riding/companionship attitude. If all a traveling companion wants to do is get up, get going and not stop until reaching the days destination and not stop for anything in between, then they would not be a suitable touring companion.
    e.  General demeanor/attitude. Not sure what questions I can ask before hand to be reasonably sure this would not be an issue again on a future trip; possibly if they have blogged during a previous trip then I might be able to determine their general demeanor.

Conclusion:
The "What Did Not Go Right" section above aside, this was a very enjoyable trip. I look forward to going back to Minneapolis possibly later this year and riding the rest of the way to Lake Itasca. Of course the Natchez Trace is still on my list of rides to do. Each of these two rides can be done in one week and shuttles or buses are available to return to the starting point so planning is relatively easy.

The rest of the Lewis & Clark route also remains on my list, but at least I have 530 miles out of the way.

The western portion of the TransAmerica route from Rawlins, WY to the west coast is on the list too; I essentially did the section from the Mississippi River to Rawlins, WY during my 2012 trip to Colorado. I don't have a great interest in the eastern section of the TransAmerica route.

Another future ride is the Grand Illinois Trail which connects trail sections with roads and goes from the Quad Cities up to Galena then across northern Illinois to Chicago and down through Joliet and Peoria and back to the Quad Cities; approximately 550 miles total.

And there is always the Northern Tier route that goes from Anacortes, WA to Bar Harbor, ME. I rode most of the Washington section of this route in 2011.

And finally, I have the maps for circling Lake Michigan on the North Lakes and sections of the Northern Tier route. This would be a fun five or six week fall trip.

Plenty of bicycle touring out there and hopefully plenty of opportunity to do more of it.