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.
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| 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.
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| Lake Okoboji - very nice evening |
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.
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| 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!!!
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| RAGBRAI End in Guttenberg, IA - 7 days, 475 miles |
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| RAGBRAI Hero's Welcome at Deb & Randy's - Thanks Olivia and Isabella |
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| Congratulations to Brad on finishing his 1st RAGBRAI |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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