Ragbrai Anyone?

gibbons

gibbons

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Is anyone else planning to ride in Ragbrai?

I'm riding with a group (Team Tusk) and hoping to meet up with Tony and Chris somewhere in Iowa. Maybe we can schedule a PoA meeting one night.
 
vontresc said:
Maybe, but for now I am planning on doing Ride the Rockies in '08. Is this going to be your first RAGBRAI?

Pete

P.S. Don't miss Mr. Porkchop
http://www.mrporkchop.com/
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Yes, my first. Maybe in a few years I'll be ready for Ride the Rockies, but right now I'm just trying to make it through the stupid spinning classes I'm attending!

Let's see.... coffee, beer, pork chops, corn, pie. Not in that order.
 
I hope to Ride the whole thing this year, depends on weather I take any summer classes or not. I rode one day last year. I got some new bike shoes for Christmas, so I am pumped to ride with all the right gear! My parents usually drive support for our team...(this year I believe we are going by the "corn stars") There should be about 10-15 of us. Its always fun to meet up with people along the way!
 
After riding from JAN to ATL in '72 on a 10-spd I've had little incentive to repeat the endeavor.
 
jesse said:
You guys are crazy.
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That's not crazy.

Crazy is solo pedaling in Nowhere Eastern Colorado in July (and another guy in early September) in bazillion degree heat without a single tree or anything else for miles and miles...with one of those RV state maps on the back of the little bicycle trailer just below the numbers "2007". Every single single state between there and Georgia, along with most of the states to either side of the route, were colored in... :hairraise:


They have my utmost respect for being motivated to do that.
However I'll wimp out and stick with the bicycles that repaced pedals with motors.
 
gibbons said:
Is anyone else planning to ride in Ragbrai?

I'm riding with a group (Team Tusk) and hoping to meet up with Tony and Chris somewhere in Iowa. Maybe we can schedule a PoA meeting one night.
Click to expand...


Chip! I had no idea! Cycling too? Great! I'm a long time RAGBRAIer though have taken most of the last 10 years off. Prior to that I went between 78-90.

The last 3 years I've managed to pick up a couple days as it went through my neighborhood and have been reminded what a gas it is. Last year I took my nephew on 2 days and he is totally psyched about going the distance this year. And, so am I for a couple reasons BUT something important may interfere.

In the mid to late 80s a couple of guys with Wacos and Tiger Moths used to follow the route and give rides barnstormer style. I hung out with them some and dreamed of taking a glider along to do the same. This year, my pal Burt Compton who runs Marfa Gliders is considering doing just that with his brand new DG-1000, crew vehicle, and tow plane! It's a freeking DREAM set up.

Additionally, the last few years when I've just done a couple days I've stayed the night at my own house, with all the comforts of home including hot tub. It got me to thinking... Hey, this is the way to do RAGBRAI now that I'm a grown-up and have done it every other ardious way. The amount of time you spend screwing around finding your campsite, showers, toilets, decent food etc can be instead spent in an airconditioned car getting to and from home and with the exception of the first and last day you can do the entire ride from the comfort of your own home if, like me, you live in the middle of the state and the route is optimally oriented. The drive times are totally reasonable and with an airplane even the first and last days this would be easy! Well, this years route not only runs through the middle of the state it overnights in my town!

Now to the "BUT", and in the immortal words of PW Herman, "Everybody I know has a big BUT"... The ride takes place right in the midst of the corn fungicide run that is THE busiest time for cropdusters and I've pledged my soul to crew for a pal who is helping me break in to the business. So, unless the weather is crap, or the crops are past peak, or he's got his acres done, or I insanely pass up a golden opportunity to make a much needed career change I WONT FREEKING BE ABLE TO GO ON RAGBRAI with my awesome nephew and my flying pal Burt with his new glider. Now knowing you are going too it just makes this more hidious.

MM
 
tonycondon said:
can you hear me laughing out there???

:rofl:
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I can SEE you laughing. It's a re-occuring nightmare. I wake up just as the car goes cartwheeling through the mesquite and sagebrush.
 
I lived in Davenport for 8 years, and was intrigued by Ragbrai - not enough to get out and do it, but at least intrigued. I think I would much rather fly along the route anyway. :blueplane:
 
Aww come on Henning, I can think of no other event in the world where you can bike 400+ miles in a week, and still GAIN weight :)

Pete
 
wby0nder said:
Chip! I had no idea! Cycling too? Great! I'm a long time RAGBRAIer though have taken most of the last 10 years off. Prior to that I went between 78-90.
MM
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Hey Matt,

I hope it works out so you can go this year!! Let's keep in touch about it and try to meet somewhere one way or another. I'm planning to have a couple of drinks with Tony and Chris somewhere along the route.
 
Great to see that you are going to do a week long ride. So after all of our questionable advice, what bike did you end up buying?

Pete

P.S. The smallert the town the better the church basement pies. I ended up finding a slice of Gooseberry Pie in the basement of a catholic curch in a town of less than 150 people.
 
Racheljones said:
I hope to Ride the whole thing this year, depends on weather I take any summer classes or not. I rode one day last year. I got some new bike shoes for Christmas, so I am pumped to ride with all the right gear! My parents usually drive support for our team...(this year I believe we are going by the "corn stars") There should be about 10-15 of us. Its always fun to meet up with people along the way!
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Hmm... For some reason, I was thinking that RAGBRAI was always the same week as Oshkosh. Apparently this year the stars have aligned just right so that RAGBRAI is actually the week before Oshkosh. Great.. Now I don't have a reason not to ride at least part of it. yippee. Looks like I'm the newest member of "Team Corn Stars".
 
CJones said:
Hmm... For some reason, I was thinking that RAGBRAI was always the same week as Oshkosh. Apparently this year the stars have aligned just right so that RAGBRAI is actually the week before Oshkosh. Great.. Now I don't have a reason not to ride at least part of it. yippee. Looks like I'm the newest member of "Team Corn Stars".
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Ill be your support crew. Just give me your tents, cases of beer, and the keys to the RV.
 
vontresc said:
So after all of our questionable advice, what bike did you end up buying?
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The advice was great.

I found a local bike shop I really like. One guy runs it and has owned it for the past 23 years.

I bought a new 2006 Cannondale Synapse frame from him and had him build it up with a Campy Record group. I haven't had it long enough to ride it any yet... the weather has sucked since I owned it. I haven't even had a chance to fit it properly yet, so I don't know if I like it or not. I was able to get a good deal on the frame and components and have less in it than I would have had in a new Synapse with Ultegra components and crappy wheels. I'll let you know how I like it after I have some miles on it.

Here's a crappy phone photo:
 

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Wow that is a nice set up, and none of those Crap Japanese parts on it to foul it up :D

Seriously, that is a nice bike, and you should enjoy the ride.

Pete
 
Diana said:
Perhaps you need a good phone? Like an iPhone. :yes: :D :D :D (I crack myself up sometimes.)
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I have a good phone, just not a good camera. You, on the other hand, have a good camera but not a good phone. :rofl:

Ignore mode on......
 
gibbons said:
Oh yea, like that's going to happen. Wait, I forgot... Ignore mode on.......
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Here is one! Oh, wait, maybe it isn't. Never mind! Oh wait, Chip can't see this. :D

My son rode in the Bike Across Kansas thing once. He had a dandy of a sunburn when he got home. He said those crosswinds out in western Kansas were pretty intense on the bike.
 
hey RAGBRAI riders, the route will be going right past my old flying club, Green Castle, on Thursday of the week. I was at the club meeting tonight and it sounds like they are planning on putting together quite a show with camping and showers available. sounds like the plan is to serve beer and food along with a band or two playing in the hangars. should be a great time. www.greencastle-aeroclub.com
 
RAGBRAI is just NUTS. HOTTEST week of the summer! I used to live many moons ago in Iowa City, evey year we had a couple at UH with heatstroke.....
 
chip - i think ill probably have enough of the party on wheels when you're in Ames :)
 
Way the by...

Rachel and I will be moved BACK to Ames by the time RAGBRAI rolls through here/there. So if people need a 'real' shower or laundry availability, etc. etc. our house will be open to PoA'ers. We're moving to a 3BR duplex with a basement, so there will be plenty of floor space for folks if weather turns nasty and people need a safe haven.
 
CJones said:
Way the by...

Rachel and I will be moved BACK to Ames by the time RAGBRAI rolls through here/there. So if people need a 'real' shower or laundry availability, etc. etc. our house will be open to PoA'ers. We're moving to a 3BR duplex with a basement, so there will be plenty of floor space for folks if weather turns nasty and people need a safe haven.
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OH, OH... me! Me! Me!!!
 
I wonder how the flooding in Iowa will effect the event/ride?
 
water is going down(stream) fast here. Bush was in Cedar Rapids today. Papers say over 1 Billion dollars of damage there alone.
 
Diana said:
I wonder how the flooding in Iowa will effect the event/ride?
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Barring any more flood events between now and the end of July, it will be a non-issue as far as the event goes. Heck, they're still having the HyVee Triathlon in Des Moines THIS weekend. The route is taking a north-central route this year, so we should stay north of the major flooding throughout the route.
 
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