Forgot to mention Leah, way better than the RAGBRAI documentary are the videos posted by Ryan Van Duzer. He captures what its really like on the ride...the people, the towns, the entertainment, etc. Look for him on you-toob
Sláinte, Rusty Click Pgh, PA On Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 3:57:43 PM UTC-5 Rusty Click wrote: > Be careful Leah, RAGBRAI was on my bucket list and I finally rode it in > 2015 at age 58. It was supposed to be a "one and done" for me, but I've > now crossed Iowa every year since except 2020 (which I rode virtually) and > even convinced my daughter to join me in '21. She rode again with me last > year for the 50th anniversary ride so I think she liked the vibe! That > being said, last year was the most difficult for me due to the wind, heat, > humidity and the hills. Usually expected some of the above but all day, > every day was tough. I am going to skip this year and spend my money > riding the Katy Trail across MO with my daughter Katy who will be 30. I > can not pass up that kind of time spent riding with her...now, if I can > only get my son to join in before I can't do it anymore! > > I have ridden my Sam Hillborne(60) most years, and my Waterford > Atlantis(62) the others. I had the good fortune to meet Julian on his > Atlantis too! Others have had good advice about the charters and I > personally think the tent service some offer is worth every penny. > Brancel and Pork Belly Ventures have great camp setups, but my favorite > years were the ones where I joined a team supported by their own > vans/busses that coordinated with volunteers in each town that would put us > up at their houses. We had to set up our own tents but usually had the use > of showers and water. Most even supplied dinner and cocktails in the > evening. > > About riding from Omaha to the start...the route changes every year so the > start town is usually quite a ways (by bike) from the Omaha Arpt. I drive > from Pittsburgh PA to the end town and park the car, then I board a shuttle > to take me to the start town and ride back to the car. > > On Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 7:43:33 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! > wrote: > >> Yeah, George, you are pretty crotchety but I’m used to you now. At least >> you sent me a good link. I know about that group but have not joined them >> because one of their tenets is self-reliability. It is “paramount” they >> say. I am hardly that. >> >> The experiences here are very interesting to read. I think I’m in good >> physical shape to do the ride but the heat and humidity mentioned here make >> me less excited to try it. That kind of weather wears on a rider after one >> day, let alone seven. Steven mentioned lifting, which I do, daily, so ✅ . I >> think I could get the hang of camping if I had to (I’d have to). Logistics >> remain problematic. I like the idea of riding from Omaha to the start but >> it is over one hundred miles and I wouldn’t really want to do that alone… >> I’ll look up the Pork Belly charter, too. Thanks, everyone! >> >> I’ll keep reading about it. >> >> It is really fun to read the experiences of past attendees, so keep those >> coming and send some photos, if you would! Because, meanwhile in Michigan: >> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg] >> >> On Jan 15, 2024, at 8:31 PM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Joe - I get your point. I rode in a couple of Hotter'n Hell rides in >> North Texas back in '95 and '96 just "for the hell of it" so to speak. But >> that was when I was living in the DFW area at the time so it was less than >> a 100 mile drive to Wichita Falls. I'm older and more crusty now some 30 >> years later and look back at these kinds of things through a different >> lens. So I shut my mouth for now. To each his own. Best regards Ralph. >> >> >> >> On Monday, January 15, 2024 at 7:19:12 PM UTC-6 Joe Bernard wrote: >> >>> I'm not sure why we would question why someone would want to do a well >>> known ride after seeing a film about it. She wants to do it because it's >>> interesting to her. >>> >>> Joe Bernard >>> >>> On Monday, January 15, 2024 at 5:02:11 PM UTC-8 George Schick wrote: >>> >>>> Not sure why you'd want to go through the trouble to travel all the way >>>> over to the Western end of Iowa for this ride particular ride given the >>>> distance to get there, the logistics, accommodation issues and the sheer >>>> mass of riders (some of whom seem to like to stop at every bar along a >>>> portion of a daily route until they're so inebriated that they crash into >>>> trees, etc., vehicles that have run over cyclists in sleeping bags, etc.) >>>> just for the notoriety when you could enjoy a multiple number of great >>>> rides right in your own backyard, so to speak. Have you considered >>>> https://lmb.org/events/ride-calendar/? >>>> >>>> On Monday, January 15, 2024 at 6:47:36 PM UTC-6 R. Alexis wrote: >>>> >>>>> Leah, >>>>> >>>>> I took the opportunity to ride the first day of RAGBRAI last summer. I >>>>> live in eastern Nebraska. I happened to be off that weekend, heard it was >>>>> starting that weekend and that it was the 50th anniversary of the ride. >>>>> Had >>>>> always thought of doing at least the first day, but never took the >>>>> opportunity to look into it and would find out the morning of when local >>>>> news would do reports on it. I took the opportunity. I enjoyed it, even >>>>> if >>>>> I tried to bite off too much in the process. I think if you are going to >>>>> do >>>>> the whole thing you best look at the dates and locations and figure out >>>>> hotel/motel stays now. It is not a race, but definitely get conditioned >>>>> for >>>>> the heat, humidity and hills before hand. My plan was to ride to the >>>>> second >>>>> to last city location and double back in order to get in a century. I >>>>> fell >>>>> short of that and wished I would have just rode to the end city and >>>>> called >>>>> it a day. First day miles to the end city was 77. I estimated I did about >>>>> 64 miles in my attempt to ride back to Sioux City. Sag truck ended up >>>>> taking me to Storm Lake, IA where and I ended calling out a mayday to a >>>>> friend to pick me up and get me back to Sioux City to my car. >>>>> >>>>> I rode my Rivendell Mountain because I felt it would be the most >>>>> comfortable with it's Softride suspension stem and Thudbuster Uni-Pivot >>>>> post. The next bike I was considering was the OX Brand Ti Cruiser 29er. >>>>> Got >>>>> some compliments on the Riv. Ran into some fellow RBW/iBOB members and >>>>> chatted for a bit. >>>>> >>>>> The logistics can be much. Deciding if you want to park on the west >>>>> Iowa and get shuttled back after or park in east Iowa and have your >>>>> transportation handy once it is done. Ran into some folks at the first >>>>> day >>>>> stop. One gal had threw in the towel after the first 5 or so miles. She >>>>> ended up hitching a ride to the final to retrieve her vehicle so her and >>>>> the rest of her group could could use it for camping purposes the rest of >>>>> the ride. >>>>> >>>>> Amtrak does run through the state out of Chicago going to California, >>>>> The Omaha station will probably be the closest one the start location. >>>>> One >>>>> of the folks I chatted with said she had a friend that took Amtrak to >>>>> Omaha >>>>> and rode from Omaha to Sioux City to start the ride. >>>>> >>>>> Good luck with getting things figured out. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks, >>>>> >>>>> Reginald Alexis >>>>> >>>>> On Monday, January 15, 2024 at 5:33:07 PM UTC-6 Bicycle Belle Ding >>>>> Ding! wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Who knows about Bike Film Festival? >>>>>> >>>>>> I paid for the pass to watch this year’s videos and it was money >>>>>> well-spent. I got to the RAGBRAI documentary last night. Wow. I had >>>>>> heard >>>>>> of it but really knew nothing about it and now I would just love to >>>>>> figure >>>>>> out how to ride it this year. It just looks like such an experience. And >>>>>> I’ve had very few experiences, because I’m late to the bike adventure >>>>>> scene >>>>>> AND I’ve been raising kids! But now they are teenagers and might not >>>>>> even >>>>>> know that I’m gone so maybe I should ride this epic ride! >>>>>> >>>>>> There are a ton of logistics I don’t understand. I think you need a >>>>>> “charter” to haul your stuff, yes? And to bring you back across the >>>>>> state >>>>>> after you finish? And if you use these “charters” do they trash your >>>>>> bike >>>>>> in their racks or will they have something that can handle a a mixte >>>>>> with >>>>>> fenders? Is there are charter that is more friendly to Riv bikes than >>>>>> the >>>>>> others? >>>>>> >>>>>> Also, no camping. I’m really hoping to end up in a hotel or some sort >>>>>> of dwelling. I don’t have any tents, don’t know how to pitch tents and >>>>>> so >>>>>> on. This may be the thing I can’t plan my way out of, because there are >>>>>> so >>>>>> many riders moving through tiny host towns. >>>>>> >>>>>> I’ll look up more info tonight after I get my chores done! But it >>>>>> really is so exciting to imagine riding my bike across a whole state… >>>>>> Also, >>>>>> it’s Real Winter here in Michigan, so maybe that’s why this hits >>>>>> different. >>>>>> >>>>>> Leah >>>>>> >>>>> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/816fHN9n71o/unsubscribe >> . >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3222d556-c35b-4419-ade1-c8105fe20344n%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3222d556-c35b-4419-ade1-c8105fe20344n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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