Conference noted::bicycle

    Either last month's or this month's issue of "Outside" has an article
    about the RAGBRAI. 
    
    I can't figure out why I never heard about it when I lived in
    Minnesota!
    
    Later,
    
    John

    I had some rec.bicycles article about it, but now I can't find it.
    I have heard that it's actually quite hilly, because it crosses
    a lot of river valleys. People seemed to really enjoy it, and there's
    a good spirit of camraderie.
    --Dan

    RAGBRAI alternates every year between a northern route and a southern
    route across Iowa.  This year was the northern route and except
    for some hills on the first and last day it was relatively flat.
    I've heard that the southern route tends to stay hilly through most
    of the ride.
    
    This was my first year and I only had two problems - one, the heat
    and humidity - RAGBRAI was right in the middle of this summers heat
    wave and we had 90+ degree temperature and 90%+ humidity every day
    but one.  My second problem was that I hadn't put in enough SEAT
    time and so my seat gave out way before my legs.  Also, I switched
    to a new saddle the week before the ride (bad idea, Ollie).  So,
    if you ever go, make sure you can sit in your saddle for 4-8 hours,
    seven days in a row.

    The magic of RAGBRAI is the people and the small towns that you
    go through each day.  We had little towns like Bolan (pop 8) and
    Little Turkey (pop 40) where all the people from the surrounding
    area would take the day off and come to help out.  In Bolan, they
    set up tents and brought their own lawn chairs for us to rest on
    in the shade and sold us (at very reasonable prices) watermelon,
    bratwurst sandwiches, homemade lemonade, etc., etc..  In Little
    Turkey, the local farmers brought in large quantities of fresh cold
    water and filled your waterbottles as often as you wanted.  At the
    local church they were selling kolacky's, a traditional ethnic pastry
    dish along with other food.  They also had a local group playing
    folk music.
    
    I stopped at one farm house where the farmer and his family were
    dispensing cold water and free chocalate chip cookies under a large
    shade tree in their yard.  He had planned, when he first heard that
    RAGBRAI was coming by his farm, to take the day off (something farmers
    don't do lightly in the middle of summer) and spend the day with
    his family talking to the bikers.

    RAGBRAI started when one writer for the Des Moine Register told
    another writer that he had lost touch with rural Iowa and it's people
    and needed to get back in touch by riding his bike across the state.
    I think his point applies to most of us (even if we aren't from
    Iowa) and that's one of the neat things RAGBRAI does - get you back
    in touch with the people of America's heartland.

    There's also some serious partying going on every night.  RAGBRAI
    could well be called the 'Tour of Iowa's Garage bands' since much
    of the music was provided by bands of that variety.  Actually, I
    can't speak for all the nights because even though I went with some
    serious partiers, we tended to be sacked out by 10:00 every night,
    fried by the day in the sun and trying to rest up for the next one.

    I'll stop and let some of the other participants tell their story.
    Maybe I can get Mike Davidson (a two time veteran) to tell about
    the delights of Iowa pokechops (a 1 1/2 inch thick porkchop cooked
    in butter over corn cobs).
    
    When you've forgotten the pain the good memories still remain!
    
    Mark

    Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa - RAGBRAI
    
    I'll put my two bits in as Mark requested.  I got a call a couple
    years ago in February from a girl I didn't know.  She said she had
    gotten my names from mutual friends who said I liked to do long
    distance stuff like cycling and running (which I do).
    
    She asked if I would be interested in riding approximately 500 miles
    across IOWA. I asked when - "middle of July".  I really wasn't
    interested ... who in their right mind would want to do something
    like that in the middle of the summer across IOWA?  She continued...
    she explained that this was not a small tour but a moving block
    party from the Missouri to the Mississippi, IOWA just happened to
    be in the way.  When she said their would be around 8,000 cyclists,
    it started to sound interesting.  Well a group of 5 of us went last
    summer ('86) and we having stop talking about it since!
    
    This summer was the 15th year for RAGBRAI.  It is limited to 7500
    cyclists, but locals jump in and ride for a day or two which may
    increase the crowd to 10,000 or so with support vehicles.
    
    The cost this year was $25.  CHEAP VACATION.  This is what you get
    for your $25:
    
    RAGBRAI organization will haul your camping equipment in 18 wheelers
    from city to city.
    
    Provide sag wagons and mobile repair vans.
    
    Provide emergency vehicles.
    
    Provide KYBOS!!!!  (endless row of portable toilets)
    
    
    The Demoines Register DOES NOT openly advertise outside the state,
    they have to turn down enough people as it is.  However, this year,
    every state was represented as well as several countries.  Applications
    come out in the Demoines Register around February and must be in
    by April 1.  You will here if you were accepted by the first of
    May.
    
    If you are accepted, you have the option to have your stuff hauled
    in the 18 wheelers and camp out with everyone or
    
    you can write the chambers of commerce of each town and request
    to stay with a family  or
    
    request a vehicle pass and take a camper, winnebago, etc  or
    
    pay some extra money and go with a bicycle club or private charter
    
    Our group went with a private charter so let me explain what they
    do for your.  Our problem was getting from the end of the ride back
    to the start to get our vehicles so we needed transportation back.
    The charter we chose hauled our camping equipment and generally
    found us better camping areas than the masses, provided beer and
    pop at the end of the day for a phenominal cost of $0.25 a can and
    provided a bus ride back to the start at the end of the ride.  This
    cost us an additional $55...again CHEAP!!
            
    15 bicycle shops and additional t-shirt type shops following the
    ride daily and set up just outside the camping areas.  Prices are
    not jacked up but not necessarily low.  There are RAGBRAI approved
    food vendors which are allowed to set up next to the camp area as
    well.  Some of these follow the ride, others are groups from the
    town we are staying in.
    
    Just about every town we stay in closes the downtown streets and
    there are 2 to 3 bands each night.  Street dances every night!
    Food is everywhere.  As explained in Mark's note (439.3) the farmers
    have food along the route, small towns which you pass through throw
    big parties.  Last year I gained 10 pounds on the trip because of
    the amount of food.  This year I was a little better and lost 10
    pounds.
    
    How can one pass up homemade cinnimon rolls.  Last year I came to
    a small farm and there were 5 little old ladies sitting on the porch
    with 5 different types of cinnimon rolls.  They had a contest as
    to who's rolls were the best.  You see this type of stuff everywhere.
    Twenty to 25 miles out each day there is a RAGBRAI approved vendor
    who cooks IOWA CHOPS over corn cobs.  As Mark explained, these are
    about 1 inch (10 - 12oz) pork chops...IOWA CHOPS ARE TOPS!  Corn,
    can't forget the fresh corn since you are riding through it every
    day. $0.25 to $0.50 for a large ear of corn!  
    
    Actually all the food and drink provided is between $0.25 and $0.75
    generally with big meals costing no more than $4.00.  The place
    to eat at night are the churchs in the city that you are staying
    in.  Generally each one cooks for around 500 people.
    
    During the ride you ride past rivers and lakes in which you can
    stop and forget the heat.  Some people race from one city to the
    next but I'll guarantee they miss 80% of the fun.  Our group had
    only 1 plan and that was to leave at 6am in the morning and get
    to the next town in which we were staying over night by 4:30 (when 
    the churches open for dinner).  It didn't matter whether that town
    was 50 or 100 miles away.  You start out slow and get slower.
    
    Someone said it was like 10,000 people grazing from one side of
    the state to another, someone else said he thought this was
    the Register's Annual Great Beer Run Across Iowa...
    
    Are you starting to get the picture????  Its great, its fun and I've
    already requested the middle week of July 1988 for vacation.  Our
    group grew from 5 last year to 12 this year and who have been more
    if about 5 had not pulled out at the last minute.  Our group has
    already gotten togther and planned other rides and we are already
    talking about next year and have already got new recruits.
    
    
    Michael Davidson
    

    A little purism here..... It is spelled Des Moines rather than
    Demoines. 
    
    Now that I've identified myself as a bred, born, and raised Iowan....
    The southern half of Iowa is actually the very most tippy top of
    the Ozark hills. It has rolling hills for terrain. The northern
    half was flattened by the glaciers and the hills on the east and
    west side are because of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers
    respectively. 
    
    The humidity and heat can be a royal pain. The term "dog days of
    summer" may not have originated in Iowa but it is most definitely
    supported by Iowa. The recreation is softball games and ...... soft
    ball games and ................... more softball games. The favorite
    recreation is STILL going to down town Des Moines and "scooping
    the loop" for teens. 
    
    But I grew up riding my balloon tired, one speed all over. Of course
    in a town with 10,000 people I only had maybe 4 square miles to
    traverse. Perhaps not as scenic as some places (how many varieties
    of corn and cattle can you recognize) it still has a certain charm
    to be explored. And the people are totally honest. You can go up
    to the house of a stranger and get help and they won't think of
    taking anything for it. 
    
    Now, ragbrai, 99% of the Iowans think there are some damn fools
    out there abusing themselves in the sun when any sane person would
    be looking for some shade and saving his energy for something
    important. But they also love to go look and wonder about these
    fools. After all, the softball game isn't til 6pm. And they do
    sympathize such that they'll give these people a drink cuz somebody
    has to take care of them. Obviously they can't take care of themselves
    or they wouldn't be out there.
    
    Do it once. It is an experience from a biking view and from a sociological
    view.   
    
    Yours with lots of tongue in cheek from an ex Iowan,
    Denny