RAGBRAI ambitions

[Joe Torres]

I have wanted to do this ride for years but I have to admit, I am a little nervous. I know I will have to train for these miles and seat time, but I don’t know much else. 

Like sleeping overnight, showers, bike storage, expenses, etc. I’ve read the website and its very informative. Any advice for a first timer that is seriously wanting to do this ride?

Thanks,

Joe T

[Brent Knepper]

many many moons ago I ragbrai'd, I can only describe it as a rolling party! won the weather lottery that year and camped each night. the back of the rolling party was even more of a party, nearly all made it into town the 100 mile day I think. when all you have to do all day is pedal, 100 miles feels easier – the beauty of bike tourin

front of the group was the racers racing a non-race, so if folks are still doin that ya might only get to say hi to them on the first day :) the other 9,970 people you can meet at your leisure the rest of the week, and after that you can meet folks from the on-route-towns as they jump in to ride for a bit. less so on the two windy days, but that's the midwest for ya. 

in college I worked at shop in da north chicago burbs, saw lotsa bikes come in with ragbrai wristbands wrapped around stems and steerers like talisman. the immersion in community and joy of steady pedaling to each destination by bike is quite the contrast from the atomized automobile loneliness of suburban sprawl to which they're so dearly acclimated, but in that frog in the pot kinda way ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Brent "your results may (but prolly won't) vary" in chicagua

[Bob]

Joe,

I rode RAGBRAI in 2010. I did exactly one training ride of just over 50 miles, though I was a regular year-round, all-weather commuter at the time. Even the longest day—nominally 89 miles but just over 100 once we found our camp site—was tolerable. As with Brent's experience, I had almost perfect weather—never in the 90s, and only one day with rain, for which I was well-equipped. There was one night of ferocious thunderstorms and gale-force winds, but my tent held and our group had secured a camp site on higher ground so we had no flooding. I rode with a local cycling group that hired a truck and a crew of college kids who ferried our tents and gear from one overnight town to the next. They also secured the camp site for each night, and set up our own outdoor shower booths in which we could, if we didn't want to stand in line for the pay showers, hang up our sun-shower bags and get clean. Some of the group preferred the pay showers; I never visited them and so cannot speak to that part of the experience.

If you do the ride, and aren't the partying type, I suggest rising every morning about 5:15 or 5:30 to be on the road by 6:00. Once you're out of each overnight town, vendors will have food trucks of various kinds set up along the route (I had excellent espresso every morning), and the first pass-through town of the day will often have great breakfast service. Plan to buy your meals in the towns. Being on the RAGBRAI route may be the biggest economic boost some of the smaller towns have for years, and the folks go all-out to be welcoming and offer good and filling food.

You may, of course, choose to ride RAGBRAI as a self-contained tour, carrying your tent, gear, food, etc. on your bike. Know that you will be good-naturedly hazed as a "bagger." Either way, because this would be your first RAGBRAI, you will also be hazed as a "virgin." 

I took my time, aiming for an average speed of 10 mph, including rest and meals. That is, if the day was 70 miles, I aimed to finish the leg in 7 hours. I enjoy conversation as I ride, so I generally rode at least some part of each day with a companion, either from my group or someone I met on the road.

I lived in Iowa at the time, and had done so for ten years before I rode RAGBRAI. For most of those ten years I was convinced that riding across Iowa during the hottest time of the year was lunacy. Indeed it may be, and have been, but I learned in the process why some people ride it year after year.

What bike will you ride?

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Bob

[Jim Bronson]

Excellent thread :)

I have fancied riding RAGBRAI a few times, but never done it.  It may be in the heat of summer, but I live in Central Texas where we seem to be averaging 50+ days of 100F in recent summers.

Leaving at dawn sounds up my alley, has worked pretty well for me in larger rides in other states.  Best to stay ahead of the big clump of riders.  I'm a little past the hard core partying stage and staying up late.  Ok well a lot past, but anyway.

Stopping to patronize local businesses sounds great.

Jim

Austin suburbs, TX

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[Bob]

Jim,

Even at my leisurely pace, I was able to stay ahead of the partying mass. It seemed to me they started well after sunrise and dawdled in the towns along the way, often until being swept on by state and local police. I'd be rested, showered, and leaving camp to find dinner when the hardcore party animals rolled in. Indeed, the most disruptive part of RAGBRAI for me was the portion of my group known as the "fast boys," a half dozen men in their fifties, sixties, and seventies who would noisily pack up their tents at 4:30 or 5:00 and start riding before 5:30, aiming to finish even the longest days before lunch!

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Bob

[T Rooney]

I did my first last year with my dad and sister. We were all a little nervous leading up to it, but after the first day realized it was gonna be fine. There are all sorts of riders on every manner of bike. It's meant to be enjoyable. As long as you're riding regularly and get in a couple of 50+ mile rides before the event you'll be absolutely fine. A casual 10-12mph/avg pace will give you plenty of time to enjoy the ride without worrying about the cutoff. There are plenty of places to stop along the route too. Making sure you're properly hydrated and eating well will make the experience even better, and there's no shortage of either.

For sleeping accommodations; once the route was announced we found local families that would host us to camp on their lawns for the night in each town. We elected to have our bags transported from town to town on the RAGRBAI gear trucks. That added a little additional time in the morning and evening, but nothing too inconvenient. It also forced us to get on the road earlier since the last truck stopped taking bags at 8 or 8:30. The houses we chose also provided access to their bathroom/shower, which made a huge difference. There are also shower trucks, which means waiting in line and paying a small fee.

Bike storage - we left them by our tents at night. In towns along the route or other rest stops, we'd leave them wherever there was space. After the first day, I had little to no worries about theft.

Cash is definitely king. I brought $500 in cash and withdrew some more closer to the end of the week to make sure I'd have enough, just in case. Some of the larger vendors accept card payments. When that was possible I'd use it so that if I were riding by a small farm stand along the route I knew I'd have cash on hand for them.

It was an incredible week. My dad and sister have been recruiting more of our family to do the ride again this year.

[ThermionicScott]

I'm gearing up for my twelfth RAGBRAI this year, so you could say I'm a fan.  No matter how you like to ride bikes, there's something magical about riding all day with thousands of other bicyclists, having the roads largely to yourselves.  Bicycle as transportation being the norm.  It changed me immediately.

If there is a RAGBRAI team in your area, I highly recommend hooking up with them.  That way, you're not having to figure out all the logistics yourself, and you'll make some new friends.  Signing up with the Register and having them handle some of the logistics isn't a bad alternative if you can't find a team.

It's funny -- my first six RAGBRAIs were with a "serious" group that tended to wake up around 5, be "efficient" with stops, and get to the end town by 1 or 2PM.  But nowadays, it's with a party team that sleeps in a little, drinks more, and gets chased along by the police.  You'd think those would have occurred in the opposite order...

Also, I do it on 650B.  B^)

- Scott

[Joe Torres]

Thanks for sharing! There are so many experiences riders have and they all seem great. I spoke to one guy and he told me that he rides with a Team of about 30 people called something Chefs. They rent a house a year before on each route and have a private chef prepare meals. They know the owners of the homes and pay them well for the stay, wash cloths, showers, feed them and clean the house spotless. They have this all figured out in advance. 

I’m no party person any more but would love to experience this at least once in my life. It’s the logistics that have my concerns. If I hook up with a group and pay my share and get educated on how to do this from start to finish. I just can’t figure out how I would do this alone. I’d have to get to the start somehow and then get home at the end. 

Thank you for the help info.