RAGBRAI?

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

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

[Julian Westerhout]

I watched the RAGBRAI film -- the actual ride is much better than the film -- which was interesting, but focused more on the folks they followed than on the RAGBRAI experience itself, IMHO. 

RAGBRAI is worth doing at least once. Hoteling is pretty much not going to happen -- although there is a a super-expensive charter that has a tractor-trailers with micro rooms for the week. RVs  seem to be an option for some, too.  The main RAGBRAI camping area is a madhouse, but cheap.  There are lots of private charters and clubs who offer various levels of service -- some include options like tent and gear rental (even with setup).  I've used Brancel charters twice -- they're somewhere in the middle -- good services, decent spots, their own shower trucks (a must, IMHO), and I believe tent rental option. Brancel moves the bikes across the state in a tractor trailer, but very well padded. I've gone with my 68 cm Rivendell Atlantis with fenders, lights, etc. with zero issues. Our bikes are a lot tougher than the fragile carbon bikes that predominate, and they're used to babying those, so...    :) 

Some are wackos on the ride, but most are great, and it is a cultural experience for sure. You'll meet many great and interesting folks, and your Riv will be admired more than most -- my friends (all on carbon) got tired of folks saying "nice bike" to me -- and the folks who actually know what it is will really dig it -- and there are a few fellow Riv-riders you'll probably see along they , too. 

Julian Westerhout

Bloomington, IL 

[Glen]

I did it in 2002, before I was on a Riv. I rode with a co-worker and this extended family group who all had Iowa ties and had been doing it for years. It was a total blast. A great experience rolling with thousands through intersections closed to cars by Iowa state troopers! We each took a turn driving the sag wagon (RV with trailer) to the day's overnight rest spot after breaking the morning's camp. Some of us back tracked onto the day's course and met the crew to ride back to camp. 

During the ride I met many people who had hired services that arranged camping spots in private homes and shuttled their bags from overnight town to overnight town for them. I don't remember but there may have even been a guest room option available from those services. I wouldn't sweat the setting up a tent concern, any good outdoor shop can teach you to set up a tent in a half hour or less and after a few practice sessions you'll be able to have your tentominium set up, bed made and ready for a nap in under ten minutes. Your tent, pad and bag will easily pack into half of a good duffel bag leaving room for personal items and clothes that you'll need for the week. 

To me the highlight of the week was the people, both on the ride and in the host towns. It is a rolling party of good people having a great time and they just happen to be riding on a bicycle while doing it.

Having said all that, it is in Iowa during the 2nd half of July so I would never do it again. Just too damn hot and humid for me, but I was young and it was fun back then. I also proved to myself that I can ride 90 miles in a day fueled only on ribeye sandwiches, rhubarb pie and beer. 

g

[R. Alexis]

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:

[George Schick]

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/?

[Joe Bernard]

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 

[George Schick]

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.

[Steven Seelig]

The brilliance of RAGBRAI is that you can do it however you want.  Fancy tent set-up and more food than you'd ever eat; finding a tour that actually books you into someone's home; to just getting your duffel bag of stuff hauled by the RAGBRAI truck from town to town.  There are so many choices to make it's like scrolling through Amazon until you have so many choices you can't decide.  Think about what you want first and then focus on that.

I'll talk about the training.  I did it 6 years or so ago when I was in my late 50s.  I started making sure that I had a base of mileage starting right about now.   In DC we have few days when I can't ride, so getting in a base of 50-75 miles a week was doable.  For younger folks, perhaps the ramp up time would be less, but I would want to be doing serious training at least 4 months out so you can get up to 150 miles per week by the end of May.  For me, the training was most important so that I could learn about where my max heart rate would be so I could make sure that I would know when to back off on my pace and on the climbs.  I found this to be a key things to understand because the earlier you run into the red zone, the less you have for later in the ride.  Multiply that by 7 days of riding and it is something well worth knowing.  I invested in a heart monitor for training but did not need it for the ride itself.

Weight training is helpful for those bike specific muscles other than your legs.  Not huge weights or anything, but getting in several sets on your non leg muscles will be a big help.  I also focused on deadlifts for more power in my riding.

Another thing you must train for it riding in the heat.  A buddy of mine who lived in Florida where, of course, there were no hills had things pretty dialed in because he had trained in the heat.  So this is something that you can't really do until late May and June, which is when I might focus on longer rides in the heat that challenge your body to get used to sweating and replenishing your fluids with whatever works.  It was Gatorade for me.  

One thing that surprised me quite a bit was actually how many fancy bike racers were seriously challenged by the long, rolling hills.  I rode my non-Riv road bike with an 11-34 rear cluster and a compact front crankset.  So almost inevitably, the fancy Dans would come speeding down the prior hill and started hammering up the next hill.  But these were rarely hills where you could just hammer and crest the top.  They are rolling like mile or 2 mile climbs.  So the plastic bikes rode fast for the first third of the climb and then I would pace past them.  Not because I was a stronger rider but because racing bikes are typically not geared properly for sustained climbing.  My way of saying that a well geared Rivendell is a much better choice for the ride.

[Howard Hatten]

I rode ragbrai in 2015. I’m nowhere near as strong a rider as you and had no problem with the ride. The outfitter I used doesn’t operate at ragbrai any more but if I ever did it again I would try to hook up with this group. 

“Pork Belly Ventures”.  They make tent camping quite nice. They also have the nicest shower set up. They are pricey. 

Google them. 

Howard

Livonia Mi

[Patrick Moore]

A minor thread interruption: Alexis, forgive me if you've posted it before, but I'd love to see your Mountain with Softride and Thudbuster. Decades ago, I set up a Performance ti mtb with early Cannondale (I think) sliding suspension seatpost and Softride and I recall how well they insulated one from washboard-type bumps. I found the Softride more effective than my then top-o'-line Manitou Mach 5 with little rubber bumpers.

On Mon, Jan 15, 2024 at 5:47 PM R. Alexis <noj...@webtv.net> wrote:

... 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. 

[Patrick Moore]

Sorry, sorry, Reginald, not Alexis. Again, sorry, I just dealt with a particularly opaque resume.

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[R. Alexis]

Hello Patrick,

You are good on the name. 

I posted a pic of my Rivendell Mountain a bit ago. Probably 2022 after doing Corporate Cycling Challenge in August. I think I posted both on RBW Owner Bunch and IBOB lists. Can probably see it with a search. 

The Thudbuster Uni-Pivot works well. Been wanting to possibly change out for a Cane Creek Thudbuster ST, but they the new 4G redesign is not tripping my trigger. Would prefer the 3G version. The eeSilk+ seems to be a good alternate option. The other issue is the black anodizing. I would prefer a silver or the dark smoke silver that the limited edition eeSilk initial offer stem came in. My post still works, but just thinking ahead and the parallel movement is an improvement over the initial uni-pivot design.  

Like I mentioned before, At the time I ordered this I also was a bit enamored with the Softride Beam bikes that were out there. The titanium one Bob Roll raced on, the Ritchey, Breezer, Otis Guy. Going with the Softride stem and Thudbuster suspension post on the Riv Mountain satisfied my desire to go with a beam bike. Makes for a comfortable riding set up. For a ride like RAGBRAI, it sat at the top of my list of bikes to use. 

Thanks,

Reginald Alexis

[R. Alexis]

i think this is the link to my post a few years ago with pic. 

https://groups.google.com/g/rbw-owners-bunch/c/T4c-yWGj4is/m/2kQoh5iFAgAJ

Or search Rolling on a Rivendell Mountain.

Thanks.

Reginald Alexis

On Monday, January 15, 2024 at 8:56:30 PM UTC-6 Patrick Moore wrote:

[Leah Peterson]

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: 

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.

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[Rusty Click]

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.

[Corwin Zechar]

I have not ridden RAGBRAI. I have heard lots about it from people on this list as well as Jacquie Phelan. Jacquie and Charlie rode RAGBRAI several years ago. There is support for disabled people at RAGBRAI. Even to the extent of special meals and lodging. Jacquie was very encouraging about me riding RAGBRAI with my disabled wife.

So I sent the disabled group an email message. No response. I admit I was somewhat skeptical things would work out given the meals described to me were well outside the low-carb requirements of my wife's diet. I would still ride RAGBRAI this year if I could get the disabled support people to respond. The distances are within my wife's capabilities and I trust the hills are no tougher than the stuff we have in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Anyway, have a great ride Leah!

Regards,

Corwin

[Patrick Moore]

Ah, thank you; yes I think I recall seeing the photo back then.

I liked the combination of  sus sp (it was a CODA) and the Softride, circa 1990; very plush, like being suspended on bungies; really took the edge of washboard-type bumps. But the then-just-appeared CODA would creak and allow the saddle to move laterally in a small arc, so I returned it. I daresay that the added travel and better movement control of a Thudbuster would have made the ride even more cushy.

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[Rusty Click]

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

[Sarah Carlson]

Just watched the RAGBRAI documentary and can totally understand how you could be called to join a community of riders who support each other through an exciting challenge. It makes me want to go too.... except for when I heard one of the guys commenting, "It's 105 degrees." That gave me pause!

[John Dewey]

I snapped a shot one RAGBRAI of a bank clock at 6 pm sharp. Still 106F. Thank goodness for plenty of cold beer. 

Jock

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[matt miller]

I wonder if it will start close to Omaha this year since it was the northern route last year? 

A very good friend did it last summer. He got an RV, and his wife drove (and worked remote). He reserved a lot of RV spots that were NOT with the main group. Had a blast, but a couple of those days were pretty rough. I think last year was one of the toughest years.

Is BRAN still happening? As a photojournalist in Omaha, I covered RAGBRAI a couple years, and also went out to BRAN once. I thought the BRAN folks were pretty hardcore.

Matt in STL

[R. Alexis]

BRAN(Bike Ride Across Nebraska) is still going as far as I know. As apposed to RAGBRAI, it is a lot smaller. I think registration is limited to 500 or so. Might be even smaller. Someone described RAGBRAI as a party atmosphere that happens to have bikes involved. BRAN, from what I understand is way less party atmosphere. 

Friend thought of doing RAGBRAI and having husband roll with one of their campers, but I reminded her and she saw all the stuff that didn't appeal to her like crowds, heat, hills, other erratic riders. 

Thanks,

Reginald Alexis

[Brady Smith]

Here's my two cents: 

I did RAGBRAI last year with my parents, both of whom have done it more than a dozen times (I grew up in Cedar Rapids). 

My dad managed to snag hotels or rooms in family/friend homes reasonably close to each town, which made a real difference in the heat. I remember seeing "103" as I climbed the final hills into Iowa City. Coming from Utah, I'm no stranger to triple digits, but triple digits and humid really calls for care in hydration. 

My parents had planned on each riding half days and swapping the car halfway, though illness kept my dad from participating beyond day 1. Being much younger, I rode everything, and especially enjoyed the Iowa Craft Beer stops along the way. Great beer, excellent food, constant party atmosphere, and a lot of fun strangers to talk to. 

Not sure I'll do it again, mostly because I have other adventures on which to spend the few days away from home I am accorded each year. But I'm very glad I did it, especially since my dad's illness turned out to be cancer. He's doing quite well, as far as leukemia goes, and the doctor's say he has a very good chance of living long enough to die of something else. A RAGBRAI nostalgia tour turned out to be a perfect way to close one chapter of his life and open another. 

Happy riding, 

Brady in SLC

[Matt Beecher]

If I were to do it again, I would pay for one of the services where they haul your stuff and set up your tent.  Getting a hotel will likely be nearly impossible, given the number of people attending.  

I did RAGBRAI a few years ago and tried bringing my own tent and setting it up at night.  The kids they use to haul luggage from site to site quickly destroyed my bag.  Basically, they pile them in the truck and if I had to guess, they saw my handles and yanked on it to pull it free, but tore the brand new heavy canvas bag instead.  I tried holding it together with a cable lock and tape, but had to give up on that after a few days.  A lot of items I didn't need were tossed, then the rest went into my panniers and I had to haul it myself.  Overall, I was a bit disappointed with the luggage service side of the trip.  

However, the ride itself was great, especially eating dinner with strangers every evening.  

One thing I was happy that I brought was my ultralight cot.  It got me off of the ground, which kept me dry on rainy evenings and cooler on hot days.  

The next trick is to find a way to charge your phone.  I'd make sure you have a power bank available.  

Good luck,

Matt

[Lyman Labry]

I rode RAGBRAI for the first time last year.  It was crazy and fun.         Pork Belly Ventures is a premier service for Ragbrai riders.  Check out their website.

Lyman ATX

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[daniel belyusar]

Hiya, 

Myself and another list member rode it for the first time last year. He on a Riv, me on my 83 Trek 620. (also another friend from Iowa and his dad). We met a number of Riv-riders including Reginald along the way  ;). Overall it was a mixed bag. I never really got around to writing my scene report so here goes the brain dump... 

Logistics: 

- We joined a small bike club based in Dubuque. We drove from Chicago to Dubuque, then they carried our duffles and bikes across, chartered a bus, and arranged with the organizers to secure a plot of land in each town for the 30-40 people from the club. It was honestly pretty spartan and not all that great. Part of the problem was that it was very hot almost the whole week; so without a place to go to at the end of the day, we ended up having to either kill time along the way, or immediately re-pack to ride to a public pool or something. Just sitting in an open field in 90 degrees and humid is not fun for me. As someone mentioned, everyone who I met along the way that used Pork Belly loved it - they set up a tent for you, have showers and beer and I think even entertainment. They're also very well-connected to the organizers over many years and seemed to have the prime locations. And yes, there are plenty of other companies including portable AC'd huts if you want!

- If I were to do it again, I think I'd make arrangements with locals in each town to camp on their lawn and bike pack (the organizers support a message board to make arrangements). An idea I heard a number of times which also seemed good if you can swing it: have a SAG vehicle shared between a small crew. It can be a car, but prob would be what you would drive to the start. Each day has a main lunch town/ meetup, about half way. So in the car crew, one person misses a half day of riding, round robin. The second half driver gets set up in the overnight town, everyone gets a little AC as needed, and you can get around to stores and maybe even get out of town a bit to beat the crowds if you want. Some people also rent RVs and it seems like there are some designated places for them, but again you need someone to drive.

- WRT to drunken shenanigans, honestly I didn't see much if any of it. The rides were pretty brutal with the heat and elevation, so if you partied hard the night before, I was probably way ahead the next day. We might have had a couple beers in the shade here and there, but when there is still miles 61 - 80 to go, and its 90 degrees, I think you'd be silly/dangerous to hit it hard. Once in town, everyone was pretty spread out throughout, so maybe I just missed it?

The Good: 

- I've never really done any long bike touring before (maybe 3 days max) so this was the longest number of days that all I had to do was ride! Almost all of the roads are closed and the route obvious, so for 500 mile over 7 days, just wake up and keep pedaling. I could see why some might find the terrain a bit same-y, but there was a ton of elevation change, really pretty landscapes, and enough rivers and towns to keep me interested. 

- the tech support was amazing. every town (? or most) had a service stop with a number of very capable, approachable, and affordable crew for repairs. I wore out a front derailer cable mid week (so many hills!), my friend broke a spoke on a different day. In both cases it was like 30 min, $20 and back on the road. Watching them lace up my old Suntour fd on the '83 Trek, followed by a wireless rear on a carbon fiber '23 Trek for the next person in line was pretty awesome (new battery for your rd? $60 fully charged!). 

- I thought my bike was perfect. I rode 650b x38 smooth gravel kings, 46-30 front and wide-ish rear, basic tektro brakes. I got a lot of comments both snarky and fun (met more than one person that had done cross country rides on 520s and 620s 'back in the day')

- I'm a pretty social person, but I met and rode with a lot of nice strangers on interesting bikes (see above). Learned about some cool tours, some cool bikes new and old. Despite the next section, I met quite a few folks that were into the same things I am. You know the old Honda ads? "You meet the nicest people on a Honda/ steel bike". As someone said, there is also that overall good vibe of just nothing but bikers everywhere...

The Bad: 

- it was really crowded. I know, of course I expected that, and it was the 50th anniversary, so it might have been particularly packed. For me there were only a couple of rough patches where it was actually challenging to be riding with so many people, trying to change lanes etc, and the biggest headache was the swifties 'ON YOUR LEFT!' when it was crowded and I couldn't go any more right. I think I had to dismount once owing to a crowd going around a tight bend. But if you are planning to leave at a leisurely sun-up time, and riding a modest pace, expect lines for everything (could be like an hour for a beer or a sandwich). After a few days, I found I preferred to get up at 5ish, and be riding as the sun came up. I could put in 20-40 miles before it got really hot, and had all the vendors and bathrooms I needed, when I wanted them. I probably missed a few local bands/ towny events along the way that were timed to start at peak crowd, but I really hate lines and was able to actually enjoy each of the stoppage towns as much as I wanted. I would also then arrive to the overnight town with a head start on the precious resources of showers, pools, and food before the swarming masses. Eat some food, see the town, maybe have a beer or two, and in bed early. 

- the food. Don't get me wrong, I had some great food, and a few really killer local specialties, but it is very meat heavy, and kind of same-y: think brats for breakfast, pulled pork for lunch, questionable spaghetti for dinner. I know IA is famous for pork, and I'm not whining, but a big plate of beans and rice would have been nice here and there. Also, sometimes the overnight towns were pretty small and there we're like <5 restaurants total, so you kind of don't have much choice but to get in line for whatever might be in that place. I think the canonical firehouse spaghetti dinner sold out in every town. The organizers unfortunately also allowed (or forced?) too much homogeneity in the vendors. I don't exactly know why, but the same handful of vendors were seemingly at every stop: same pie, same smoothie, same jerk bowl. They were all fine, but I couldn't figure out why there weren't more local options (someone said they had to conform to packaging standards to join, that would be prohibitive for e.g. church ladies making pie, but IDK if this is true). I didn't starve, but also didn't want to look at a sausage for a long time after. The exception to both of those complaints: there was a great small-ish "egg farm - something" that was always in about the second town that was amazing and I would still like to eat every day...

- the music? No accounting for tastes, but I heard AC/DC Thunderstruck 5 x / day. So much classic rock, off so many bluetooth speakers, then local classic rock bands in the towns, and then Foghat at the fairgrounds at night. I love rock music, but as with the food, some variety would have been great, at least for the main events. 

Overall, I would (will) do it again, probably when my kids are a bit older. For now, if I'm going to be gone 9 days, there are other states I'd like to ride across first. 

Best,

Dan in Chicago

[Leah Peterson]

Welp, I was so much more excited about this in theory. After reading about the various experiences of damaged luggage, sweltering temps and difficult logistics, I think I’ll find a different ride to do. 

Thanks to everyone who offered their experiences! It was a great thread to read in the dead of a Michigan winter.

Leah

On Jan 21, 2024, at 12:03 PM, Matt Beecher <beec...@gmail.com> wrote:

If I were to do it again, I would pay for one of the services where they haul your stuff and set up your tent.  Getting a hotel will likely be nearly impossible, given the number of people attending.  

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[George Schick]

Not to worry, all is not lost.  There's this ride calendar of events in the Wolverine state: https://lmb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/RideCal_2023_v5_web.pdf

[Leah Peterson]

George is right. I wonder if those wheelman will let a raspberry racing Platypus and its non-self-sufficient rider on any of their rides. Here’s to new adventures! 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 21, 2024, at 5:11 PM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Not to worry, all is not lost.  There's this ride calendar of events in the Wolverine state: https://lmb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/RideCal_2023_v5_web.pdf

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/cd493d24-2862-4aca-b93f-501dae975d22n%40googlegroups.com.

[Pam Bikes]

Leah, you could do any ride you want.  There are rides in every state including NC.  Our cross the state ride is from the Mountains to the Coast and will be 10/6-13.  I've done it 3 times.  Camping is the way to go b/c there are not enough hotels and honestly they are motels since these are small towns and not great.  I plan to do it this year so maybe you can come ride it w/me.  The ride is smaller than RAGBRAI.  It's about 800-1000 riders and a few Rivs.  Logistics - fly into Charlotte then we can drop a van at the end so when we're done, we drive back.  Cycle NC puts on the ride and registration includes moving your tent, luggage on the truck, shower trucks and campsites.  Lots of people do many of the state rides and say the NC one is well organized.  I would agree.  The ride this year starts in Spruce Pine and ends at Ocean Isle Beach.  Charlotte is only about 2 hrs from Spruce Pine.  Come ride across NC w/me.

[Frank Burkybile]

Hi Leah et al.,

I agree with Pam, the Mountains to Coast ride in NC is a great introduction and her advice tracks with my experience. A word of warning: you may become a convert but since we are members of this Riv group, it’s probably a safe assumption that people already know that you are bike crazy.

I grew up in southwest Iowa, in an occasional start town of RAGBRAI, so cross state rides were just natural things that people would do. I rode the CycleNC event last year and brought along a friend who already had a bike but wasn’t a “cyclist” nor aware that this is a thing that people do. Following the ride, he can’t stop talking about it and has been trying to convince the rest of our friend group to do the ride this year. 

The logistics of how to travel to a state with a bike, figure out where to park and how to get back there at the end may sound overwhelming but is very solvable. Especially if Pam will be there (hi Pam!).

I agree that RAGBRAI is kind of a lot. I have ridden BRAN which is very different and enjoyable but Nebraska can be hot in June and the terrain is only so interesting. I have heard that the UP Michigan ride is nice too but I can’t personally speak to that. The Mountains to Coast ride in NC is easy to recommend. 

Good luck!

-Frank 

[Leif Eckstrom]

Hey Leah, and midwestern riders, 

There’s a well-planned and well-executed ride from Chicago’s Millenium Park to New Buffalo, MI, spread out over 2 days, totalling about 100 miles all told. June 14-15 (Friday and Saturday).  Hundreds of friendly riders—most camp the first night at Indiana Dunes state park, but hotels are another option. Easy pace. Easy route. Food and sag support. 

There are a number of Ragbrai riders who attend this ride from chicago. Perhaps they could give you a taste of ragbrai without all the logistical headaches. 

I had a lot of fun last year on this ride and made plenty of new friends. Registration opens Sunday, February 11. There are busses and moving trucks to take you, your luggage, and your bike back to chicago should you like. 

More details here. https://www.bikereg.com/63763

Best, 

Leif in Chicago

[Leah Peterson]

Leif, I could do this!!!! It’s Father’s day weekend, so that is the only possible snag. I’m going to try and make this ride! Thank you!!!

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 25, 2024, at 8:27 PM, Leif Eckstrom <leifec...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey Leah, and midwestern riders, 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/5cee0679-e26d-4920-b5fc-9e2fb0b9d914n%40googlegroups.com.

[Steven Seelig]

I have to offer a plug for Bike Virginia.  If you are tepid about the logistics for a point to point ride, this may be your jam.  Rather than transport your stuff every day, the ride has 2 base camps from which the ride starts each day.  So you pitch your tent or camper just twice and ride from that site each day.  And for those who get bored easily staying in camp at the same place, you have access to your vehicle to do even more excursions.

https://bikevirginia.org/2024-tour/

Special bonus this year in that it is visiting West Virginia, so you can later visit the beautiful New River Gorge National Park or bike the Greenbrier Valley rail trail.  As you see from the graphic, you can choose your distance each day, so if getting in 400 miles over 6 days is your goal, that is doable.  

[Marc Irwin]

Leah, 

     The ride from Millenium Park sounds like the route I've taken several times to and from Chicago, using Indiana Dunes as one of the overnights.  It would be a good ride, you could take Amtrak to Chicago and return on Amtrak from New Buffalo.

Marc

[Leah Peterson]

Marc! You want to do this with me, I’m sure!

The Lone Wolf and The Platypus Rider Ride Across Two States. I can see it now.

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 26, 2024, at 11:29 AM, Marc Irwin <irwi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Leah, 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/024e499d-7fef-49e1-adf2-ca03cf51709dn%40googlegroups.com.

[George Schick]

I hate to throw a wet blanket on this idea, but wasn't there some discussion on this forum a while back about taking bikes on Amtrak, which trains allow them and which ones don't, where and how they store the bikes, etc?  Not sure if that was ever resolved for this route. Has anyone done this before on this Amtrak Wolverine route?

[Pam Bikes]

Leah, if you do that ride, maybe I can come too.  Especially if I can figure out how to get home from there.  Maybe some Riv sisters could do it too.  

I'm loving this conversation finding out about more rides.  

[ascpgh]

My old housemate Steve, the younger of two brothers there, got into modern cycling with a bike I built him on a Bridgestone MB-3 frame. He's taken that way farther on and is a bike commuter to an office and customer setting (supporting the business through Sam's Club and Wal*Mart) requiring actual dress clothes, suit and tie.  His ever-expanding interest in bicycling has taken him from Fayetteville, AR to his family cabin at Spar City, CO outside Creede, CO for his 50th birthday. He is a repeat RAGBRAI participant and takes a number of his colleagues from his office and other locations of his company, including some from overseas.

His challenges to keep up the commuting includes leaving his company car at the office for off site meetings in the day and the once a week exchange by the cleaners at the office so he's not lugging that attire back and forth in a bag. His first RAGBRAI introduced him to the logistical challenges and the stress on each town that all of those riders and their needs put on them. Katrina happened and with FEMA foibles and subsequent actions of the military and various non-profits to render aid. I told him about some of the stuff I used in the military when I ran light maintenance companies that often co-located with other logistic elements in the field that allowed crew of equipment needing repairs to walk to a shower tent, at the anteroom hand over their dirty clothes, showering and receive their clothes clean and dry when clean and toweled off. The kitchen trailers served hot food and if repairs took longer we had tents with cots for some rest before heading back with their repaired items.

These ideas stuck with Steve and his company (P & G) who had long since been branding his annual group (a recognition to be included) with matching kit bedazzled with unmistakable company logo as useful advertising and then they rolled out the laundry trailer, a self-contained washer/dryer facility available to RAGRAI riders each night, following the horde (and their also branded Tide bus where they sleep and the chef feeds them). 

Do the ride and you'll see the trailer, their the bus as well as the team TIde.

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Leah Peterson]

Pam, we can have my husband pick us up and bring us back to Kalamazoo. It’s only an hour and a half drive or something. Amtrak leaves out of Kzoo and you could take that home! We could make this work!!!

On Jan 27, 2024, at 12:38 AM, Pam Bikes <pamlike...@gmail.com> wrote:

Leah, if you do that ride, maybe I can come too.  Especially if I can figure out how to get home from there.  Maybe some Riv sisters could do it too.  

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/d227eb55-be4c-40f0-b97d-834d69305ee0n%40googlegroups.com.

[Leah Peterson]

Yes, you remember rightly, George. This was why I had to get a 50 cm Platy (still waiting for parts to be built) - so that I could put it on Amtrak; the 55 is just too long. And even then the 50 will be a tight fit, and you can only have so many bikes on the train, and there’s some other dumb rules that may or may not be enforced when we get there. It’s not a bulletproof plan. Marc does it with a Brompton.

On Jan 26, 2024, at 11:54 AM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I hate to throw a wet blanket on this idea, but wasn't there some discussion on this forum a while back about taking bikes on Amtrak, which trains allow them and which ones don't, where and how they store the bikes, etc?  Not sure if that was ever resolved for this route. Has anyone done this before on this Amtrak Wolverine route?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/e0f99ca1-79c4-4419-89b0-ca82648de30fn%40googlegroups.com.

[Brian Turner]

It’s unfortunate that this country never has, and never will embrace multi-modal transportation. Just think of all the biking possibilities that could be available to so many more of us, and not just those who live in major metropolitan areas. 

On Jan 27, 2024, at 8:00 AM, Leah Peterson <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[George Schick]

Amen, broke.  When I was still working in the city I used to ride the bike the 2 miles or so the station, take the train downtown, and walk the 4 or 5 blocks to the office.  Why others would insist on driving the 25-30 miles in bumper-to-bumper stop/go traffic and then pay big bucks for a monthly parking garage fee was something I never understood.

[Corwin Zechar]

I used to ride 6 miles to MacArthur BART, put my bike in a locker I rented, and hop on a train. In San Francisco, I walked a mile to Caltrain, hopped on another train and get off at Hillsdale. Then I would get my beater bike out of another rented locker and ride 4 miles to my office in Redwood Shores.

I think the country is inching toward multi-modal transportation, but it may be a long time before we see anything significant.

Regards,

Corwin

[Marc Irwin]

All The trains running between Michigan and Chicago take bike reservations.  I've used them all many times.

Marc

On Friday, January 26, 2024 at 11:54:12 AM UTC-5 George Schick wrote:

[Marc Irwin]

Amtrak has been working hard the past ten years to make affordable bike transport available and on all it's trains.

Marc

[Pam Bikes]

I've had good luck using Amtrak alot.  It takes a phone call to make sure.  In NC we can take a bike b/t Charlotte and Raleigh w/a reservation and there is no cost to bring your bike.  You can get off any station in b/t and there are 4 round trip trains daily.  So I can do daytrips to each station (Charlotte, Kannapolis, Salisbury, Greensboro, High Point, Burlington, Durham, Cary, Raleigh).  So it works but takes some planning.

[Leif Eckstrom]

Leah, Marc, Pam, et. al.,

I'm loving the thought that I might just see a pack of Rivish Lone Wolf(s) on Le Tour De Shore this June. 

Registration is now open--with about 6 early-registration priced tickets left as of this morning, Tuesday, Feb 13.

https://www.bikereg.com/letourdeshore

Please DM if you need any help with logistics or planning on the Chicago side of the ride. 

Best,

Leif 

[Leah Peterson]

Leif, I just might have to do it! Are you planning to camp or sleep in a hotel? Are you riding alone? If there was a group of us Riv Riders that wanted to ride together I think it would be great. Leah

On Feb 13, 2024, at 1:17 PM, Leif Eckstrom <leifec...@gmail.com> wrote:



To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/bcbfa627-f335-4d20-bc64-92ab4ad86701n%40googlegroups.com.

[Leif Eckstrom]

That's great, Leah! 

I'm planning to camp. My wife will be riding for the first time and camping, too. 

I had a blast last year and fell in with a group that quickly became friends along the way. You and anyone else from this list would be most welcome to ride with us. 

Best,

Leif

[Leah Peterson]

Oh wonderful! Is your wife a RivSister? If so, she’d be the first I’ve ever ridden with since we moved to Michigan. I’m staying in a hotel, but you guys feel free to get some coffee at my room if you like!

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 13, 2024, at 1:56 PM, Leif Eckstrom <leifec...@gmail.com> wrote:



To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/85d32456-79b1-4e32-9547-58aefbeb4b1an%40googlegroups.com.

[John Dewey]

Indeed, Joe. We’re 3 times RAGBRAI finishers and it has to be included in all discussions of greatest cycling experiences ever. Just nothing like it. 

So many delightfully crazy happy folks on every kind of bicycle imaginable.  Party (or not) every night, jump off the bridge into a mucky creek, maybe even meet the Pork Chop man (if he’s still hawking). And then the guy who rides ‘bareback’. That is without seatpost—no seatpost means no saddle of course 🤪 You can’t make this stuff up!

Mile after milefull of great entertainment. 

Go for it. 

Jock 

On Mon, Jan 15, 2024 at 5:19 PM Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> 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

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