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| Mississippi River, Lansing, MI |
Location: Sergeant Bluff to Lansing, IA
Distance: 471 miles
On Sunday July 24th, we
rolled out of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa on the Missouri River. The days prior had tickled triple digits but
today the temperatures plummeted. It was
only 69°F as we headed into the corn fields.
And in what was virtually a neutralized start 16,000 cyclists made it
down the road toward Ida Grove, the city of castles.
What is RAGBRAI?
RAGBRAI (The Register Annual
Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) is just that.
It’s a 7-day bike ride across Iowa.
It is West to East from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River (as
that is the prevailing winds). Each day
is a set course from one town to another that has a campground for you to set
up your tent etc in. It was first held
in 1973 by writers of the Des Moines Register rode with several hundred folks
across Iowa and has grown every year.
Each year there is a different route across the state with different
starting and ending towns.
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| Highest point of the Ride - day 1 |
Day One 7/24: Feeling it out day
Distance: 56 miles
Time: 4:40:44 moving (7:11:20, elapsed)
The neutralized start down the straight road out of Sergeant Bluff was only broken up by people attempting to slide their way through the groups to go faster than the 11 mph or so we were moving. The large pack made its way into the first town. Vince and I stopped to get coffee and breakfast. Little did we know this be an hour long stop.
After the first stop, the road opened up a bit. Vince and I were able to ride faster. I found that I was not in shape to really keep up. He waited for me in several points. We made it to the high point of not only Sunday’s ride but of the whole week. The farmer there set up a stop that he hoped would benefit his church. It was packed! It seemed like the whole ride stopped there.
After another long rest, Vince and
I pushed on. That last few miles were
flat along a 4-lane highway. Vince
dropped the hammer…. And dropped me. I
got into Ida Grove and regrouped with Vince while we looked for our campground
So, you sleep in a tent?
The short answer, yes.
There is a communal group campground each day at each finishing town. You can set up your own tent within these
grounds. However, there are also
companies called “charters.” Each of
these charters handle their own little campground. I used Central Iowa Charters
and I did their “luxury service.” They
not only provided me a tent and air-mattress but they set it up each evening
and broke it down each morning for me.
(A random woman at another campground the last day told me: “Then you
really aren’t doing RAGBRAI, are you?”
Apparently, I was cheating.)
The charters provided other services, but more on that below.
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| Bufford - The largest steer in the Midwest |
Route: Ida Grove to Pocahontas
Distance: 72.5 miles
Time: 5:13:43 moving (7:13:14, elapsed)
After the first day, I determined that I needed to approach these rides differently. If I went out every day like I rode day 1, I would not finish.
I decided to take the second day as an “adventure” ride rather than a metric century or club ride. I took it at a moderate speed and decided to let it go as I found it. What I found was… farm animals.
Early on – maybe 20 miles in – I
found #putyourrearonasteer. The Schaller 4-H club had Buford – purported to be
the largest steer in the Midwest. I
stopped, climbed up on Buford and had my picture taken. I don’t know if Buford really was the biggest
steer in the Midwest, but he was certainly the biggest steer I’ve ever sat on.
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| Nemaha Donkey Show |
Later I pulled into Nemaha and rolled into the Nemaha Donkey show. I waited in line and for $5 I went in to find two donkeys behind a fence. I got my picture taken with said donkeys. Finally, between Fonda and Pocahontas, I was able stop and feed some pigs marshmallows.
Taking it a lot easier on the bike
was a good plan. I didn’t have to push
myself to keep up with folks. I was also
able to relax and find the fun things – steers, donkeys and pigs.
Where do you eat?
Food, beer and coffee are all
interesting things on RAGBRAI. Beer
is easy to find. Each town at the
beginning and end of the day and many in between seems to have some sort of
beer garden. And, there are stops on the
road run by the Iowa Beer Bus and the Iowa Beer Tent. Beer, beer everywhere.
Coffee is much more difficult. My
charter made a big urn of Folgers every morning. But, I usually missed it because I left later
than many people. (Some people are
getting on the road by 5 or 6. My
average roll out was 6:45 or so I would say.)
The first town always had a food truck called “Coffee & Nosh.” It was good, but the first day I stopped
there, it took us an hour and 18 minutes.
I nixed that plan from there. I
started to buy a Starbucks bottle at the gas station every night and chugging
it in the morning. And then I would find coffee either at a coffee shop in the
starting town or in the towns further down the road. I got great coffee and muffins from a
Menonite family one day. Another day
kids had set up coffee instead of lemonade – brilliant.
Food. Everyone talks about how
great the food is on RAGBRAI. What they
don’t talk about is how long the lines are for food; how stressful it is to try
to find food that hasn’t run out; how you pretty much are just eating carnival
food for like a week.
Food trucks follow the ride. I spoke of Coffee & Nosh above – their waffle bites with chocolate and peanut butter were amazing. Mr. Porkchop is undoubtedly the best pork chop I have ever had. But I had to wait in line for 45 minutes to get it. If you do RAGBRAI, you most stop at the pink Mr. Porkchop bus once, but I wouldn’t suggest it every day. There was a Jamaican food truck that I got great wings and rice one day. And there was another truck that had pork loin sandwiches the size of my head.
Another option on the ride is charity. The Knights of Columbus or the local fire department in towns are often selling basic backyard cookout food. I had a chicken patty sandwich from a local fire department in an airconditioned VFW hall on a real chair and washed it down with a glass bottle of Coke – it was heaven. Often, at the daily finishing town, a church or two will sell meals. In West Union I had a grilled chicken breast, green beans and a baked potato from a church; and, I ate it on the courthouse lawn watching an AC/DC tribute band.
Finally, there are gas
stations, grocery stores and restaurants.
I had a great brisket sandwich in Emmetsburg at a local BBQ place. In the end I tried to frequent the local
place or charity rather than the food truck that followed the ride.
Pie. A big part of the ride is pie.
There is pie at every rest town and ever start and finish town. I made
the goal of eating a slice of pie every day.
I had apple, cherry, peach, rhubarb and then cherry twice more. If one counts the quiche, I ate the last day
as savory egg pie, I had a slice every day.
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| Gravel Farm Roads of Iowa |
Distance: 60 miles
Time: 4:30:48 moving (5:43:46, elapsed)
Tuesday brought the gravel. There was a planned main route on roads and all; but there was also an alternate 48 mile “gravel” route. Many people appeared incredulous that I could or would want to do the gravel route. Somehow, I knew it wouldn’t be too hard and would be the dirt farm roads.
Leaving Pocahontas, I couldn’t find the gravel route. I spent the first 20 miles of the regular road route. After the second town, I found signs for “Gravel.” I thought maybe that’s when it started; but later conversations showed two things a) It wasn’t where it started and b) I wasn’t the only one who was confused.
But as soon as I hit the gravel, I knew I made the right choice. While the paved routes had taken us through farmland – these were the real farm roads. Undulating dirty, dusty, rocky roads carried us through quiet farms and would weave in and out and across the paved route.
There is something about gravel. These roads were very quiet. It was the only time I was riding virtually alone. (It was the only time I took a wrong turn – or rather, missed a right turn). I still kept the 13 mph pace because I love dirt roads.
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| Grotto of Redemption |
The halfway town was West Bend and it had the most fascinating stops on the route… the Grotto of the Redemption. This is a shrine built by hand by the local priest. It used local limestone and semi-precious gems from all over the world. It had caves of bible stories and a series of stations of the cross. It has that same fantastical feel of the Watts Towers.
Finishing up, Emmetsburg was the only town that had some sort of finish line. There was a banner with “Biking the Burg” and a person dressed as a leprechaun met me. I had a great brisket sandwich at the local BBQ place whose smokers had drawn me in.
What happens if I have a flat or mechanical or if I cannot continue?
There are SAG (support and gear) vehicles that travel the route. Plus this year the Air Force Cycling Team was riding. They were everywhere stopping to help people with mechanical issues (and more importantly, military trained in first aid, which I saw come in handy at least once).
The SAG vehicles can do general
repairs or get you and your bike to the next town where you can get a
repair. Also, if you need to call it a
day, these vehicles can get you to the finishing town. There was a woman in our charter who was
doing her 41st RAGBRAI(!).
She had hip replacement the earlier in the year. So, her goal was just to ride as far as she
could and then get the SAG vehicle to get her to the next town.
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| At the River City Ice Cream store in Music Man Square, Mason City |
Route: Emmetsburg to Mason City
Distance: 105 miles
Time: 6:18:56 moving (7:34:19, elapsed)
For the first time in 37 years, RAGBRAI had a “forced century.” Most other years they would a 80 miler with an optional 20 or so mile loop at the end for the choice of century. This year however it was 105 miles for everyone.
I made sure to get rolling early. I latched onto a group that was churning out 17-18 mph. This amorphous group gained and dropped riders through to the first town. Figuring there was a long hard day ahead of me, I clung onto to the back trying to keep myself as easy as possible.
After the first town, I ventured
out on my own. By the town of Wesley at
about half way, I was hungry for real food.
Fortunately, the fire department was raising money by serving burgers
and chicken sandwiches in the VFW post.
I sat in the AC and cooled down to gird myself with poultry for the next
57 miles.
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| In Barney Fife's car, Britt, IA |
In Britt, I got into Barney Fife’s car.
Leaving Britt, I only had only 35 miles left. So far so good. We had had a tail wind most of the way. I decided to see if I could crush it the rest of the way to Mason City. (spoiler alert – I could not.) I put in about 22 miles before the road turned North into the headwinds again. I limped into Mason City and stopped for a beer at a new craft brew pub that is opening there. It still ended up being the easiest century I’ve ever ridden.
Mason City was the setting for the
Music Man. They have a whole mall thing
dedicated to the movie. I went there and
checked it out.
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| Trombone Car used in the Red Bull Soap Box Race |
What do you do about showers and such?
There are basically three
options for showers:
1) My charter service provided camp showers.
You brought your own solar shower bag that you heated up in the sun. And when it was your turn, you brought it
into a camp shower and hung it through a complicated pully system. This definitely got you clean but was not
ideal. I did it three of the days.
2) There was a shower truck that followed the ride and each night for $8 with your own towel (or $10 with theirs) you got a shower. I didn’t do this.
3) The towns would provide one. Usually the football/soccer/softball team
would be the sponsor and for $10 you would shower in the high school locker
room. This was the best option. You got a shower, I shaved and brushed my teeth
in a real sink. It was great and
supported the local team. In West Union,
the municipal pool had a deal for $15, I got a shower and use of the pool. That was a great way to finish a hard ridden metric
century – shower and pool complete with water slide.
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| Drinking beer in the Corn |
Distance: 50 miles
Time: 3:44:50 moving (7:22:06, elapsed)
Pivo Index: 4
One of the parts of RAGBRAI is the party aspect. To some degree I had partaken with a beer or two after the ride. But through out the ride, there a beer gardens and good food places. But it’s tough to balance riding a bike and heavy food.
Well, the day after the Century I decided to partake of the rolling party and stop for fair food and good beer.
At 9:30 am, I stopped at a beer garden next to a cornfield and had a Swift Hazy Pale Ale from SingleSpeedBrewing – 4 mugs.
At 10:15, I was next to a soybean field and with a Brazilian Steak Sandwich I had a Peanut Butter Porter fromLake Time Brewery – 4.25 mugs.
Noontime there was now a pork chop involved and a Victory Dance from SingleSpeed Brewing; pork chop was amazing, Victory Dance was mediocre (Also had an A&W root beer float at the Malt shop here which was better than the beer) – 3.5 mugs
1:30 rolled around and I rolled into another beer garden for Get Off My Lawn IPA from Crawford Brew Works – 4 mugs
In between the Peanut Butter
Porter and the Victory Dance, I stopped at the Floyd County Fossil and Prairie Park. The local brickworks had used this area to
get clay for the bricks. And they had
quarried out a big pit. This pit was
filled with Devonian Period (430-360 million years ago) fossils from the sea
that used to cover Iowa. Additionally
they had returned an area about the size of four football fields to original prairie.
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| Prairie Grass at Floyd County Fossil and Prairie Park - before the corn revolution, the Great Plains were this for as far as the eye can see Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac is a great read on the subject |
But, how do my bags get to the next town?
With the luxury camping option I bought, every morning I would pack my bags and leave them outside my tent. The charter service that broke down my tent would then load my bags onto their truck. They took them to the next town and then put them into my tent.
If I had taken a charter and gotten normal camping option, I would have had to take my bags to their truck every morning by 8am. And then when I got to the next town taken the bags to my own tent.
If you do not get a charter, RAGBRAI provides a centrally located truck and pickup/dropoff point in each town. You take your bags there and give them to the movers who take it to the next town.
I was thankful to be on a
charter and to have the luxury service. Almost
everything was a hassle of lines and some argy-bargy of those people who are
more important than everyone else. I’m
sure going to the centrally located bag service would be more of that. It was a relief to not have that.
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| Corn Gates of Hawkeye, IA |
Route: Charles City to West Union
Distance: 63 Miles
Time: 4:05:03 moving (4:38:33, elapsed)
Day Six brought a Metric Century. With my mini down day the day before, I decided to just blast this one. My elapsed time record on a Metric Century is 4:05:13; so I decided to go try to beat that. While I came no where near doing this, I did enjoy just riding hard.
I made a more scientific plan on stops, just hitting short lines for food and drink rather than food I wanted. After, Vince and I hit the public pool in West Union. The cool down was a good way end a hard day.
How did you get your bike to
Iowa?
RAGBRAI has a connection with BikeFlights. I was able to send by bike via them; have the bike assembled by a bike shop on behalf of RAGBRAI/Pork Ventures; pick it up at the start. This worked out perfectly I had no problems getting my bike to Iowa.
Regrettably, the opposite happened
the other way. It was a hassle to drop
it off with Pork Ventures. At one point
I’m dragging a bike box, a bike and carrying my paperwork in my teeth. But, they took it apart and mailed it back to
me in Boston. But, two weeks later when my bike arrived – only one pedal was
there and the thing that connects the seat post to the frame… gone. Blerg.
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| Tire Dip in the Mississippi River, Lansing IA |
Route: West Union to Lansing
Distance: 66.5 miles
Time: 4:31:10 moving (5:43:38, elapsed)
I must admit, by Day 7 I was done with this ride. I just wanted to get through the last bit; get to the end; see Urvi; and leave.
But that’s not what was in store. Instead it was a challenging and absolutely beautiful day ahead. This part of Iowa is hilly like Southern New Hampshire with long slow hills that suddenly top off at 8% right at the end. There were so many trees and so much water – ponds and pools throughout.
I am so happy that I removed my grumpiness for a few hours and let myself enjoy one last day in the saddle.
Then we got into Lansing on the
Mississippi and my grumpiness returned. It
was a hassle to get to the river and do the tire dip; it was a hassle to drop
off my bike; it was a hassle to get my bags and it was a hassle to drive out of
town.
But it was also wonderful. Here, 471
miles later I had ridden across Iowa, my 16th State with an athletic event in it. I
had done one of those bucket list items.
It was awesome that I got to spend the end with Urvi.
We drove back to Milwaukee after
and had a great 18 hours in the Cream City before flying home.
What were the best parts of RAGBRAI?
I loved the actual riding. This mass event had something for everyone. Each day brought new countryside to explore and new fun quirky things to do by the side of the road. I loved getting into the little towns and seeing the cub scouts selling water and the women selling pie for the local charities.
The mileage was probably perfect. I never felt that I was complete toast (a few days of 100 miles in a row might be different). Every day was enough of a challenge that it was great to finish.
What were the worst parts of RAGBRAI?
I had two things that I hated:
1)
Everything off the bike is a giant hassle! Standing in line for an hour for coffee,
trying to find something to eat at the overnight towns, standing in line for a
port-o-potty at 6:00am, the supposed shuttle system. In one town I spent two
and a half hours trying to take the shuttle bus to the grocery store and
back.
2) A small noticeable minority of the riders. Flat out some of the rudest and most selfish human beings on the planet ride this ride. Long before we even started, I was on my charter bus out of Des Moines and a group of riders got on and demanded that we all move seats so that they could sit together. I was shoved out of the way in almost every single line I stood in during the rides. At our campsite, I saw a woman just take someone else’s solar shower because hers wasn’t warm yet. These are just a few examples, but two or three times a day, there would be some rude person in their 50s or 60s who was more important than me and thus felt they should get special places in line. I found that many of these people had done this ride again and again. Perhaps they felt those of us who would only do it once were interlopers. Most of their conversations involved discussions of charter services and overnight towns from different years. Perhaps there can be two RAGBRAIs, one for people who want to do the ride with everyone and one who want to do it with their small groups.
Would you do it again?
No. I’m definitely glad I did it. And if I had never done it and know what I know now – I would still do it. But, there are too many things to do and too many places to see and too few days ahead for me to just want to take another 7 days of vacation to ride across Iowa again.
Tellurian Brewery, Charles City, IA
