RAGBRAI 2016

KStwenty1

KStwenty1

Active Member
The plan is to do this next year. And I know it's roughly 16 months away, but would like to know if you or anyone has any personal accounts or stories about this ride. Also looking to put together a group to ride with.

RAGBRAI is the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. This seven-consecutive-day ride is usually held on the third week of July and traverses approximately 425 miles through the entire state. Although the route changes every year, it always makes it way through the state capitol of Des Moines.

http://ragbrai.com/
 
A friend told me about this last year and I've been eyeing this ever since. It's a super long ride over 7 days and flat. I guess it's the endurance factor...something I've come to love about cycling. I've done and will do again this year the Longest Day and have a few more epic rides I'd like to knock out before I'm too old to do it.
 
which direction is the ride in? because if you have ever been to Iowa, you'll understand that the wind there is brutal most days. so if it's in the "wrong" direction, even though its flat, it could turn out to be one of the hardest rides ever.
 
clarkenstein said:
which direction is the ride in? because if you have ever been to Iowa, you'll understand that the wind there is brutal most days. so if it's in the "wrong" direction, even though its flat, it could turn out to be one of the hardest rides ever.
Click to expand...
This year it runs west to east. I don't know what previous years have done but many of the youtube vids I've seen don't look too bad. Either way, every day breaks down to approximately 60-80 miles thus you wont be saddled up all day.
 
This has been going on almost my whole life:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAGBRAI

I know someone who did it many years ago. I think the conclusion is that the only reason you do it is to do it. It's a flat state of corn for 4 or 5 hundred miles. That's a whole hell of a lot of wikipedia text to descriobe that previous sentence. But this probably does embody Pat's quote in the post above.Well maybe a little of that and a little PT Barnum...
 
Driving through the corn states is absolutely mind numbing can't imagine biking through it. Ranks second to the worst which is the salt flats in Utah...
 
it is 10,000 participants + support, so it probably has its own rolling entertainment value beyond the corn....besides, that is the corn that gets put in the gas that
ruins all the small engines on the garden equipment, so you can curse at it....

15mph tail wind, leave at 2pm each day, finish at 5:00. just in time for happy hour. now it is sounding more interesting.
 
I've done a bunch of work out in Iowa and have taken my road bike. It seems the terrain varies greatly by where you are in the state. I was in some flat boring areas just north of Des Moines so I can't speak for the whole state.

I'd be interestd in RAGBRAI. It seems to be a neat do-once thing. It's a huge event out there, more of a party atmosphere than serious riding. I'd be looking to do it as little supported as possible though.
 
i imagine the longest day would be more exciting than the iowa thing, or even going from PA to the NJ beach or something
 
KStwenty1 said:
The plan is to do this next year. And I know it's roughly 16 months away, but would like to know if you or anyone has any personal accounts or stories about this ride. Also looking to put together a group to ride with.

RAGBRAI is the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. This seven-consecutive-day ride is usually held on the third week of July and traverses approximately 425 miles through the entire state. Although the route changes every year, it always makes it way through the state capitol of Des Moines.

http://ragbrai.com/
Click to expand...

One of my co-workers did it last year. He seemed to really enjoy it.
 
Just to be clear, I think it's a great goal to do. Shit, it's a hell of an accomplishment for sure.
 
I have done this ride.
there is NO training needed (you will ride about 70 miles a day)
you get up around 6:00am eat a breakfast and get on your bike you will probably
stop 2 or 3 times for snacks before lunch every little town is the largest back sale.
You have all day to ride it is also quite the social event. So you start at 6am they run
a sag wagon to get every one to the final destination of the day by 7pm.
so even with all the stops if you ride 12mph you should still make it by the end of the day.
there is so much food on the ride you will gain more weight then you will lose.
 
So I'm registered for 2016! I'm looking for a team to join or just some Jersey folks to hang/ride along with. My wife is going but not riding and will meet me at the daily stops. We plan on truck tenting to avoid rain problems but still open to other ideas. Anyway so if there is anyone with information they'd care to pass along it is certainly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
 
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