RAGBRAI XLII 2014

 

Here I am on the last day of RAGBRAI in Strawberry Point, Iowa---the  "World's Largest Strawberry"--- non edible of course.I turned around here to get the car. Chris kept going.

Since 1973 there has been a swarm of cyclists riding from the western border of Iowa to the eastern border challenging the hottest weather Iowa has to offer---the last week of July.  An official RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) crossing of the state calls for  immersing the rear bicycle tire in the Missouri River and then pedaling over four hundred miles eastward to touch the front wheel in the Mississippi River. (For you trivia buffs, you should know that Iowa is the only state that has two parallel borders defined by rivers and is the only state that begins with two vowels). The brains behind this border to border pilgrimage sprung out of a wager between two Des Moines Register newspaper employees; Donald Kaul, columnist and John Karras, copy editor.  In 1973, these two guys rode the first cross state ride with minimum fan fare; joined by five hundred intermittent "hangers on".  From this spartan beginning, RAGBRAI has become the oldest and largest bicycle touring event in the world. Today many countries of the world along with every state of this country are represented by peddling folks of all shapes, ages, gender personalities. What the exact number of participants involved is difficult to determine. The only number that is reliable is the number of cyclists that officially register with the organizing committee---8,500. With "hangers on" like Chris and myself, there is more than triple that number believed to be riding the route, especially by the midweek and last day of the ride.  Estimates of thirty-five  to forty thousand cyclists would be more accurate I believe. With that number of people moving across Iowa, there are bound to be thousands of stories to write a book; that is what Greg Borzo recently did, publishing RAGBRAI: America's Favorite Bicycle Ride in 2013.  Another book, Rumble Yell, by Brain David Burns was also published in 2013. There are other books about this "Mardi Gras on wheels" that capture the beauty of Iowa and the friendly folks who make up the native population.

Favorite stops for RAGBRAIers include ice cream makers, grilled pork chops on a stick, corn on the cob and homemade  lemonade. The ice cream vendor at this stop had long lines of customers. I was more fascinated with popping one cylinder  engineers that drove the churning paddles.  Stops like this are perfect for rest and conversation.  

These fellows are making ice cream
using one cylinder engines to crank
cream into tasty cones and cups of
cold desert---perfect for hot day.

For the fourth time I decided to join son Chris and ride   the last two days of RAGBRAI XLII. We were going to start north of Oelwein, Iowa but it was raining cats and dogs so we started in Olewein where the rain had stopped and rode about seventy miles of the eastern Iowa route. I was self designated as the ride back guy so after riding fifteen miles east with thousands of riders, I turned around and rode back to the car. There is an advantage riding against the RAGBRAI grain. I got to see numerous goofy dressed bikers and unusual cycles; including a guy riding a plastic Big Wheel trike. Two young fellows with better stamina, back sides and perseverance,  rode Big Wheels four hundred thirty five miles; the whole way from Rock Valley in the west to Guttenberg, Iowa in the east. Now that takes some doing if you ask me! I didn't see anyone riding a unicycle or bone shaker this year but have seen them in the past. In case you are not familiar,  a bone shaker is a eighteen hundreds bike with a six foot or more, diameter front wheel and a small back wheel. The rider leaps up on the seat in a gymnastic maneuver and simultaneously pedals the big wheel forward. These cool looking cycles are better to look at that ride. They absorb every bump in the road---a shaky experience just for a few feet let alone four hundred miles across Iowa! Road bikes are best but Chris and I joined the two or three per cent mountain bike group; slower and more energy sapping, but safer. 

These beautiful work horses belong to Amish farmers that live on the bike route. Iowa has approximately 7,000 of
these simple God fearing folks. The Amish group near Hazelton is the largest of the three Iowa locations. 

Chris feigns for the camera as the Amish kids wonder about us. They only wanted me to take
 a picture of the horse--oops