RAGBRAI - It's not about the bike

How to explain RAGBRAI to an outsider...

It's about 15,000 riders cycling through Iowa's cornfields, passing through tiny villages where nothing normally happens. It's enough to bankroll these communities for years. The whole thing is sponsored by Beer companies and escorted by the state patrol - it appears drinking & cycling are actively encouraged in IOWA. A friend of mine once described it as "you ride 10 miles, drink 3 beers, then repeat 7 times a day for 7 days". Cycling wise it's not too challenging at only 415 miles for the week, but RAGBRAI take a different type of stamina, as you certainly won't be getting much sleep.

Me & Kevin - the wig is borrowed from Team Spin, apparently they're not too pleased about that

This was my 2nd year at RAGBRAI, my friend Kevin dragged me out last year so I knew what to expect and was no longer a "Virgin". I'd also met most of Team Fish and it was good to catch up with everybody. The ride out was wild as always, a couple of stops meant we didn't roll in to the start town until 10pm. The team Fish bus, like many others, is a converted yellow school bus with bikes racked on the roof, bunks and facing benches inside. Add a couple of coolers of beers and it can all get a little crazy.

Most riders head out early, and aroun 7 & 8am the roads can be insanely busy - 7 or 8 riders across the road for as far as you can see, a long way on the straight roads. With people going at many different speeds and some unexperienced riders it can be dangerous and requires far too much concentraetion, food is laid on along the route, but queues can get long - 75m on the day we rode out early. Beer gardens are set up along the route, and each bar was doing a year's trade in a day. As the day moves on the roads thin out and pace lines start moving faster, beer gardens also have their inevitable effect until the state patrol (team Buzzkill) roll in and shut everything up to move people on and get them to the end town by 6pm. However, if you time it right or have enough patience, the bars repopen after about 40 mins and they might start giving food away. You can always understand where you stand on the day by how far ahead or behind the state patrol you are.

Rainbow drinking in Iowa

Most of the time I was some way behind the state patrol, particularly later in the day. Taking off-route shortcuts along trails, meant hitting some bars that weren't neccessarily expected us and very happy to have us fill their bars. In one, a game of flippy cup went on for 2 hours as the owner kept on refilling the 24 pack of beers (that initially cost $25) for free. Riding in at dusk on the first day, we played on a giant water slide then there was a stunning deep red sunset that made it all worthwhile.

Fish Virgin Heather scales the biggest bike in the World as the sun sets on Day 1



As the week continues, there is less time spent on the bike and more spent in bars, cornfields, grass verges, Caseys car parks, in fact anywhere that a group of friends can gather without being in the sun, which gets very hot. the cycling was generally ok, though tiredness plays a big factor. Being way too stubborn I refused to "sag" (take a ride) on any bus and probably missed a few crazy bus parties, but despite this the week created far too many stories and memories to describe here, you'll just have to come to Iowa and experience it for yourself another year. Our antics did manage to land us in "Jail" though, no charges though, clearly the english accent worked to explain it away.

Locked up in Iowa

Mr USA

As for now, I'm waiting on a lift west and keen to get started again. It's already been a big come down as everybody left, but it'll be very different riding alone instead of with 15,000 crazy people.