RAGBRAI

Trash-bag ponchos and mud-spattered shorts were all the rage among riders this morning as they headed out from Waterloo in a downpour. And what the ponchos lacked in waterproofing qualities, they made up for with style — or maybe it was the other way around.

Either way, University of Iowa students Craig Draayer, 21, of Le Mars (below, left) and Austin Fairchild, 21, of Terril tailored two runway-worthy ponchos of their own with bags they bought for 50 cents at Cedar River Milling, a birdseed and pet supply store in Gilbertville.

The first-time riders hadn’t packed much in the way of rain gear, but they persevered nonetheless.

“It’s pretty brutal, but by the end of the day it’ll be a test of what we can handle,” Draayer said – when his teeth stopped chattering.

Cedar River Milling owner Pat Delagardelle and her sister Mary McMahon took the trash-bag fashion up a notch by custom-designing dresses and suits for any riders who wanted them. They even taped a CRM business card to the back of one dress as a designer label.

Pictured here, from left: McMahon with riders Mike Reinking of Sioux City and Kelly Baughman of Des Moines.

– Michael Morain