2010 Rider Cup Award: The Whiners

Mon, Oct 25, 2010 | by TJ Juskiewicz

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The Rider Cup Award is presented to the club or team that best promotes the RIDE RIGHT® philosophy before and during RAGBRAI. The Rider Cup will be presented to the Whiners at the RAGBRAI January Meeting for Clubs & Teams on Saturday, January 29, 2011 in Des Moines.  The meeting takes places prior to the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party.

The Whiners started five years after RAGBRAI began and have been having fun ever since.   The Whiners started as a small group of engineers and workers from the nuclear power plant near Bridgman, Michigan back in 1977.   They now travel with roughly 100 riders and include members that span the globe.     

“RAGBRAI is bigger than a bike ride to us,” states Whiner veteran Dan George, “It’s a family reunion that shows people at their best!”  George has been riding RAGBRAI for the past twenty years and thinks each and every RAGBRAI is special. “It’s the people that we ride with and meet that are so special and make RAGBRAI different than all the other rides.”

While the Whiners always have enough energy to dominate any dance floor, they still have the energy to give back during their week in Iowa.  Many  Whiners serve as RIDE RIGHT ambassadors as well un-official ambassador that are always speading goodwill.  That might entail spreading encouragement to struggling riders or thanking a State Trooper with a piece of pie. 

One of the highlights of the 2010 trip was the overnight in Waterloo.  The Whiners camped on the lawn of the Landmark Commons, which is a nursing home for seniors.  The Whiners invited the residents and neighbors to join them for “Burgers and Brats” night and a few beverages.  They helped celebrate the 80th birthday of one of the residents by singing Happy Birthday.  The Whiners made sure that they visited and chatted with everyone in the home and gave all of the retirees Mardi Gras beads to remember their visit.  Orv Einsiedel Jr. personally went door to door to insure that no one was left out.

The Whiners have also made generous financial contributions to Iowa non-profits  in the past.  The group collected donations for Camp Courageous and the RAGBRAI Dream Team to help these Iowa charities.  “So many of the team searched for Dream Team kids during the week to chat and ride a few miles with them,” says group contact Jen Carlson.  “It is great to hear how they are doing and talk with these kids!”  

This coming year, Dan George will pass the torch to Joe Doe to continue the tradition of the Whiners.  Dan still plans to ride as he doesn’t want to miss the fun.

Congratulations to the Whiners Bicycle Club on winning the 2010 Rider Cup!

 PAST RIDER CUP AWARD WINNERS
2009:  Henry County High Wheelers
2008:  Air Force Cycling Team
2007:  CUBS (Chicago Urban Bicycling Society)
2006:  The Dream Team
2005:  Team Navy Cycling
2004:  Siouxland Cyclists
2003:  Marion Road Hogs
2002:  Team Achin’ Knee
2001:  North Iowa Touring Club
2000:  Huff ‘N Puffers
1999:  Riverbend Bike Club
1998:  Pottawattamie Pedalers
1997:  Team Gnarley
1996:  Siouxland Cyclists
1995:  Bicyclists of Iowa City
1994:  Huff ‘N Puffers
1993:  Team Skunk
1992:  The Killer Bees

• 2010 RAGBRAI, Ride Right, Whiners