RAGBRAI XLI Countdown – July 21-27, 2013
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What I learned on my first RAGBRAI
(64 posts)
(39 voices)
Started 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago by jenbikes68
Latest reply from John Blackman 4 months, 1 week ago ago
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jenbikes68 -
“It’s the last hill” means there should only be another 1-3 miles of climbing.
471.1 miles does NOT include the mileage to campsites or the towns themselves…my friends later told me they call this “RAGBRAI miles”.
“Don’t worry. It will be 80 degrees all week” is only true if you’re awake at 3am.
Your only flat the entire trip will always happen immediately after you wash your hands with soap in a real bathroom.
Road kill with beads tossed on them are somehow hilarious even though you recognize they shouldn’t be. I still grin every time I think of “road kill”.
(Note: If you see ME on the road with beads on me, don’t laugh. That is not funny. Just saying…)There is no amount of Chamois Butt’r that is enough.
Calling out “RUMBLES” is not enough! You must also flap your arm wildly. Thank you to those RAGBRAI vets who showed me the way.
So… what did you learn?
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Sandaltan -
I learned from Skunky that those “extra miles” are known as bonus miles. Also, there is no extra charge for those bonus miles.
RIDE RIGHT
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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longrider42 -
I lerned to take as little as possible, or go with a group/charter, if I’d only had the money. Dont eat ice cream when your over heated and slightly dehydrated. Get started earlier then 6am.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Jboz -
I learned that I’m too tired at the end of a long day of riding to go see the headliner concert. Counting Crows, Three Dog Night, didn’t matter. George and John could have come back from the dead to join Paul and Ringo for their long awaited reunion concert, and I still would have hit the sack at 9:30.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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“Bicycle Bill” -
Jboz:
I learned that I’m too tired at the end of a long day of riding to go see the headliner concert.Counting Crows, Three Dog Night, didn’t matter.George and John could have come back from the dead to join Paul and Ringo for their long awaited reunion concert, and I still would have hit the sack at 9:30.AMEN TO THAT, JBoz!! I’ve learned over the years that one cannot soar with eagles in the morning if they’re out hooting with the owls all night.
Although a Beatles reunion concert — that I might be willing to stay up late for.
-”BB”-
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Unavailable -
I learned that camping is fine but if you have to pay $5 a shower and you have 4 people in your group you might as well fork over the extra $25 and get a motel room with air conditioning.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Bentongoing -
God is great – beer is good – people are crazy!
Seriously, I learned to take it easy Day 1 & 2 in order to last to day 7.
If you are in a pace line, you are(or should be) looking at bicycle tire when you could be looking at corn (or beans).
Ear plugs and air mattresses almost beat the wheel as far as great inventions go.Mr. Derailleur – I just LOVE what you’ve done for the bicycle world!
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Jboz -
The Elec”Trek” Horseman:
I learned that camping is fine but if you have to pay $5 a shower and you have 4 people in your group you might as well fork over the extra $25 and get a motel room with air conditioning.Curious, where are these available motel rooms you are referencing? 20k riders rolling into small towns (not including Cedar Rapids here), each with maybe 2 small inns – doing the math, I’m not seeing how this is even remotely possible unless you figured out the route in November (before TJ even did) and booked your rooms in advance.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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hnschipper -
We’ve learned to look for state parks in the area or other campgrounds that have paid camping. We don’t mind if they’re a little bit out of the way – we have a vehicle. Of course, this doesn’t work in places like Lake View. But we found a great little campground in Cedar Rapids that was half empty and soooo quiet. 1) Generally not nearly as busy as the official RAGBRAI campgrounds. Also generally much quieter due to the limited number of people. 2) Even though we’re paying $20 to camp there, we would pay that much for showers somewhere else anyway for the 4 of us.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Thoreau -
We referred to the extra miles as the “city tax” since often you could add a mile or so to the day’s distance when we went into towns. Then we had the Pork Belly tax when we had to ride to the campground.
I learned that even on the worst days, you can find comfort and friendly conversation with someone you are sharing the shade with. I also found out that when I got tired, I got cranky when signs for food or services gave mileage that was inaccurate by just a few tenths of a mile. I would say to myself: “Those smoothies should be 3.2 miles away not 4 miles like it says on the sign.” I also realized that Advil, not antibiotics, is the wonder drug of the 20th century–or at least that is what my rear-end argued during the last days of the ride.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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biking mama -
It wasn’t my first RAGBRAI, but I had to learn my lesson the hard way. The cell phone should always, always, always travel RAGBRAI in a ziploc bag. Spending a week in a bag of rice did not revive my phone after the Marshalltown storm.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Michrider -
What would RAGBRAI be like without Ziploc bags?????
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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Unavailable -
Jboz: Curious, where are these available motel rooms you are referencing? 20k riders rolling into small towns (not including Cedar Rapids here), each with maybe 2 small inns – doing the math, I’m not seeing how this is even remotely possible unless you figured out the route in November (before TJ even did) and booked your rooms in advance.
They were there if you had someone that could look.We found a room off route in Mitchell at some motel called Boondoocks the day of Webster City. Someone cancelled in Marshalltown at Americas Bestand we took it. Called around Cedar Rapids and found a cancellation at Motel 6. We camped the rest of the time. Our driver was 7 months pregnant, hot, tired and had a 4G smartphone.She really hates camping.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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deweyheidi -
I learned sleeping past 5am at a RAGBRAI campsite is IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!
Sleep deprivation was harder on me than the hills, heat, head winds, and countless amounts of bud light. I’ve never drank that much Redbull in my life.
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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glen gallo -
The best water is from the well of a farmhouse
What a rumblestrip is (the hard way)
Trees clustered in the distance with a water tower mean you are soon a stopover town
bacon wrapped corn is not at every stop
a ribeye sandwich means a small bun and a huge piece of meat
a chop can only be pork
shade is not over rated
most folks are really nice in Iowa
I still don’t know the proper pronunciation of RAGBRAI
Not everyone feels the need to ride every mile and that is perfectly fine with me even though I do feel the need to.
I want to do it again
Posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago ago
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