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Raymond Johnson replied to the topic 1st year for RAGBRAI patch in the forum Miscellaneous 8 months ago
I’ve definitely seen a RAGBRAI III patch on the back of a bike, so my guess is 1975.
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic RAGBRAI – SAG Wagon Questions in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 9 months ago
The 5000 riders asking you if you’re okay while you stand there with your bike upside down will keep you busy while you wait for the SAG wagon. It will get there when it gets there. If you’re suffering so much that you feel like you’re in danger, then you need the ambulance, not the sag wagon. Let’s hope you don’t need either!
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic looking for DAVENPORT week long PARKING in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 9 months, 1 week ago
I haven’t locked down my parking for Davenport, either. They disabled their parking request form on the website but said they’d have an update by the end of the day on the 17th, which is today. I’m assuming something will get worked out. After all, how hard is it to find a parking spot someone wants to rent out at $100/week?
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Drones? in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 9 months, 1 week ago
That is a thing people do on RAGBRAI. Maybe not many people, but I see and hear them every year.
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Camping Locations Tana/Toledo in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 9 months, 1 week ago
The best clue I could get was from the GPS track, which ends at the elementary school in Tama. It’s adjacent to the high school and it looks like there’s a generous amount of area to camp there, so I’m going to say that’s the place.
It’s disappointing to see so little information for riders on the Tama-Toledo website just a week before the ride.…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Where are the Rider Packets? in the forum Miscellaneous 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Problem solved! It turned out that USPS did not deliver to my door like the tracking said they did. Instead, they put the package in an Amazon Locker and I had to get our facility staff to investigate and open it for me since I didn’t have a code that worked. The numbers on my bands and luggage tag check out and there was a card inside explaining…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Where are the Rider Packets? in the forum Miscellaneous 9 months, 2 weeks ago
I might be in a worse situation. The tracking for mine said it was delivered a week ago to my front door but I never received it. Maybe someone stole it?
I also ordered a jersey and souvenir package and it said those would be shipped separately in the spring. I haven’t seen nor heard anything about those, so when would I have gotten those?
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Route Maps With Milage (Between Towns) in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 9 months, 2 weeks ago
dsdouin, I think I see your concern, but it shouldn’t be something to worry about. Yes, if you aren’t on the posted route you shouldn’t expect a SAG wagon or an ambulance to come by to help you if you’re in need. They have plenty to do on the route itself without looking for riders who might have chosen another street or road. And when the route…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Day 4 – 100,000 Riders – Really??? in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 1 year, 2 months ago
As a math educator and a cyclist, I really enjoy it when we do math on the forums. (Thanks, Rob!) Stuff like this keeps my brain going while I’m pedaling.
If you’re modeling the problem thinking about pavement area, and assume everyone is on the road at once, it’s pro peloton-tight:
50 miles * 5280 feet/mi * a 12-foot wide lane = 3,168,000…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Hotel stays at overnight towns while using Ragbrai truck in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 1 year, 2 months ago
In addition to the good advice from others (post-ride, get what you need and stash the bag with a friend in camp or with the truck, and be back before 8 am to load it), I had a nice conversation last year with one of the baggage truck staff about this topic. He said that when bags aren’t loaded by 8, he tries to take pictures of the remaining bags…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Announcement Party in the forum RAGBRAI L – 2023 1 year, 2 months ago
Here’s the announcement video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKZX5_rhXY8.
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic COVID this year? in the forum RAGBRAI XLIX – 2022 1 year, 8 months ago
Felt fine and tested negative with a rapid test yesterday, but mild aches and chills and a positive rapid test today. And I was one of the very few who carried a mask with me everywhere and wore it indoors, so I probably got infected somewhere outside. I’m good at avoiding crowds, but not *that* good.
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Informal Poll: What time will you start riding on Wednesday, the 103 mile day? in the forum RAGBRAI XLIX – 2022 1 year, 8 months ago
The “P” on the map was the patch stop. It’s the souvenir they give to those completing a 100-mile ride.
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Registered Rider Baggage Truck in the forum RAGBRAI XLIX – 2022 1 year, 9 months ago
You asked, “Where are the baggage trucks parked in the overnight towns and will there be signs to tell you where they will be?” Here’s a bit of useful advice: Don’t bother asking the typical local where the “main campground” is. With campgrounds all over town, there’s a good chance that they won’t know the difference and they’ll send you in the…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic General Camping in the forum RAGBRAI XLIX – 2022 1 year, 9 months ago
You might get charging stations in the main campground, but don’t count on it consistently. Often if we’re at a school, you’ll have access to the outlets you can find in the cafeteria and hallways. There’s more demand than supply, so here are a few charging tips:
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic CAMPING CARNAGE or WHY I RIDE SELF-CONTAINED in the forum RAGBRAI XLIX – 2022 1 year, 9 months ago
The math educator in me really likes this post, direwolf! Figuring out a model to answer the question “How many tents/campers can fit in a given space?” is actually one I’d like to know all the host towns have done, and that maybe the RAGBRAI organizers have learned lessons over the years to know a good prediction from a not-so-good one. I think…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Hiking back pack in the forum RAGBRAI XLIX – 2022 1 year, 9 months ago
It’s not the most common type of bag I’ve seen come off the baggage truck, but you’ll be fine. The major things are to (a) be under 50 pounds, (b) have only one bag, and (b) have everything well-secured to that one bag so nothing is at risk of falling off or getting tangled with other gear. The staff that unloads the truck are good at moving a lot…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Covid Concerns in the forum Miscellaneous 2 years, 9 months ago
My plans are pretty similar to yours, Mike. I’ve been more careful lately, not just because I don’t want to mess up RAGBRAI, but because I have a family member doing a long-term hospital stay and I don’t want to lose the ability to visit. So I figure I’ll wear a mask indoors or in particularly crowded spaces.
Raymond Johnson replied to the topic Attendance projections? in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2021 2 years, 12 months ago
I’ve been assuming that attendance will be down, but at the same time, I feel like RAGBRAI is the kind of event where once you’re in the middle of it, you can’t really tell if it’s big or small. I remember sitting in Creston in 2017 with a veteran RAGBRAIer who thought that ridership that year was probably no more than 7500 or 8000, tops, because…[Read more]
Raymond Johnson became a registered member 8 years, 1 month ago