“Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter.”
William Ralph Inge 

I had some interesting conversations with John Karras about this year’s RAGBRAI and the ride in 1973 that should be shared. 

After announcing Davenport as the ending town for 2011, I was talking to John and asked him about the original dip site.  In classic Karras he stated, “I’m over 80 years old, I can barely remember what I had for breakfast!”  He then said maybe Carter Lebeau or one of the cyclists from the Quad Cities Bicycle Club might know.

During one of our RAGBRAI meetings in Davenport, we started talking about that initial year and about tire dipping.  Where was that original dip site?  Several members from the Quad Cities Bicycle Club vowed to look into it and check with Carter.  Carter has been on every RAGBRAI.

Then I received this email from Karras:

Teej:

Finally figured out to print out a map of the 2011 route, and a wave of nostalgia swept over me as I examined it.  

Part of this is 1973. We didn’t drive the route ahead of time that year.  In fact, the only part of it we knew was Des Moines to Iowa City, because Kaul and I and a very small coterie of stalwarts rode that in 1971.  In fact, that was the ride that sowed the seeds of RAGBRAI into our addled brains. We did it in one day, 125 miles, and damn near died in the effort, but felt like heroes nonetheless.

Anyway, from Sioux City to Des Moines, that year, was unknown terrain, and likewise from Iowa City to Davenport. We learned about half a mile of gravel going into Moscow. Has that stretch been paved? Anyway, as far as I can tell, this year’s route follows the original 1973 route into Davenport. But don’t quote me on that, because I’m often wrong, and where I live have no way (that I know of) of checking the facts. You could look it up in The Register archives.

Love,
John

Well John, your memory and wit is still intact as the route is pretty darn close to the one that you and Kaul lead people on back in 1973.  Of course, that road near Moscow has been paved, so sorry, no gravel! 

As the QCBC folks asked around about original dip site, this was Carter’s response:

Regarding the first RAGBRAI, we came in on the new Davenport bike path, and ended in Vander Veer Park.  I don’t have any pictures of the first RAGBRAI, but do have every year after that.   My album starts with SAGBRAI, which was #2 – 1974.

In order to verify my recollection, I called Jerry Kruse, who said he also remembers ending in Vander Veer Park.

Then, I referred to John Karras’s “History of RAGBRAI“.  His statement on page 15.  ”By actual count, 114 bikers made the entire trip.  How can I be sure of the count?  Because at the last minute, in Davenport Park, where we finished, it finally occurred to me that we made no provisions for patches to commemorate the ride.”

So there was no dipping of the wheels on #1.  And, by the way, if you haven’t read the “History of RAGBRAI”, I’ll loan you my copy.  It’s a good read.

Carter  

Carter (pictured with his wife Kaye) is right, the book is a good read.  I received a copy of John’s book from my Florida friends Richard and Belinda Carlson who ride RAGBRAI just after I announced I was leaving Bike Florida to head to RAGBRAI.   The book was a great history lesson on the early years of the event.

I was delighted to see another email from Karras on the subject:

Teej:

As you know, I’ve been looking at the route maps for 2011, and I must admit, my heart quickened.

There was never a hint of dipping wheels the first year. It occurred to me as a gimmick the second year, and as I recall, I wrote something in advance like, “Of course, there’ll be the traditional dipping of the rear wheel in the Missouri and the front wheel a week later in the Mississippi,” or words to that effect. And immediately after writing that, I thought, “That is about the stupidest idea I’ve ever had.”  

Love,
John

So did a few wander down to the river, perhaps?… and maybe dip tires that first year?  Who really knows?…

“History:  gossip well told.” 
Elbert Hubbard

We will have to check with John and Carter to see if some of those memories of 1973 will come back as they ride the final leg of this year’s journey.

T.J. Juskiewicz,
RAGBRAI Director

The Register’s bicycling tradition began with an idea (a kind of a challenge) between Des Moines Register feature writer/copy editor Karras and Kaul, author of The Des Moines Register’s “Over The Coffee” column.  Karras suggested to Kaul that he ride his bicycle across Iowa and write columns about what he saw from that perspective. Kaul lived in Washington, D.C., and wrote his column from The Register’s Washington Bureau.  Kaul liked the idea but issued the challenge that he would ride across Iowa if Karras rode with him. Karras agreed and 38 years later, their challenge ride became the event that is now recognized as the oldest, longest and largest recreational bicycle touring event in the world. 

John and his wife Ann retired to the mountains of Colorado, but get back to Iowa a few times a year.  Karras is a regular at spin classes throughout the winter, staying in shape so he can attempt the Karras Loop on RAGBRAI. 

Happy 80th Birthday, Grampa RAGBRAI!  We will see you in July!

With just 50 days to go until RAGBRAI, the eight RAGBRAI Overnight Host Town Committees came to Des Moines for a planning workshop.  Close to 50 leaders from Council Bluffs, Red Oak, Greenfield, Indianola, Chariton, Ottumwa, Mount Pleasant and Burlington shared their experiences and networked with their fellow host committees.

Grampa RAGBRAI (also known as John Karras) gives the overnight town host communities a history lesson

A surprise visit from RAGBRAI co-founder John Karras started the meeting off with tales from the past including a history lesson on Clarence Pickard’s legendary ride across the state.  When asked what is the most shocking difference from the original journey, he answered, “the numbers!”

Karras told the group he plans on riding the entire ride this summer including the Karras Loop.  He explained his request to alter the name of the loop a few years back.

“The John Karras Loop sounded like a memorial loop… and I’m still around,” he explained.  The optional loop is officially now referred to as just the “Karras Loop”.

As these final two months wind down, all of the overnight town’s committees and communities are excited about hosting RAGBRAI and they are looking forward to a great summer!

Clarence Pickard, with signature pith helmet, chats with Donald Kaul.

By John Karras

It is most fitting that RAGBRAI finally is going to spend a night in Indianola. The town was the home for many years of Clarence Pickard, who, in the short space of a week on the first RAGBRAI (actually, it was called the Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) rode his bike across the state the last week of August in 1973 and inspired the masses to follow his feat.

Clarence was 83 years old that year, and, as he told me in a brief interview, hadn’t ridden a bike since he was a boy. In fact, when I asked him how many miles he had put in on the green and white woman’s Schwinn Varsity he’d purchased only a few weeks before, he said, “I went around the block a few times.” RAGBRAI co-founder Donald Kaul and I doubted he would make it even to the city limits of Sioux City, our starting.

As it turned out, he rode every mile, including a brief stretch of I-80. The State Trooper Frank Fisher caught up with Clarence on the Interstate, stopped him and said, “Mr. Pickard, you can’t ride a bike on the Interstate,” to which Pickard replied, “Then you’d better get me out of here.”

He also completed the hundred-mile day from Day Moines to Williamsburg and the 80-plus mile day from Williamsburg to Davenport, both days after dark.

Oh, he was slow, slower even than I’ve grown. He also didn’t understand the gearing on a 20-speed bike. The shift levers on his Schwinn were on the handlebar stem. Clarence assumed that they both should be positioned either fore or aft. Thus, he was always in a wrong gear–either on the large chain ring and the largest cog or on the small chain ring and the smallest cog. I pointed this out to him as we approached Dolliver State Park north of Boone, and the steepest hill of the week coming up out of the Des Moines River Valley. I said he’d be much more comfortable on the hill with the left lever forward and the right lever back. I saw him past the hill and he remarked about how “that sure had worked.”

The most remarkable thing about him though, beyond his unending good nature and old world charm, was his appearance. That week was hot, as only Iowa can be, with both highs and the humidity in the high 90s. Mr. Pickard, however, appeared every day in long-sleeved shirt and long trousers–plus a pith helmet covered with duct tape.

He also revealed in an interview with then reporter Chuck Offenburger that he had “a secret weapon,” as he put it–woolen long underwear. Good grief, we could hardly believe it. He said the underwear wicked the sweat away and kept him cool.

The measure of his quick fame became evident when at elementary school in Iowa City let all the children out on the sidewalk to see Mr. Pickard come by.

He slowed down as he saw, promptly fell off his bike, stood up and made a sweeping bow, pith helmet in hand, for the kids. (He fell down a lot that week. But near week’s end, he told me that he’d figured out when he was about to take a spill, and made sure to land on a grassy spot.)

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John Karras is the former copy editor at the Des Moines Register who co-founded RAGBRAI in 1973 with columnist Donald Kaul.  John plans on riding RAGBRAI this summer and is determined to ride the entire route, including the Karras Loop.  John and his wife Ann now reside in Dillon, Colorado.