The Iowa Bicycle Summit & Expo has grown into more than just a small gathering of engineers. It’s a winter fix for bicyclists looking toward warmer months.

Two years ago organizers added the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party to coincide with the conclusion of the two-day conference. This year’s Jan. 27-28 summit includes an expanded consumer bicycling expo, free and open to the public on Jan. 28.

More than 60 vendors will be set up at Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines to showcase new bicycling gear, training, trails and events.

Cyclists can drool over new gear or plan their summer bicycling vacations. Winneshiek County officials can show off information on their much-anticipated new trail and a new brewery opening up trailside. Raccoon River Valley Trail officials can give advice on new lodging and camping options along its trail. The Iowa River Revival team can suggest water trails to paddle a boat and complete a loop by pedaling back.

“There is an untapped market for biking tourism,” said Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition in Coralville, which partners with the Iowa Department of Transportation to organize the summit. “The baby boomer population is a very active group and getting those folks on bikes is a great opportunity for the state.”

Bicycling numbers in Iowa continue to grow, Wyatt said. With bike commuters, miles of trails and cycling events, he said, the League of American Bicyclists ranks Iowa No. 6 in bike-friendliness and he thinks the state can crack the top five this year.

The educational aspect of the summit is a way for professional city planners, engineers and advocates to integrate new research into their cities. Roger Geller, bicycle coordinator for Portland, Ore., will discuss the North American City Transportation Officials new guide to bikeways, and Rails to Trails Conservancy will speak about trail building. The biggest benefit of the summit, Wyatt said, has been the integration of bike lanes to Iowa’s fast-growing network of trails. Eight years ago, Iowa only had 10 miles of bike lanes, he said. The next step is “shared-lane marking,” which isn’t a bike lane but pavement markings to remind motorists and bicyclists to expect each other.

Iowa Bicycle Summit & Expo

When: January 27-28
Where: Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.
Admission: The expo and seminars on Jan. 28 are free and open to the public.
Information: For a list of exhibitors go to www.iowabicyclecoalition.org
RAGBRAI party: To join the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party, 8-11 p.m. Jan. 28, go to www.iowabicyclecoalition.org. Tickets are $30.

Saturday, January 28 – Seminar Schedule

8:30-10 a.m.

Session 1A: Bicycle Tourism Iowa Scenic Bikeways, Iowa Tourism, Iowa Economic Impact Study.

Session 1B: Iowa Safe Routes to School Partnership, iWalk and the Iowa Department of Public Health Local Program Implementation

10:30 a.m.-noon

Session 2A: Triathlon and multisport Triathlons in Iowa, Team in Training.

Session 2B: Safety & Accessibility, John Brunow — All Ability, Adaptive Sports Iowa, Adaptability Iowa.

1-2:30 pm.

Session 3A: Trails and Travel Bike Events 101, Iowa is the Trails Capital of the World! Branding a bigger message, Lewis and Clarke Trail Update.

Session 3B: Consumer Equipment: 29ers, Utility Bicycles on Campus/Business, What women want.

3-4:30 p.m.

Trail Session 4A: Dirt: High School Mountain Bike League, CVAST — Reggie Blanco.

Session 4B: Ride Right Meeting for RAGBRAI Clubs & Teams

8-11:00 p.m.

RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party
At the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party, 8-11 p.m. Jan. 28, the overnight towns along RAGBRAI’s 40th anniversary ride will be revealed.  Tickets to the party, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, are $30 and include live and silent auctions, live music by Boogie and the Yo-Yoz, RAGBRAI-style hors d’oeuvres and drinks, free beer and more.  Kick it up a notch by reserving a table for 10 for $400. Purchase a membership to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and attend a VIP pre-party starting at 7 p.m.  Tickets are limited, and the party sold out the last two years. Purchase tickets at www.iowabicyclecoalition.org/routeannouncement  Proceeds benefit the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.

Online bidding begins January 4th, and will be open through January 26th. The highest online bid will be the starting bid at the live auction on January 28th.  If an online pre-bid stands as the highest bidder at the end of the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party, the online bidder will be the winner of the item.

In addition to many bicycle items, we have a large variety of donations from great Iowa businesses and organizations across the state, including hotel stays, event tickets (concerts, plays, dance performances, sporting events, etc), museum passes, tour passes, and local products and memorabilia.

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition is a statewide bicycle advocacy group that builds more bicycle traffic.  Their mission is to build partnerships, educate Iowans, and help create safe and enjoyable bicycle networks for all.

Items will be added to the silent auction as the RAGBRAI Route Announcement event nears. Be sure to visit ttp://www.32auctions.com/organizations/2755/auctions/3085 often to check for new items and keep your winning bid updated!

Be there as the RAGBRAI XL overnight towns are revealed for the 40th Anniversary Ride!  Join us for the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party benefitting the Iowa Bicycle Coalition on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Iowa Event Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium Ballroom in Downtown Des Moines. 

The first two years this event sold out quickly!  A limited number of tickets will be sold for the event!

RAGBRAI and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition have worked together for the past several years to bring you the Iowa Bicycle Summit & Expo.   This year’s Summit will again include advocacy workshops and the January Meeting for Clubs and Teams in addition to the expanded consumer expo. 

The Iowa Bicycle Summit will once again conclude with a cycling-filled evening of fun with the revealing of the much-anticipated RAGBRAI XL route.

The evening will feature the live music of Boogie and the Yo-Yo’z, who are one of the premiere party bands in the Midwest! Check out this video of the band.

In addition to live music and the RAGBRAI route announcement, this special night will feature: 

• Live Auctions
• Silent Auctions
• Door Prizes
• “Guess the Route” Raffles
• Iowa Bicycle Coalition Updates
• Complimentary RAGBRAI-style hors d’oeuvres & Drinks
• Complimentary Michelob Ultra and Bud Light Drafts (also a Cash Bar)
• Special Commemorative Pint Glass
• Fun for ALL!

Tickets on sale now: $30

RESERVED TEAM TABLES:
Would you rather reserve a table for ten?  Click for information.

The doors will open at 8:00 p.m. and the fun lasts until 11:00 p.m.! Iowa Bicycle Coalition members and Reserved Table guests are invited to enter early for a VIP Pre-Party beginning from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

All proceeds from the event benefit the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.  The Iowa Bicycle Coalition builds partnerships, educates Iowans, and helps to establish safe and enjoyable bicycle transportation and recreation networks throughout Iowa.

Starting bids will be taken online for some items.  

Wine/Beer Tours and Tastings

1. Summerset Winery ($200 value)
Tour and tasting for 10
Indianola

2.  BrewNost 2012: National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library ($85 value)
This basket  includes four (4) bottles of the world famous Czechvar lager, a set of two (2) beautiful pilsner tasting glasses, and two passes for free admission to the NCSML’s Rising Above Exhibit located in the heart of the Czech Village in Cedar Rapids, IA.  
Cedar Rapids

3.  Amana Oktoberfest Basket
T-shirt, sweatshirt, six-pack of Millstream, gift certificates
Amana Convention and Visitors Bureau

4. Millstream Brewing Company ($30.40 value)
Case of Beer: one six-pack of
Amana

Destinations and Travel

5.  Italian Bike Vacation 2-for-1 Certificate ($2500-5000 value)

• Italian Cycling Vacation 2-for-1 Certificate – join any CycleItalia guided tour* (value $2500-5000) and bring someone along for free.
• *Subject to availability of 2012-2013 vacations. Not valid on self-guided vacations. Free guest MUST share double room with certificate holder. Airfare not included. NO CASH VALUE.
• CycleItalia has its roots in the Italian cycling getaways they (Larry and Heather, CycleItalia operators) planned as a couple, exploring the little-traveled backroads of untouristed regions, discovering small family-run inns and enjoying authentic country cuisine. 
  Cycleitalia, Sioux City

6.  See Des Moines ($250 value)
Six free admissions to Science Center of Iowa, one deluxe room overnight at Stoney Creek Inn, three $15 gift certificates to Brilliant Sky Toys and Book, four tickets to a 2012 Iowa Cubs game, See Des Moines guide
Greater Des Moines Visitors and Convention Bureau, Des Moines

7.  Dinner and Poker Lesson
Dinner and dessert for four at the home of Mark Wyatt, IBC Executive Director
with Poker Lesson from Janelle Rettig – former participant in the World Series of Poker

8.  Grinnell Gift Package
Grinnell gift package (unknown contents)

9.  Canoe and Shuttle Vacation ($75 value)
One free canoe float and shuttle
Whiterock Resort, Coon Rapids

10.  Decorah, unknown

11.  Blank Park Zoo ($38 value)
Family four-pack
Des Moines

12.  Great Western Trails Center, unknown

13.  Visit Cedar Rapids Package
Two anytime tickets for Orchestra Iowa 2011-2012 season and Orchestra Iowa booklet ($80 value), Linn County Conservation package: 2 free nights certificate for Pinicon Ridge Cabin, 1 free night of camping ($198 value), Theatre Cedar Rapids package: 2 tickets to “The Wedding Singer” March 9-31, 2012, bag, cap, mug, water bottle, pen ($90 value), Brucemore Mansion package: 2 free tour tickets, 2 tickets to Bluesmore ($44 value)
Cedar Rapids

14.  Stauer House Bed and Breakfast ($100 value)
One night stay in the Ramage Suite
McGregor

15.  Bed and Breakfast Stay – Council Bluffs
Taco Ride pass

16.  Omaha Pedallers Bicycle Club Creston Overnighter
Amtrak Ride to Creston, overnight with Omaha Pedallers, and return bicycle ride.

17.  Marshmallow Ride and Marshalltown Weekend (value $300)
Two regsitrations to the Marshmallow Ride May 19 (t-shirts included), room for two at the Tremont Inn in Marshalltown, dinner for two at Tremont on Main, tickets to the Orpheum Theater
Marshalltown

18.  Mason City Overnight (tentative)
Stay at the Historic Park Inn – only existing Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel
Dinner for two in downtown Mason City

19. Spook Cave & Campground ($80 value)
2 gift certificate for cave tours (each certificate good for 4 cave tickets)
McGregor

20. Ballet Des Moines ($90 value)
2 tickets to Ballet Des Moines production of The Wizard of Oz on April 7, 2012 at 1pm. Performance details: The show will feature four guest professional dancers, over 150 local youth dancers, one-of-a-kind costumes and props, and live music provided by the Des Moines Community Orchestra.
Des Moines

21. Iowa Artisans Gallery ($49 value)
A reversible square map pendant by artist Kathy Loewenstern, with a road map of the state of Iowa on one side and a road map of the Iowa City area on the other side, set in sterling silver and resin on a sterling silver chain
Iowa City

22. Des Moines Symphony
Des Moines

23. Reiman Gardens ($17 value)
Two guest passes (each pass allows free admission for one adult or two children), Reiman Garden’s brochure
Ames, Iowa State University

24. Terrace Hill
Personal Tour for 2 (with tour guide)
Des Moines

25. Iowa Children’s Museum ($35 value)
Family Day Pass
Coralville

26. Elkader, unknown

27. Creston/Union County, unknown

28. Sioux City Events and Facilities Department ($379 value)
4 “We Built Sioux City on Rock and Roll’ t-shirts ($40).  Two tickets to “Sioux City Rockestra” ($56).  Two tickets to Blue Man Group ($124).  Two all week passes to the Girls Basketball NAIA Tournament ($70) and a one night’s stay at the Stoney Creek Inn ($89)
Sioux City

29. Park View Inn & Suites ($120 value)
One night suite stay
West Bend, IA

30. Kings Pointe Resort ($60 value)
4 waterpark passes
Storm Lake, IA

31. Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad ($64-80 value)
4 passes for the 1920’s excursion train
Boone

32. Quad Cities package ($75 value)
1 free 2012 TOMRV registration, 1 jar Boetjes Mustard and Boetje Food Inc brochure, 1 jar Lago’s Hot Fudge, 1 copy of “The Ask Anything about the Quad Cities Book”
Quad Cities

33. Civic Center of Greater Des Moines ($90 value)
Two tickets to the dance performance of Diavolo on Saturday, February 18th at 7:30pm
Des Moines

Iowa Originals

34.  Team Print by Steve Pope Photography
16×20 print of either a team or individual to be taken on this summers ride either Saturday or Sunday

35. YMCA of Greater Des Moines ($100 value)
Tri-annual 2 Adult/Children Membership to YMCA of Greater Des Moines
Des Moines

36.  Team Cuisine Dinner for Two on RAGBRAI ($200 value)
TBD

37. Motion Initiatives ($100 value)
Two Registrations for the Cascade Gran Fondo on August 4, 2012
Bend, Oregon

38. Pork Belly Ventures ($475.85 value)
Pork Belly Ventures Charter with weeklong support $385 value, a Pork Belly Ventures Jersey (whatever size they need) $70 value, a Pork Belly Ventures “Live Like a Pig T-shirt” any size $20 value, a cup .85 cents value!

39. Pork Belly Ventures
Pork Belly Ventures “Pass the Corn” jersey.

40.  Jazzercize Class Package
Iowa City

41. North Iowa Spin ($75 value)
Bikes, Blues and BBQ registration and jersey
Clear Lake

42. Peas Creek Studios ($120 value)
High Trestle Trail Framed Photos
Boone

43.  Citizen’s Watch with EcoDrive ($100 value)
Atlantic

44. Iowa City/Coralville CVB ($90 value)
Fry Fest package (Dan Gable Bobble Head, Iowa pin, 3 tshirts)
Iowa City/Coralville

45. Iowa Artisans Gallery ($49 value)
A reversible square map pendant by artist Kathy Loewenstern, with a road map of the state of Iowa on one side and a road map of the Iowa City area on the other side, set in sterling silver and resin on a sterling silver chain
Iowa City

46. Greater Des Moines Music Coalition ($120 value)
Two regular 2-day tickets to 80/35 Music Festival (July 6-7, 2012 at Western Gateway Park)
Des Moines

47. Raygun ($60 value)
Three t-shirts (Iowa Bicycle, Bicycle Swirl, “Please Don’t Run Me Over”), several Raygun postcards
Des Moines

48. Campus Bicycle Classic
Two registrations
Three Sons, Milford

49. World of Bikes ($125 value)
Chris King salt and pepper shakers
Iowa City

Bicycle Gear

50.  Bones 3 Bike Rack
Saris, Madison, WI

51. Bikes to You
Schwinn Sid Bicycle ($469.99), Jandd Hurricane Panniers ($199.99), Fat Tire Pint Glass Set ($28), Fat Tire Frisbee ($14.99), Are U Bike Curious t-shirt ($20), Smart People Rid Bikes t-shirt ($20), Schwinn Child’s Roadster Trike ($129.99), Vintage t-shirt from the “Mystic 50” ($??), Maintenance Gift Bike Basket – road tires, tubes, chain cleaning kit, LPD-9 lube, etc ($150), Serfas Rechargeable Headlight and Tail light ($150), Bikes To You RAGBRAI charter seat ($240), Fender Set Sunlite “Woody Style” ($52), Vintage Schwinn Cruiser-Chopper style ($~175)

52. Barr Bike and Fitness ($200 value)
Giro Prolight Helmet, size large, red/black color
Clive

53. BIKEIOWA
Jersey, cap, t-shirt, stickers, other items

54. Spokiz ($90 value)
Spokiz sunglasses

55. Headsweats ($120 value)
Five Dry Visibility hats

Sports

56. Des Moines Menace Soccer Game ($36 value)
4 tickets
Des Moines

57. Climb Iowa
4-day pass certificate
Grimes

58. Dubuque Fighting Saints
Dubuque Fighting Saints blanket, a vuvuzela horn, and a team autographed championship photo
Dubuque

One of the best parts of the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party, besides the overnight town announcement, is the silent auction. It is your opportunity to buy gear and support a great organization, the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. We are continuing to seek silent auction donations over the next few weeks for the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party.  A big thanks goes out to Bike World for the huge contributions you see at this event.  There are more great partners donating items that we will announce in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for online pre-bidding!  

How do you attend this great event? Purchase RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party Tickets. Over 25% of tickets are sold for the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party. You can purchase a reserved table for 10 or individual tickets, but you have to act quickly.  

You might as well come early and see the Iowa Bicycle Summit & Expo. Roger Geller from Portland will lead a workshop on January 27 for engineers, planners and city officials.  Also Lindsay and Eric from Rails to Trails will present on trail issues.  Does your city have staff attending? January 28 also has great sessions on bike safety, safe routes to schools, dirt trails, triathlons and more.

Did you say Expo? Oh yes!  We have over 30 exhibitors so far and many more are expected.  See the latest in bicycle trends, trails, rides, events, and more at the Iowa Bicycle Summit & Expo on January 28!

So get ready for a great party band!  The evening will feature the live music of Boogie and the Yo-Yo’z, who are one of the premiere party bands in the Midwest! They bill themselves as the “Hottest Party Band in Wisconsin… and Maybe Iowa!”  Check out this video of the band.

Be there as the RAGBRAI XL overnight towns are revealed for the 40th Anniversary Ride!  Join us for the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party benefitting the Iowa Bicycle Coalition on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Iowa Event Center’s newly renovated Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Des Moines. 

The first two years this event sold out quickly!  A limited number of tickets will be sold for the event!

In addition to live music and the RAGBRAI route announcement, this special night will feature: 

• Live Auctions
• Silent Auctions
• Door Prizes
• “Guess the Route” Raffles
• Iowa Bicycle Coalition Updates
• Complimentary RAGBRAI-style hors d’oeuvres & Drinks
• Complimentary Michelob Ultra and Bud Light Drafts (also a Cash Bar)
• Special Commemorative Pint Glass
• Fun for ALL!

Tickets on sale now: $30

RESERVED TEAM TABLES:
Would you rather reserve a table for ten?  Click for information.

The doors will open at 8:00 p.m. and the fun lasts until 11:00 p.m.! Iowa Bicycle Coalition members and Reserved Table guests are invited to enter early for a VIP Pre-Party beginning from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

All proceeds from the event benefit the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.  The Iowa Bicycle Coalition builds partnerships, educates Iowans, and helps to establish safe and enjoyable bicycle transportation and recreation networks throughout Iowa.

Check out the Photo Gallery from last year’s event.

Be there as the RAGBRAI XL overnight towns are revealed for the 40th Anniversary Ride!  Join us for the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party benefitting the Iowa Bicycle Coalition on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Iowa Event Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Des Moines. 

The first two years this event sold out quickly!  A limited number of tickets will be sold for the event!

RAGBRAI and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition have worked together for the past several years to bring you the Iowa Bicycle Summit & Expo.   This year’s Summit will again include advocacy workshops and the January Meeting for Clubs and Teams in addition to the expanded consumer expo. 

The Iowa Bicycle Summit will once again conclude with a cycling-filled evening of fun with the revealing of the much-anticipated RAGBRAI XL route.

The evening will feature the live music of Boogie and the Yo-Yo’z, who are one of the premiere party bands in the Midwest! Check out this video of the band.

In addition to live music and the RAGBRAI route announcement, this special night will feature: 

• Live Auctions
• Silent Auctions
• Door Prizes
• “Guess the Route” Raffles
• Iowa Bicycle Coalition Updates
• Complimentary RAGBRAI-style hors d’oeuvres & Drinks
• Complimentary Michelob Ultra and Bud Light Drafts (also a Cash Bar)
• Special Commemorative Pint Glass
• Fun for ALL!

Tickets on sale now: $30

RESERVED TEAM TABLES:
Would you rather reserve a table for ten?  Click for information.

The doors will open at 8:00 p.m. and the fun lasts until 11:00 p.m.! Iowa Bicycle Coalition members and Reserved Table guests are invited to enter early for a VIP Pre-Party beginning from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

All proceeds from the event benefit the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.  The Iowa Bicycle Coalition builds partnerships, educates Iowans, and helps to establish safe and enjoyable bicycle transportation and recreation networks throughout Iowa.

Check out the Photo Gallery from last year’s event.

For those traveling in the night before or staying the evening, special rates will be offered by Downtown Des Moines hotels.  For reservations, contact the hotels directly and request the Iowa Bicycle Coalition rate when making reservations.

Holiday Inn Downtown
$92.95, plus tax
(Few blocks from Route Party at the Iowa Events Center)
1050 Sixth Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50314
(515) 283-0151
Reservations must be made by January 7, 2012.
Ask for the RAGBRAI Announcement Party block.

Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel 
$94.00, plus tax
(Few blocks in Skywalk from Route Party at the Iowa Events Center)
401 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
(800) 514-4706
Reservations must be made by January 7, 2012.
Ask for the RAGBRAI Announcement Party block.

The most noticeable change is the venue.  The Iowa Bicycle Summit & Expo is moving upstairs at the Iowa Events Center to the newly remodeled Veterans Auditorium.  “This is a great facility for us”, states Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.  “We can have more speakers and new space for vendors.”  

This year will feature a consumer bicycle expo on January 28 free to the public.  More than 60 exhibitors will be on hand to show the latest in new bicycle gear, training, trails, and events.  A large group of destination exhibitors are slated to attend.  “If you want to plan your summer bicycling vacation, you need to visit all of the trails displayed at the event,” states Wyatt.

The event will also feature a technical workshop on Friday, January 27, 2012.  Roger Geller, bicycle coordinator in Portland, Oregon will be presenting on the NACTO Urban Bicycle Guide.  This guide has some of the cutting edge designs for cities to implement.  This session is designed for engineers, planners and other community officials.  Registration for the Bicycle Facility Workshop is online at www.iowabicyclecoalition.org.  

There is also a big expansion of the technical workshop to include trail building.  Twelve sessions are slated to discuss trail maintenance, design, and policy issues.  Land managers, trail supporters, and community officials are urged to attend these sessions to learn more about trails.  

The event caps off with the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party on January 28.  

More information is available at www.IowaBicycleCoalition.org/summit or by calling 515-309-2867.

Team Cuisine was created in 2004 and actually rode as “Team No Name” that inaugural year.  That wasn’t the first RAGBRAI for those founding members though.  This diverse band of Chicago-area cyclists enjoyed many prior RAGBRAIs as members of “Team Gourmet” and eventually spun off a small group of friends into their own team. The following year they branded themselves “Team Cuisine” that enjoys gathering every summer for seven days to eat their way across the State of Iowa.

Ride 2 Dine.  Dine 2 Ride.  That is emblazoned on the club jerseys and shirts as the premise of the team is simple: They like to eat well and have fun on RAGBRAI!

“RAGBRAI is a special week for us to get together,” says founding member and group leader John Osbolt. “This is the only time of year that we see some of the team, but the chemistry of the team members is still amazing”.  Osbolt spend over 30 years in the banking industry and now volunteers at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago giving tours to visitors.  Osbolt and friends Tom O’Brien and Tom Tallman are some of the veteran riders who make up the team.

The team includes riders from all over the country including police officers, surgeons, lawyers, bankers and even a United States Senator’s Chief of Staff and a director on the Federal Reserve.  Most of the riders are professionals in their 40s and 50s and none are very fast cyclists.  “We are not real aggressive riders, but we have fun,” claims Osbolt. 

Team Cuisine accepts 30 members that include 25 riders and 5 support people.  Part of the support staff are chefs, assistant chefs and kitchen help.  Kurt and Kim Friese, owners of Devotay Restaurant in Iowa City, take great pride in planning and executing the dining experiences for the riders and their guests for the past few years.  Since food and Iowa pride are important to Team Cuisine, the chefs always factor in locally-produced Iowa meats and produce.  Chef Kurt is also an accomplished author who pens many books and culinary columns while Kim’s expertise extends into wines, champagnes and pottery.   

Not only might the smells in the neighborhood by delightful, but neighbors will hear some great music as well coming from a Team Cuisine gathering.  Backyard jam sessions featuring guitars and drums are daily occurrences, so the host’s neighbors are typically invited to join the fun of Team Cuisine.  To repay some of the generosity of their hosts, past year’s hosts are invited to join the team for dinner and socializing.  Most nights see 45-50 team members and guests, including a host family or two sharing great RAGBRAI memories of the past.

It is not just about the food though.  The team can ride and make sure that they only bring on new riders that understand the rules of the road and the event.  “We do our best to educate our new riders about what to expect on RAGBRAI,” states Osbolt.  Some riders from the team were spotted this year coming to the rescue of broken down cyclists and helping them repair their bikes so they could continue to ride.  “We just try to give back to a state and ride that is so generous.”  The team has also made generous financial contributions to Iowa non-profits including the RAGBRAI Dream Team.  

Congratulations to Team Cuisine on winning the 2011 Rider Cup!

 PAST RIDER CUP AWARD WINNERS
2010:  The Whiners
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