I’ve done 9 ragbrais and several karas loops. While I like the tribute, I think 105 miles is a stretch for a first time ragbrai rider. Ragbrai has been notorious for underestimating elevation changes on prior rides. So I take this flat ride with some suspicion. Also weather conditions can play a big role in the level of difficulty. You can have strong head winds no matter which direction you ride. Extremely hot days are possible or a bad thunderstorm can mix things up. On my first ragbrai I had all the problems mentioned for under prepared riders. There will be lots of riders who will have difficulty doing 105 miles. There should be some way for those people to ride a less stressful ride. After all this is supposed to be a fun ride.