Looking for a ride to Des Moines Saturday 30th, need to get Airport by 4 or before

This reply was modified 10 months, 3 weeks ago by Jim Flaherty.

Hey, Andrea, I just received a regular email that said the participant guide would be emailed to us in multiple pieces (instead of us getting a printed copy). This is a Bad Idea — electronic is OK, but big graphics files like that would repeatedly crash and disable the email of those of us who have limited size accounts, and some of those files will likely be lost in the process, too.

Also note that not everyone has access to a full color printer, so black & white versions might be handy.

Would you please speak to those in charge, and ask that they email only the URL LINKS to those big files, which would be posted on a webpage? That way, we could easily download them without getting crashed.

Also, it would be helpful if a single page of the bare basics were printed and included in each packet — easy to fold up and carry on the bike. Info I’d like to see include the overview route map, estimated distances, and the times when SAG and pass through town facilities are fully open. After all, even the best electronics might die, and some physical marker signs along the route might get ruined.

Thank you!

@helenp great points on the participant guide and I have passed your notes on to the team! RE: the bare basics printout – all of the info you noted there is included in the printed fold-up maps that you can find at our merchandise trailers during the week of the ride. Thank you!

While we’re on the topic of papers, I hope my earlier suggestion got through — that route marker signs have the distinctive colors on the back sides, too (e. g., just print ’em on colored paper instead of white). That way, it’s much easier to regain the route from the opposite direction when a turn is missed.

I can pass on this suggestion but I think it will be a tougher sell – we have a LOT of those signs already printed and ready to go. They’re actually not on paper they’re on a special plastic board that stands up to weather. It’s something we could look into down the road but like I said we’ll need to use the ones we have first.

Andrea,
I too suggest easier to see/understand signs. I mentioned this years ago. The current “arrow” signs look like little box houses. I have to get really close to tell which direction they point because the tip is so shallow, and the signs are square. They should be rectangular at least. If the existing signs ever wear out please consider simple arrows. For the cycling route, the whole sign should be day-glow orange with a long taper for the tip. Current signs have the word bicycle printed on them in such small print that I can’t read it from my bike. If that is for the people who put up the signs, then that could be on the back. If you have as many as you say, then could you put up two signs side by side at each turn? Thank you.

This reply was modified 10 months, 3 weeks ago by LawnchairMan.

RE: route arrows – I’m asking this out of curiosity not trying to be grumpy – how often do you really lose the route/get lost on RAGBRAI? If you do so, what time of day is it? Are the maps and GPS files helpful to you or do you prefer to navigate by signs only? Admittedly it has been since 2011 that I was able to ride the actual week-of RAGBRAI. But at that time it seemed nearly impossible to become lost due to the number of riders on the course from 6am – 6pm. Trying to gauge how big of an issue this is. Thank you!

Those of us who are slower cyclists may spend much of the ride with just our team. In one case, similar small group(s) missed a turn and we, following them, went off route, too. Since the signs were “invisible” from the opposite direction, it took a while to find the route again. It was clear weather with full sunlight at the time, and one to two dozen riders were involved. When tired & hot, pedaling with head down, it’s also easy to not look up at the right time — signs are higher than the pavement & riders. We use everything: signs, maps, GPS, other riders, residents’ advice, etc.

Perhaps (very fat) permanent magic marker pens could be used to hand draw an arrow on the back of turn signs when they’re being posted — inexpensive and easy.

Maybe on the front side, too. We also found the current graphics difficult to read from a bike.

Thanks! :-D

Andrea,
Thank you for listening to us about the signs. It sounds, though, like you are saying that the signs are not used. If that is true then why put them up?
I do go early, and one time six others and I missed a sign it was in the morning twilight. Another time (full daylight), in Elkhorn, I saw riders coming toward me and thought they had done the Karras loop backwards, so I went the way they came. Another time in full daylight I saw riders turning, but I thought they were stopping for snacks as there was a large crowd there. I went straight and others followed me off course. I almost missed another sign, but I knew the basic route and realized I should have turned just a few feet after passing the sign. I circled and found the sign. That was near the end of a flat course and I was by myself if not in front of everybody.
Since I ride a recumbent I can’t read maps on my handlebars from my layback riding position. Now I spend a lot of time memorizing the route. I not only sketch out the roads and label them from memory, but I also use Google street view and try to memorize landmarks at all the turns. So, I don’t look for the signs anymore, but if they were obvious, it would help.
So please, if you put up signs, make them noticeable, make them useful. As another poster said, somebody has to be the first rider.

This reply was modified 10 months, 3 weeks ago by LawnchairMan.

I’m looking for a weeklong rider wristband. Text to: 765 four-nine-one 0305. Thanks

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on the signs. I’ve passed on your comments to our signage team. For the purposes of this post, let’s try to redirect this conversation to just the subject of posting to the forum. If anyone would like to chat further about signs, or anything else, please feel free to direct message me.

Hi Andrea. How do I revise or delete a post once it has been created? Thanks!

I am looking for a week long pass for my RV and a week long pass for a driver.

I have a week-long rider pass for sale and an extra-large men’s kit. I have them in my possession and can ship immediately!

Selling two(2) full week wrist band $100 each.