As most of you know, I am a long-time RAGBRAI veteran.  My first time was back in 1978 (RAGBRAI VI).  And I have mentioned on several occasions that it was a video I saw in the summer of 1977 that documented the 1976 edition of RAGBRAI that finally got me off my duff and actively figuring out how to get onto the ride.

I have also been engaged in an ongoing — and so far fruitless — search for a copy of said documentary.

Well, about a week ago an ex-library VHS copy of this documentary turned up on eBay.  According to the description, it appears to be a non-professional copy of the documentary, possibly done by the library in question, and jibes with everything else I remember about the documentary in question except for the run-time — it’s given as a half-hour, and I would have sworn it was a full hour.  The description also stated that as far as the lister knew “this videotape might be the only private copy in existence of this 1977 documentary broadcast” — so of course I put a bid on it immediately.

I then immediately clammed up, not even mentioning it here.  After all, I didn’t need any of you guys bidding against me for it :wink: !!

The auction ended about a half-hour ago.  I was online for the last ten minutes of it.  Someone, I don’t know who, tried to overbid me for it with about fifteen minutes to go, but my maximum bid held up AND I WON IT!!!!  YEEEEE-HAAA!!!!

I’ve already sent the payment off to the seller in Iowa City, and will be planning a viewing session as soon as this thing is in my hot little hands.  I will then see about having it transferred to a DVD for preservation….and at that point (although I make no promises) may try to find some way to host it on a homepage so that this historic artifact is once again available to the cycling community.

-“BB”-