Are there vendors who will carry your baggage/tens and set up the tens for you?
July 20 - 27, 2024
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Check out the charters page, however I will beat michrider to it and I would recommend Pork Belly Ventures
Yes, Mclousing is correct!!!!
http://pkbelly.com/
Thank you, looks good!
“Are there vendors who will carry your baggage/tens [sic] and set up the tens [sic] for you?”
“Is there a support company that offers hotels for each night and moves along personal gear?”
“Are there provisions for vegetarian/gluten-free meals?”
“What bands are going to be playing in the overnight towns, and why don’t they get ______________ to perform?”
“Why isn’t there more craft beer offered?”
“Do you think anyone would mind if I used an e-bike?”
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In light of questions like these, and the apparent mindset of today’s riders that this is just another week-long vacation where everything should run smoothly and without any unwanted stress, strain, or anything else that wold inconvenience the vacationer, I think that I am going to look into creating and running my own outfitting service next year. It’s going to be on the order of PBV or Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers, but with a couple of exclusive and important differences:
1) Of course we will carry your baggage, but we will not set up tents.
2) That’s because you will not need tents. All overnights will be in Holiday Inns or other similar accommodations; and if these are not available in the designated overnight towns our air-conditioned motorcoaches will make regular shuttle runs back and forth.
3) Some organizations provide meals; we will do that even better by having multiple options for meals including vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein, sodium-free, gourmet, kosher, and halal served at a designated mid-day buffet. In addition, we will have our own private snack stops at designated points along each day’s route where all snacks will be matched to the rider’s preferences (see the meal options above).
4) Craft beer will be provided. You may specify no more than three beers of choice, and we will guarantee at least two bottles of each (per person) will be iced down and available for your consumption at all rest stops as well as in your hotel rooms each night. Arrangements for other beverage service may be made as well.
5) We will provide the bicycles. Our clients will be given their choice of position on one of our specially-made triplet bikes, and we will match each person with two other cyclists (Cat 2 or above) so that the participant need not unduly concern themselves with the effort of actually pedaling the bike unless they choose to do so. A limited number of deluxe pedicabs featuring full wireless connectivity including built-in Bluetooth speakers for your listening convenience will be available on a reservation-only basis at extra cost; this cost will however include a special limited-edition custom jersey reading “OF COURSE I RODE ON RAGBRAI”.
I have yet to come up with a name, a logo, or a break-even price point as yet, but give me a couple of years and by the time RAGBRAI 50 comes around I should have completely revolutionized the RAGBRAI experience.
-“BB”-
One of the things that makes RAGBRAI so great is the fact that with 20k plus riders, each rider can make it his/her own unique experience however he/she chooses to.
There are riders who sleep in their own tents, in outfitter supplied tents, in team busses, in hammocks, on host family sofas, in RVs, in air-conditioned converted semi-trailers, and in some cases hotel rooms.
There are riders who haul their own gear on bike trailers or panniers, and people who use the DMR’s baggage service, and people who let outfitters haul their stuff.
There are riders who use shower trucks, portable sun showers, high-school gyms, or perhaps not at all.
There are road bikes, mountain bikes, fat bikes, recumbents, trikes, tandems, Eliptigos, penny farthings, and unicycles.
There is no single “only way” to do RAGBRAI. However they choose to experience this is their own personal business, and it’s fine with me. I’m just glad people are getting out there, getting healthy exercise and participating in this rolling community. Actually riding RAGBRAI is infinitely better than sitting at home, throwing around snark, and Monday morning quarterbacking how other people live their lives.
Beebs, sounds like you’re off your meds again!!!!
Beebs………..will the air-conditioned motorcoach be a luxury air-conditioned motorcoach? And could there be arrangements for manicurist and pedicurist services on that motorcoach? And could the seat on the john in the air-conditioned motorcoach be heated? I just hate a cold motorcoach potty seat!
As for a name I think “J.D. Rockefeller Outfitters” might be appropriate and use dollar signs as a logo. $$$$$$$$$$$
RIDE RIGHT We hope you are having fun back in the Coulees!
These requests and suggestions will be taken under consideration.
If you aren’t having fun, then why play at all?
-“BB”-
BB – Will you have recharging facilities available for my electric bike? You don’t say but given your level of service I would expect that you will.
I’m Ok with putting up and taking down my own tent. It’s only a 5 minute process.
However, a service that I haven’t seen offered yet is for someone to carry my Garmin, so that it can record the ride, and then I get credit for the ride on Garmin Connect and on Strava. That way I can amaze my friends and fluff up my mileage totals without having to worry about heat, headwinds, hills and whether to ride the Karras Loop or not.
Editing Note: The above comment is a bad hijack of the original thread. I blame it on the fact we are setting records for rainfall in North Texas and I haven’t been able to ride my bike lately.
May I suggest umbrella service to provide shelter for me while riding on those hot sunny days or occasional cold rainy days ?
How about “line waiting” service so that I don’t have to wait for pancakes, kybos or showers ?
Heck, after 22 years of “roughing it”, maybe I should just hire someone to experience RAGBRAI for me !!!
RAGBRAI Veterans, I’m thinking about using Pork Belly Ventures. I haven’t slept in a tent in a long time. If I can find an inflatable mattress that will fit in a tent…..Should I do it. Or is that a bad idea? May sound like a dumb question but I’m getting older and sleeping on the ground is not so easy. Thanks
Patrick
Hell yes, PBV is the way to go! I use an inflatable (single) mattress. It’s a great way to do RAGBRAI! Tammy, Pete and crew do a great job!!!
Michrider: Can I get a double to squeeze into the tent to share with my wife? Also does your mattress have the inflater already embedded into mattress….I guess you walk over to the outlet…Inflate and cary to tent? Thanks….I’m trying to get my group locked so I can reserve a spot with PBV. I hope they don’t book up soon.
You could squeeze in a double mattress but there wouldn’t be much room left! I use a battery operated pump to inflate. I buy a $25 mattress at KMart and it lasts for several years. PBV has a trailer for recharging your electronic toys!