If the plans for Iowa’s Ride actually do not precede the whole King issue, I think there could be a chance of a reconciliation here if both sides would try. The Register has to reach out first, maybe through an arbitrator. The Register went too far trying to control the RAGBRAI director’s communications. And the director went too far getting the whole staff to walk and start their own ride the same week no less. And any lawsuit is not likely to go in Iowa’s Ride’s favor. So maybe agree mistakes were made on both sides (ignore who made the 1st one) and bring the entire staff back. It would be what is best for RAGBRAI and its riders.
If of course this was just an excuse to create their own ride, well, not a good thing. And the whole King deal has nothing to do with RAGBRAI. Which if I understand it correctly, was what TJ was trying to communicate but the PR firm thought ignoring the King issue was a good idea. That would not have happened, not in Iowa. Maybe on the east coast. Now, LET’S RIDE!
74 Replies
I agree with everything you have said. I feel that coming back together is the only way to save any ride in Iowa in July.
And let’s start swamping the Register with emails suggesting a real reconciliation effort. 1 Iowa, 1 ride!
For those who feel that TJ’s decision to schedule Iowa’s Ride at the same time as RAGBRAI was bad form and spiteful, here is a consideration. Most of the RAGBRAI community plans a year in advance around the last week in July. Weddings are scheduled away from this time, vacation time is secured well in advance, conferences are juggled, family expectations are set, etc.. I know of small business that shut down completely for the week because most of the office rides. And this is true for both 20,000 riders, but also for charters, and countless volunteers. For TJ to schedule the first one during a week that nobody had already set aside would be putting his new venture at a severe disadvantage. Sorry, but business is a contact sport, and as long as there is no breach of contract or laws broken, all is fair. TJ saw a window of opportunity and took it. If the DMR screwed the pooch on this and have to pay the price, so be it.
That said, I do feel that after 2020, if both rides are going to coexist, it might be a good idea for Iowa’s Ride to pick a different week, but that will depend on lots of things.
Not saying it was bad form but a new ride maybe could have been 2nd or 3rd on the list of ideas. And both sides over reacted.
I say let’s not give up on “1 Iowa, 1 Ride”. And get the 2 sides to at least try and reconcile for the sake of the riders.
Let’s swamp the register with emails asking for a reconciliation effort. Share email addresses to contact on this thread. The only one I have currently is info@ragbrai.com. There has to be some at the Register
This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by
mootsman.
This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by
mootsman.
You don’t put out a fire by dumping more gasoline on it. TJ and his staff are giving the Register the finger by planning IR during RAGBRAI week and, in all likelihood, in the same part of the state. The last thing we cyclists want to do is burn our precious time off and be forced to pick sides. Nobody wins here and small communities will suffer.
I differ with some of the particulars above but I wholeheartedly agree that we riders should make an effort to get the two to reconcile. The Church is not well served by having two Popes, history will back me up on that! I have already written to both parties to urge them to reconcile in some fashion that results in a single ride. I urge the rest of you to do the same, but be polite and even handed.
I wrote to:
Hunter, Carol chunter@registermedia.com
TJ? fun@iowasride.com
If you want to use other addresses that is fine. Carol Hunter is the Register’s editor. The other is the only address I have for TJ or Iowa’s Ride. I have yet to receive a reply from TJ’s group but Carol Hunter replied within a couple of hours. She made no commitment to follow up on my suggestion but I would not expect any movement from either party based on the input of one random rider. If the effort is to have any weight behind it many more of you will have to lend your voices to the call for reason.
Remember:
Be Polite
Be Even Handed
Great idea – http://chng.it/YmMhWcWdBy
There’s more to this story…
Please listen to the KXNO interview to get more information on the situation.
https://kxno.iheart.com/content/2019-10-16-former-ragbrai-director-discusses-resignation-and-new-ride/
– The Register wanted to fire half of the RAGBRAI staff
– TJ worked without pay to keep the ride going.
– TJ and staff chose the third week in July because that’s when people make plans to travel to Iowa, it was not organized that way for spite. If you lived in Florida, would you come to Iowa twice to ride? The date is good positioning for a new venture.
– The new ride intends to donate all proceeds to charities that are in Iowa– has the Register ever released how many pennies from each dollar are donated? If they have, I’ve never seen it.
My impression this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Taking sides is not productive. Instead of advocating for or against one side or the other, let’s advocate what is best for the riders. Which is 1 ride. No splitting resources that can only be a negative for both.
Let’s email the Register for some reconciliation meetings and have 1 ride.
KenH, Thanks for the email address.
Now let’s fill those inboxes! “1 Iowa, 1 Ride!”
This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by
mootsman.
This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by
mootsman.
Maybe one ride can be for E-Bikers and the other ride can be for the tough guys that can do it on their own! 🙂
Oh please, like it that hard to ask your boss for a different week. And the fact that IR is planned to go through Northern Iowa tells me its in spite. Everyone except Carson King has shown how imature and petty they are. If the two rides to reconcile then both rides will suffer and its going to get a whole lot worse. Its already turning into a political type **** show. I can only imagine what it will be like if there is 2 rides at the same time… name calling, us vs them mentality, etc.
I totally agree! 1 Iowa, 1 Ride We owe it to the legacy of RAGBRAI to try and get this resolved. This is a nightmare! Imagine the conflicts it’s going to create for vendors, charters, law enforcement, etc. In lieu of getting a resolution, I think we need to elicit as much support for RAGBRAI as possible. I’m going to contact my charter and let them know my preference. If anyone else charters, or knows vendors (Mr Pork Chop, the Medicine Man, etc.), I think it would be a good idea to let them know that many of us want RAGBRAI to successfully continue. I’m neither condemning nor defending any of the parties involved here. Seems to me there were mistakes made on both sides, but please – can’t we LET IT GO and get past it?!! Any other suggestions are welcome!
Level-headed and thoughtful idea, Mootsman. I agree, and I’m onboard. I suspect that most riders really just want to be with all of the other riders (close friends, family, awesome acquaintances made over the many years on the RAGBRAI). Because of this, it seems likely that one of the two rides is going to get the lion’s share of registrants while the other sputters, and current sentiment suggest that neither ride currently has the clear upper hand. For the sake of the RAGBRAI, Iowa’s Ride, and all of the riders, reconciling and having only one ride is probably best for everyone.
I can almost here the phone call.
-SP: Hello, State Patrol
-DR: Hi, I’m from RAGBRAI and we’d like to have your permission and assistance on these days
-SP: TJ called and we already gave him that.
-DR: That was for a different ride, we’re asking on behalf of RAGBRAI.
-SP: What! We thought TJ was asking for RAGBRAI.
And the conflict becomes obvious at that point.
I find it interesting that people defend the date for Iowa’s Ride based on people’s 2020 vacation schedules. Why does the first Iowa’s Ride have to be in 2020? The first annual event can be any year. The second annual event needs to be next year, but the first can be set so people can plan. Picking a date in 2021 gives people a chance to line up their vacations upto a year in advance.
The Iowa’s Ride facebook page and domain was set up 10/4/19, 11 days before the resignation.
I have no inside information about all the actions taken by the new ride, but I wouldn’t want to defend that kind of behaviour in a lawsuit over the new event.