My old bike, a 1982 Trek 728 Touring frameset with friction shifting, granny gear set-up, my old platform pedals, etc, etc, will be taking me across Iowa this year if all goes well. It has some rust and needs a paint job but otherwise it is still (potentially) a smooth riding set of wheels. Am rebuilding it so it’ll be a retro ride for me this year…if it shifts when it is supposed to, etc. I’m leaving my 1992 Borthwick touring bike (a sweet ride) at home and giving it a rest if the Trek performs as expected. Wish me luck and and a smooth Trek ride for these old bones. Knees.

2015 Novara Randonee touring w/ Brooks B17 saddle. First time across Iowa for the bike and myself. Let the fun begin

This will also be our first RAGBRAI. The Mrs. will be riding a 2012 Trek Madone and I will be on a 2014 Trek Domane. Just put some new Hutch tires on each.
I also have an old 1984 Schwinn Le Tour with all original equipment. I wonder if I could do RAGBRAI on it. I have put thousands of miles on it over the years but the geometry is SOOOOOO different from the modern Trek I think it would just be too uncomfortable after the first 100 miles.

I’ll be riding my trusty 1976 Proteus,Campy components of course. Rode it on my first RAGBRAI in 1978.

Undecided… leaning toward my Lynskey R265, titanium, disc brakes and 28mm tubeless tires… best all around combination for gravel and paved road. But still thinking of my Felt F55, my Ritchey Breakaway steel cyclocross or my Ritchey Breakaway titanium/carbon road.. all three veterans of 2 or 3 RAGBRAI’s each. I keep the Felt at a cousin’s place in Iowa to ride when I’m back in Iowa for work… rode it this past week after a conference I was at in Dubuque… went to Graf (just west of Dubuque) and rode the Heritage Trail to Dyersville and back and up Potter Hill Road (for the first time since RAGBRAI XXXVIII, supposedly the toughest hill ever on the RAGBRAI route). It was certainly different than riding through the hundreds/thousands walking their bikes up the road.

Surly LHT fully loaded. No carbon, just good ol solid steel.