[quote quote=1313838]What happened to the forum topic on the IBC this morning?[/quote]
Weird huh?

I still have a “Rock Fest 1970/Bike Ride 1993” button from Wadena.

[quote quote=1313845]
Dubuque would be a logical end town. They usually do about an 8 year cycle and seem due.[/quote]

My heart wants RAGBRAI to kind of stick it to IR and start far away from where they are ending but my head says otherwise. I’m sticking with Le Mars to Bellevue.

[quote quote=1313838]What happened to the forum topic on the IBC this morning?[/quote]
My guess is that RAGBRAI wants to have IBC as an active partner in the future. While I agree that it’s a good idea to bring IBC back into the fold, I still stand behind my earlier statement about the IBC leadership.

There was another topic posted right under it which was nothing more than an advertisement for a video game. They pulled that down fast.

Maybe the IBC discussion was collateral damage. Early on in the TJ discussion they pulled 1 posting they felt was offensive but they also posted why. If that is the case, they should say so and why.

In any case, the leadership of IBC did what they did which angered their members. That is a fact. Now that they came back to Ragbrai, fine. But their members will decide who stays and goes on the board or if they have no free election, then members may leave.

One other effect of IBC returning is Ragbrai may again be involved in the Bacoon rides and other rides like that which IBC was involved in. It looked like those events were going to TJ, but maybe not. I’m from out of state so I never paid much attention to them.

At this point Ragbrai will welcome almost anybody back and just look forward to 2020.

That other guy is on his own.

The IBC thread was removed because it was harmful to Iowa bicycling and RAGBRAI. Harmful also is the at times wild speculation and continued rancor on this thread.

RIDE RIGHT

[quote quote=1313863]The IBC thread was removed because it was harmful to Iowa bicycling and RAGBRAI. Harmful also is the at times wild speculation and continued rancor on this thread.

RIDE RIGHT[/quote]

Do you know this for a fact, or is this speculation as well.

[quote quote=1313863]The IBC thread was removed because it was harmful to Iowa bicycling and RAGBRAI.[/quote]

Isn’t this a bit hyperbolic? How are opinions on a forum harmful? As lovers of all things RAGBRAI and all things cycling, don’t we deserve some answers in the thought process over at the IBC on why they felt the need to endorse a ride that hadn’t even started yet? Personally, I feel it was very short-sided. Am I happy about the IBC being back in the RAGBRAI fold? Yes. Am I skeptical about the IBC’s decision making? Yes. Do I think they need new leadership? Yes, this entire ordeal has me questioning the people who advocate for us in the state house. I believe the folks over at the IBC think they mean well, but I just don’t think they thought out what they did before they did it (24 hours). Do I like the idea of a second ride? Frankly, no. Not under the circumstances it was created. It created a divide in the cycling community and, from my recollection, no one on this forum did that. I applaud and welcome the new RAGBRAI leadership. Frankly, its a blessing in disguise. RAGBRAI is in need of new ideas and I feel the new leadership will bring a different perspective on how to cultivate those new ideas. We deserve to have people represent us who we feel have our best interests in mind. I just don’t feel the people with the IBC can do that now. Maybe they will do something to change my mind. I hope so. I’m eager to get passed all this and just ride my damn bike.

Plain to see that it is RAGBRAI promising change to the board of the IBC. That change includes the “transparency” spoken of by the new director. RAGBRAI is one week, not the entire bicycling calendar in Iowa. RAGBRAI does not go to the state legislature and advocate for bicycling, the IBC does. Two threads have been busted by the administrator on this forum in the last couple weeks which should tell some of you to change direction and post about RAGBRAI. Time in the saddle will heal all butthurt.

RIDE RIGHT

Well, Wadena would fit a northern route and tradition says we are due for one this year. The new leadership may say otherwise. I guess we will know in a little over a month? I now have someone I would like to visit in Charles City so that would fit well with Wadena. My desires have had little influence on previous year’s routing however although time has brought most of them to pass. Still on my list is Mount Pleasant, destination of my very first business trip as a fresh out of college Motorola RF engineer. I’m no longer at Motorola (who is?!) but still an RF engineer for maybe a couple more years, then a RETIRED RF engineer.

My hometown of Lytton, which sits on Historic Hwy 20 on the border of Sac and Calhoun counties has launched a campaign to be a pass-through town. The little town would be an outstanding stop on the 2020 ride. The Lytton Town Council unanimously passed a resolution of support. The Mayor of Lytton’s neighbor to the east, Sac City, also signed a proclamation supporting the addition of Lytton and Sac City to the route. Check out our Let’s Put Lytton on the RAGBRAI Map Facebook page…https://www.facebook.com/LyttonRAGBRAI/

I am going to compare the two routes, determine which one I like best, which fits my riding style and fits into my schedule. I will also examine the two routes side by side to see if there is any way to do a hybrid RAGBRAI/IR out and back so I can park my car and ride back to it. Once I can lay the two routes out, I will weigh the pros and cons of smaller vs larger ride, easterly vs westerly, and 3rd vs 4th week in July. Hell, I might even go with which jersey I like better as the tie breaker. At that point I will decide and commit. And a few months later, God willing and the creek don’t rise, I will ride it.

Either way, it’s a bike ride in Iowa. For me, it’s just that simple.

Am I the only one who is basing my decision this way, and not based on which side I took in a corporate squabble between two entities I’m not personally beholden to?

[quote quote=1313879]Am I the only one who is basing my decision this way, and not based on which side I took in a corporate squabble between two entities I’m[/quote]

Most riders on my team don’t have the luxury to spend 2 weeks in Iowa. A good portion of them travel from the east coast or south to meet up for the bus ride to Iowa requiring extra travel days. Airline and other reservations need to be confirmed.

We had to look at the logistics required as it was more than just a corporate squabble.

When both rides were going the same way on the same week we could have picked either. Team board members were in contact with both sides and there was considerable discussion.

When the upstart ride changed direction, weeks, and size expectations, there were concerns about safety, logistics and mixed motives. 95% voted to stay with Ragbrai.

2014 was the last time I rode RAGBRAI the full week. Since then I have rode a day or two when the route coursed northern or central Iowa. Easy as pie to buy a day pass or two. For me 2020 was the the year I was going the full week again simply because I can. Now the IR came about and overnights in my home town. I would love to ride the first IR and now I will, then turn around and do a full week of RAGBRAI. Greatest thing since sliced bread in my opinion.

Great plan thangamalang! I’m planning to do the same and it’s looking like there is going to be several of us that will be doing both rides.