Meet the Register's RAGBRAI coverage team

The thousands of bicyclists descending on Sioux City today will be joined by the RAGBRAI news team from The Des Moines Register.

Most of the team – the photographers, a videographer and two reporters – will do their best to keep up by vehicle. Michael Morain and Grant Schulte will be among you on the ride (and also keeping up, we hope).

Got a story on the ride? Look for our team members wearing Des Moines Register News Team shirts.

Grant Schulte

Courts reporter

Grew up in: Iowa City

How you trained for RAGBRAI: Training?

What you’re looking forward to on the ride: Steaks, on Mama Register.

For me to want to write about you, you must: Carry my laptop.

Michael Morain

Arts reporter

Grew up in: I have two words for you: Ames, Iowa.

How you trained for RAGBRAI: Five walking tacos and five slices of pie each day since April.

Most memorable RAGBRAI experience: Two years ago, the owner of a Searsboro bar and grill known for its pork tenderloins wrapped one up and waited for hours by the road, hoping to give it to Lance Armstrong. When he finally raced by, without even a nod, she was so mad she nearly threw it at him.

For me to want to write about you, you must: Never play “Sweet Home Alabama” from your bike stereo. Never. Never. Never.

Travis Graven

Assistant editor – multimedia

Grew up in: Rippey

Most memorable RAGBRAI experience: I’ll say watching proud riders dip tires in the Mississippi at the end of the ride. Heck, even I feel a great sense of accomplishment after driving a Register car across the state.

What you’re looking forward to on the ride: Little-to-no sleep; familiarizing myself with every single gravel road and county/state highway that intersects with this year’s route; sweating off a few pounds, which I will promptly put back on by sampling every rhubarb pie I come across; and, of course, meeting a lot of fun, interesting people.

For me to want to shoot video of you, you must: Ask nicely and offer food or drink (preferably a piece of rhubarb pie). Or, say or do something that is fun/interesting/unusual, or wear something crazy.

Christopher Gannon

Photographer

Grew up in: Des Moines

What would it take to get you to ride RAGBRAI: It would take a bike with several camera mounts. Maybe an endless supply of sweet corn and pie for energy.

Most memorable RAGBRAI experience: It is impossible to forget the crazy good times in each day’s pass-through towns. Stuff like Kybo roulette, kilt-wearing riders and whirls from Team Spin.

What you’re looking forward to on the ride: The world-class friendliness of it all. RAGBRAI is the ultimate feel-good event. Everywhere you turn, folks are smiling, laughing, relaxing. Melting away life’s stresses.

For me to want to photograph you, you must: Just make a spectacle, and I’ll find you.

Cynthia Reynaud

Reporter

Grew up in: Billings, Mont.

What would it take to get you to ride RAGBRAI: Someone volunteering to let me ride on their handlebars.

What you’re looking forward to on the ride: Meeting interesting people, exploring quaint Iowa towns and not getting lost on the back roads (I’ll be the one with 10 maps in the car).

For me to want to write about you, you must: Be really nice. Or really weird.

Regina Zilbermints

Reporter intern

Grew up in: West Des Moines

What would it take to get you to ride RAGBRAI: Time to train, also known as retirement.

What you’re looking forward to on the ride: Interviewing people wearing kilts while eating pie and getting lost on county roads.

For me to want to write about you, you must: Tell me why you’re awesome. You must also actually be awesome. Kilts and feathered boas help.

Rodney White

Senior photographer

Grew up in: Pleasantville

Most memorable RAGBRAI experience: Riding the second ride – SAGBRAI with my brother and mom and 1,200 others when I was 10 on a Huffy 10-speed from Gambles Hardware in Pleasantville.

Justin Hayworth

Photographer

Grew up in: Wichita, Kan.

What you’re looking forward to on the ride: I think it’s fun to explore new places and meet new people and it’s impossible to not do that covering RAGBRAI.

For me to want to photograph you, you must: Be doing something just a little different than all the other people or you have to be in the right place at the right time as I find interesting light or a great composition to make a unique photo.

Mary Chind

Photographer

Grew up in: Iola, Wis.

What would it take to get you to ride RAGBRAI: The right group of people and time off work.

What you’re looking forward to on the ride: Visiting with the locals.

For me to want to photograph you, you must: Stand out from the crowd in some way or be having a great time.

Andrea Melendez

Photographer

Grew up in: Essex

Most memorable RAGBRAI experience: The year I did a photo page and a Soundslides on pie. It was fun to listen to people talk about their pie.

For me to want to photograph you, you must: Just be doing something different. It is all about having fun and I like to show that in my photographs.

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