hnschipper
- Active 2 months, 2 weeks ago
hnschipper replied to the topic Training partners in the KC area? in the forum RAGBRAI XLVII – 2019 2 months, 2 weeks ago
The Cycling KC Facebook group has a calendar of lots of rides in the metro area, geared towards different skill levels.
hnschipper replied to the topic Tag-A-Long/Trail-A-Bike Recommendations? in the forum Miscellaneous 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Follow up: I found a used WeeHoo trailer on Craig’s List, and bought the nephew bike shorts and a jersey for his birthday. We’ve taken our first ride, and he LOVES it! He keeps telling me we need to train for RAGBRAI. When we were on our first ride, he told me it was good I had him along because he pushed us up the hills. We made it 13.7 miles our…[Read more]
hnschipper replied to the topic 2018 Recap in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 4 months, 3 weeks ago
We camped at a park in Ames where there wasn’t a single other person. It was the best. Had the whole park to ourselves.
hnschipper replied to the topic Thinking ahead to 2019 … in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 1 week ago
My very first RAGBRAI (XXVI in 1998) included the longest day I have ridden on RAGBRAI without doing the loop – Cedar Falls to Monticello, official mileage was 92 miles. I had a few extra getting to and from camp.
hnschipper replied to the topic Thinking ahead to 2019 … in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 1 week ago
The last time we ended in LeClaire, there was a section of the route fairly close to the interstate. The bike traffic was moving faster than the traffic on the I-80. It was a mess.
hnschipper replied to the topic Input sought: road safety, campground quiet in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 1 week ago
In my 17 RAGBRAI’S, campground quiet has never been enforced. I don’t expect this to change. I agree with what Mootsman posted above – don’t expect RAGBRAI to change for you. You’ll need to change your expectations.
hnschipper replied to the topic Input sought: road safety, campground quiet in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 1 week ago
We have been fortunate to have a support driver each year, so we never stay in the main campground. We always opt for the quiet campground if there is one. I’m a white noise sleeper and not having white noise (i.e. my fan) makes sleeping difficult for me. Yes, I have a battery operated fan, but it does not produce near enough white noise. A g…[Read more]
hnschipper replied to the topic wood bikes in the forum Miscellaneous 5 months, 1 week ago
There is a picture of the wood bike in the RAGBRAI photo gallery from day 2.
hnschipper replied to the topic The Purgatory of the Loess in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 1 week ago
Looking through the RAGBRAI photo gallery from day 1, you were not the only one walking up hills on the gravel loop.
hnschipper replied to the topic Gauging interest in a different "charter" type service. in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 3 weeks ago
While I would sleep much better in a hotel room than I would in my tent, I would not be willing to spend that kind of money for this service. Too cost prohibitive for my husband and myself. We usually have our own support driver, so if we really wanted to stay in hotels, we would just drive ourselves there.
hnschipper replied to the topic 1st Week Long Ragbrai – Solar Chargers in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 3 weeks ago
I use a battery pack to charge my phone. It was fully charged when we left and it lasted me all week. I also keep my phone in airplane mode while riding to conserve the battery, and I turn it off completely at night.
hnschipper replied to the topic Location of Bike in the forum Miscellaneous 5 months, 3 weeks ago
I believe the sag wagon comes along and picks up any bikes that were left after an accident (these are the bikes you see with the bright pink ribbon tied to them and no riders with them.) I don’t know what happens to the bikes from there.
hnschipper replied to the topic Day 1 was boring:empty countryside in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 3 weeks ago
The “boring, empty countryside” is one of the draws of RAGBRAI for me. I grew up in Iowa, and think it’s a beautiful state, and I have seen more of it on RAGBRAI than I ever did while living in Iowa. Vendors being out in the country between towns aren’t what makes the ride fun for me. I had no trouble finding water bottle fill stations in pass…[Read more]
hnschipper replied to the topic Pork Belly Ventures – Terrible this year in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 3 weeks ago
As far as camping locations go, what did you expect in towns the size of the overnight towns this year? Ames and Iowa City are bigger, but the rest are small towns with very limited space. I’m not sure where you expected a charter the size of PBV to camp in those towns. If you want to be closer to the action, go with a smaller charter.
hnschipper replied to the topic Traffic control in Davenport abysmal in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 3 weeks ago
The Bix has been around almost as long as RAGBRAI. It’s a huge deal in Davenport. I don’t think Davenport should host both on the same day – too much for a town even the size of Davenport. RAGBRAI will always take second fiddle to the Bix.
We waited for 45 minutes in the line to dip our tires. Probably the longest we’ve ever waited in my 17 rides…[Read more]
hnschipper replied to the topic Fiasco in Sigourney in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 5 months, 3 weeks ago
I asked Sigourney prior to RAGBRAI if they would have a designated quiet campground. The answer was Legion Park (where the pool was located.) Interestingly enough, it was not designated as a quiet campground on the map. When we arrived, it was very clear it was in no way a quiet campground. Fortunately, those camping close to us were very quiet…[Read more]
hnschipper replied to the topic Day 2-7 day pass For Sale in the forum RAGBRAI XLVI – 2018 6 months ago
Sorry to hear you won’t be able to finish. If you’ve worn your wristband/attaches the bike bans to your bike, they can’t be re-used.
hnschipper replied to the topic Tire availability in the forum Miscellaneous 6 months ago
Is your charter recommending a tire or a tube? I’ve had to have a tire replaced once on RAGBRAI, but a bike shop was able to accommodate that. I carry a spare tube in my bike bag, but have never brought a spare tire.
hnschipper replied to the topic Suggestions for Hotel campers? in the forum Miscellaneous 6 months ago
Iowa City probably has a city bus system – if a RAGBRAI shuttle doesn’t get you close, is there a city bus that would?
hnschipper replied to the topic Suggestions for Hotel campers? in the forum Miscellaneous 6 months ago
Does the shuttle run anywhere close to your hotels? I would not want to cart all my camping gear on my bike.