Hi Anne! I live in the northern suburbs. This will be my 3rd RAGBRAI. I rode in 2017 and 2018, decided to take a year off, turned into 2, and here we are! I have gone solo with the Register truck both times. It’s definitely doable and it’s an economic option. Also, you’re never truly alone on a ride like this.
I’d want to see the East-to-West ride follow a different route and go through different towns, with just the end towns being the same, creating a giant loop. That way, more towns would get the benefit, and the only town getting hit twice would be the starting town (and given how eager most riders are to leave once the ride is over, I’d assume it wouldn’t be as much of a burden the second time around.)
This would be an epic celebration of cycling. A lot of us have crossed Iowa on a bicycle, but how many have gone across and back? Not to mention the people who would choose one ride over the other due to schedule, route preference, etc. I like it!
Who else has the disposable income and/or the time to be able to take a week off to take part in something like this other than older people who are fairly well-settled in their life?
I actually think this is a lot of it, and probably part of the reason for lower women’s participation as well. I had my daughter when I was in my early 20’s, and most of my energy, free time, vacation time, money, etc. in my 20’s and 30’s went to taking care of a family. I’ve always ridden a bicycle around town, etc., but I wasn’t really able to put the time and energy into training for something like RAGBRAI until my daughter was grown up.
Also, there are fewer women in cycling in general, due to a variety of reasons. I live in an area with decent (for the US) cycling infrastructure, but it’s still not “safe” enough for a lot of women I know. I’ve never felt unwelcome as a woman on RAGBRAI or any organized group ride, but there have been some incidences with drivers, etc. in the past (catcalling, etc.) on rides by myself. A lot of that could be discouraging, especially for young women. If you don’t feel comfortable training, you won’t be able to do the ride.
* It would be cool if they coordinated the rides on consecutive weeks with one going west-to-east then the following week the other ride going east-to-west. The first one ends at the same town where the second one begins. Each being a different route. People can pick their preferred route or week. It should take some of the overflow pressure off a single ride. For people doing both weeks it would facilitate logistics.
This is a really intriguing idea. Goes to show that there are probably a lot of good ways to make two trans-Iowa rides work, but none of them are happening right now.
I was poking around on the Biking Across Kansas website, and back in the 90’s-early 00’s, they had three routes for the same ride on the same week. I assume that they were able to make that work.
I’d like to see Mom and Dad get back together, but, if they can’t, I’d like to see this done amicably.
And KenH’s best point, I like him think few care at all about the King issue. Especially as how it relates to a bicycle tour.
I’m from out of state, too, and I was wondering exactly how many people were upset by the King issue? And how many would still be so upset by next July? All we got here where I live was the initial feel-good story, and none of this weird controversy that followed. I certainly never expected the Carson King story to have anything to do with RAGBRAI beyond the fact that both are in Iowa.
Were TJ and the RAGBRAI staff inundated with complaints due to the connection with the Register? I see a few on this board, but not so many as to think that it would have affected rider numbers to any measurable degree (unless they were cleaned up?) Per his radio interview, TJ was happy with his job before this happened. Was this Carson King thing really enough to exercise such a nuclear option?
Per TJ on the latest “Just Go Bike” podcast, the posted distances are from city limit to city limit, and do not include the distance traveled within the towns/cities. Even in small towns, I would guess that extra distance can add up over the day and the entire route.
I was puzzled in the past that my Strava distance was so far off the official distance even when staying in the main campground and not taking detours, but, I suppose this explains it. The distance within towns isn’t counted. This wasn’t clear to me, and it appears others have been confused by this as well.
I bought this one last year. Worked well, loved the backpack straps, has a plastic coasting to keep moisture out in case it were to get rained on. I used an old army duffel bag the first year and found it much more awkward to carry by myself.
My total per Strava was 469.4 miles, stayed in the campground near the Register semis each time, no loops. The last day was 78.4 miles for me, the farthest one of all! I preferred last year’s shorter, if hillier, last day. Party had wound down in Davenport by the time I got in.
Speaking of last year, we were very close to the MN border at Cresco. A loop into MN wouldn’t have been out of the question. I remember wanting to do the Mpls. Star Tribune’s ride in the 90’s when I was a teen…finally got to fulfill that dream with RAGBRAI.
The noisiest campground was Brookside Park in Ames with the @#&!insects (cicadas?) I could hardly stand it, even with earplugs. Heard some hooting and hollering after midnight in Onawa, but was otherwise unbothered by humans. Long days in the saddle help me sleep like a rock. But those insects…I was about to go out of my mind.
I was looking for a water bottle fill in Soldier and was allowed to use the faucet inside the fire department, but I was a little surprised there wasn’t a filling station like other towns had. I only have 2017 to compare, but Day 1 this year did have a different vibe.
I had 10 extra miles the last day—78 miles per Strava, the longest day of all! I had been wondering if that happened to others. I camped by the RAGBRAI trailers. I also did some riding around Davenport at the end that accounted for an extra mile or so (but certainly not 10).
Sold and on its way :)
Hi Anne! I live in the northern suburbs. This will be my 3rd RAGBRAI. I rode in 2017 and 2018, decided to take a year off, turned into 2, and here we are! I have gone solo with the Register truck both times. It’s definitely doable and it’s an economic option. Also, you’re never truly alone on a ride like this.
I’d want to see the East-to-West ride follow a different route and go through different towns, with just the end towns being the same, creating a giant loop. That way, more towns would get the benefit, and the only town getting hit twice would be the starting town (and given how eager most riders are to leave once the ride is over, I’d assume it wouldn’t be as much of a burden the second time around.)
This would be an epic celebration of cycling. A lot of us have crossed Iowa on a bicycle, but how many have gone across and back? Not to mention the people who would choose one ride over the other due to schedule, route preference, etc. I like it!
I actually think this is a lot of it, and probably part of the reason for lower women’s participation as well. I had my daughter when I was in my early 20’s, and most of my energy, free time, vacation time, money, etc. in my 20’s and 30’s went to taking care of a family. I’ve always ridden a bicycle around town, etc., but I wasn’t really able to put the time and energy into training for something like RAGBRAI until my daughter was grown up.
Also, there are fewer women in cycling in general, due to a variety of reasons. I live in an area with decent (for the US) cycling infrastructure, but it’s still not “safe” enough for a lot of women I know. I’ve never felt unwelcome as a woman on RAGBRAI or any organized group ride, but there have been some incidences with drivers, etc. in the past (catcalling, etc.) on rides by myself. A lot of that could be discouraging, especially for young women. If you don’t feel comfortable training, you won’t be able to do the ride.
This is a really intriguing idea. Goes to show that there are probably a lot of good ways to make two trans-Iowa rides work, but none of them are happening right now.
I was poking around on the Biking Across Kansas website, and back in the 90’s-early 00’s, they had three routes for the same ride on the same week. I assume that they were able to make that work.
I’d like to see Mom and Dad get back together, but, if they can’t, I’d like to see this done amicably.
I’m from out of state, too, and I was wondering exactly how many people were upset by the King issue? And how many would still be so upset by next July? All we got here where I live was the initial feel-good story, and none of this weird controversy that followed. I certainly never expected the Carson King story to have anything to do with RAGBRAI beyond the fact that both are in Iowa.
Were TJ and the RAGBRAI staff inundated with complaints due to the connection with the Register? I see a few on this board, but not so many as to think that it would have affected rider numbers to any measurable degree (unless they were cleaned up?) Per his radio interview, TJ was happy with his job before this happened. Was this Carson King thing really enough to exercise such a nuclear option?
Per TJ on the latest “Just Go Bike” podcast, the posted distances are from city limit to city limit, and do not include the distance traveled within the towns/cities. Even in small towns, I would guess that extra distance can add up over the day and the entire route.
I was puzzled in the past that my Strava distance was so far off the official distance even when staying in the main campground and not taking detours, but, I suppose this explains it. The distance within towns isn’t counted. This wasn’t clear to me, and it appears others have been confused by this as well.
Heck yeah! I couldn’t do RAGBRAI this year, but I’ll be at Paul’s Bacon Ride this Saturday. Looking forward to it! ??
I bought this one last year. Worked well, loved the backpack straps, has a plastic coasting to keep moisture out in case it were to get rained on. I used an old army duffel bag the first year and found it much more awkward to carry by myself.
https://www.rei.com/product/884915/patagonia-black-hole-duffel-60l
My total per Strava was 469.4 miles, stayed in the campground near the Register semis each time, no loops. The last day was 78.4 miles for me, the farthest one of all! I preferred last year’s shorter, if hillier, last day. Party had wound down in Davenport by the time I got in.
Speaking of last year, we were very close to the MN border at Cresco. A loop into MN wouldn’t have been out of the question. I remember wanting to do the Mpls. Star Tribune’s ride in the 90’s when I was a teen…finally got to fulfill that dream with RAGBRAI.
The noisiest campground was Brookside Park in Ames with the @#&!insects (cicadas?) I could hardly stand it, even with earplugs. Heard some hooting and hollering after midnight in Onawa, but was otherwise unbothered by humans. Long days in the saddle help me sleep like a rock. But those insects…I was about to go out of my mind.
I was looking for a water bottle fill in Soldier and was allowed to use the faucet inside the fire department, but I was a little surprised there wasn’t a filling station like other towns had. I only have 2017 to compare, but Day 1 this year did have a different vibe.
I had 10 extra miles the last day—78 miles per Strava, the longest day of all! I had been wondering if that happened to others. I camped by the RAGBRAI trailers. I also did some riding around Davenport at the end that accounted for an extra mile or so (but certainly not 10).
Baggage truck campground wasn’t always much better (*ahem* Sigourney).