RAGBRAI 2012: Cyclists cool down in Lake View

After a hot day of cycling, an expanse of water was a welcome sight for cyclists pulling into the aptly named Lake View.

Dozens at a time ran awkwardly across the hot sand and into the water. Some had changed into swim suits. Others didn’t have them but couldn’t resist the lure of cooling off in the water. They plunged in wearing their biking clothes.

“It’s awesome,” said Eileen Forde, 30, of Chicago. “A+ for the lake.”

Areas along the route reached temperatures in the high 90s and hovered around 100 degrees in some areas Monday.

That heat, “was the motivation,” to enjoy the lake, Forde said.

“It was a good ride, but it got hot fast,” said Jason Woods, 38, Minneapolis. “I always enjoy routes where the host towns have lakes.”

Woods is on his sixth RAGBRAI and said he can recall several stops with lakes or rivers on previous years – but not all.

And even though the top layer of water was warm, swimmers said the water helped.

“We’ll let the wind dry us out, then if we’re still hot we’ll go back in,” Woods said.

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