Big Bird's Adventures

My take away from this year’s edition should be a “What did I learn?” take away, and not a “What didn’t I like?” or a “What can I complain about?” post as I have read some summaries on the Ragbrai Facebook page, and to be honest, some of those posts seem like complaints to me.

I think one thing we have to agree upon first, is that this year was different. I haven’t even done this even before and even I can tell that it couldn’t possibly have been like this every year for 50 years. I did do it with some folks who have done it before, and more than once, and one of their general observations about Ragbrai was that the average age of participants was rising every year. Reading between the lines, that means that Ragbrai needs new blood, and that old farts like me are not, and should not be the target audience. I am glad that our group included 4 23-something young women and 3 early 30 ish young men, so that is something.

Also the number of riders this year was way more than normal, and that affects everything. That affects the experience on the road, in all the host towns that we not only stay in, but the ones we pass through, as well as all the between town stops like Mr. Pork Chop, the Craft Beer Tents, Beekman’s Ice Cream, and all the people along the way. The number of riders on the road was something I have never experienced before either, so I think that goes for everyone.

So, what did I learn?
1. I knew Iowa was not flat, but Iowa is not flat, nor does the wind blow from West to East. In 7 days I don’t think it ever blew from the West.
2. Iowa is humid, and because of that, your stuff just won’t dry out, so, where I could get away with drying my kit out on Ride the Rockies, I need dry shorts for every day. That caused me issues, and that was all on me.
3. I am a Vegan, or perhaps it is safer to say that I try hard to stick to a Vegan diet, and the number of vendors that offered Vegan options was very limited. Now, in another year, perhaps it would be easier to investigate more options in the towns, as in local businesses, but it was so hot this year, and the towns were so crowded, that I just wanted to eat something, and get back on my bike to beat the heat, and so I may have missed some gem opportunities in many of the pass-through towns.
4. Maybe, a bigger tent. My backpacking tent is pretty small, and that limits me. I am 64, and could use a wee bit more room.
5. A small tarp to throw over my stuff, including my bike, and maybe some stakes to secure that to protect both from weather, assuming my solution to 4 isn’t a tent so large I just move all that shit inside.
6. Take my bike to an authorized place for a full tune-up. I threw new tires on, and maybe a new chain, but the issue I had were my disc-brake pads. I had to replace them on day 1, and that first mechanic didn’t true up my front rotor, and that wore out the new pad such that 3 days later, the mechanic attached to Brancel had to replace that again, and he trued up my rotor, and all was good after that. Thank you.
7. Time to get a new rolling duffel, and maybe even make that waterproof. My old one is shot.
8. Spend more time stopping to see the locals along the route.
9. Spend more time in the pass through towns and in the local businesses in those towns.
10. Ride my bike more

That seems like a good start.

Tagged: Bicycle Touring, Cycling, Cycling Suffering, Iowa, Ragbrai L