RAGBRAI

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Comment by Craig S. on March 4, 2010 at 4:03pm

Everyone can use some occasional guidance. My first day of my first ride in 1997. Missouri Valley to Red Oak. 82 miles of fantastic weather, great hills (I actually really like hills) and I rode solo, not knowing any better, and was in my team's campsite probably around 12:30. Spent the better part of the next 4 hours staring at our decrepit yet wonder driver, wondering what the hell I just did and where was everyone else? Turns out they were out on the road having fun.

Ragbrai is a traveling city for 30,000 bikes loving fools, traipsing across the great state of Iowa for a week, you can make that ride anything you want out of it. You can get in early and hang out in camp and meet the townsfolk. You can ride in the back of the pack which, I've done once and I saw things I never want to see again. You can hang out on the road which I like to do as you'll gain a sense as to when a naked beer slide is about to break out and those are not be missed.

Comment by KatieP on March 4, 2010 at 3:26pm

Craig and Daniel - you're Ragbrai gurus! I'm happy there are friendly chainlinkers who will guide me down the right path - albeit a path laden with turkey legs, pork chops and liquor. It's the best kind of advice!

Comment by Craig S. on March 4, 2010 at 3:04pm

Fat Kat? I live right around the corner in Ravenswood. Is this a planning session for Kelly's team only or can anyone, like myself, invite themselves over?

Aaron, I am claiming the FNG Defense. I've never explored the calendar on this site and when I first saw your event it mentioned euchre which I don't play. I could pop down and contribute to the in-stock suds, where is it exactly?

The ride this year will be all about vodka, no beer, unless the situation demands, as in free beer.

Tender Tom's. I think I'm one of the few riders who can't stand turkey legs nor Tender Tom's. If whatever group I'm riding with for the day wants to stop, I'll usually have a Gatorade until we move on, otherwise I don't stop there.

I've also never stopped for Pastafarian. That outfit is always on the side of the road, in the tall grass of a ditch and I have rules about stopping on the side of road.

I'll stop on the side of the road for Mr. Porkchop.
I'll stop for a cornfield, if the need arises.
I'll stop for free beer; which does happen quite a bit, gotta keep your eyes open and be in the right place at the right time because the Fun Haters - Iowa State Patrol and the RAGBRAI organization - shut down free beer stands at the side of the road.

Comment by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on March 4, 2010 at 1:04pm

And pie.

And more pie.

And beer.

Comment by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on March 4, 2010 at 1:04pm

+10 on Mr. Pork Chop
+20 on Turkey Tom

And gotta get a breakfast burrito from Farmer Brothers.

Comment by Daniel Law on March 4, 2010 at 12:38pm

Pistola,

I have used Out-Of-Staters (OOS) twice and they are great! Its a family run operation and Tim (The Head Dude In Charge) really cares about your experience. There are other more expensive outfits out there but you really can't go wrong with OOS.

To address the huge charter issue brought up by Craig, OOS is not huge. Pork Belly yes... But not OOS. I've gotten in late with OOS before (I'm a terrible terrible climber... I swear my gut has its own gravitational field) and still found a nice quiet spot just fine. Last year, they even had managed to procure camp sites where it was JUST them.

The biggest thing to remember is that RAGBRAI is all about the "hardships". Whats the point of doing it if there wasn't a little adventure in it? :D Besides, you want stories to tell when you get back. keke

Oh, and like someone said earlier, you GOTTA get a pork chop from Mr. Pork Chop early in the day but you GOTTA get a turkey leg from Turkey Tom later in the day too. GOTTA!

Comment by Aaron Bussey on March 4, 2010 at 11:36am

craig I have a fridge full of canadian beer looking for drinkers tonight - the event is posted on the calendar if you are interested

Comment by Craig S. on March 4, 2010 at 11:28am

Pistola,

I had a friend from Indianapolis use Out of Staters before and her experience was pretty good.

If you can get to Dubuque, Pork Belly Ventures are pretty good when their buses are on time. If you can get to the Quad Cities, try going with Quad Cities Bike Club. Just be aware that these charter services are huge, they throw your baggage on a fleet of Ryder rental trucks and you need to get in early in the day, sift through the mountains of bags so you can find a decent spot in their campgrounds. You don't want to be camping by their kybos. Problem with getting in early is you miss a lot of fun out on the road.


If your group is big enough to offset the cost, you may want to do like Kelly is doing and rent a passenger van and trailer here. You'll need a vehicle pass to get into the campgrounds if you go this route.

Ragbrai charter services http://ragbrai.com/index.php/about/charter-services/

Comment by pistola on March 4, 2010 at 11:03am

I'm a first timer as well and am really excited. This'll be my first supported tour as well. I signed up with a group, now we just have to figure out how to get to Sioux City with our bikes and back home to Chicago, any suggestions? I heard good things about using OutofStaters. Anyone here used them before?

Comment by Craig S. on March 4, 2010 at 10:56am

Daniel,

You've heard all the stories then if friends are vets.

I must be blind as I didn't see any mention of drinx tonight at 7 on this thread. Where?

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