Ragbrai 2016

Every year I say the same thing - this is my last year. I said it in 2015 and here we are 2016 and I'm riding the whole week again. The only thing I can say about this year was holy crap it was hilly....10,000 foot climb throughout the week, one of the hilliest on record and it was TOUGH! I had more bike problems this year than ever before and it was definitely the hardest year I'd even ridden.

This year I went only because my good friend Renee wanted to ride. She trained at least 1000 miles...I maybe did 400 which is probably why I struggled! We rode with the team Moving Violations which I had found the previous year in a cycling groups facebook page. We had a great time! There was some drama amongst some of the team members...but I'm pretty low key so didn't bother me at all, we had lodging everynight so to me it was like the hilton!

We met up early Saturday morning because they like to hit the city of Marne when the route is south. The story goes that the Rabgrai route was announced and Marne was on it many years ago. The city spent a ton of money getting ready and then they changed it at the last minute because of flooding. So, many cyclist pay hommage by stopping and having a drink on the way to the start of the route.

The crowd there was crazy....we watched many who had too much to drink start their dance party. One overly tipsy man was hitting on Renee and we thought it best to just leave :)

Each night we stayed with a different family. Some were related to the team members, some were friends and some were flukes! We started in Glennwood and stayed with a team members family...I slept in an actual bed?!??! what! The team planned to load up and drive to the starting line about 10 miles away, but the Wabash Trace nature trail was only a mile or so from where we stayed, and it met up with the Ragbrai route, so we Amy, Kim and I decided to try that out! Sounds like it was a good choice because avoided a few big hills. We road about 15 miles on that and met up with everyone in Malburn and got back on the Ragbrai trail. I also met up with Amy, Jeff and his girls. They were just riding the one day so was good to see them for a minute!

The Moving Violations team members found a place to stay in each town except Shendoah (the overnight town on the first day.) I found a scout leader in that area whose wife found a place for us to stay. It ended up being one of my favorites! The host was an older couple who owned an antique shop in font of their house. We had the whole basement and she even made us lasagna. She was a really sweet lady and we are still facebook friends :)

I had a bad feeling about day 2. It was a really hilly day. 76 miles and 4,000 feet of climb. The first part of the day was fairly uneventful. We got on the road early and enjoyed the ride. About halfway through the day my derailer started acting up. I started having trouble shifting. I figured it was all the hills and that I would stop and get my chain lubricated at the next stop. Then my upper register stopped working, so I was doing hills with no power and I was exhausted. I stopped nearly 1/2 of the way through the day and had it looked at. They said I should have the derailer looked at, they lubricated everything to get me through. A little ways outside of the midpoint town I couldn't shift anymore. It was frustrating and impossible for me to make the climbs to get to town, so I flipped my bike over and had my first experience with the SAG wagon. It seemed a lot of people were having trouble that day and they were really busy! Took us nearly two hours to get picked up. Once they did we were taken to the midtown and loaded on a school bus, our bikes on a semi - there were a lot of people dropping out!

The truck took us all the way to Creston and I got my bike repaired. The rest of the week the gears slipped quite a bit and I vowed to have it repaired when I got home by Kyle (my local bike guy.)

That night we stayed in a house that was empty and I slept in a little girls closet (sleeping bag half in half out...we got creative!) Went out to dinner with Hugh (Kim's husband) and was nice to eat in a restaurant!

This year I participated in the Craft Beer tent challenge. You have to drink 10 craft beers by the end of the week, but you can only drink one per stop. There are two stops each day - so essentially 14 chances....brilliant marketing - at the end you get a shirt :)

A few other memories were getting a porkchop, ice cream, sending postcards home at the Iowa tent. I really enjoyed getting to know the team, they were all great!! We all drive for half a day, that allows people to ride most of it and it is the most fair. I drove one morning and remember having to get gas and ice...driving around a town where the roads are all closed for bikes with a 15 passenger van and a 30 foot trailer is no easy task! I figured out how to maneuver pretty well by the end of my "shift."

We found a little side road and I parked there and filled up the coolers with ice and drinks. A bunch of off roader rough dudes came and sat. We talked for a good hour as I waited on the team. They pack all their gear with them and just ride wherever they choose. Each had at least 4 bud lights sitting there...I'm not sure how they functioned! But they passed the time as I waited :)

One of my favoite nights was in Ottumwa. We all got in fairly early and we pulled out these inflatable couches we brought. I laughed so hard trying to get the darn things to inflate! Renee looked hilarious....I'm still laughing typing this! There was also this crazy situation where the host family was in the process of putting their dog to sleep...so the vet came and there was actually a dead dog in the basement for an hour...it was really weird and I'm glad we slept upstairs!

That night we were getting ready to drive into town. Bill has a weird tradition of eating a pickled egg and chasing it with tequila...I politely declined gross.....and then we drove in to see Hairball. I LOVE HAIRBALL they dress up like famous bands from the 80s and of course I know every song and sing along at the top of my lungs. I had a great time.

The following day Renee crossed doing a slip and slide off her Ragbrai bucket list, this slide was a lawsuit waiting to happen...people flying off the end and landing on their heads...I sound so old!

We all proudly earned our beer shirts by the end of the week. I had a great time riding with these ladies! I volunteered to drive the last day. I felt it would help everyone out and I was probably one of the slower riders. I knew that would allow them to push through so we could get home! I parked at the YMCA as they were offering showers. I got there really early so I rode down to the dip site and walked around. The hill back to the YMCA was probably the hardest one of the whole week! Good grief!

Wonderful week, got to know Renee really well - kindred spirits for sure!