RAGBRAI?

Ooh, yeah!  This year was my second year.  It was great fun- and yes, definitely full of stories.  All kinds of crazy midwest weather.  Not as hilly as last year, except for that last day.  I'm a little suprised I could remove my bike seat from my butt.

Tania, Grodi Jo and I were supposed to meet up in Sheldon, but I never saw them... bummer I missed a few other BTers but there are SO many folks there, I am always suprised when I see the same person twice.

We faired well in the storm, only wet stuff that needed to dry out, but tents and bikes were OK. My favorite day was Thursday, riding through Amish country.  Very beautiful.

Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.  A 7-day ride through different parts of Iowa, check out www.ragbrai.com.

My friend went this year.  Heard it was a teeny bit windy the first night.  Funny stories of blown flat tents and people running around in a Tornado Warning in their underwear looking for a "structure" to sleep in.

Scary but fun when you look back on it.

Michael

I had a GREAT time!!!  Did two days last year, this was my first full week.  I totally loved it. Now mind you, I did not tent camp, and the experience of my friends who went and did has convinced me that I'm probably too high maintenance to try it. I need my sleep if I am going to ride my bike for 7 straight days.  So my DH took the week off and pulled our camper.  It was a virtually flawless experience, and will be difficult to duplicate next year.  The only bummer is that I did not get to see Sarah!!  It was really great meeting Jodi!

The first day was hot, but flat and the weather just got better and better from there on.  The century day was also flat, but kind of windy,  it was to our backs on the way out, so we were kicking it at 25 miles an hour for over an hour. Very sweet riding. The draft line on the way back in was the only thing that saved me. That is the way to go on a windy day, no two ways about it!

The hills were not nearly as tough as I expected. Partly because I'm pretty good on hills if I do say so myself, and partly due to the weather being very cooperative. If it had been 100 degrees, or windy, it might have sucked!  They said this was the 5th flattest route ever, and I can certainly believe it.

I am a very sociable person, so I had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people. I really really enjoyed the riding, it was fun to be kind of wild and crazy for a change like so many of the riders are. (I rode around with big Viking horns on my helmet one day in honor of my Norg ancestors, since we were within mere miles of the place of my birth in Minnesota- that caused a LOT of hilarious conversations while riding).  Overall, if you like talking to strangers who like what you like, and you love to ride, I can't think of a single reason not to do it.  I am definitely planning to go again next year.