RAGBRAI 2009 (Page 2)

OK - I will try and nail down some of the logistics issues for those that have never been or don't know much about how thw ride works. 

Our team will have a team vehicle and a driver (TheSchwamm has a foot issue and doesn't feel that she could make the whole ride).  We plan to rent a 16' Ryder truck for her to drive.  Normally, you would put your clothes and sleeping gear with the RAGBRAI semi's and they would haul them from over night to over night.  With a team vehicle, you can haul your own stuff, you can haul as much as you like and you can take along your own "refreshments" to have at camp (saves a ton of money).  In the same manner, you can camp anywhere that you can find someone to allow you to do so.  This year, the route goes through some communities that some of us have friends/relatives in.  This gives us the opton of camping at the houses of these people and thus using their shower facilities and also having shelter in case of poor overnght weather (the back of the truck is also an option).  It also allows us to take repair stuff so that we don't have to buy it on the ride, if it is needed.  Many teams travel with a team vehicle and some travel self contained.  Self contained means that you haul all of your stuff with you - in saddle bags, trailers and backpacks while you ride.  This is not a fun way to go, IMO. 

In every town you get to, there will be vendors from the town selling food.  There is no need to bring any along.  Towns love to be "pass throughs" or "overnight" because it represents a huge boom for their economy.  People sell cookies, drinks, sandwiches, pie, and the ultimate "Pork Chop", among other things at stands that they set up  Each town has at least a couple of restaraunts as well.  Most towns have at least one place to buy  cool "refreshments" but one should be careful not to overhydrate too early. 

If you are coming by vehicle, it is smartest to team up and carpool.  We have a couple interested from the Chicago area - some from Wisconsin, some from Eastern Iowa, a few from Minnesota and some potential Kansans.  I am centrally located in Des Moines. 

If you are flying in, you will want to fly into Omaha.  Here is the plan as it lies now.

I will rent the truck from the Ryder in Omaha.  Through my business contacts, I get a very discounted rate.  I will drive my car from Des Moines to Omaha and pick up the truck, leaving my car in Omaha.  I have an SUV with  4 bike hitch rack, so I could take passengers and their stuff as well.  When the route is finished, we will load everything up and head back to Omaha, where I will pick up my car and turn in the rental. 

I can hear what you are saying.  There is no way that we can all ride back in the truck.  You are correct.  RAGBRAI has a bunch of bikers and not so many with cars on both sides of the state.  There are people that have realized this and have set up charter buinesses to get you from the finish to the start after the ride is over.  You can find them on the RAGBRAI site (www.ragbrai.org) under charter services.  I would suggest that you do this early, if need be.  They do fill up before the ride starts.  If you want to, you can ride a charter to the start of the ride.  Say you are from Chicago.  You can catch a charter at the Quad Cities and have it take you to the start.  Finish at Burlington and jump a charter back to the QC and get in your car and drive to Chicago.  Where charters will run from this year is not yet set up - they will start doing that after the lottery, because nobody wants to sell you a spot on the charter if you don't have a pass for the ride.

There will also be a service set up at LBS in Council Bluffs and Omaha to ship your bike to.  They will put it together and have it ready for your ride.  When you return to the area, they will package it up and ship it home for you.  Easy peasy. 

Finally, there will be LBS all along the way.  RAGBRAI believes in having overnights only in towns with an LBS. 

Now, I know that some of us can't plan more than about 5 weeks in advance, so you can register for RAGBRAI and if something happens and you cannot go, you can get a refund, minus $25, if you make that decision before June 1st.  Also, there is no rule against reselling your credentials should you decide not to ride.  Perfectly legal private business transaction, as far as RAGBRAI is concerned.  However, if you don't register by February 15th, then there is no way to get in.  Makes sense that if you are thinking that you want to, but aren't sure of just how to swing it, that you register and then spend more time on the logistics.

Any more questions?

That's great information, John.

I have friends in Omaha that might be interested in coming over to Burlington to do a pick up for return to Omaha.  I will keep working on this so there might be another way to get a few folks back.  I will probably be flying into Omaha and shipping my bike there/back.

I am getting excited about the event and looking forward to meeting all of you and sharing a great time on the road!

The entry form says $140 and you said to send $125. Which is correct?

That was an error by me.  I was going by what last years charge was.  Follow what the form says. 

I hate to have to say this, but there is now a good chance I won't make it this year.  I'm probably going to be changing jobs very soon and may not have the vacation time.  If I can talk the new company into letting me take that time off I'll send the money.  

So will someone be organizing contacts in each town for the sleeping?  Just curious.

Hell, I've gone a whole week camping without a shower.  Wouldn't WANT to do that again, but I can, if I have too. 

Dude, I'm so looking forward to this.

I have family in Red Oak so I should be able to get us covered for this night.  They may have some contacts for others, I will check and let everyone know. 

Do we know how many of us there will be?

http://www.wadenelson.com/ragbrai.html

Here's an interesting article about riding RAGBRAI from another person that has done it. 

I will echo what someone else said, "This is on my lifetime To-Do List" 

Have a great time prepping and doing the ride - maybe in '11 for me

This write-up is by Wade Nelson - who is a somewhat legendary RAGBRAI staple.  I have lost track of how many times he has ridden the ride.  Funny and good advice all in the same read.  He provides a list of the essentials to pack.  Anything lse is up to you.

http://www.wadenelson.com/ragbrai.html

WooHOO!  I noticed today that my checked cleared so we are closer and closer to the event!!

I also wanted to bump this back up to the front page.  Have a great weekend everyone!!

WooHOO!  I noticed today that my checked cleared so we are closer and closer to the event!!

I also wanted to bump this back up to the front page.  Have a great weekend everyone!!

Our group entry was turned in this morning at 7 AM.  I talked to a friend of mine that said that they are expecting an average turnout this year.  The Register's official line is that teams do not get prefernece in the lottery than anyone else.  Conventional wisdom says that all teams are added first and then the rest of the spots are filled.  I think we are good. 

Our group is 4 Men (Me - John, Crowny2 - Dave, BeCivil - Dennis and a friend of his from NC - Andrew) and 3 women (Nette - Jeanette, lvethgme - Kiley, and TheSchwamm - Laurie).  We have a couple of BTers that may ride a couple of days with us, but can't commit to the full week. 

I wish I could do it but will some day!

You guys will have a blast

We have received your waiver from your group contact. Your group's payment is now being processed.

Thank you for your interest in RAGBRAI

Recieved this email this morning.  We are getting closer and closer!!!

I'm interested in joining a Ragbrai group but I"m a slow rider.  Is this group open to new members? Will you be traveling together to get to Iowa?  I"m from Vt.

Hi.  Here is the issue.  We have already turned in team registration.  So, we can't add anyone else to the team form.  What does this mean?  It means that you would have to enter the lottery on your own and be drawn to participate.  If you get drawn, then h3ll yeah, you can ride with us, as well as all of the other things we will be doing.  We have no issue with that.  You need to kind of step on it though, because you have to have your entry in by the 1st of April. 

as far as travel, you are the only one coming from the upper East Coast (there are a couple of folks coming from North Carolina).  What to do??  A couple of options.  You can fly into Omaha and start there (omaha and Council Bluffs are almost the same city, just separated by the Missouri river) and then fly back out of the Quad Cities airport back to home after the ride.  They will have a shuttle that you can sign up for to get you from Burlington to Moline. 

Another option is to go to the RAGBRAI forums and see if you can hook up with a group of Northeasterners that are coming and team up with them.  You can find the forums at www.ragbrai.org.  The forums are fun to read anyway and they are very helpful. 

I hope this helps you and I hope you make it out.  We are going to have a really good time.  Don;t worry about how fast you ride.  It is not a race, it is a tour and there will be people to ride with at any speed. 

I entered the team as Team BT, which is the form that most RAGBRAI teams take (Team Skunk, Team Blonde, Team Roadkill, Team Toe Ring, Team wipe your A@# before you get in the saddle, etc.).  Certainly we can change our name for the t-shirt printing if we choose to. 

Speaking of which, we need to get busy on developing a team nae (if we are going to change it) and a team t-shirt design.  Crowny, you are in charge.  The other team members are:

Lvethgme

TheSchwamm

BeCivil (and a buddy of his)

Nette213

You

Me

Possibly Soggyfeline

Possibly Sprin D_A - I think we can still talk him inot riding a couple of days. 

You are the man!!!

Oooh - maybe do a CoJ poll and see what the clever idiots like that bastage MR2Tony, that sold us out, can come up with.

ETA:  The words clever and idiots were both intended to be sarcastic when referring to the people that post in CoJ, since we all know that those folks are neither clever nor idiots.  Just sayin'.

In charge of what?  Design?  Dude, I'm a scientist.  Not a creative bone in my body.  At least as it relates to artsy stuff like that.

As to names...... I like your idea about putting it up to a COJ vote.  At least it would be interesting.

Crowny - I know you are young and went to a sub-standard college, but please, man, you need to learn to be a leader.  You are in charge, so you organize, my friend.  You delegate.  The only person you cannot delegate to is, well, me.