NewsArticleBody
The original and many say, the best: RAGBRAI (the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), a mass cross-state rolling party on two wheels. First dreamed up in 1973, it has attracted as many as 23,000 participants, but is now generally restricted to under 10,000 for safety and enjoyment. Chicagoland Folding Bike Club's Kathy Schubert and her dress-alike miniature Schnauzer Joey must be one of the most photographed pairs in the Midwest, having done RAGBRAI every year since 1999. Submitted for the 2007 Cycle Oregon/Homecoming Story Contest . I'd been hearing about the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa for years. But this was the first time I had attempted it. Joey, my helmet-wearing miniature Schnauzer, and I were Ragbrai virgins. And we think Ragbrai lived up to our expectations. It was terrific. The route is different every year and that year it was the longest - 531 miles and some say- the hilliest. There are lots of parts to our experience that made it a big success. First of all, we enjoyed the hospitality of the Iowans. Many of the towns started the fun by decorating the streets with sculptures composed of old bicycles. They provided showers (for a fee) in schools, swimming pools, and even converted carwashes.) Some opened their homes to us. We stayed in volunteer homes every night. While most of the 10,000 riders camped out in the thunderstorms, we were in comfortable air-conditioned homes with hot showers and brand new mattresses in some cases. We were offered the use of computers, washing machines and hot tubs. Several hosts fed me dinner and breakfast - gratis! And one hostess drove Joey to the next overnight stay 75 miles away while I rode in the extreme heat. They were all fun to meet and I hope they enjoyed having Joey and me as much as we enjoyed being hosted. We rode to the start in a van from Velo Ventures, who also carried our luggage in our Bike Friday trailer from campsite to campsite. We picked up the trailer each night and pedalled to our homestays. In the morning, we pedalled back to the campsite, dropped off the trailer and pedalled with 10,000 riders to the next overnight stay. It was fun to run into the other Velo Ventures participants as we rode amongst Iowans and riders from all over the world. There was a barbecue included in our package, but other nights we sampled local cuisine in restaurants and from the Ragbrai vendors. At the end of the ride, we rode back with Velo Ventures on the bus. The vendors of foodstuffs along the way were amusing and tasty. There was Pastafari with a Jamaican flavor, Mr. Pork Chop with his two pink trucks, Veggie Mama, Pancake Man, Chris Cakes and many more with less clever names. You could easily gain weight on this 7 day trek up and down Northern Iowa. My favorite aspect of the trip was our media success. I take Joey on my bike to make the statement that "Anybody who rides on a bike should wear a helmet." Getting her adorable face and helmet on three television stations and on the front page of the Des Moines Register was a major coup! One of the Iowa cyclists even sent me a video! Riding with a small dog in a basket with a helmet, umbrella and her own water bottle was a perfect ice breaker. I got to talk to all the best looking men and lots of nice women as well. Everybody wanted to take a picture of her - while riding with a single-use camera or standing still with any kind of equipment. If I could get copies of them all, it would be enough to paper a room. One photographer took a digital photo and gave me a disc. Another e-mailed his photo. We got rear ended by another cyclist one day. Joey was thrown clear of the bike and onto the grass. I barely skinned my right knee. But the only permanent damage was the pole of Joey’s umbrella. The embarrassed cyclist patched the umbrella together so Joey could continue to enjoy her portable shade in 95 degree weather. He rode with us for 15 miles or more, under directions to spray Joey with his water bottle whenever she panted. I would say he definitely made up for his mistake by providing Joey with this service. There were vendors of bicycle gear set up at night. You could come in street clothes and acquire enough lycra to last for years. Probably 100 different RAGBRAI licensed, but not official, t-shirts were available to purchase. I was happy with the official rose-colored tank top. Smooth Iowa roads were another plus. Hardly any potholes or cracks. Except for the odious "rumble strips." Sometimes I didn’t hear the call and we rode over them. Such is life! The hills were all in the last few days. And they weren’t the worst I’ve ever encountered. I am sure I’ve ridden worse hills in Oregon and Arizona. But never in 95 degree heat. It was not an easy ride, but the whole event was so much fun that we’re already planning to do it again next year ... Footnote: this story was 1999 and we've done it every year since then. Kathy Schubert, kangarookathy@yahoo.com See more of Kathy and Joey biking in their hometown of Chicago here. Chicagoland Folding Bike Society can be located here. |