Today is our meet up day for RAGBRAI. I’ve again signed up with the Lost and Found Adventures charter groups (about 100 riders) and we are meeting up in Council Bluffs today at 4:00 for a reception and meet and greet. This will be my second RAGBBAI, having done my first in 2010 and missing the last two years. I’m quite excited!
Conditioning and proper equipment are key to completing (and enjoying) this ride. The last two years I just was not ready and I knew it. Even this year I’m not quite where I want to be, but know I can do all of the days except have some concern about day two, which is 83 miles and 4239 total feed of climb. Just to be on the safe side, I’m skipping that day and utilizing our charters transportation services that day.
Doing something new this year, I’m going to try and blog here at my site totally using my smart phone. There’s a great app that allows me to do so, the only problem may be the miniature keyboard, getting internet service and keeping the phone charged. In any case I’ll try to keep you all updated and upload as many pictures of this wonderful adventure. The above picture was taken today with my smartphone and uploaded, so it appears to work. I’ve got way more clothes than I need, but forecast is for rain and I discovered one year you can’t expect to wash your clothes out if they won’t dry because of the rain. I like to start the day in dry clothes! The bulge in the left red back is spare tires. I bring everything! Sure, I can buy some of it on the trip, but why pay those marked up prices. Just come prepared.
I had hoped to get my aluminum recumbent trike done and ride it this year, but it’s not quite there yet and needs a lot of fine tuning plus lots of road hours to know I can trust it. Instead I’m riding my trusty Burley Canto recumbent, which has carried me over 5000 miles so far. Not using the wind fairing this year. It’s heavy for one thing, and this ride has a lot of hills, but mostly removed for better visibility. Speed is sometimes dictated more by the congestion of 10,000 riders than anything else, so in the long run I feel it will not provide that much help.
Please feel free to comment each day. I love to stay in touch and I always appreciate the encouragement.
Newbies are appropriately branded.
Charter welcome party.
Tents as far as you can see
And these as far as you could see.
Hmmm, a bike with no seat and no place for one. He got ripped off!