Day 1
Sioux City to Storm Lake, Iowa
Miles: 69.4
Max Speed: 42.1
Average Speed: 11.9
I had been wanting to participate in RAGBRAI for about 30 years. There was always a reason not to do it. No vacation time. No money. Conflicts of interest. Not in shape. No time to train, etc.
I took the initiative this year to sign up and do it, because my brother died of cancer. My two brothers and I had talked about doing RAGBRAI together one day. My brother Bill had just retired and was riding the bicycle often to get in shape for such a ride. Unfortunately, he developed mesothelioma (lung cancer) and died within the year of retiring.
If you want to do something, find a way and do it, NOW. You may not have a tomorrow.
So here I am with my only brother, riding on the first day of seven days in RAGBRAI #38, riding in memory of my brother.
(1) Above left: This is a scene from our overnight accommodations. Most people were up before sunrise and by the time the sun rose, many were on their bicycles and rolling down the road. (2) Above right: On the first day, the ride immediately came to a walking speed due to a Railroad Crossing. Wow, we took over the whole rode as far as the eye could see. I never imagined being amongst so many other cyclists. Were we going to have to walk the entire route?
(3) Above left: The traffic jams don't last very long, but you can't ride in RAGBRAI like you would in a small group. Faster cyclists pass slower cyclists and you have to be patient in crowded areas, and as you can see, there is a lot of traffic. (4) Above right: Every town on the route caters to the cyclists with food, refreshments, and facilities. Bicycle traffic comes to a walking pace through towns as people stop to take breaks.
(5) Above left: Sometimes, in between towns at a farm, food concessions are set up to feed people. Here they are cooking pork chops. On a hot summer day, shade is valuable thing. (6) Above right: Check out the thickness of this pork chop. You will NOT go hungry in RAGBRAI. They feed you real well.
(7) Above left: At another farm, turkey legs along with other food and drink was being offered. The turkey legs were exceedingly good. (8) Above right: Iowa not only has corn farms, it also has an astonishingly high number of wind farms. One of these propellers had some damage.
(9) Above left: One of the nice things about participating in an organized group is the amount of benefits they provide, such as private showers with both hot and cold water, clean towels, and soap and shampoo. One trailer for the men, one trailer for the women. The waiting in line to get to a nice shower was usually less than 15 minutes. It sure felt good to clean up after riding 69 miles in the hot summer sun. (10) Above right: There is a reason why all the tents look the same. The group I hooked up with offered tent rental service. After I start riding the bicycle in the morning, the group takes down all the tents and carry them along with everyone's gear to the next destination. By the time I get to the next destination later that afternoon, my tent has already been set up and my bags are securely stored inside. Due to the proximity of each tent to one another, it is wise to sleep with ear plugs.
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