RAGBRAI 2011

Off they went this morning for this year's ride across Iowa. But first they have to ride down to IA from Minneapolis. They'll meet up w/ RAGBRAI group on Tuesday night in Boone and finish at Myron's Mountain, preferably in the pool I'm sure!

Back In The Saddle

Remember us? We used to blog on a regular basis... not so much anymore.... Busy, busy times.

Last week was our big week vacation - separately. Monte and Hagen rode RAGBRAI together while Ani and I spent a nice relaxing week in Iowa w/ my parents! Thankfully the weather was great so we had a lot of pool time.

The boys left from our house in Minneapolis on their bikes and met up w/ the rest of the Ragbrai crew on Monday. They continued across the upper part of Iowa, going through such towns as Charles City, Waterloo and finally ending up in Dubuque the following Saturday. 8 straight days in the saddle. We went to pick Monte up on Saturday (only about 2 hours away from Muscatine) and came back home.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo recap of our week in Muscatine:

Ani & Meggie outside Whispering Pines

Family at cousin Anne's wedding

Kiddie pool party - look at Ani, she can swim! (with help from her awesome floatie)

The girls - we were kid-free that afternoon so it was fun lounging, talking & reminiscing!

Gammy & Ani swimming

Ella, Jami & Avery

Avery was quite the little performer

Meggie won these sunglasses for Ani at the Happy Joe's arcade

Lovin' the pool

A sad happening toward the end of last week - my cousin Cindy suddenly passed away. She had been diagnosed w/ cancer a few weeks ago and had just had her 2nd round of chemo. I guess the cancer had already spread to several parts of her body. She was only 47.

RAGBRAI Day 7

Friday, July 24 - Ottumwa to Mt. Pleasant

Day 7:

Today is a 75-mile day. We get up slow - our bodies ache and the sunburn stings. We take our time at a local diner and let a local gent sit with us as we have invaded his breakfast spot. He can't believe our bodies can this punishment! Food is ok, but again, it fills the void. 

Two of the best stops of the day were  1) free pink lemonade and water and 2) Free beer! Sweet Sadie's BBQ had a $5 donation for dinner and beer. Justin and I coax about 50 more people to stop and soon they are out of beer. We leave and come back when we see the next keg pass in the opposite direction. We eat and drink a little more while dragging even more people into the party shouting "Free Beer!" along the roadside. 

We leave our new friends to head for camp. I met a student at Indianola who  said we could camp at his parent's house in Mt. Pleasant. He said it was the only house with a circle drive around the town square. We cannot find it, so we head to the RAGBRAI camp about 4 miles out of town on a steam engine museum. 

We are losing light fast as we set up our tents. I get into bed at 8:45 only to be awaken by police telling us to take cover from an oncoming storm with wild rain. I park everything on the bike and head for the steam engine museum. After watching it rain for 10 minutes I notice nobody is waiting for the shower. I get a shower and shave. The weather has passed - off to bed.

RAGBRAI Day 6

Thursday, July 23 - Chariton to Ottumwa
Day 6:
We wake to rain. I sit on my tent and pack up, while waiting for the rain to end. Once it stops, it is a beautiful sunrise and I can see the storm move east. One of the baggers is up drying his tent out. Apparently he has nothing that is waterproof, so his sleeping bag is a sponge. We grab Brent to ride with us and we're on our way...

Today is going to my 3rd century in a week. Never done it before, so I'm not sure how my body will react. Both Justin and Brent have shifting troubles, so we stop a few times to make adjustments. Brent can't believe he is on the road at 8 am. He hates the bike traffic.

After various stops, we lose Brent and make our way to the 100-mile loop. Each year, RAGBRAI offers an extra loop for one of the days, which gives people the opportunity to ride a century. The loop proves to be the most scenic part of the ride. We circle a lake with a lot less cyclists, it proves to be a joy despite the ever-present heat.

We make it to Ottumwa in 10 hours. We get kicked out of the pool area as it is a not a designated camping spot, so we set up shop with the rest of RAGBRAI in ONE park. We dine at a Mexican restaurant that could have had the worst food but we consumed everything as if it was our last meal. We head to bed early. 3rd century in 5 days completed.

RAGBRAI Day 5

Wednesday, July 22 - Indianola to Chariton

Day 5: 

I'm up at 5 am. My perfect camping spot has 1 loud drunk and I can't sleep. We eat an amazing breakfast - you name it, they had it. Short day, only 45 miles. We stopped along the way a few times, but end up in the destination town for the day, Chariton, at 1 pm. 15 mph average.

At the Chariton pool, Justin and I meet a nice couple from St. Louis on their 1st RAGBRAI. Both husband and wife wish they could ride, but one of them has to drive the truck each day to support their daughter and son-in-law. 

Now we find the best camping spot that we have the whole trip. On top of a hill = breeze. It's also conveniently located by the pool and toilet, and far away from the entertainment and noise. Justin and I go to Hy-Vee for a beer and food run. We ate dinner at our one and only church meal - roast beef, potato salad, and cake all for $7. Not bad but we waited nearly an hour for it while almost passing out from the heat as the basement of the church has no A/C. 

We head back to camp, which is now "Camp Bagger" - there are four other self-supported riders. We all hang out and discuss the finer points of the Tour de France and the lack of bike shifting knowledge on RAGBRAI. 

Every year it's the same thing. You get to a massive downhill and everybody thinks they're Lance Armstrong. Then you transition to the uphill and they're all a bunch of slugs that throw their chain off or break it while shifting under tremendous pressure. I joke that they should have a shifting seminar before RAGBRAI begins. 

Justin and I head downtown for tacos/burritoes and find the band Hairball cranking out another great 80's hair band song. "Cherry Pie", "Dr. Feelgood",  you name it! We head back to camp after a beer and look forward to our 100-mile day ahead of us tomorrow.

RAGBRAI Day 4

Tuesday, July 21

Day 4:

All I can think about as I get up is that I only have to ride 60 miles, or 45 miles less than every day thus far. It's raining. I try to spin it positive - you can't spell "rain" without ANI. :) That puts a smile on my face.

I eat at Panera, get the usual egg souffle and cheese pastry. It's got to be good cycling food because it keeps me fat. Leaving Ames, there is a slight mist which becomes heavy rain. I have my rain coat on and rear blinkey going but so many semi-trucks are passing me by that I feel like a fish out of water. A gentleman in Ames tells me to look for a bike trail that leads to Ankeny. 3 mile detour and no trail. 

Traveling quickly now, I make it to Indianola by 10:30 am. Pizza Hut is the worst, but I still eat their buffet as if $10 for pig slop is cheap. It fills the void. Meander downtown to find the town square. Met a nice couple that let me shower in their home. Big, hot tile shower. Overall, it was clean. I told her compared to the normal shower bikers are offered on RAGBRAI, I would eat off the floor of her dirty shower.

They offer me a bed to stay in and a dryer for my wet clothes. Don and his wife are top notch. They drop me off downtown with dry clothes. I eat good tonight, it's RAGBRAI and I can finally feel the buzz. 55 miles today, 15 mph average. 4 hours on bike.

RAGBRAI Day 3

Monday, July 20 - 107 miles to Ames
Day 3:
You can't spell "wind" without WIN. Directly into the wind all day long. Breakfast at Bill's Grocery filled me up. I move straight south on Highway 69 and stop for lunch - had a chicken sandwich, it was OK, not great.

RAK - Random Act of Kindness... USPS worker fills water bottles. Nice lady in Belfield fills bottles her town has "No store, but the co-op will sell you a pop." Next 30 miles, I have no stops. It's killing me. Hot sun = tomato red arms. After Belfield, driver in orange truck withthe word "Yellow" down the side yells "Dog Attack!" as the dogs jumped out of the ditch. The driver passed in the on-coming traffic while pushing the dogs back off the road. I do my best Mark Cavandish but my legs are tired. Sunburnt, I make it to Ames 12 hours after my start. 10 mph average. Ah, Ames.... home sweet home.

RAGBRAI Day 1 and 2

Excerpts from Monte's journal this RAGBRAI

Saturday & Sunday, July 18 & 19
Day 1:
I was on a high. My good friend Newman and I had just participated in the Tour de Fat. We both had an amazing time with the people. It was relaxing and nice knowing we all shared a common purpose, or should I say 3 common purposes: Bike, Beer, Fun.

My journey would be tough and I knew it. However, I did not anticipate how tough it would be to leave Mia & Ani. The tears welled up before the actual moment, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. I made my good-byes short and off I headed to RAGBRAI.

First stop was Shatak Lake about 60 miles away from the house. The city was busy as usual but as I hit Eagan and Rosemount, the tranquility and wind in my ears felt good.... and then I got a flat. Every biker gets them - nobody wants them. My new tires on the bike had not thwarted the carpet tack in the road.

New tube and on we go... KLANK. I look down and my cassette/gears exploded and took out my fender mount. I can't go on so I call Mia and the rescue is made. Seeing the family puts a smile on the face despite the bike circumstances. I make the quick fix at home, taking a wheel from the Legolas and mounting it to the Bob Brown. Mount fender and rack on the same eyelet and she is good as new. Warm meal and then straight to bed at 9 pm.

Day 2:
Pancakes are my favorite before a ride. I have them made before Mia and Ani awaken. We have a little breakfast coffee and Mia asks where and when I will start riding. I want to ride the whole way but cannot commit to all the miles. We settle on where I broke down yesterday. I get dropped off and this time, the good-byes are easy as if I've already left. Cool breeze and I'm off to Clear Lake, Iowa which is 120 miles away.

The day warms, but not too sweltering. I pass beer cans, cigarette boxes, and car parts all day long and finally hit Fairbault and the Shataka Trail. Gorgeous, tree-carved trail that takes me to Watertown.

Feeling really good at 40 miles. Heat and traffic take its toll on Highway 13. I eat at a pizza buffet at Waseca. Good, but the folks in Waseca must have thought I was from Mars. Lots of looks, but I am too worried about the food to care. I head south on 13, it gets quiet and my legs burn with each turn. I am in pain, everything hurts and I see my average speed drop quickly.

I stop for water and Gatorade - quick perk to get me to the final town/stop - Rice Lake Park, which is about as big as our backyard. No toilet, just a lake. I set up shop under a tree on a hill, fix tire, call family and parents, then shower in the lake. It doesn't take long, as I am tired. It was a 10-hour trip, 125 miles. Sun is setting behind trees... 7:47 pm,I'm going to bed. Avg. 15 mph.

Goal Made

He made it to Ames yesterday. Can't imagine how his legs must feel from riding nearly 250 miles in 2 days! He was able to spend the night at the Sig Ep house, so no worries about tent set-up and freezing his butt off again. 

This morning, Monte called around 10:30 and was already in Indianola. He rode in the rain most of the way. I'm sure he is excited to finally meet up with the rest of the RAGBRAI crew (including Justin). When we talked again around 4pm this afternoon, he was relaxing in his tent reading his Boneshaker book and listening to music in the background. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he and Justin are having a few beers right now?

On a side note, this is kind of a cool story I found while poking around the RAGBRAI website.

Another 100-Mile Day

Monte made it yesterday to Lake Mills, IA - just short of his Clear Lake goal. This map gives you an idea of how far he rode. Obviously, he didn't take a straight shot down 35 like the map shows, but you get a feel for the distance.

He was extremely cold in his tent last night and apparently did not sleep well. He put on every piece of clothing he had to stay warm! Today is another 100+ mile day - his goal is to make it to Ames. I believe he will be staying in his old fraternity there, but I'm not sure. 

Justin and his boxed-up bike are on a bus right now down to Des Moines - he and Monte will meet up tomorrow.

On The Road Again

Monte left this morning for Iowa. He's meeting up with the RAGBRAI crew in Indianola on Tuesday. Yes, he is biking all the way from Minneapolis to Indianola, then onto Burlington, IA. He initially took off from the house yesterday after the Tour de Fat, but called me about an hour and a half later to say his bike "broke". He'll have to explain what exactly happened, but something with the rear tire and it was serious enough that I had to go pick him up and bring him back home. 

So after switching out the rear tire on his Bob Brown, he was good to go, but waited to take off again until this morning. Otherwise he would not have made it to his initial 1st overnight destination near Waseca because it would have been dark. 

Monte called me about an hour ago saying he had made it to Northfield and everything was going well. He plans to bike all the way to Clear Lake, IA today. Since he has all day, it should definitely be possible. 

He is riding with all of his gear on the back of his bike, just like he did for RAGBRAI last summer. Justin is meeting up with him near Indianola as well, so they will ride together Tues-Sat. Here's a pic right before he left us yesterday. Best picture of them yet. 

My Wife Can Ride

Highlights from our Thanksgiving holiday in Omaha.....

Monte and I on the tandem! With good, consistent communication from Monte, we were able to successfully ride around the old neighborhood. And I had fun! As long as I looked straight ahead and just had trust, I did OK. Monte is now looking into buying our own tandem and would love talking me into riding it w/ him in RAGBRAI some summer.... we'll see. :)

Meanwhile, Ani enjoyed time with Grandpa & Grandma Dirks and also meeting Great-Grandma Vrbas for the first time. Here is a four-generation picture.

RAGBRAI - Day 7

July 26, 2008

Final day of the ride... I don't want it to end. The park is still full with campers at 6 am, but the chorus of zippers and laughter lets you know they are a stirrin'. Packing my stuff for the last time - I'm off to Le Claire with a cool breeze and less humidity... YES!

RAGBRAI - Day 6

July 25, 2008

Early start this cool and humid morning at 6:45 am. It's the last full day of RAGBRAI 2008 which is kind of bittersweet. Yes, I am tired but you get in a groove and you're used to camping and having everything wet. I stopped for a PB&J - good sandwich with pretzels. There was a church fundraiser, it was $2 for Maid-Rites and they were very good. Each town along the way had lots of food but I want more sleep. I rolled into Tipton around 1:30 pm - showered, slept, and then went to the local diner for a generous portion of spaghetti. Swing Crew tonight and MIA - could not get better. I had a few cold ones with Roti's crew.  

RAGBRAI - Day 5

July 24, 2008

It rained last night but everything of mine is dry! Rain is the word for the day. Right now it's 65 degrees and misting. I rode with my rain cape and it got hot pretty quick. When I arrived in town, I had a nice hot shower and some good coffee. Ran into John Coleman who used to run Kenwood Cyclery. He is currently homeless in Boulder, CO and riding with Western Nebraska folks. Amana Colony South was beautiful with lots of old, historic buildings. "Norman Rockwell would be proud" says Mr. Pollack look-alike.

 

I stopped for "free" beer along the side of the road - the family was taking donations for their daughter's memorial fund. Besides a breakfast burrito, I ate sweets all day - scotcharoo, chocolate chip cookie, church cookie bar, free granola. Tomorrow, I get to see Swing Crew and Mia. She plans on coming to Tipton to see Dennis & friends with me.

RAGBRAI - Day 4

July 23, 2008

Left the Sig Ep house at 6:15 am. A/C, bathroom, and laundry were awesome. Feeling a little slow/hungover today. I stopped for awesome cinnamon roll and coffee as well as farm boys' breakfast burrito. Best. Food. Period. 

Ran into Des Moines guy; he was pushing compared to my tired legs. I did not ride like the first three days. It was mostly a flat day. I took a good dip in a swimming pool that no one else stopped for, which was weird. Also stopped at a slip-n-slide and for the world's best homemade ice cream sandwich - great conversation with a grandmother who was trying to send her kids to Spain with the proceeds.

Tonight, I'm camping by a pool and watching crazy guys belly flop all night. There was a baked potato bar which was OK - and Jim in the RV next to me gave me a plate of spaghetti. I think he felt bad for me. Camping by Team Old Yeller who I camped by the first day. Can you say Joe? Low humidity and cooler temps were nice but head winds were tough. It's 8:40 pm - good night.

RAGBRAI - Day 3

July 22, 2008

Up and at 'em early - 5:38 am. I had breakfast at camp, Kris Kakes at 6 am. It was a fundraiser for the local girls' swim team. The day flew by - the only good stops were Ogden and Boone. In Ogden, there was an ice-cold cafeteria that was empty (daddy likey!) For those who know me well, I don't like heat!

I met up with a family from Des Moines in Boone. The young kid had a Motorola jersey on, which I thought was cool. By noon, I had made it to the destination city of the day - beautiful Ames, home of the mighty Clones. Zach and Steve helped me get a room at the Sig Ep house - A/C, baby! Also had the luxury of a nice shower and shave AND got to do a load of my laundry. 

Debated on HP, Whiskey Creek, or Great Plains. Styx and the Nadas played that night... at first I thought people were saying the band's name was "Six", so I didn't know who they were, but was confused that somehow Roti did! After the shows - day old Jimmy John's bread. 

RAGBRAI - Day 2

July 21, 2008

What a great morning - woke up to a beautiful sky at 5:38 am and had pancakes and sausage before leaving town. I rode the 100-mile route today, which meant all hills all the time.

Along the way, I ran into Kevin and Karrie from California. Karrie is from St. Paul. Also met a girl named Rose who rode with me for a bit, she was riding a Colnago. I spoke with a guy around my age at lunch from Wisconsin. He talked about wanting to tour more. 

After a long day in the saddle, I had dinner with Jerry from camp at the Elks Club - they had good pasta and an awesome marshmallow brownie dessert.

RAGBRAI - Day 1

Excerpts from Monte's journal during RAGBRAI...

July 20, 2008

The morning started off slow. We were stopped at a train for about 5 minutes. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Weather is better than average, 70 degrees and high humidity. With the wind in our face we rode the rolling hills of western Iowa. Surprisingly many folks don't like hills. Even with my 30+ pounds in gear, the hills were enjoyable to me as were the rows of corn.

We stopped in every town on the way for water and a bite to eat. The most unusual sight of the day was the lady riding with a dog - who had its own helmet. She had a sticker on her bike which read "You would look look hotter with a helmet."

We had an awesome lunch at a meat market in Minden. Ran into Roti, fellow Cyclone, who did the whole ride as well. My parents and I ate dinner together - unfortunately, a guy we dubbed "Rude Dude" decided to eat at the same restaurant, and he was not a happy camper with all the RAGBRAI folks riding through his town and the fact that dinner at the local diner was $1 more than normal which was 8 bucks.

I found a place to tent and met Joe/Doctor/Garrison Keeler fan. Now I'm off for some suds....

2:30 AM: Wind hail on its way. Big dilemma - pack it all up or not. Jerry who is a self contained rider says yes so I do. I end up at a house across the road - FALSE ALARM. Put tent back up. It's cool.