Touring - Anybody been on RAGBRAI (annual 500 mile tour across Iowa)?

Anyone been on RAGBRAI, the annual Des Moines Register's 500 mile, seven day ride across Iowa? It has been going on since 1973, and this year, it starts July 20.
As I understand it from a local guy who goes every year, every year they get 10,000 crazed, drunken cyclists who pull into small Iowa towns all across the state and terrorize the population. ;-) Even so, towns bid to be on the route, 'cause they make mucho bucks from the riders on overnight stays. Plenty of food, entertainment and late night barn trysts with local farm girls are readily available.
They get more entries than they can handle, so entries must be in by April, after which they hold a lottery. It costs around $100 per person. If your name isn't drawn, you get a refund. The entry fee gets you a t-shirt, sag wagon service, refreshment stops, notice to next-of-kin in case you expire from heat stroke (it's in the 90's every day), etc. For a few extra bucks, you can hire a local farmer to bring you and your bike across Iowa to the starting town. They'll even take you to the airport (Des Moines).
Anybody been on this adventure? Would you recommend it? (Their excellent website is www.ragbrai.org).

Originally posted by trmcgeehan
Anyone been on RAGBRAI, the annual Des Moines Register's 500 mile, seven day ride across Iowa?...

yep. 1997 (single) 2000, 2001(tandem), 2002(single again). Missed 1998 and 1999 because I was riding in South Korea. My next RAGBRAI is planned for 2005.

I went in 1998 and 2000. BTW, the $100 is a registration fee ONLY. It does not include SAG or food stops. You must pay for food as you go along. Expect to spend about $30 a day. In '98 I spent $500 total and about $450 in 2000.

Yup, been on RAGBRAI the last two years, and it is awesome! Are there drunks? Sure....but you get a group of 10,000 people together, and there's going to a few of those, but there never seemed to be a problem with it. And in order to be sure that this statement would be totally unbiased and thourouly researched, I did spend some time within the domains of the various beer gardens.:beer:
Last year, as I was driving to the starting town, I passed thru the home town of Blue Bunny Ice Cream. I noticed that the team buses that had stopped in that town were about evenly divided between the liquor store and the ice cream shop.
You want a little more info? Check out my little pages that I did, or feel free to email me!!
29th RAGBRAI (http://home.atcjet.net/~whitlow/ragbrai.html)
30th RAGBRAI (http://home.atcjet.net/~whitlow/ragbraixxx.htm)

Hope to see you there!!!

Rode my first Ragbrai last year and will do the 31st as well in 2003 - don't drink a lot of beer and was able to completely enjoy the week. Lots of written material out there that gives you a good idea of what to expect for the week.

I have been riding on RAGBRAI since I was thirteen. My neighbor and his family got me hooked and then I took my father on it with me and we have never had anything but fun. The people and the atmosphere are great. I have seen five-year-olds all the way to people in there 90's riding. It is seven full days of partying and riding(usually around 70 miles a day more or less). The $100 does sound kind of expensive, but is well worth it and you can expect to pay around $30-$40 a day for food and stuff. I suggest you join a team that rides it, it makes it a little cheaper. Hope to see you out there.

My son got me hooked on RAGBRAI 4 years ago, and each successive year has been better than the last. There's always something unexpected to surprise you, and you never know who you'll meet on the way (one year we met Steve Forbes along the roadside). It's fun, give it a try.

About the atmosphere on the ride. It's pretty much what you want it to be... and there's plenty to go around. You meet church groups and folks who tour with a six pack on their rack, and everything in between. It's about meeting folks, seeing the sites, and, mostly, having fun. I ride with a team that is built around an extended family. The rest of us are there because we're friends (or friends of friends) of a member of that family. This family is spread out across Iowa (and the rest of the country) and the week (for me) is very much like a travelling reunion.

One thing more. I've never received a t-shirt as part of the $100.00 registration fee, but you do get a very nice patch to commemorate your ride. There are a dozen or so vendors that set up each night, and each will be happy to sell you a t-shirt. In addition, the Register will sell you a pin, jersy, shorts, coffee mug, etc. etc.... all sporting the RAGBRAI logo. Check out their website for examples.