Bbarry9999

Giving serious thought to registering for RAGBRAI and looking for comments and feedback from people that have done it solo. Likes, dislikes, experiences, surprises, etc...

Thanks

Bicycle365

I would recommend using a charter for the first trip. You don't need the Full Service ( tents/meals/entertainment/massages etc... ) type of charter, but it makes the logistics easier. You will know ahead of time where you will be camping and if you need a ride w/ your bike from the end town to the beginning town (prior or post ride)they usually can provide that at a reduced cost.
Likes: Super friendly riders and townsfolks, food choices
Not so Liked: Super lines at KYBOs especially in AM (another reason for charter they often have their own), bottlenecks in passthru towns
Surprises: I was by no means the slowest/oldest/fattest/

Tip: Remember when on the road, the cornfields on the right are for men, on the left are for women...

indyfabz

Interesting. One of the many people I have met who have done the ride told me he made the mistake or pulling off to pee in a cornfield on the right. The crowd was so thick that he to wait many minutes before a sufficient gap opened to allow him to get started again. After that, he always pulled off the left to pee.

Personally, I would never do the event. Too many people for my liking. Cycle Oregon, with its 2,000+ people, pushes my limits. And having spent a few days touring in IA in July while crossing the country, I have no desire to intentionally subject myself to the possibility of excessive heat and humidity. Every day was in the mid-90s at least with very high humidity. The day going to Dyersville the high topped 100. And corn provides no shade.

mstateglfr 

I haven't done RAGBRAI alone, but this year I will be going with 3 others and itll be totally unsupported(no charter). We wont have great camping spots, but I don't have many requirements when it comes to the view and location of a tent.

Its certainly an adventure and you are surrounded by thousands of strangers who are your friends.

Charters can be helpful in that they get you from a fixed point to the start and back at the end. The transport logistics is otherwise tough to figure out going solo, I would think.

robow

If you enjoy waiting in lines, you'll have a great time. Actually a transport service reduces this a great deal and imo is well worth it. It's not so much touring as it is a week long rolling party. Enjoy !

ThermionicScott 

I'll bring in my thoughts from the other thread for completeness.

I'll re-emphasize: it's well worth it to get up early to beat the heat and lines. It's the only week of the year that I can wake up at 5am and want to be active.

Also, I learned from my first trip that it's a good idea to bring some toilet paper with you at all times. I fold up about 12 squares of my favorite stuff into a Ziploc bag that I carry in my jersey.

jsjcat

What is a KYBO?

Bbarry9999

I see a lot of comments about transport. can you explain? Is it

from start town to the start point in that town? I plan to drive to the start city and leave my car there.
Is it from the layover town stopping points to the campgrounds and back to the next starting point?
or is it from the end town and returning back to the start town to pick up car. (this seems the most challenging).

ThermionicScott 

It's RAGBRAI-specific slang for a port-o-potty.

jsjcat

Thanks!

curlyque

I'm far from a typical entrant. I started out from home, self supported, and biked 250 miles to join up with RAGBRAI near Des Moines. Did 3 days solo and 4 with the ride and was picked up at the finish.

Great experience for someone like me who hadn't ridden in a mass event before. Never a dull moment and lots of yummy pork. But it was a one shot deal.

No regrets and some found memories. If you are a self contained tourer, the ride is pretty much hassle free.

YMMV

mbw

I am doing RAGBRAI again this year. In years past I never remember having to wait too long anywhere. Yes, lots of people, but everyone is having a great time and relaxing for a few minutes at a stop for food is never a big deal.

The group I go with gets churches and things for the overnights, so its pretty cushy. A/C overnight in a build is fantastic.

I live in Iowa, and get a bit uncomfortable after a week or so in a big city because of how dense everything is. Too many people. But the effect of lots of people in iowa has never seemed to bother me. You also don't have to use the corn right next to the stops where food is... that is where it can get crowded. Just ride for five minutes and you can have a few acres of corn to yourself.

Attitude matters. If you want to have fun, take your time. If you take an impatient big city attitude you won't have any fun at all.

mstateglfr 

If you start in Des Moines for example, a charter like Bike World's(not endorsing, just one of many examples) takes you from Des Moines to the start and from the finish back to Des Moines.

RAGBRAI 2015 Official Charter Service there is this too. its official and all.

hueyhoolihan

what is at the front of the lines that everybody is waiting for?

robow

Showers, food, your luggage, potty, etc

desconhecido 

Showers, outhouses, food, beer, water, restaurant meals, your tent and gear, etc.

It's really pretty amazing. You've got little bitty towns with a population of 5,000 or 10,000 and all of a sudden, 10,000 to 20,000 people show up to spend the night. Lots of services are on wheels -- portable outhouses, portable showers, for example.

Things to know: Iowa is not flat. Iowa in July is not cool, though it cools down at night. Iowa in July is not likely to be totally dry. Nothing is free.

When you come into town, get your shower right away, decide where you're going to dine and do it as early as possible.

Plan on getting up 30 minutes, or so, early to stand in line for the outhouse.

I did RAGBRAI with a Des Moines cycling club group in 2010 using the Bike World support. They get you from Des Moine to the start, tote your stuff around for you, and get you back to Des Moines at the end. Well worth it, in my estimation.

I'm glad I did it, I'll never do it again.

mbw

That is where a nice club or charter comes into play. They bring shower setups, hot water heaters, book rooms/buildings or setup fancy tents, deal with your bags for you. If you go with a smallish group (60 people or so, or less) then finding bags, getting cleaned up, is much easier.

This year I am planning to pack into one fairly large pelican case, all my bedding and stuff in one case. Its a little heavy, but I dont have to move it far. The shower trucks are not a bad deal either. pay a little bit and get a good shower.

It can be a little more rough depending on how you do it. If you just use the register truck for bags, setup your own tent, use the general kybos.. ya, its not luxury and I can see that getting old.

I think I should start a luxury ragbrai charter service. I see enough older folks riding $4k fancy race bikes with a bear gut and biking sandals on... I bet I could sustain that.

hueyhoolihan

as much as i hate to drink it, even instant coffee takes too long.

i suppose i'm inferior RAGBRAI material.

jkmartin

The 1st time I rode RAGBRAI I rode about 600 miles from my house to the start and then carried all my stuff during RAGBRAI. In RAGBRAI nomenclature traditional bike tourists are called "baggers". It was very hot that year with temps by noon approaching 100. If you haven't ridden RAGBRAI before, I wouldn't recommend bagging it for your 1st experience - you're going to be slower than just about anyone, get into the end town tired, and not really have the energy necessary to do RAGBRAI things. RAGBRAI isn't so much about riding, it's about the things you do in the towns along the way. This year's ride also has an above average amount of climbing.

I did the ride 2 years later on the same bike but unloaded and it was a much more pleasant experience. I used a charter that year and while registration does entitle you to use the baggage truck, a no-frills charter will give you a smaller pile of baggage to sort through and a smaller group of people to camp with. If you do decide to start the ride by bagging it then decide mid-week it's not your thing you could load your bags on the charter's truck for transport to the next town.

The number of baggers is significantly less than 1% of total riders (probably closer to .01%), but it didn't seem to open up many conversations or advantages. There are definite drawbacks to being the biggest, heaviest, and slowest in a mass of very unpredictable road bikes.

So if it were me I'd 1) register for the ride, 2) sign up for a basic charter, 3) start the ride "self-supported" to see what it's like, and then 4) depending on weather and my mindset possibly let the charter truck carry my bags some days.

Registration closes April 1st so you need to decide quickly. A lot (LOT) of riders don't register, but you don't want to be 1 of those people.

bikemig 

I live in Des Moines and so far I've managed to avoid doing ragbrai. I know I'll end up doing it one of these days but that's a lot of people on the road. I prefer smaller state tours. I signed up for BAM in August which this year is in northern MN. The ride is limited to 300 riders but there are apparently no limit on the number of mosquitos, . I'm bringing plenty of Deet along for the apres ride festivities.

desconhecido 

For me, it was a social thing. My sister was living in Des Moines at the time and wanted to do it and asked if I'd go along with her. I'm retired, and was then as well, so I couldn't use work as an excuse and it was good to spend some time with my sister. Actually, we had a good time and I enjoyed the experience. The basic charter through Bike World along with the great people with the Des Moines bicycle club take care of a lot of logistics and the like. Personally, I wouldn't want to do it unsupported or without some social connection.

hueyhoolihan

worst mosquito area i've ever been in, second place isn't even close. the woodlands literally throbbed with them at sunset. they turned in early, but were light sleepers...

bikemig 

I've been in worse (try Finland in the summer) but yeah the deet isn't optional.

ThermionicScott 

Why would they limit their state bird?

indyfabz

I spent two weeks riding in MN in July while crossing the country. The farthest north we got was Bemidji. The mosquitoes were horrible in many places and we weren't even that far north. Even the HI Hostal at Lake Itasca had them inside. The worst is when I had to leave the tent in the middle of the night to pee. No matter how fast I tried to unzip the door and zip it closed again, one or more would get in. I'd lay back down to sleep and they would start buzzing in my ears. A couple of days I unpacked tent and noticed blood splotches on the inside. They were from mosquitoes that had gotten crushed when I rolled up the tent that morning. I remember eating cereal one morning and they were literally trying to fly in my mouth.

A few years ago I told these stories to a woman who was going to do a supported ride in MN with her husband. It may have even been BAM. They ended up bagging at her demand due to the bug issue.