Originally Posted by
bigbadwullf
I tend to take the devil's advocate on replies. Don't know why.
I know I would enjoy the ride and the fun that goes with RAGBRAI. I'm no prude, mind you. But with all the drinking and then operating a vehicle on public roads I don't see how in this day and age, this ride hasn't suffered from that in the public's eye. And how do the cops patrol this? Just turn a blind eye? I mean it just seems strange to me.
Now 30-40 years ago might be another story.
For most it's not a drinking game on RAGBRAI. There is a group wherein it becomes a progressive drunk as the week rolls on, but for most it's a couple of beers at day's end. I've ridden with 90 yr olds and 4 year olds; I've ridden with those riding a $69 Huffy and those with $10K bikes; I've ridden with entire teams that are paraplegic pedaling with their arms. I've told people for years that you can find anything you want on RAGBRAI from naked beer slides to Bible studies....the beer slides are easier to find! When you get a group of 20,000 people in the overnight town, 2% that are after the drunk is a large number. At times RAGBRAI does suffer from image, but more-so from riders not paying any attention to normal legal rules of the road. I get upset when riders won't even get out of the way for an ambulance coming from behind....and those riders are in the oncoming traffic lane! One of my friends described RAGBRAI as "It's Mardi Gras married to a county fair whose parents were a rock concert and a church potluck all on a bicycle ride."