Originally Posted by
goldfinch
Interesting point.
I was just talking to a neighbor at our Iowa home. She was a host to Ragbrai riders back when the ride went through her town, maybe 10 years ago. She came out of her house in the morning and one was on her porch swing, dead.
I like long rides. But not long hard rides in the stinking heat.
There were two more this year. Aged 62 and 74, I think, and this was one of the easiest routes in history with mild weather.
Deaths on RAGBRAI (or any event requiring physical activity) always get some attention, but when you watch any 15-20,000 people for a week, there's a real chance that someone might go. It's statistics -- who's to say that the same people might not have still expired if they were at home watching TV instead?