Bike Forums - Ragbrai Xxxi

I got this from a team listserv. They say it is the Sunday DSM register article.

Get ready to ride the "devil's washboard."

That was a term early settlers applied to the up-and-down terrain of
southern Iowa. It's still an apt description, as riders on RAGBRAI XXXI will
discover July 20-26.

The annual cross-state bicycle tour of Iowa takes its most southerly route
ever this year. Everyone who knows Iowa knows that means lots of hills. It's
rated the 10th toughest ride in the 31 years of RAGBRAI.

Don't let that scare you off. In total mileage, it will be among the
shortest RAGBRAIs. No single day's ride is longer than 80 miles, and some
are considerably shorter. That means riders should arrive at the overnight
stops with plenty time left in the day to enjoy the hospitality of some of
Iowa's most picturesque and welcoming communities.

Then there's the scenery and the character of southern Iowa - a land of
gingerbread courthouses, wooded ravines, rolling fields and pasture. The
vistas are eye-pleasing throughout and occasionally spectacular. The small
towns reflect some of the poverty and population loss of southern Iowa, as
well as local flavor.

Bottom line: Don't attempt RAGBRAI XXXI unless you are willing to train in
preparation for the hills. An out-of-shape rider will be miserable. But if
you're in shape to handle the hills, the reward should be a thoroughly
delightful tour (barring rain, hail, heat or head winds).

The starting town (Glenwood) and five of the six overnight towns are the
same as on RAGBRAI XX, but this is not a repeat of the 1992 ride. On every
day but one (Bedford to Osceola on Day 3) different roads are taken than in
1992. Day 3 also includes the optional John Karras Century Loop for those
riders who want to get in a 100-mile day. It's a different loop than in '92.

This year's ride passes through at least 11 towns that RAGBRAI has never
visited before, including Coin, College Springs, Shambaugh, New Market,
Beacon, Cedar, Kirkville, Chillicothe, Hillsboro, New London and Lowell.
Near College Springs, the route is so far south it's only about a mile from
the Missouri border.

The ride begins in the Loess Hills near Glenwood and ends in the
Mississippi Valley at Fort Madison. With those two exceptions, the entire
ride will take place in a geologic region called the Southern Iowa Drift
Plain. It's hilly because the glacier of the last Ice Age didn't advance far
enough south to flatten the terrain, as it did in northern Iowa.

But don't think it's nothing but hills. As a 1898 report on the geology of
Decatur County noted, the "topography was quite fittingly described by the
early settlers who spoke of the region as the 'devil's washboard.' An
east-west traveler must cross a series of alternating ridges and valleys.
The north-south traveler may usually find a ridge road. From the latter,
looking off over the country, the tops of the successive flat-topped ridges
appear rising to an even surface and restoring the old plain in which the
valleys have been carved."

That's the way it will be for cyclists. The hill-climbing will be
interspersed with flat runs through wooded valleys and on wind-swept ridge
tops. Unlike those early settlers on rutted, dirt roads, cyclists will be on
hard surfaces except for about three miles of gravel heading into Bloomfield
on Day 5. (Unless unforeseen route changes add more gravel.)

In addition to the scenery and the towns, RAGBRAI XXXI is rich in history
and other points of interest. Shenandoah, the first night's stop, has an
Iowa Walk of Fame, a streetscape that honors Iowans who became nationally
known. The route at several points is near the Mormon Trail. In Van Buren
County, it passes through the old riverport towns of Keosauqua, Bentonsport
and Bonaparte - and dips in and out (huff-puff) of the Des Moines River
valley at each town.

In Davis and Van Buren counties, the route passes settlements of Old Order
Amish. Mount Pleasant, one of the overnight stops, is home of the Old
Threshers Reunion, a celebration of the age of steam power. Nearby Salem was
the first Quaker settlement west of the Mississippi. Picturesque courthouses
adorn Bedford, Bloomfield and other towns, and Keosauqua has the oldest
courthouse in Iowa. The route follows the Woodlands Scenic Byway for a
while, and there's plenty of history on the broad Mississippi riverfront in
Fort Madison.

Oskaloosa features a municipal bandstand that is on the National Register
of Historic Places. Nearby is a statue of Mahaska, the Ioway chief after
whom the county is named. (Interesting trivia: Oskaloosa is named after a
Creek Indian princess. The night before reaching Oskaloosa, the ride stays
overnight in Osceola, which happens to be named after the Seminole chief who
married princess Oskaloosa.)

Applications to take part in RAGBRAI XXXI may be downloaded from
www.ragbrai.org. The cost is $110 for riders and $35 for non-riders for the
full week. Up to three daily passes may be obtained for $25 per day for
riders and $15 for non-riders.

Deadline for applying is April 30. The results of a lottery to select
8,500 riders for the week will be available on May 1. Daily passes will
remain available after the April 30 deadline.

A day-by-day synopsis:
Day 1 - Some tough hills coming out of Glenwood, but it's a short day, and
the last leg is a flat run from Essex into Shenandoah 58miles

Day 2 - Through hills, hills, hills, the route dips south through some
interesting little towns RAGBRAI has never visited before, passes through
Clarinda and takes Iowa Highway 2 into Bedford. 62

Day 3 - More hills, but a few smooth, level spots, too, as the route
stays on Highway 2 through Mount Ayr and Leon, then north on old U.S.
Highway 69 (some of it newly resurfaced) into Osceola. The century loop on
this day is exceptionally hilly.76

Day 4 - This day is a mix of rolling hills, steep hills and occasional
flat stretches. The road surface is rough in places. There are some nice
scenic vistas. The route crosses the Des Moines River on the way to
Oskaloosa.79

Day 5 - The morning starts with an easy ride, then turns hilly. A landmark
is the huge power plant on the Des Moines River near Chillicothe. Heading
almost due south, there are lots of hills and scenery. The route has about
three miles of gravel just outside Bloomfield. 67

Day 6 - Riders will coast into and have to climb out of the Des Moines
River valley three times as the route traverses historic Van Buren County.
There are rolling hills and a climb out of the Skunk River valley heading
into Mount Pleasant.66

Day 7 - This day should be a breeze. Henry County outside of Mount
Pleasant is some of the flattest land in Iowa. There's only one serious
climb, out of the Skunk valley near Lowell. Most riders should reach Fort
Madison and the end of the ride in time for lunch.44