Day 7 - The Final Day of RAGBRAI 2009

The riders decided that since it was the last day, they wanted to get an early start. It would be crazy at the finish. But Curtis couldn’t find his bicycle! He knew it was too big for Blaze to carry off, so he was a bit concerned. While he went out to the trailer to look for it, the guys rushed it into place for the big surprise. At the beginning of the ride he complained that he could never wear the official team jerseys back home in West Texas because they were “too gay.” He made the remark a couple more times, so the guys asked Cathy and me to help decorate his bike. We recruited Nancy's help and slipped away to a back bedroom to make tissue paper flowers, giggling the whole time. We made it look like a parade float with flowers, streamers and bells all over it.

The helmet did not escape either. A few more flowers and ribbon curls made a fashion statement reminiscent of Victorian-era bonnets (sorry, the costume historian in me came out for a second). I was really proud of that.

Curt took the ribbing good-naturedly, and actually rode about 15 miles of the final route with the decorations on his bike. But he did have an editorial gesture that Brian captured for posterity!

According to Cathy, her experience was that in the past, the final towns have been a chaotic mess as all of the riders and their support teams converged on the final spot where the cyclists dip their front tire in the Mississippi River (remember that they started by dipping the rear tire in the waters of the Missouri River last Saturday). But in Burlington, it was wonderful.

The bikers rode into town and made a final left turn to ride along the riverfront park, until they reached a boat launch where the final dip took place. It was a festival atmosphere as everyone rode in.

We parked the motorcoach on the outskirts of town and Cathy and I headed to see if we could find our group. Phone coordination told us they were about an hour out, so we had some time to kill. There was a restaurant right on the route with a few tables out front. Just as we walked up, one opened! It was like being on the 50 yard line at the Super Bowl! We enjoyed a Bloody Mary as we watched the riders come in. Cathy and I felt we’d successfully reached the end of the journey, too.

Unlike other days when everyone scattered, every team rode the final mile together, so it was colorful and festive. The riders were euphoric –they’d made it! And the support teams and the local spectators cheered them on.

One thing Cathy and I found amusing…the bikers rode to the Mississippi, but then they walked their bikes along the riverfront after that. When I asked someone why, the answer was, “My butt is SO sore!”

Once the ride was completed, the team and charter buses were waiting to load the bikes and luggage. Some went straight to the FedEx station to crate and ship their bikes home. FedEx had two semis waiting at the check point.

Others checked in with their tour companies who carried their bikes and gear back to the starting point while they rode chartered buses…and napped all the way back across Iowa!

The river was in sight for Team OWBNID. Just down the hill through town and one more left to be at the dipping sight.

Finally our group made the final turn, with Captain Bill in the lead. We had everyone on the restaurant deck cheering them on. Then we all headed to the Mississippi.

One by one, they descended the steps to the river and dipped their front tire in the muddy waters. I can only imagine what each one was feeling.

Finally, following a lunch of Emeril’s Baked Bologna on Crystal’s homemade white bread (after every meal, Gerry made the comment that we’d worked so hard throughout the trip that on the final day, we’d probably serve them bologna and white bread), our group separated, Jerry, Brian, Tahressa and Ed took the trailer with the bikes and headed back to Texas with an overnight stop in Arkansas. Dan and Bob were going to meet up with family in Arkansas. And Bob drove Bill, Cathy, Curtis, Scott, Gerry and me back to Gretna.

On the way back we passed this silo with the sign on it. I managed to get a picture and it certainly says what we all feel. Bob Covalik made the trip so great thanks to his motorcoach and generosity of time and energy. He toted stuff from the RV to the houses - food, pans, ice chests and cooking gear. He kept the coolers full and iced down. He parked the motorcoach into the tightest spots, then backed the trailer into place since neither Cathy nor I could do it. He entertained us with wonderful stories. And his generious spirit inspired us all. I don't know what Bob the sign in the picture was for. But if he was half as special as our Bob, he's something else!

The adventure is over. The memories are forever. We met so many amazing people – host families, bikers, people on the routes. And saw some spectacular sights.

Iowa is a beautiful place. Not just cornfields, as I’d been led to believe. But even those were surprisingly scenic, stretching on for mile after mile over rolling hills. I thought Texas was a rural state, but not like this. The heartland of America is a true description. And a part of my heart is left there. Guess I’ll have to go back and get it next year.

The Bikes - imagination on wheels

When I think of bicycles, before RAGBRAI, I thought of the standard two-wheel contraptions with gears, narrow tires and curved-down handlebars. Of course, I’d seen a few of those funky-looking bikes where the rider lays down and pedals (recumbent bikes, I think is what most of them are called). Boy, did I learn there’s lots of variety in pedal-propelled vehicles!

There were lots and lots of tandem bicycles, too, which really surprised me. My folks had one when I was a kid and that’s the last time I remember seeing one until this – they were everywhere. But even more, unusual were tandem bikes like these:

Here’s one for three – the whole family can ride.

Or what if one member of the duo likes a recumbent and the other wants a standard bike? No problem! I'm not sure who is doing the steering, however.

Then there’s this bike, which Brian captured on the trailer (sorry they didn’t see it being ridden). It holds 4 pedalers . So that’s lots of power…and a party on board, too.

Then there was this bike…Mother and son can ride along and when he’s big enough for a bike of his own she’s got a regular bike. Very clever. And what an accomplishment for this young boy – riding nearly 500 miles. My guess is he’s between 6 and 8 years old. WOW!

And there were many varieties of the recumbent bike. I was surprised to see the three-wheel varieties, which were much lower to the ground that regular bikes. I was impressed until I saw someone try to navigate a curb with one and finally have to give up and clamber out to pull it over the bumps.

This one has a windshield and windscreen to improve aerodynamics.

And you’ll remember this one from the costume section. This is nothing more aerodynamic than a banana, after all.

This biker has a comfortable, shaded ride. Note all the gear packs and bedroll. He’s a self-contained traveling unit. The flags give him visibility with cars. It would be very easy to be completely hidden if you were behind a vehicle - and in fact could be downright dangerous.

Another one of the tricycles – this was probably the most common type we saw. They even had to come up with a special bike rack to hold them on the backs of cars. You’ve got to think of everything when you break the mold!

And then there was this bike! The attached sail intrigued the OWBNID guys. I’m not sure just how effective it was on the hills of Iowa but he sure won style points from everyone.
And then there were the things hauled behind the bikes! The one on the right looks like an ice chest, right? Nope. It’s a boom box! And the other one is a solar-powered stereo system. They’d pump out the music for everyone to enjoy as they rode. Not your taste in music? Speed up or slow down. Everyone was easy.

Other bikers hauled other things in trailers behind the bikes. The couple on the left had all their camping gear inside – tents, bedrolls, bags. And the other one has a small child riding inside. That’s the original purpose of this type of trailer, but the very thought of the distances covered every day with a kid in a trailer behind you is hard to get your mind around. Who got tired first every day?

While Lance Armstrong was in France winning 3rd in the Tour de France, one of his racing bikes was on display one day of the ride. Everyone was excited to see one of these super high-tech bikes up close, especially since it was ridden by everyone’s hero. Although it looks heavy, I promise it’s made of a very lightweight material and can probably be lifted with two or three fingers. According to Tahressa, the wider tires help with the aerodynamics for the ride. Personally, I still look at that little-bitty seat and wonder how he – or anyone for that matter – rides for hours upon hours on it.

For a couple of days, I heard about this bike from the riders. I don’t know how much it was actually on the road or whether it was just demonstrated in the towns (when I finally saw it, the bike was displayed on a rack and it was made of new material –not an antique). But they got this photo for me to share. I kept thinking I’d fall over on a recumbent bike…I KNOW I’d be on the ground on this one!

Here’s our unicyclist on the road. Yes, he did make the whole ride. You can see in comparison with the other bikes that he’s on a larger wheel than most unicycles (I know that Robert’s was a much smaller wheel), so I’m guessing that it would be easier to cover distances on this one. But I can’t imagine getting started. He probably just hops up there with ease.

And then there’s the group of bikes that Cathy and I thought that if we were riding, it would be on one of these. The first one we saw in Chariton, and I’m not sure whether it was on the road or just used around towns for fun, but the idea of an ice chest, and a place to sit on the back sounds good to me. Imagine…a glass of wine and someone else doing the work. Now that’s my idea of a good time!

The final bike is designed for 4 riders. I love that it's built from two tandems and a complete traveling party. A modern day surrey with the fringe (or camping gear) on the top! Love the beer steins, dangling from the canopy, too!

Imagination. That’s what we saw everywhere.

Day 6

The day started off cool, with ground fog and heavy dew. Bill and Scott slept outside on the porch and Bob slept outside under a lean-to off the barn. Everyone else was in a large room in the house. Bill was pretty heartbroken that Peaches the kitten chose to sleep in the hammock with Scott, but she’d chosen her man earlier. When Scott was packing the next morning, she decided to help. So it was put something in the suitcase. Remove Peaches. Put something in the suitcase. Remove Peaches. But any of us would have packed that kitten in our luggage and taken her home – she was a sweetie pie.

As with each house, the riders posed for a group photo with the hosts. Here they are in front of Crystal and Pat's house. The tree beside them has Pat's used boots nailed to it for bird houses. There was a nest in one, too.

Fortified with more homemade bread from Crystal, the bikers headed out, crossing the Des Moines River in Ottumwa. The trip to Mt. Pleasant was about 75 miles.

The trip took them through more Amish country and they came out to watch the bikers pass by, but would not return waves or greetings, which surprised our friendly group.

But Bill, as always, found the party wherever it was, including one on someone’s porch.

One thing fascinating was the group of food vendors who set up between towns every day. Since the locals in the pass-through towns had the concessions locked up every day, another group set up on the roadsides every day. There was Beekman’s homemade ice cream (EVERYONE talked about how good it was), serving ice cream cranked with an old steam engine made in 1914 that whirred and popped as it cranked the dasher.

They served about 6 flavors and I think most everyone tried all of them. As you can see, they'd just set up where the riders had a good place to stop.

Mr. Pork Chop (Bill’s favorite) serving huge pork chops on sticks so the riders could eat while they rode. He was known for his loud call, which Bill captured on video for posterity.

Pastafari (ONE of Curt’s favorites) that played reggae music while they served up penne pasta with grilled salmon and vegetables on top. And Tender Tom’s (another of Curt’s favorites) that served smoked turkey legs.

And in every town, the churches and service clubs would serve dinners. Chicken and noodles, country ham, pork tenderloin - each with all the trimmings and pie for dessert. They made thousands of dollars in one night. No wonder it’s said you can bike nearly 500 miles across the state of Iowa and still gain weight!

Finally, the group arrived in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. The theme of the city was “Blast Off for a Good Time in Mt. Pleasant” and the riders were greeted with an arch across the street. On either side were rocket ships that went up and down. The whole town was decked out with American Flags: along the route, in people’s yards and even at the Court House.

There’s a HUGE amount of planning that goes into each town’s presentation to the pedalers at each stop. But it has to be done quickly, in the scheme of things because the route is not announced each year until some time in January. So each overnight and pass-through town only has about 6 months to organize and make their plans. And all for just about 24 hours! Also, many of these towns have either finished or are getting ready to host the county fair the weekend on either side of RAGBRAI. I was just amazed at the coordination it took to move 30,000 people, 20,000 bicycles and 5,000 support vehicles from place to place each night for 7 nights. You have to arrange housing or camping, food, sanitation, entertainment, emergency, law enforcement, traffic control (both in town and out on the road for the cyclists, especially at busy intersections) and who knows what else.

Our hosts for the evening were Nancy and Mike Vens. They had a home about 7 miles outside of town, so most of the bikers were ferried to and from the center of town. But not until after a few beers and attempts at the slip ‘n slide. Curtis was by far the most successful at this venture. According to some of the veterans, there have been years when the slip 'n slide was covered with beer instead of water and some bikers slid naked. They looked and looked for it this year and never found it, so the younger bikers settled for this one in someone's yard.

Scott and Brian got separated from the group, however, and pedaled out on their own – a difficult job after a tough day. All the riders felt the ride was one of the hardest rides they’d had. They faced a strong headwind and high humidity. The temperature was only in the mid 80’s but it felt much hotter. They were all glad to arrive. Pepper and Blaze, the English spaniels, welcomed them with wagging tails. Blaze was about 6 months old and loved to steal things, so Nancy was very worried that stuff would go missing. She periodically checked Blaze’s hiding places throughout our stay.

Nancy and her friend Kathy had picked sweet corn that morning, so we decided it was steak and sweet corn night. They had a wonderful local meat market that was thrilled to get our order. Kathy and her husband Gary joined us for the evening, which featured lots of fun, great jokes, incredible food and good conversation. We all felt right at home. According to Bob, something of an expert on sweet corn, it scored a 10 because it was so fresh.

Because it was the last night of RAGBRAI, the younger riders in our group wanted to head to town for the fun. However, thunderstorms moved through about 10:30 and shut everything down. Not wanting them to go away disappointed, Kathy and Gary volunteered to show them the hopping places in Mt. Pleasant. They enjoyed themselves immensely. By the way, the extra person in the photo is Richard Breinin, who was the Specialized bicycle representative. He was a friend of Tahressa’s, who tagged along with our group from about Tuesday night on. The first night, he slept in his truck and when Tahressa found out about it, she asked if it would be OK if he shared space with us. As a result, the gang got loaner bikes and free repairs throughout the trip. He spends 300 days a year on the road, visiting bicycle events to promote Specialized bicycles. He was headed to Minnesota when he left us on Saturday, then to Illinois.

And so another wonderful day on ride across Iowa ended.

Where Were the Fashion Police?

Personal expression was in full force at RAGBRAI! Everyone wore bike jerseys, which either represented the team they were on or races in which they had ridden. This year’s RAGBRAI jersey (modeled by Gerry Morris) featured pie. Most of the participants had one, so this was the most common jersey you saw on the routes and around town.

Cathy and I were thrilled to see a member of Team Gourmet. This group from Chicago is well-known for the fact that they travel with a chef and enjoy the fanciest meals of any group. Their jerseys have the week’s menu printed on them. So we photographed it all and wondered how they manage – like us the chef cooks in someone’s kitchen. I’ve included one day’s menu for you to see what they do. Pretty fancy stuff!

This group dressed as cowboys, complete with stick horses attached to their bikes and cowboy hats attached to their helmets. Gerry said they also carried cap guns in holsters and would yell and fire them in the air when they entered a town.

This fellow, riding alongside the bandidos was dressed as the Cat in the Hat.

Thank goodness the weather cooperated for this rider. The chicken costume had to be hot.

Team Flamingo is another colorful group. They ride in hot pink jerseys and pink feather boas. It’s quite a site to see them “flying” down the road. The leader of Team Flamingo found our own Captain Bill to be just as colorful.

Hot dogs and beer go together. And these two riders proudly proved it…for nearly 500 miles.

If you remember the Team Cow bus, you’ll find the team jerseys very appropriate. The bike even has a tail on it. Some of the helmets had udders on them.

I don't even know what to say about these guys....

Where’s Jimmy Buffett when you need him? This fellow looks like he took a wrong turn on the way to a concert. Speaking of skirts, there were rumors of a team of guys riding in kilts. Our riders saw them once or twice, but we never got pictures. I kept wanting to know how they rode if they work kilts in the traditional Scottish way. Had to be uncomfortable…

Wasn’t sure whether to put this one in the section on riders or bikes, since both are decorated. Either way, it’s pretty amazing.

This rider took her dog along on the journey in the carrier.

If you're going for a simpler look, the most obvious place for adornment is the bike helmet. Both teams and individuals decorated their helmets with everything imaginable. From margarita glasses to Spam cans (Team Spam of course). Click on the image for a larger view.

This couple was chose an All-American theme. We saw them on the last day, too, so Uncle Sam survived the whole ride.

And finally, there are the riders who wear their underwear on the outside. Some people should not be seen in thongs. Pretty scary, don’t you think?