Category: Sports

Good morning Dave.

I just got back from riding the 50th anniversary RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI was started in 1973 by John Karras and Donald Kaul, reporters for the Des Moines Register. They invited a few friend to ride their bicycles across Iowa from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River. 120 people made that first ride. The next year 2000 made the trip.

This year there were 20,000 registered week long riders and 9000 registered day riders. In addition there were 8000 to 10,000 unregistered riders. 

I ride with a club called “No Name”. We are a loose knit group from all over the United States. This year we had 24 riders and 4 support personnel. 

This years ride was designed to be 500 miles in honor of the 50th anniversary. 

It was the 6th longest and 6th hilliest on record. We were also blessed with high temperatures of 96 to 99 degrees. The route always offers the opportunity to ride a 100+ mile day in honor of John Karras. Due to housing locations I was able to ride two 100+ mile days. The group decided to cut the last day short and finish at the Mississippi  in Muscatine rather than Davenport. That saved us 30 miles, 3 hours and the massive congestion trying to find our support vehicles and get back to Des Moines. In all I rode 520 miles, ate lots of pie, sweet corn, burgers, and brats. Drank 8 to 16 16 ounce bottles of fluids daily, and only lost 2 pounds.

I am taking 2 weeks off and competing in a ballroom dance event in Kansas City before getting back on the bike. 

That’s all for now. Be safe and hug your loved ones. 

Jeff Hartzler