Tuesday, July 15, 2008
packing for RAGBRAI 2008
On Thursday July 17, 2008, I'm departing NJ for IA in the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across IA, aka RAGBRAI.
RAGBRAI is a bunch of roadies converging upon IA and putting on a rolling party across IA.I am meeting up with a group from CT, called Team Schmooze, (or is it Team UstaBe now?) who've done this ride numerous times in the past. Its basically an annual pilgrimage for them. In fact, Paul who appears to run the team has converted an old school bus into a luxury motor coach.
I'm eager to see the engineering marvel and anxious to get started on the ride out. Now I have to go and start packing. Golly, I have a lot of lycra now... who would have thought.
If all goes as planned I'll do daily updates here. For now, here's more about the route:
Break out the Burma Shave signs. RAGBRAI is heading down the old Lincoln Highway.
A fair portion of this year's edition of the trans-Iowa ride will follow the country's first coast-to-coast highway. The 471-mile route will also take riders along other officially designated stretches, such as the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway.
The route is virtually the same mileage as last year's -- 477 miles last year and 471 miles this year -- but the amount of climb is dramatically different. Last year riders climbed 13,600 feet. This year they'll face 22,500 feet of climb.
