Route for famous bike ride announced!!

“The Des Moines Register has announced their route for RAGBRAI 2002. It gets within an hour or a little over from me. It's a weeklong party on wheels with around 8,000 people registered and probably double when you count those not registered.

OK, I am trying something new here and we'll see if it works or not. :-) Bear with me!!

”

“Let's hope this link works. I'm new to webshots and don't know how they work, exactly. But, I'm trying!!

Map of RAGBRAI route”

“It worked for me, but of course, I was LOGGED in!!

OK, try this link........ *sigh* (oh isn't it fun spending time trying to post html!! grrrrrrrrrr)

Link for lots of RAGBRAI info”

“The route looks nice! Now if they can only guarantee that the winds will only blow from the West!! and that the temp stays under 85 deg. then it will be perfect.”

“"It's a weeklong party on wheels with around 8,000 people registered"

lizs -Sounds like fun. Will you be participating?

It's new to me, so is this a ride or a race? What is included at $100 for a single rider? Do they provide a place for you to camp each night or are you on your own?

The instructions and application did not answer these questions for me.

Went to Google and found this. Near the bottom one can click for a 36-slide presentation with music. It looks like everyone was having a good time.”

“Those rides are awsome. I know a bunch of people who have done the RAIN ride (ride across Indiana) and said it was a blast. I did the hill hundred last fall, which was a two day party on wheels and can only imagine what a week would be like.”

“I've only done a day of it. The year I did that, I started at Charles City and went northeast. Three years ago, it went right by my house. That was fun!! But I had to cover their overnight stop in my town for the paper where I used to work.

Yes, it's certainly a social event.

CnC.... yup, you have a point. It seems those two things always happen. Looks like you know a lot about it.

Now Slimmer. It's a ride. No race. Let's see...... the $100 will probably take care of the right to have a place to camp at each of the overnight stops. Lots of riders get TEAMS together. That means they get someone to drive a bus or a truck with their gear to the next town to have it all set up by the time they get there. Some teams trade off that duty over the course of the week.

If it's horrendously hot, as it was two and three years ago, a lot of riders will start at 4 am or so and get to their next town by noon and then rest or take part in events offered in the host town. It's a major deal when you're a host town. Like a carnival. All kinds of food tents..... booths for stuff.... beer garden..... entertainment, etc. (lotsa WORK for host towns, but they gladly do it, hoping to sell some riders on returning for vacation or to one day move there)

Each town has set up camping areas. Like in my town, it was at the local college. But you'll find people all over, sometimes staying in the yards of friends, etc.”

“lizs - Thanks.”