RAGBRAI 50 | BIKING THROUGH CORNFIELDS

I did not set out to make another RAGBRAI how to guide or a top 10 tips video. What I wanted to do here is give an honest, authentic representation of a week on the ride through Iowa. Not from any specific perspective. My team and I had as many bad experiences as we probably had good ones, but when on a trip like this where you are putting your mind and body to the test, you end up embracing many of those negative moments and using them to conquer your misogi. My uncle had a crash on day 2 and three popped tires (in a single day), it was over 100 degrees for more than half of the ride, it was severely overcrowded which was dangerous at times. All of these things we signed up for when we decided to do RAGBRAI and I am incredibly grateful for it. I now have a special experience to look back on with my 80 year old grandfather, my uncle from D.C., and my cousin from Denver doing something that took preparation and mental strength. Yes there was a plethora of beer and amish pie, but dammit this ride is tough.

RAGBRAI is up there with some of the core memories of my life and I am thankful for the experience. To the RAGBRAI team and staff, the amish community, the universities, towns, and citizens of Iowa who spent time with us and served the riders this year in the heat we all experienced, thank you for representing your state well. It was a brutal, yet beautiful tour of Iowa. To Garmin International, who supported me through this ride and equipped me with the gear I needed to succeed, thank you. I used the Edge 1080 for mapping the route and recording my cycling data. I had the Varia radar that kept me aware of other riders and the extensive number of EMT trucks that needed to be on the route helping fallen riders, my cycling kits that made me look as if I knew more about bikes than I actually do (I’ve been riding for less than a year and this is my first bike), and my water bottles that I absolutely dropped on day two on a hill in the blistering 102 degree afternoon.. sorry Tommy. Thank you to Rich and Jeff for the invitation to join both of you on this epic journey and to my grandfather, George who chauffeured our nasty asses every night through the middle of nowhere Iowa to RV parks, the lawn of a US Armory site, and some farmers backyard, in addition to, a night with Ann while in Ames, as well as, a night with Jon and Donna in Iowa City. You all were saints to have allowed us in your space, share your table and your stories with us, and much more. It is not easy to cater to the Richard Hatzfeld way of things, but you persevered. We all did.

I hope you all enjoy my cheaply put together, hella amateur, yet 100% authentic view of this amazing ride. Maybe from the moments you see in this film, it might also give you the desire to bike 500 miles through corn fields. I would recommend it. Mr. Pork Chop is truly the shit. Nothing could ever stand in the way of a slab of slow roasted pork on a hot summer day handed to you in the middle of what I can only describe as the middle of absolutely nowhere. Eat the Chris Cakes. It’s nothing you haven’t had before, but have you ever biked 24 miles before you were offered UNLIMITED flappin’ jacks and sausage links. Yeah it’s very good. I recommend many pickles along the ride. Pie is nuts and it’s everywhere. Buy from the amish — it’s the best and it’s also like $3 instead of $7 like the other stands. We told them to raise their prices but I guess they are just the real ones. Do not be a fool and miss out on Tacos al Familia in Des Moines. I wouldn’t have finished the god forsaken ride without their birria tacos. Please drink many micheladas and tip your bartender cause dammit. Its good. Those ice cream sandos were also top tier — go for the apple pie.

Im not doing it again but ten out of ten would say you should go for it.


____________________________________________________________________________

Days On The Ride

00:00 - Sioux City
04:04 - Storm Lake
07:10 - Carroll
12:14 - Ames
16:32 - Des Moines
20:24 - Tama-Toledo
25:22 - Iowa City
30:08 - Davenport