25-Jul-21      SUN       LE MARS to SAC CITY Iowa
 
RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) loses elevation as one starts in the NW corner of the state (this year, not every year), near the Missouri River, traverses the state south easterly, and arrives at the Mississippi River about 500 ft lower in elevation, about 1 foot loss per mile. Some in our group were looking forward to that great descent not realizing that in nearly 500 miles one would not be able to discern the descent, especially with numerous steep climbs and descents getting in the way! Today's ride had a minimum elevation of 1159 ft and a max elevation of 1499 ft. Unlike the next 6 days, today's ride was actually a net gain in elevation.  
 
But before the action even started, I had driven from Rowlett to Council Bluffs. When I pulled my bike out of the van, I realized my front tire was dead flat. I pumped it up hoping the heat in the car resulted in the tire going flat even though it had no affect on the rear tire. Next morning, flat again. the bike was packed into individual boxes and loaded into a transport. There was a bus to take us from Council Bluffs to Le Mars, a distance of about 130 miles. When we arrived, naturally the tire was flat. I pumped it up again and hoped the leak was slow enough to allow me to get to Joe's Bunkhouse. It did.  
 
That evening, we walked to the bike expo in downtown Le Mars, a couple blocks away. Someone pointed out the town bike shop and I headed there while the others proceeded to walk around the town and exhibits. I bought two tires as I thought the rear was even more worn out than the front. When we got back to Joe's bunkhouse, I took the old tire off. The rolling surface felt very thin although no casing was visible. There were however, tiny chinks in the rubber. It was only a matter of time before the tire needed to be chucked. With new tire in hand, I chucked it anyway. So, mounted the new tire with new tube and had no issues with it for the entire trip. Got to looking at the rear tire and while it was worn flatter than the front tire, the tread wear indicators were still clearly visible. I decided not to change it. That tire was good for the entire week, also. While at the Expo, I sampled the awesome pork chop Cindy had mentioned. Yup. even though it wasn't "MR PORKCHOP" that Cindy mentioned was to die for, this one was also to die for. It was the best I'd ever had. I decided i would try a MR PORKCHOP pork chop at my first opportunity.  
 
All of these words, and I haven't even gotten to the ride. Well that part should be short and sweet. It was the longest of the 7 regular routes, the most climbing, and the most climbs and descents. It was the only day to have more climbing than descending and the only day to finish at a higher elevation than at the start.
 
There were 9 of us in our group including me. We decided to all stay together. That made for a pretty slow ride but several carried radios and that made it easier to keep track of those in the group who strayed ahead or lagged behind or went their own way when we arrived in towns. This was our longest day at over 9 hours elapsed time and over 3 hours off the bikes and also the slowest ride time. Later in the week I realized why my averages were so low even though I thought I had been climbing and descending pretty quickly. The towns that were hosting had tents and displays set up along the edges of the streets and there were food stands of various sorts as well as supplies, clothing, and trinkets for sale. The crowds of bikes (15000 riders) forced every rider to get off and walk the bike through the towns slowing down the whole procession.  
 
No breakfast was provided at Joe's Bunkhouse so we 'foraged' for breakfast in those early towns. If I'm not mistaken, I had a breakfast burrito. It was awesome! at lunch I think it was a pork roast sandwich in another town. It was not as good as pork chop but I thought it was pretty darned good just the same. Some of the towns had music to entertain, some live, some not, but almost always, the speakers were too loud to actually enjoy it. I don't remember what we did for dinner but Joe took a couple of us over to an ice cream place where I ordered a mint/chocolate chip shake. I think I might not have eaten dinner as i was pretty full after that shake.    
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 6:35; end: 16:22; avg:13.3; max: 35.4; climb: 2782; miles:85.7; mtd miles:834.62; ytd miles:6656.76
CONDITIONS: clouds, fog, haze, and high level smoke; wind: NE 2; start  temp: 59; min: 57; avg: 82; max: 102 (not shade); end: 87(shade)
 
26-Jul-21      MON      SAC CITY to FORT DODGE Iowa
 
Among the 15000 riders there were many kinds of bikes. Predominant were road bikes, but there were also mountain bikes, 2-wheel recumbents, 3-wheel recumbents, e-bikes of all types. Then there were tandems - road, 2-wheel recumbent, 3-wheel recumbent; 3 passenger road tandems (4 of those altogether). There was also one velomobile, a Quest. I didn't talk to him but he was going pretty well. I think recumbents comprised about 10% of all bikes.  
 
I rode a road bike because my group were all on road bikes and for social reasons that worked out best. I can't say I would have wanted to be on a recumbent, unless it were a trike. On the massive climbs, some of them quite steep, it was hard to avoid getting blocked by road bike riders who were very slow, which would also make it very slow on a 2-wheeler. Once momentum is lost, it's gone until the downhill. Then, it is difficult to take full advantage of downhill momentum on a recumbent as there are often so many riders in the way.  
 
Climbing wise, this was a much easier day - fewer miles; much less in the way of climbing. True to form, this was also a downhill day - elevation loss was greater than elevation gain although only a little less than 200 ft of loss. There was still the odd steep climb but not as many of those. Usually crossing major rivers results in a big downhill followed by a big uphill. The towns were often along the rivers so it was not unusual to have a climb out of the towns. Yesterday's climbing in ft per mile was 32.5; today's was 18 ft per mile. You get the picture. That's closer to the climbing when circling White Rock Lake and adding the So Pac Trail.  
 
On this day, I had Pork Chop from MR PORK CHOP but unfortunately, disappointing. It didn't taste nearly as good as the one I had at the opening Expo which was from a competing brand. I thought I would try it again during the subsequent days but never had a chance - lines were too long. I also had home made ice cream from Beekman's - excellent. Before the ride, others who had done RAGBRAI said I must try the home made ice cream from the Amish, but this year they had no booths. Apparently we were not in the right area of Iowa for that opportunity. During the ride, we also had the opportunity to try fresh corn on the cob, in the husk. I have to say it was absolutely delicious. Corn, as well as Soy, is grown everywhere in Iowa. Most of it used for the production of bio fuel and cattle feed but about 1% is reserved for eating. I have always loved eating corn fresh off the cob, without butter or salt - just love the sweet flavor!  
 
Fort Dodge, our ending town for the day is a large city as compared to the small towns we pass through - 25000 residents and it is a major commercial hub. Joe's Bunkhouse was right near the downtown area where another Expo was held on a closed downtown boulevard. I walked over with the group but I cut it short well before the group did as my sciatica was giving me a lot of pain. The sciatica is aggravated by bike riding but I don't feel it while on the bike. I knew that doing RAGBRAI would be a challenge as quite a bit of walking and standing would be involved and that is very uncomfortable. In any case, I was getting as much as I could out of the experience and was liking being there more as each day passed.
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 6:33; end: 13:55; avg:14.8; max: 37.1; climb: 1253; miles:69.04; mtd miles:903.66; ytd miles:6725.8
CLOUDY to partly cloudy with haze and high level smoke; wind: SSW 4; start  temp: 65; min: 55; avg: 79; max: 102 (sun); end: 89 (shade)
 
27-Jul-21      TUE       FORT DODGE to IOWA FALLS  
 
Today's ride actually shows 27 ft more climbing than descending. The mileage and climbing total for the day were the lowest of any but the last day. Climbing in ft per mile, 17, was also the lowest of any day of the ride.  
 
We were in for a treat today. When we finished the ride, we got showered, changed, and headed to a farm near Hampton, a few miles to the north of Iowa Falls, and east of I-35 which we crossed during today's ride. A mutual friend of some of our group, Jane, lives in the Arlington TX area between November and June; she lives in Iowa to help out with her brother and sister in law, in a house on the farm property separate from the main house. where her brother and sister-in-law live. She lives there from June to November. She arranged for 2 cars to come and pick up our group and bring us there. They fixed us dinner, offered us beers, offered the use of the hot tub, and were very welcoming on every level! The houses were truly magnificent and had all the latest conveniences, dispelling the notion of what a farm house in Iowa must be like.  
 
It was on this excursion that I learned why corn and soy are planted on alternating fields all over the state. The short answer is that corn takes nitrogen from the soil; soy adds it. The 2 crops have a symbiotic relationship! I did also see vineyards from time to time. There is a fledgling wine industry in Iowa as well.  
 
We got back up to Joe's Bunkhouse about 10:30 PM, far later to bed than usual and I slept better than I had on the trip so far!
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 6:31; end: 12:46; avg:15.5; max: 25.2; climb: 978; miles:56.81; mtd miles:960.47; ytd miles:6782.61
SUNNY with haze and high level smoke; wind: SW 7; start  temp: 65; min: 65; avg: 81; max: 98 (sun); end: 93 (shade)

29-Jul-21      THU       WATERLOO to ANAMOSA incl Karras Century Loop  

Today was the second hottest day of the trip, reaching 94 while Karen and I were still riding. It was also the second longest day at 83 miles. However it was also the day we had an option to add a loop for a century. The century added 27 miles and loads more climbing. Then we acquired 4 more miles looking for Joe's Bunkhouse, which was a daily ordeal.  
 
First I'll talk about the century loop. Neither Karen nor I knew for sure if we would do it. If we did do it, we would end up with at least 110 miles for the day. Neither of us had done anything longer than 79 miles so far this year, before Iowa. I wasn't sure if I'd be up for it. But in the last town before the choice had to be made, we decided we'd go for it. We'd been riding along a feature called Buffalo Ridge for several miles. It was roughly 200 ft higher than the surrounding countryside. When we reached the turnoff for the century loop, guess what? we dropped 200 ft, and quickly. The drop was about a 10% downhill gradient. I could easily have topped 40 mph on that descent, except I rode the brake at times. Almost did hit 40 despite that. Finally, at the bottom, we passed a rest area. No need for that. Descending is easy. Then a left turn, and there rose the flip side of the descent. It was a long climb, a steady 10% up, and finally a leveling, but not quite level, and then another steep rise, this time 8%. Felt every bit as hard as the 10%! There were descents and more climbs after that. Each time, we climbed a little more than we descended. We had to make up 200ft of initial descending after all. The loop was comprised of more climbing than descending once we had made the initial descent. it wasn't actually as difficult as I thought it would be. In fact, I enjoyed it, as I had every other day of the ride - loved the climbing and descending! The net mileage on the extra loop was a net 17 miles and it put us back on the original route with 10 miles back to the turnoff for the century loop. There was climbing and descending on that last 10 miles that we did twice.  
 
After we passed the turnoff for the century loop again, we quickly reached the beer garden. We had vowed to reward ourselves with a beer once we had done the extra loop. In the beer garden, there were at least 10 beer choices plus a couple non-alcoholic choices, including root beer. We each decided on a Stout and we quickly made our way to a shady spot where we enjoyed some "me" time, pleasant shade and conversation. We were there long enough that i suggested maybe another would be a good idea. It wasn't but we did it anyway. 2 stouts apiece, 6% each. When we left, climbing was an ordeal. When we reached Anamosa, we had to walk the bike through the town. I was feeling so drunk, I used the bike as a crutch. Finally able to climb back on the bike, I felt shaky. We rode up a long easy hill looking for the high school. Didn't find it. Rode part way back. The high school was up a 14% hill - CRIPES! I could barely ride a straight line. Wrong gear of course as Karen readily climbed the hill. I had to do a loop in the intersection, traffic waiting, shifting to a low gear and up I went, more easily than I thought possible.  
 
Joe of Joe's Bunkhouse provided pizza for dinner, in addition to chips and beer (or hard lemonade type drinks) provided while we waited.  
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 5:59; end: 17:14; avg:15.7; max: 39.2; climb: 3625; miles:113.67; mtd miles:1141.92; ytd miles:6964.06
CLOUDY to partly cloudy with haze and high level smoke; wind: SW 10; start  temp: 75; avg: 88; max: 104 (sun); end: 94 (shade)

31-Jul-21      SAT       DE WITT TO CLINTON  

Last day of the tour and shortest day as well - we rode to Clinton Iowa, on the Mississippi River, in the middle of the bulge in Iowa's eastern border with Illinois. Look at a map of Iowa and you'll notice there is a significant bulge in the border about half way between the NE corner of the state and the SE corner of the state.  
 
The main thing I remember is every person in our group, except the tandem couple, stopping at the single beer garden on the way to Clinton. We rode slowly and spent a good while posing for group photos, enjoying the view, and enjoying our beers. No more stouts of any kind in stock now. I had a wheat beer - hit the spot! I had a melancholy feeling as this would be our last few hours of camaraderie as a group. That's not a new feeling for me - on every group ride I do that lasts a week or more, I feel the same way.  
 
We got back on our bikes and continued on to Clinton. As we rode through town, we heard shouts of congratulations, passed by a live band playing upbeat music, and finally got near the river. There was a big crowd around the pool in the river where people were dipping their wheel. Most of the group went there. I noticed there were riders going up a hill to my right and I went that way. The hill took me up to the top of the levee. There were beautiful vistas of the river and multiple bridges crossing the river. I rode south along the levee taking in the spectacle of the river, barges, casino boats, moored paddle wheeler, and cyclists riding in either direction. The road was closed to cars all the way to the southern end.  
 
I dropped down at the south end and rode into downtown Clinton a couple blocks. I knew I was well off track vs the rest of the group. At 26000 population, downtown Clinton gives the impression of a much larger city. I decided to check my messages. There was a message from Paul, the tandem captain, about where to go to find the Lost & Found location where they were packing up bikes for delivery back to Council Bluffs.  
 
I rode back over to the river, up to the top of the levee and stopped along taking a couple of photos. Then I followed the instructions of the message and got over to the Lost & Found location where I gave up my bike and prepared to head over to the location where our luggage was, with the rest of the group. At that location, Joe's Bunkhouse had his 'shower trailer' there and we used that, changed clothes, and then waited a short while for the tram to take us back to the Lost & Found location, luggage in hand. which we loaded into the luggage compartments of the bus. We had a couple hours before the drive back to Council Bluffs would start, so we walked across the road to a nearby restaurant for a last meal together. After that, we made our way back to L&F and shortly after, boarded the bus for the long drive back to Council Bluffs - about 350 miles, give or take. It was a great ride and look forward to doing it again, some day!  
 
bike: NEUVATION ROAD BIKE; start time: 6:41; end: 11:05; avg:14.5; max: 32.4; climb: 1220; miles:35.05; mtd miles:1242.3; ytd miles:7064.44
SUNNY with haze and high level smoke; wind: SSE 2; start temp: 64; min: 61; avg: 66; end: 75
 
Week's total: 493 miles recorded on the Garmin, 10 miles not recorded so a combined total of 503 miles; total recorded elevation gain for the week, 13161 ft, total loss, 13912 ft. For all the massive hills we encountered in 7 days, it wasn't really all that much total climbing. Ft per mile for the week: 26.7 ft per mile. That's pretty close to the avg ft per mile one gets when riding on the road around North Texas!