RAGBRAI Day 7 Anamosa to Clinton (70 miles)

It is hard to believe this was the the final day of RAGBRAI and Kevin and Theresa's Falls2Fields epic ride! As usual it was up early to assemble biking and prep the RV which has become a routine that everyone knows by rote. Joe and Theresa were off by 6am to face what seemed to be a race to the end. Teams of cyclists, youngsters on hand-me-down mountain bikes as well as folks jamming to 60's tunes all streamed by like we were standing still. Did we miss the memo? The temps were cool, some bikers even dawned jackets! Wind was minimal. A perfect biking day. 

 The day had 4 climbs (according to Joe, Theresa counted 6) and a long downhill into the tire dipping site. The first hill was immediate. Joe was leading then Theresa ground past in the crowd without Joe noticing. Theresa slowed at the top waiting to see Joe. Joe stopped and waited for Theresa, then figured he must have missed her and preceded on the road to Hale (the first town). Theresa figured she would stop at the edge of town and look for Joe then make a call if she could. (ATT reception is very poor in the rural midwest.) As soon as she stopped and looked back... there was Joe! 

Reunited the biking buddies fueled on grilled pork sandwich and pie for b-fast! The next stop was Lost Nation and was the meet up town. Bikes had taken over the gas station and the lines for the portapotties stretched around a building. There was no need to intake any additional fuel so on to the next town. With over 40 miles done Theresa was looking for some fuel in Delmar. Last chance for Corn on the cob and more pork! 

As we exited the town they were enticed with a sign for Brats in 9 miles! That is just what they were wanting today, in addition, Joe had gotten a message from Kevin that he left at 9 with Zin in tow so that may be the place we meet him. 

 They cleared hill 3 when they arrived into Charlotte and Brats! Joe called Kevin (Theresa still had no service) and he was just 2 miles out. All feasted on Brats and drank soda while folks passed by to give Zin some love. The ride into Clinton had the last of the climbs in several chunks. 

Zin entertained the cyclist as well as spectators as she was the only dog in a trailer that we knew of on the route. We were greeted like champions as we entered Clinton, as folks cheered and congratulated us as we rolled to the Mississippi river to do the ceremonial dip of the tire. Pictures were taken quickly as the crowds of cyclist captured the moments.   

After the dipping photo op we rode the course backwards until we were able to branch off and head to the Walmart where the RV was parked. Kevin pulled Zin 46 miles and felt like he could just keep biking. Theresa and Joe clocked 75 glorious miles to conclude their journey across Iowa! What a great way to spend Theresa's b-day!

We showered and returned to Moline, IL where Joe picked up his car and started his long trip back to NC. Theresa and Kevin will head on to a family reunion just outside of Chicago for a family reunion next weekend and then head back to NC. This has been a trip of a lifetime and lots of lessons learned for future trips.  

We thank you for reading about our adventures and hope you have enjoyed the fun!  Stay tuned for what ever we come up with next!

RAGBRAI Day 6 Cedar Rapids to Anamosa (42 miles)

Joe was looking forward to a easy recovery day but Theresa had studied the elevation and direction for the day and knew that there would be lots of climbing. Kevin was feeling much better (after being fueled by a Double cheeseburger the night before) and looking forward to trying to get in some miles. 

 

Off by 6:45 Joe and Theresa headed for “breakfast on the bridge” only a few miles down the road in Czech Village. The vendors were all lined up on one side of the bridge while the rest of the space was bikers flowing across the bridge. The town was very cute and had a grey haired Accordion orchestra playing in a small gazebo. Joe and Theresa chowed down on breakfast burritos that weighed about 2lbs and was about the size of a water bottle. They sat on a bench and looked out at the river and the many bridges that crossed it as they enjoyed the monster meal. 

 It was now time to face the days hill challenges. Once clear of bridge and the clumps of cyclists warming up after the initial stop, Joe declares, “Here we go” and accelerates to gain some momentum to pick up the pace a bit. Theresa reluctantly responds as she has learned over the past days that this is Joe's signal to get going, enough of this slowness, let's go! The first climb was all that was promised 5-6% climb of about 1 mile. Theresa only does well on 2-3% climbs as those she can keep a bit of a spin going, anything over 3 she bogs down, puts it in granny and grinds it out oh so slowly. Joe was a good biking buddy and waited at the top of this and every climb today. 

After 14 miles of hills and a tail wind we rolled into Mt. Vernon home of Cornell College. This was a vibrant town with lots of trees and old well kept scholl buildings that looked more Ivy league than midwest. It was offically “College Spirit Day” as declared by RAGBRAI so there were representatives from several Iowa Colleges there handing out wristbands and other school color paraphernalia. U of I, Drake, Upper Iowa, UNI were all there. Theresa made sure she got a wristband from her alma mater Iowa State. They sat in some shade on a side street and enjoyed the fall like temps and a beverage. The last stop would be Springville which was 10 miles straight north. The hills continued and now were accompanied by a 10 mph head wind. Theresa tucked in behind Joe as often as she could to help maintain some speed but was lost on any >3% climb. Just as we were entering the town we heard “Rider Up” being shouted in front of us. Theresa looked up and was surprised to see it was Kevin! She yelled and he acknowledged and found a safe spot to turn around. 

They were all ready for a stop, especially Kevin who had not eaten yet and needed some fuel. He found a grill where we all could sit down and enjoy a brief rest while Kevin powered down a pork loin sandwich plate. Kevin was indeed feeling much better as he powered up each hill with very little effort. Theresa and Joe were feeling yesterdays long days and todays hills. The legs just did not respond! Fortunately the route turned back east to give us a slight tail-side wind that at least made for nice coasting down each decent. 

Kevin had secured one of the first spots at the Anamosa Walmart for the RV. He had all the windows open as temps were quite pleasant and a nice breeze was blowing. By the time we climbed into the parking lot every open area of the large lot was filled with RVs, busses (including the Cutters) or cars. Walmart knows that allowing camping will bring in the business and this day should set some record sales for this store! We all got beverages, sandwiches and took fast showers in the RV and napped a bit! That was great!

The plan for tonight it to do some shopping at Walmart and explore what is going on in Anamosa, known for the State Prison and the National Motorcycle Museum.

It is hard to believe tomorrow is the last day of RAGBRAI. Normally this is a short milage day, however a 70 mile route is in store to Clinton.  

We were blessed to have a visit from Randy and Trish Roe who live in Cedar Rapids and are old Niegbors-friends from way way back.  Kevin used to baby sit Randy if you can believe that!  We headed down to the Anamosa celebration did some wine tasting and a lot of reminicing.  Very nice!  

RAGBRAI Day 5 – Marshalltown to Cedar Rapids (84++ miles)

Sunrise after the storm

A thunderstorm during the late evening last night made for a relatively cool start for the cyclists. With a long and hilly day ahead Joe and Theresa were fueled and ready to go by 6:20am. Kevin did not plan on riding so he only had the logistics to navigate today (which have proven to be quite a challenge as he arrives into the next town). With an estimated elevation of 3500 feet of climbing the hills started right away. Joe began to estimate each climb and Theresa started to count it down. 

Band playing in Garwin

The first town of Garwin had a band playing countryish music and several stands. The 2^nd breakfast was sugar laden to power up the next set of hills. The hills were not steep as each was 2-3 tiers and totaled maybe 100 feet of elevation to subtract of the total for the day. A long 17 mile stretch to the next town was made easier by NE winds that made it a bit easier to crest the top of each rise. Clutier was a disappointment as it had very little on the main path of the route and cyclist had to descend into town then climb back out to get back on the path. Joe and Theresa sat filled their water bottles and sat in the shade for a bit. Theresa called Kevin to check in and got the skinny on where the RV was at the end.

Bikes in all directions

The next town was another long 17 miles to Garrison that included a northern segment with deja vu from yesterday. Signs for steak sandwiches were posted 5 miles out of town to entice the riders. It worked as Theresa was determined that is the lunch choice for her today. She was pleasantly surprised to find there was no line and the sandwich was tasty. Relived that the next town was only a 10 mile gap, Joe and Theresa set out to conquer more hills! 

Hills, hills and more hills

Vinton was the meet up town and was crowded with vendors and bikes. St Mary's advertised a float that sounded good to Theresa. She was surprised to find that it was just $1 and delicious, but she did need a Dt coke to follow it. One more 11 mile segment into Shellsburg where Joe could not resist a park sandwich and corn on the cob plate. Theresa got ice and water in her bottle and was set. More climbs where left (Joe's countdown was at 800 ft remaining now) but it was all with strong tail winds. 

As they descended after a long climb there was a sign welcoming us to Cedar Rapids! Theresa's odometer was at 83 miles so she was thinking 5 more miles to the RV. The route wound around next to the Cedar river and seemed to go on forever! They finally hit downtown and saw all the pot a potties set up for the big party there. The signs for the Blue Camping (Rvs) continued on for another 3 miles until one last short steep climb to finish into the Sports complex where we located the TNR banner draped across the front of the Smitanic. Theresa's odometer registered over 90 miles, Joe's had 89.5. (Theresa's is optimistic!)

Cedar River

We will need to hop on a shuttle bus to get any dinner tonight. Tomorrow is a recovery ride of 42 miles. Temps look nice so we are really looking forward to a pleasant ride!

RAGBRAI Day 4 Webster City to Marshalltown (77+ miles)

Another 5am wakeup call in the Smitanic. Joe and Theresa fueled up for the first 10 miles with some cereal and Kevin was busy prepping the RV for it's departure. All were ready and off around 6am. The first town was almost 12 miles away and mostly south. Just as yesterday the initial roads where crowded with cyclist so it was hard to get into a cruising rhythm. Hints of the predicted southerly winds made progress slower than previous days. Theresa was feeling a bit oozy from all the previous intense days so she thought she should get something to eat at the first stop. After she and Joe consumed their 2^nd breakfast they were off to the town on Jewell. 

Band playing in Jewell

Theresa wandered up and down the main street as a band played, looking at all the vendors trying to decide what she needed as she was feeling quite light headed. Sugar was the answer! Chocolate Chip cookie and lemonade would provide what she needed. The southerly winds were picking up and starting to push a bit from he West as well. The route unfortunately continued south against the wind. Theresa tucked in behind Joe's back wheel and was able to survive until Story City. 

The town opened the local park to all the bikers including rides on an antique Carousel. Joe hopped on a horse and Theresa took picks. Theresa was now looking for protein. She found a place with a Brisket sandwich that looked very appetizing. Joe failed at his search for a braught and ended up with 2 sandwich substitutions instead. Refueled it was hard to believe they were not even half way done with the ride. The route turned directly east which gave some relief from the headwinds but absolutely no relief from the heat! The next stop was McCallsburg which boasted to have the oldest living Mayor, and he was present and available for photos. Theresa was in need of a diet coke with lots of ice and Joe found water. They sat in the shade for a while just to get out of the heat. 

Hills in the distance

Heat, headwinds next add hills! The gentle rolling fields became larger mounds and soon turned into full fledged granny gear hills. One after the other sent pain up Theresa's back and she had to stop every 8-10 miles. Kevin had called and relayed that the RV was all set up in a campgrounds with FULL hook up! That is rare on RAGBRAI and we were quite happy, especially Joe who informed Theresa that he would be the last one to take a shower because he wanted to stay in there for a long time! Rolling into the next town looking for Kevin, Joe and Theresa found some shade and a hose that was used to drench their heads to cool off after all that climbing. Theresa called Kevin just to see where he was. He had made it about 18 miles out (after a 10 am start) from the finish and had waited 30 min but could no longer hang in the heat so he started his return. Joe and Theresa had not made very swift progress today so they were not able to meet up with Kevin. With a greuling 20 miles left, Joe and Theresa skipped the last town and decided to find a farmers yard to stop in somewhere around the 10 miles left mark. The hills continued and Theresa's back once again felt every crack in the road. 

Cyclist cooling off with the hose

One more stop at a farm house that had folks hosing down and filling water bottles and some shade! Theresa overheard one person comment that their bicycle thermometer registered 125. Earlier Joe estimated air temp at 98 and Theresa countered with 105.

Next stop Marshalltown. The locals lined the streets watching under shade trees. Several had hoses and sprinklers set up as we challenged them to soak us. We finally arrived around 2:30pm exhausted, miserable and ready to sit in AC for a bit.

Kevin recuperating 

It was then that Kevin informed us he was stopped by the EMS on his way into Marshalltown. Evidently he came up to a stop sign looking for some shade and they saw him and immediately applied ice to all extremities to get him cooled down. He recovered just enough ot make it the rest of the way in just minutes before Joe & Theresa arrived. Kevin proclaimed this was his last day of riding as he needs some recovery days... We will see if that happens!

Let's have a party!

After everyone got showers (Joe took his last) we all set out to get the shuttle to town for dinner at 4pm. Earlier is better to beat the crowds and get food before the town runs out! We settled on a grill that had a pasta choice and AC. We ate what we wanted and took the remainder in go boxes. After dinner we strolled thru the square where one of the warm up bands were playing. On display was a giant Red Solo cup with a sprinkler spraying water out the top. Marshalltown had picked solo cups as the theme for the town. The only reason we could come up with it that they were having a big party (just like the song).

Tomorrow is the longest planned day of RAGBRAI 84.8 miles so in actual miles that is more like 90. The temp is suppose to be slightly cooler in the 90 range rather than the 100+ temps.

RAGBRAI Day 3 Lake View to Webster City (81+ miles)

Everyone must have decided to get an early start because the roads where already filled with cyclist anxious to beat todays forecasted heat. With the RV all set Kevin rolled out while Joe filled his water bottles. Theresa felt like she was forgetting something. Once she mounted the bike she knew immediately what it was, her gloves. Oh well can't do anything about that now. She figured she could pick up a pair from one of the bike shops that would be set up in one of the first towns. The temps were reasonable and the sun had just started to rise. 

Early start

Sunrise over RAGBRAI

The route today was mostly East with some North into the finish. Towns were plenty and spaced out in 7-11 increments with a 18 mile stretch at the end. Theresa saw Bike World was set up at the first town, so she stopped. Joe wanted to keep rolling as he was still planning on doing the 100+ route. Theresa was pleased to find womens large gloves but not that pleased to pay $30 for them as they seemed a bit tight. Oh well they well loosen up after she Sweats in them for 81 miles. The lines were ridiculously long at all the food venders as well as the porta-potties so she opted to just go to the next town 7 miles away. Now solo she plotted along the route tucking in behind any one who seemed to be moving at a pace she could handle. Once in Lake City it was time for some breakfast. A local was saying how good a local restaurant's food was so Theresa went with that advice. That was a solid tip as Theresa got eggs, sausage, biscuit and tea for $5 (that is a great value for RAGBRAI). Completely fueled she figured she would be good until the mid-point. 

Biker Showers today were welcome 

The next town was the meeting town of Lohrville which had the route wind in thru the main part of town (including a Biker Wash) just so we could hit all the local vendors. Theresa stopped shortly to fill her bottle but then was rewarded for the trip thru town with a cold bottle of water on the way out. She chugged it in time to throw the empty to the collectors as she rejoined the main route. Back on the route the wind had picked up substantially from the Southeast about 10-20mph. Theresa once again looked for some draft relief, she actually felt good that she was strong enough to hook up and “mind the gap” in the draft line. She tucked in behind a guy in a yellow shirt that was going about 16mph (that was 3 more mph than she was doing solo). She held onto that all the way into the next town where they slowed enough for her to thank him for the pull. She found out he was from Raleigh and that this was his first RAGBRAI. 

Freshly picked sweet corn, Yum!

Gowrie had most of the vendors in the town park with a DJ encouraging cyclist to come up and tell where they were from. Theresa was going to pass on any food but could not resist an ear of sweet corn. Carbs will be good fuel. The wind was relentless, so once again she found a draft line that was barely making 13mph. The leaders could not maintain a steady pace and kept falling out of the front spent from fighting the wind. Theresa did take her turn at the lead and was able to hook on to another pace line that was moving slightly faster. Must have been a dozen or so folks in the peloton. The lead of the pack was a tandom. This is good she thought because they go slower up hills so maybe she can maintain... just then they went down a small hill and the tandom and the pack accelerated but Theresa did not mind the gap so got dropped big time! Good thing the town of Dayton was right around the corner and she was ready for a short stop thinking Kevin would be meeting her at the next town. She sat for a bit under a tree and ate a granola bar that had been in her back jersey pocket for several days (and who knows how long it had been in the cupboard before that). She reviewed the map and estimated 24 miles left, she can do this. Mounting her bike she rolled around the next corner and was flagged down by Kevin! With the early start and some blistering tail winds he made 28 miles to Dayton. Theresa was disappointed the end was more miles than she thought but not much you can do about that. Kevin had already indulged in a giant braught while he was waiting an allotted 45 min to see Theresa. She made it with 6 minutes to spare! Theresa got a hamburger to fuel the remaining miles, thankful for the company. Kevin filled her in on the remaining terrain as she tucked in slightly behind his back tire to find the optimal suction. There were 2 hills promised out side Lehigh (the next town). Theresa only had one more gear to go at the start of the hill so she just put it in 1^st and crawled up the hill. Kevin of course powered up the hill effortlessly and waited for Theresa. Back on the flats, the wind was even stronger with gusts as we passed stands of trees or reached the top of a rise. The roads were also rutted and began to wear on Theresa's back (among other extremities). We stopped one last time before the end where the road turned north and with the wind. You could hear all the cyclists breath a collective sigh of relief as they all made the turn north. We were able to now shift into the big chain ring and pick up some speed. We rolled into town at about 2pm and meandered thru to the Fairgrounds. 

Welcome to Webster City

The RV was parked in the infield of the dirt race track, dust was flying and the Rvs were packed in like sardines. There are no vendors and the showers were quite far away, so we opted to use the RV facilities and pull some Chicken out to grill tonight. Joe made it in around 3:30 with is century patch in hand!

Tomorrow's weather looks more even worse than today with 100+ temps and winds of 15-25mph winds from the SW. We have a 77 route to Marshalltown that is mostly east with some South with lots of towns (thank goodness).

RAGBRAI Day 2 Cherokee to Lake View (62 miles)

Breakfast Burrito line.  Yes it was worth it.

Starting at sunrise.

As planned Joe and Theresa were ready to head out by 6:15 AM. Kevin had the RV all fired up and was heading for the Dump station that was conveniently in the Fairgrounds where we camped. The strategy for the day was to make as much progress as we could early in the day, do short stops but see whatever the towns had to offer. The towns were very evenly spaced today about 11 miles apart so this was perfect for rest stops and refueling. The first exit out of town was up a hill, but with the sun just rising and leftover rain from last nights showers it was a glorious view! The ride to the first town was rolling hills that let you coast downhill at about 22mph and then top the next rise at about 18mph. Signs along the way close to town advertised pancakes, sausage and breakfast burritos. By the time rolled into Aurelia hungry for b-fast. Theresa stood in line for the burrito while Joe opted for the the pancakes. After consuming every bite we headed out to see which carbo load would produce the most power.

rollerblades?

Unicycle

Again the roads were gentle rises and falls that let Theresa take the lead for a bit to set the pace then Joe would power ahead and take his turn. Theresa thought this must be how the Thorns keep the pace line going and are able to do 20 mph averages. Perhaps when she returns she will be ready to try to stay with the Stems... but then again maybe not :) We passed by all shapes, sizes and styles of cyclist.  One guy was riding a unicycle and another was on roller blades.  Impressive!  

Lake View

The next 'town' was Hanover Village which was more of a crossing of two roads with a country store and a few houses. Never the less they had free water station, hamburgers, pancakes and other delights all set up for the bikers to consume. There was also a display of an old saw mill where they were saving the side off a large tree stump. Wanting to keep to the plan of short stops Joe and Theresa got water bottles filled, walked around for a bit, had a brief conversation with the locals, thanked them and then once again joined the continual flow of cyclists on the road. Heading south there was a bit more headwind so Theresa tucked in behind Joe to get the benefit of the vortex. By 10:30 we got to the halfway town of Schaller where the claimed of fame was “The Popcorn Capital of the World”. Free popcorn was handed out, however Joe really wanted some Sweet corn and Theresa went in search of a glass of Ice and DT Coke. Theresa did breakdown and had some of the free popcorn which quickly made her mouth even dryer so she washed it down with the soda. The short rest was up so off we rolled. The next town came up fast as they were clocking in the 20s on the flats when we came into Nemaha (population 85). The town folks where wearing and selling t-shirts with the Town slogan “The Mighty little town!” on the front and on the back said “Now get back on your bike and get the Hell of of town.... have a nice day!” Joe and Theresa following the orders filled water bottles and made their exit. Theresa quickly got back into Stem-training mode as we accelerated back to cruising speeds of around 18-20mph. 

Fueled TNR team!

As they rolled into the last town of Sac City Joe asked Theresa if she was ready for snack or lunch.  Theresa's stomach was growling so she responded LUNCH! Just as they were slowing down for their exit, there was Kevin on the side of the road flagging then down! Kevin had spent two hours just getting the RV out of the previous town, then had to drive 60 miles to todays end and find where to park the Smitanic. It was after 10 when he finally got to get biking on the route upstream.  He was on the verge of another bonk and eating a Porkloin sandwich with coleslaw and Coke. This looked might good to Theresa so she set off to line up for that vendor. She also needed ice so that was another vendor to get that. Joe thought the pulled pork was a good choice. The TNR contingent sat under the camouflage shade tent and powered down the much needed fuel. Joe and Theresa convinced Kevin to not go any further upstream and just return back to the town with them. He willingly agreed as it was really heating up. There were a few tough climbs out of town then gradual rollers the last 9.5 miles into Lake View. Theresa in full stem mode pushed up every hill with Kevin and Joe drafting behind. She was just ready to get into town and be out of the heat.  The last few hills did her in as she hit the proverbial wall and could no longer keep the Stem pace. Finally we arrived in Lake View whose slogan is “It's a life style”. 

The RV was parked at the HS away from the lifestyle of the lake and felt more like a desert than a Lake town. Kevin had the AC going to keep Zin comfortable so it was at least 20 degrees different than the near 100 degree temps outside. After relaxing and consuming some recovery beverages Theresa was off to the showers and Joe soon followed. Kevin still felt the heat of the day so he held down the fort in the RV. The showers where constructed on the outside of the school out of 2x4s and black plastic sheets. There was a line of about 18 individual coed showers with a line of about 20ish people who paid $5 for a scrachy towel and a 30 min wait in the sun for a cold shower. Theresa paid her $5 bucks and put the towel on her head to try to keep some of the sun form melting her. The shower was surprisingly refreshing but by the time you got back to the RV you were ready for a redo.

Theresa advised Kevin to just use the RV shower rather then standing 1 hour in the heat. So he did and it was good.

Right now we are tring to stay cool in the comfort of the Smitanic. Generator is working real hard to even get the temp to 80, but it sure beats the outside temp. Joe is napping in the recliner chair pretending to watch the News on TV. Kevin and Theresa are both working on their MacBooks to get this blog post out for anyone who cares to read it.

Tonight there is a Lasagna dinner in the HS so that is probably all we will muster the effort to get to. Tomorrow's ride is an 81 miles with a 23 mile extra loop to make a century for those who want to claim that accomplishment for the day. The prediction is for more 100+ temps. Joe wants to do the 100, however Theresa feels no need to stay out in the sun any longer than she needs to. We will try to make an even earlier start tomorrow so we can get into Webster City by 1 or 2pm.

RAGBRAI Day 1 Sioux Center to Cherokee ( 54 miles)

Alarms went off at 5:45 and we all got moving right away. The RV was ready to go before 7AM and Joe and Theresa walked to the corner to wait for Carl and company. We left without breakfast nor coffee! After waiting for 15 min, Theresa called Carl to leave a message and then she and joe took off. We knew it would be a hot day so we were anxious to get going. Bikes were flowing in all directions out of town. Folks lined the street sitting in lawn chairs to cheer on the crowds. This was a big event for the small town of Sioux Center and the main event for the day, week and year no doubt. The stream of bikes could be seen topping every hill in the distance. Theresa was relieved to be riding her Classic Bock which is a good 20lbs lighter than the Green Machine. 

Joe is learning a new craft.

The first 10 miles clicked off effortlessly to Orange City which is famed for being of Dutch Heritage. Intrigued by a cobbler shaving wooden shoes, Joe and Theresa decided to stop and take in the town. 

Dutch Puppies are a sinful delight!

 As Joe was discussing the craftsmanship, Theresa heard someone calling her name. It was Janice Sitzes the 4^th member of the TNR RAGBRAI team. We all chatted with a town ambassador who recommended the Dutch Puppies (a delightful pastry of waffle on a stick dipped in chocolate and topped with whipped cream). Joe quickly nick named it a gut bomb because he knew it would hit hard on our empty stomachs under the sun. Joe checked out a calliope that was playing in the town Square examining closely the inner workings of slotted folded cardboard that drove the music. This was a cute little town that brought all their floats and had folks dressed in Dutch outfits and wearing wooden shoes. And we thought we were hot! Yikes.

As far as you can see a stream of cyclists.

We once again joined the steady flow of cyclist on to the next eating frenzy. We passed on the next town which was only 4 miles from the last and continued on to Granville. We paused only long enough to get water and check in with Kevin. The reception on ATT was so bad Theresa could barely hear Kevin and vise-versa. She did pick up that the RV was parked at the Fairgrounds and that he was able to get 50 amp hook up! Woohoo! Lots of AC tonight! Kevin was biking upstream, with Zin in tow, on the route to meet us at the last town about 18 miles from the finish. His start was around 10pm so the heat of the day was already pressing. Joe and Theresa were only 14 miles away from the meet up town so they took their time as they now headed south into 10mph head winds into Marcus. Once in town, Joe and Theresa walked all the way to the other end of town knowing that would be a good advantage point to see Kevin. Ready for some lunch they got hamburgers, and found some soda as well that hit the spot. Finding a place in the shade, Theresa tried to call Kevin but it was just not going thru, so Joe called (he has Verizon) and got in touch with Kevin who estimated he was 5 miles out. When Kevin rolled in he looked like he was spent. Theresa fetched a soda and Pulled pork sandwich for him as he waited in the shade. He had not eaten at all that morning and was beginning to bonk so the sandwich started getting the feeling back to the limbs. Zin was watered and making friends with lots of bikers.

Zin's new best buddy!

Despite offers from both Joe and Theresa, Kevin insisted on continuing to pull the dog! We once again headed south into the winds with Joe and Theresa trying to set up a vortex draft for Kevin and Zin. It was hard to stay together with the crowds of cyclist all around us. Down hills the trailer acted as a parachute dragging Kevin further back and uphills the weight of the dog and trailer was like an anchor dragging on the sandy bottom of the lake. Finally at the top of a hill Joe and Theresa pulled off and extracted the trailer from Kevin's bike and hooked it up to Theresa's Bock. Kevin was spent. Joe stayed with him and Theresa got going with Zin in tow. We had turned East now and got a bit of a tail wind so the trailer became more of a sail. There was a big down hill into town followed by a short uphill which She sauntered right up anxious to reach the RV. The Fairgrounds where on the other side of town 1 mile from the main tents and all the vendors. One more hill up to the fairgrounds and she hunted down Smitanic. Quickly she got Zin inside with the AC and water. Just as she was unhooking the trailer Kevin and Joe pulled in, they were surprised that they did not catch Theresa (so was she). Beers were consumed and Kevin rested a bit still beat up by the heat of the day. Later it was off to cold showers then dinner at a grill across the street from the fairgrounds to carbo-load.

All agreed it would be an early bedtime as well as an early rise tomorrow for the planned 62 mile ride in 104 degree heat! Zin may sit this one out in the RV not sure if Kevin will join her!

RAGBRAI Day 0 Prep for the start of Bikes Occupy Iowa

It was great seeing Rod and Brenda Turner after lots of years!

Theresa returned from her tip to Dallas on Thursday to find clean bikes all loaded and ready to go for the next phase of our adventure, RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). The remaining prep would be completed on Friday morning. We took a break from the prep and met Theresa's cousin Greg and his wife Treasure for a nice lunch as they live in Moline. It heated up during lunch so when we returned to the campsite we took a short dip in the pool which cooled us off for a bit while we waited the arrival of out TNR riding buddy Joe Pittman from NC. While we were waiting, Kevin's phone rings and shows the name Carl Berry, he answered it “Are you at RAGBRAI?”. His reply was he was on his way. We know Carl from Steve Cope's epic trip across the country in 2008, when we surprised Steve at the Louisiana border. Carl had already hooked up with Steve so we continued on their journey and had the best time ever. This was the inspiration for our adventure!. Kevin made arrangements to call Carl once we got to the start so we would be sure to hook up. Once he arrived we got all his stuff loaded and we were heading onto Iowa at about 6:30pm. Our plans had us driving about 3 hours to just north of Des Moines and stay at a Walmart for the night. We had been contacted by old College friends, Rod and Brenda Turner who thought they had seen us on our Drive a few days earlier in IL heading out of Peoria. Indeed we were in that area so we concluded it was us they had seen... what are the odds we thought! Anyway they live near the Walmart so once we arrived they joined us for a nice visit. It was great reminiscing about the ISU Johnson House adventures so many years ago and catching up on what has transpired over the years.

TNR is ready for RAGBRAI!

Forest from Bike World

Today we got going around 8am for our 4 hour drive to Sioux Center, IA in north western part of the state. The ride was smooth and uneventful. The terrain became quite rolling once we got north of Council Bluffs (a bit of a prelude to the next days ride). We stopped for gas at the first place in Sioux Center at a Full Service station (did not even know those existed any more) Mr. Tire. A young man pumped the gas while we all took turns using the restroom. How nice was that! On into the town we were directed to the fairgrounds to park in the designated RV parking area. We were early so we were luck enough to get a spot in the shade. We set up and let the Smitanic expand to her full glory. We sat outside with a nice breeze and ate a sandwich and drank our inaugural beer. Joe got on his bike and rode 15 miles to the river to dip his tire while Kevin and Theresa began some prep for the next days ride. Theresa wanted to ride her classic 1979 Jeffery Bock as it was much lighter than the Green Machine. Kevin started to dig out her gear and discovered he had forgot to pack her shoes and her Cateye, oopps! Guess it is time for a new pair of shoes! We marched off to the Expo (which was wall to wall bodys and bikes) to find Bike World. This was a familiar bike shop when we lived in Iowa years ago and we causully knew the owner Forest Ridgeway. They were very helpful and were impressed with Theresa's classic. We were surprised to see that Forest was there and Kevin introduced himself and dropped some of our friends names that we knew he would recognize. We again took a tour down memory lane while Theresa's bike got all hooked up with new peddles to fit her new sandal style shoes! 

By know we were dripping but continued on the mission to find a Cateye that would work to replace the one left behind. There was a CatEye tent where we asked the guy if he had something that would work. He replied “you may just be lucky … I have one!”. He slipped it on the bike and spun the tire to validate it worked. Kevin thanked him and asked how much we owed him. He said you know what I'd really like is a Dt Coke! Consider it done! Theresa was now equipped to roll.

We caught up with Carl Berry at the expo.

We did a bit more prep and examining maps for the next day. Kevin has to take a different route with the RV to the next town so he wanted to assure he knew the route as he will note have any help navigating. We then grabbed some dinner. We set out for the Spaghetti dinner hosted byt a local church but saw the line and opted for Sloppy Joes in a building near by. It was antiquate. Once back at the RV, Carl and 3 of his group showed up supplied with cold beer! We all gathered in the RV and once again recalled events from the Steve Cope ride as well as other biking adventures.

Carl & Company left as it was getting late and we all had an early morning. Theresa still needed to write this blog! Just as Theresa got the first paragraph drafted explosions began! The Fireworks were right over our heads and loud! Zin jumped and curled up in a corner. We watched from our window as the sky continued to lite up for about 15 min. RAGBRAI XL has officially started!

The ride tomorrow is a planned 54 miles to Cherrokee with 2-3 'towns' along the way. The route is mostly south with some east and of course the forecast is for SSW winds at 10-20 mph and a hot 97. Joe has estimated 24 x 40 = 168 hours of sweating!

Day 21 - East Moline, IL

Today started out hot and just got hotter! 

Theresa's sister Mary Jean was camping next to us in her T@B.  It looked as though the Smitanic had given birth.  Everyone in the park stopped by and made comments on how cute it was.  The also thought Zin was adorable.  We were very lazy today and just could not get moving.  The thought of biking in the heat was intolerable, even floating in a tub in the river in the heat of the day sounded like torture.  NO MORE SUN!  We tried to keep cool in the RV and then did a bit of prep for our travels tomorrow.  Theresa packed her suitcase for her work trip and Kevin got all the bikes off the RV in prep for taking it into the glass repair place. 

Theresa declared the Falls 2 Fields adventure officially over!  We learned lots of lessons that we will summarize later.  

Next will be the start of RAGBRAI starting on July 21 going from the West side of Iowa to the East and finishing on July 28th.  

PS.  After a late trip to the shower house, Kevin decided that this campsite will just not work for the week he is here.  Without sewer hook up he owuld have to conserve water and use the common bath house and not be able to do laundry.  Additionally the site was far from anything.  He quickly got on his laptop and found a KOA campsite that was near the Quadcities Airport (where Theresa was flying out of).  He jotted down the address and phone for a call in the morning.

Day 20 Hennepin Canal Park

Logistics: 

We woke up this morning at 5AM ( after a 8:30pm bedtime) to thunderstorms! They continued until about 9 am. The region really needs the rain and we welcomed the extra sleep and slow start to our penultimate day of Falls to Fields. In considering our alternatives Theresa had recalled seeing a 60+ long bike path that was intriguing. The Hennepin Canal Park stretched the majority of central Illinois, how could this be left out of the route across the state? She googled for any info she could find and it was slim pickins. She did find the visitors center for the park. The park stretched horizontally the entire width of Illinois. Having no Idea what to expect on this trail, Kevin suggested that we go to the visitor center and scope it out. We can ride a bit from there and then perhaps stage a care for the next day. OK we have a plan. The rain was gone and the clouds kept it cool for a while, although temps into 90's were still predicted. The visitor center was only 40 miles away so we charted a course to those coordinates.

The route:

We docked the RV and the Jeep separately in the parking lot of the visitor center only to find out that the center was closed for the day. Who knows why? There were a few folks in the area that seemed to frequent the park so we asked them for the skinny on the trail. They assured us it was “cinder” trail with a few hills going east (where we were heading) and paved to the West. We thought OK this is like the American Tobacco trail near Cary, NC. We can do that. We hooked up the dog trailer to Kevin's bike and we were off to investigate. After the recent rains the trail was very mushy and with the sun coming out over the area steamy much like being in a giant Terrarium. We road about 2 miles, Theresa stopped to check her tires to see if the breaks were rubbing but no. Surely something was pulling her back because she could not keep up with Kevin with the trailer at who was powering up ahead at a blazing 10 mph.

This was flat right? A canal? Oh there are locks that means there will be uphills and later a downhill? Yes at 4 miles we reached the first historical locks that descended a whole 10 feet. The locks were pretty cool and provided a photo opportunity. We continued along in hopes to make at least 10 miles out before we headed back. We quickly abandond the idea of staging a car for tomorrow's ride as there was no F@#$ing way we would make 40 miles on this path! We passed several locks that provided a bit of variation in the scenery and a few tunnels under some roads. We pulled over near the 10 mile mark and took a bit of a break before we headed back. The trail back gave a different view of each of the locks that were more scenic thanthe way out. (see the pics) It was getting much hotter as the moisture from the crushed rock was turning to steam under the heat of midday. Moisture was dripping off us like the moisture dripping off the sides a terrarium. There was only a hint of a breeze from the South. We finally made it back to he RV around 2pm CT after 2 hours of biking and did 20ish miles on the trail. This was as tough as any 40-50 mile day on the road!

Stats:

Day 15 of riding, 20 miles, 9.4mph avg, total trip miles 739 and 950 calories burned for the days ride.

Kevin's Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/199267667#.UAI7Ioqi12o.email

After the ride:

We arranged to meet Theresa's sister at the the Moline Campsite. We punched its address into the Garmin and a warning flashed up.. 12.2 ft underpass was part of the route. Since our RV was 13 ft clearance this was not going to fly! Theresa called the Campsite and asked if there was a way to avoid this obstruction. Indeed there was and she made note of the detour and validated it with google, so she now knew the general plan. Theresa drove the jeep as to guide the Smitanic into safe shores. The Smitanic GPS consistently sounded the low bridge warning no matter how close we got to the campsite. The detour instructions were right on and we pulled in just before the 12'2” bridge. When we signed in the manager said there was a RV two days earlier that went under it and took off 2 of their ACS and their satellite. Ouch that had to hurt! She guided the Smitanic into port to dock. We thought this was a full hook up but soon discovered there was no Sewer. Not good but we will have to make it work. On the up side we were right next to the Rock River and saw Folks tubing and enjoying the wet of the river! Theresa's sister Mary Jean had already pulled into the site with her T@b which got all sorts of attention because of it's compact sleek look! We enjoyed a good grilled meal and chatted up with the other campers. During the middle of one of the converstaions our son Kiehl called , and ended up to join in on the conversation as if he was one of the members gathered around the campfire. The T@b and Zin competed for the most popular park visitor as several campers passed by asking to pet the dog or see inside the T@b.

Tomorrow's plans:

The debate is on as to ride a bit of the canal trail or do tubing on the river or maybe both! What every we do this will be a great ending to the Falles2Fields adventure and a great start to RAGBRAI. Theresa will pack for her trip to Dallas and Kevin plans on checking out the area after he takes the RV into the glass place to get the front windshield replaced. One more day of the adventure and then Theresa heads of to Dallas for a business trip. At the end of the week we are joined by one of our bicycling friends from Cary and then head to the Western edge of Iowa to start RAGBRAI 40.

Day 19 – Henry, IL to Odell, IL

Logistics:

The car was waiting for us in Odell about 60+ miles away. Neither Kevin nor Theresa could fathom Pulling the dog today and it was going to be in the upper 90's so we left Zin in the RV in the comfort of the AC. After some coffee, toast we got the bikes ready and we where off by 7:00AM our earliest start yet!.

The route:

Henry, IL was 7 miles south of our campsite so we had to make up that distance before we could get on the true trail to Odell. We covered that in short order with speeds around 15 mph. Once in Henry, Kevin spied a Casey's General Store that had a very open parking area where we could stage the RV tomorrow morning, so we swung in there to ask the manager if that would be OK. The Fair was just starting there so there would be lots of traffic in and by the store but she was OK with us parking the RV there during the day while we bike. We have not yet been told no when asking if we can stage a vehicle overnight.

Unencumbered by the 80lb trailer, Kevin was anxious to get as many miles in before the heat set in. Our first climb of the day occurred just out of Town as we rode a very narrow Bridge up and over the Illinois River. Once over the bridge we turned right onto Highway 26 and were expecting another turn .3 miles down the road. There was a road that felt right, but the sign did not match our directions. We continued for about 1 mile looking but no other street appeared. A quick iPhone check and sure enough the road we passed was it. We did a u-turn and headed back an wouldn't you know it the sign was switched around again! Is there a thing going on in IL where street signs are getting switched? We encounter at least 1-2 each day.

We were down in a valley and new we needed to go up, up, up. Once we got back on course we saw the hill that would get us out of this valley and into the flats. Not seeing any substantial hill for 2 weeks the legs did not know what to do. Theresa struggled in her middle ring on the Green machine and Kevin walked up it with little effort in his small chain ring on his triple. The roads then flattened out but Theresa was not recovered and fell way behind (she pushed too big a gear up the previous hill). The headwinds were from the SE which of course was the direction we were heading. After about 3 miles Theresa was able to catch back up (Kevin coasted and waited and coasted and waited). Once in tow Theresa did a solid job of minding the gap just to the left rear of Kevin's back tire. We hammering away at 15-18 mph as we rolled into Wenona. Wenona was the half way mark for the days distance (oh wait – it was not 57 miles, not even 60 miles, it was closer to 70 miles). We were ready for a quick bite to eat after the first 30 miles were done before 10AM. Along the main street was a grill ( the only one open actually) that boasted Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This met the criteria so we parked the bikes in front as a intoxicated local stumbled out to great us. The bar area already had several stools occupied and there was a separate dining area which had a few tables with the usual clientele intently watching 'The View' . Kevin and Theresa split a skillet meal which was exactly the right amount. We filled water bottles with ice water and made our exit. On to the next 30 ++ miles. The draft line resumed as we made a long stretch directly east on a corn and bean lined road. Finally a turn to the south, but what ,it looks like gravel, can this be right? We double checked the street sign and it was correct. The gravel was actually fresh “chip seal” that had been laid over an existing surfaced road with lots of tar underneath. It was hard to control the bike and Kevin asked “how long on this?” Theresa replied 3 miles. Kevin just sighed (knowing Theresa's 3 miles are more accurately 5 miles). Theresa's back started to ache really bad so she did what she could to hold a 10mph pace. Kevin slowed to match her pace so she might draft. As he slowed so did she, then he slowed some more, and so did she. The pace line was not going to happen, so Kevin road a head just to get this stretch over! The next turn gave a bit of relief and another town. Time for something cold. We stopped at a Casey's and downed a mega dt. Coke and shared a PayDay. We stood inside to cool off as it was over 90 by now. We put the remaining ice and soda in a water bottle and filled the others with water. Only 12 miles left to the end! It was a steady climb into Odell. As we could see the bridge over I55 we also saw a truck slowly coming in our direction. “What is he doing?”, Theresa asked. Just then we could see he was throwing out new Chip-seal. He was nice enough to pause the rock throwing until he got by us, then resumed. We carefully surfed thru the new rock, up over the bridge and into town. Kevin clocked 67 miles, way off from the original estimate (a theme that Kevin has experience almost each day). The temp in the car registered 100. We were thankful we did not bring the dog!

Stats:

Day 14 of riding, 67 miles, 13.6 mph avg, total trip miles 719 and 4200 calories burned for the days ride.

Kevin's Garmin:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/198865208#.UAC4rdEo1PQ.email

After the ride:

We shared and ice beer from the local Store. Loaded up the bikes and headed back to the campsite. Dinner was Braughts on the grill as it started to rain. The rain was welcome as it cooled the temps down to a tolerable level but the humidity lingered. Theresa checked into work then started to upload picks.

Tomorrow's plans:

We will take both vehicles and stage the RV in Henry at the Casey's and then drive the Jeep to Cambridge for a planned 57 mile day (stay tuned to find out the true mileage). Not sure if we will bring Zin as the weather is suppose to be a repeat of today.

Day 18 – Odell, IL to Ashkum, IL

Logistics:

Today since we needed to get the Jeep to the start of the ride we drove the designated trail to see if we would encounter any closures or surprises. Some of the roads were quite narrow (one lane) and there were long desolate stretches, and once again there were 0 towns. The wind was picking up from the SE and guess what our direction was … yes SE into the head winds. We were glad we had filled all 7 water bottles. When we arrived at Odell we searched for the town grocery store, thinking that would be a good place to park the jeep. As we turned in to the main part of town we saw other cyclist (young men) preparing to ride just outsied a local cafe! We elected to park by the cafe and find out what they were planning. We introduced ourselves and asked what they were doing. Turns out the were riding the same route we were however they were doing the entire US Northern tier from Seattle to Maine. They had completed 2800 of the 4400 mile route! They are doing it as a fund-raiser for scholarships for their university, Grove City College. They had planned it for a year and got some funding for the college and a sag wagon. They asked if we wanted to join them today but we said we would not want to slow them down. They gave us their card and said the cafe was the best place to grab a bite. Here is their website in case you are interested teamgcc.com We put Zin in her trailer just outside the window and sat down at Misty's Wishing Well cafe. This was a single owner who was the waitress, cook and clean up (among other things). Breakfast was quite tasty and hit the spot! Good call guys!

We also asked Misty if it was OK to leave our car there as well, she said just move it down a bit and it would be fine. We attached the dogs trailer to Kevin's bike, said farewell to the guys, and said we would she them again as we expected them to pass us like lightening on the road!

The route:

We knew what to expect from our recon drive to the start. Kevin pulled Zin the first 13 miles, Corn, beans, farm houses, and a whole lot of nothing in every direction. At one point we paused at an intersection of 2 x00 roads and each way looked exactly the same. Reminded us of an opening or ending of a Steven King Novel or some Twilight Zone episode. Kevin was getting sleepy even, as if being possesed, perhaps he was hypnotized by the endless corn rows who knows. He swapped the trailer with Theresa and then set the draft for her to catch so the pace would not be so hypnotic. We plugged along at about 10mph top end ( that was the best Theresa could produce). Even the draft generated by passing cars or semis only brought us up to about 11mph. One more swap about 8 miles out back to Kevin and our 38 miles for the day was complete. We were done my 11:30.

Stats:

Day 13 of riding, 38 miles, 10.6mph avg, total trip miles 652 and 1866 calories burned for the days ride.

Kevin's garmin stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/198614219#.T_-G6zzlotk.email

After the Ride:

When we pulled into the park where the RV was staged, we saw a van with bike racks and another cyclist. We again introduced ourselves and asked what the event was. The said they had about 8 folks that were going from the southern end of Illinois to the northern end ( about 6 days). These folks where the support group. We traded stories of other Bicycle rides including RAGBRAI and then it was time to pack up and get going to the new campsite. Theresa had made reservations at a place 8 miles north of Henry (about 53 miles west on the route). So our drive was about 2 hours. Theresa got her laptop and mifi card out and began working while Kevin drove the RV. We once again had to take a detour because of construction, but the GPS recalculated and got us to Henry. We piced up supplies at the only grocery store in town and headed to Condits Ranch RV park. The terrain is a bit hilly near the campsite so that will be a challenge. We checked in and docked the Smitanic and turned the AC to full blast! Theresa continued to work as Kevin fixed a great dinner of steak, corn on the cob and veggies... Yumm. We opened our last bottle of wine noting we would need to stop tomorrow on the way back to the campsite.

Tomorrow's plans:

Up early and start riding! NO logistics as we just leave from here and bike to the jeep in Odell, where we may have to have a late lunch at Misty's!