Not again! No, no, no. Not with a bad hip, not with no money, not with a old beat up Bike Friday…what can you possibly be thinking?!
Yes, it’s true. I’m off to RAGBRAI again. There was something incredibly infectious about it and…well…it’s tough, it’s fun, and, it’s Iowa.
There’s not really much to say at this poing…it’s still sort of sinking in. I’ve bought my plane ticket though and it’s more or less non-refundable (I guess I could use it for something else at big loss which would be okay). I’m sending a check tomorrow for half the fee for my charter company (Pork Belly Ventures again).
Of course I’ll have to do a lot of riding between now and July. That’s a given. I have much better idea of what to expect this time so I’ll probably be riding more hills and not worry so much about distance. My Oregon ride was tough and I hadn’t really done any training, but because of my commuting I was fine – if not happy all the time…but it was wet and cold so…
This time I’ll also be a bit more prepared when it comes to knowing what to take with me. Lot’s of wire ties. They are very useful. Lot’s of powder. And I’ll remember not to collect so many water bottles. Indeed it really isn’t necessary to take any as you are given dozens of the damn things.
I will admit to a little buyer’s remorse at the moment. I’m going through the ‘what could you possibly have been thinking’ stage. Sigh.
More later…
Slower, cheaper, less useful…