It’s the third day of riding here on RAGBRAI. So far it’s been great. By great I mean I haven’t died, hurt anything (or anyone), and am still in good spirits.
The first day, Council Bluffs to Atlantic was wet. It rained pretty much the whole day which dampened spirits a bit. I feel a little bit sorry for the vendors, especially the local churches, scout groups, and volunteer fire departments. When it rains people don’t stop as much, they just press on. I didn’t mind much, the rain kept it cool for the 60 miles of the ride. Besides the rain, we had about 2800 feet of climbing, but really, that’s not so much.
The second day, Atlantic to Winterset, was lovely. The hills were easier, though again, not really bad at all if you’ve trained. The snag today was wind. It seemed just like back home with some strong trades. So yeah, since I’m used to it, not a problem. It was a bit longer than the first day, clocking in at 68 miles. My favorite spot was the small town of Dexter, which has a little museum big on Bonnie and Clyde. They even showed up and I got a picture with them
I’ve heard folks complaining about the rain and wind, but I try to stay out of it because…well…not a problem for me. Besides, if I complained too much, Bonnie would probably chase me down and have Clyde shoot me.
Today was mostly perfect, cool, light breezes, no rain, short distance. In fact, at 39 miles it was so short that it felt like…a commute or something. Our camp wasn’t supposed to be ready till 1pm and I had to force myself to stop and look around, chat, eat, and snooze, just to make it in by 12:15pm. The good news is that the showers were already open and there was no line. I like ‘no line.’
The highlight of the ride today was Norwalk. The services in town were about what you’d expect, but then I found the park and wow. It had lots of space, lots of shade, and great music. I ended up spending about an hour there relaxing. And I still got in early. One of the highlights for me was getting my photo with the local fire department crew. I have a good friend who’s a firefighter in Honolulu and when I travel I like to send him a pic of the local gang.
I’d like to have written more, but I’m beat. Yes, it was a short day but it does add up and tomorrow is a log, long day at 84 miles.
More later.
Slower, cheaper, less useful…