Figuring out the logistics of your first RAGBRAI, I've discovered, is an experience in and of itself!
I signed up somewhat blindly last fall for this ride, not knowing that when I paid my initial $175 fee for the actual wristband that gets me access to all the ameneties provided by the fine folks at RAGBRAI, I was also signing myself up for a slew of other expenses.
Why wouldn't the $175 entry fee be all-inclusive, you might ask?
Well, I neglected at first to ask the question about how to get myself and my bike to beginning of the route without being marooned at the other end after dipping my tires in the Mississippi. The answer? A charter service, which several different companies offer for RAGBRAI riders, which buys you and your trusty steed a ride from either the end town to the start of the route, or from the end of the route back to the beginning (depending on where it is most convenient for you to leave your vehicle at the start of the ride). This service, while very useful, cost me almost as much as my wristband for the week. I also have to arrive at the finale town of Muscatine, IA on Friday, July 22nd, before the ride kicks off all the way across the state in Glenwood, IA on Sunday, July 24th.
Friday will consist of the 5 hour drive from Indy to Muscatine so I can get my bicycle loaded on the charter company's moving truck. I will hole up in a hotel for the night, bored out of my mind alone, most likely, dreading the early wake-up call that is required in order to have my car parked and my butt in a seat on the bus by 7:30 am on Saturday morning.
That brings me to the next expense - Muscatine doesn't just let you park your car in their fine town for a week for free. That costs $55. So I pre-pay for that, to ensure I have a space come Saturday, July 23rd. On that Saturday, I will arrive at the long-term parking lot extra early to ensure I beat some of the traffic and make it onto the bus in time. Where I will then enjoy a long 4-hour journey from the "east coast" of Iowa to the "west coast" of Iowa. With a stop for lunch along the way.
There's also the RAGBRAI merchandise I felt the need to purchase already, including a cycling jersey, water bottle, cycling cap, magnet, t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, and bandana. I don't know why I thought I needed all of this, but if I'm going to do it, I guess I'm going to let the world know I did, darn it. There goes another $100.
Once in Glenwood on Saturday, I imagine I'll be reunited with my bicycle and duffel bag, and set off on a journey to find a camping spot for the pre-ride night in Glenwood. Had I planned ahead a bit more, I may have been able to secure other lodging (i.e. indoor lodging, including a real bed), but I neglected to plan ahead. So I'll be roughing it every night on this trip - just me, the trusty tent we bought as home on Looking Out Across America, and 10,000 of my new friends in city parks and campgrounds for 7 days. (I do have plans to sleep inside an elementary school with air conditioning sometime in the middle of the week, but we'll see if I feel like being confined with a bunch of people inside when the time comes).
Wheel dipping gets a bit questionable to begin the journey in Glenwood - you can either pedal 8 miles out to the Missouri River, pay a small fee to use a boat ramp, then dip your rear wheel in the actual river, pedaling 8 miles back to camp on Saturday, or you can wait until Sunday when RAGBRAI trucks in water from the Missouri to Glenwood and dip your tire in that. I haven't decided which option I'll choose yet, since adding 16 miles to an already 420 mile week doesn't sound like a smart idea, but the purist in me says that I should dip my wheel in the actual river...and actually cycle the ENTIRE legnth of Iowa.
Sunday morning, RAGBRAI will begin. I don't know what to expect at all that morning. I don't know if it will be a mass exodus from Glenwood, or whether people will slowly exit town in spurts and starts. I do know that I have to have my luggage on the baggage truck each morning by 8am, or I'll be trying to bike to the next town with a 50lb bag over my shoulder. No thank you. So it'll be early mornings, and trying to crank out miles without keeling over. I'm sure the excitement of that first day will push me through the pain, and we'll see what the other 6 days have in store for me...
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