Conference noted::bicycle

    Thanks for the info Mike! My dad and I are planning to try it
    this year. I did the ride in '85' and truly enjoyed it, and thus
    because of all my bragging dad now wants to try,( he's 62 ).
    Should you have any more info please pass it on.
                                      
                                          thanks 
                                               Steve & Dad
                                                from N.E.

    Thanks for the info also Mike! I got the paperwork in the mail last
    night. I'm going to be taking my son along, (he'll be 12 by then).
    We did BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia) last year with probably the
    slowest time of anyone in the ride. My fondest hope is that he picks
    up the speed this year, last year we averaged 7.5 mph! 
    
    Fred & Dan Mudgett

>>    We did BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia) last year with probably the
>>    slowest time of anyone in the ride. My fondest hope is that he picks
>>    up the speed this year, last year we averaged 7.5 mph! 


Careful, when I was 12 I was sloooooow to. But boy didn't my
father regret it a couple of years later.....

Seriously, I have to take my hat off to your son. To do BRAG at his 
age is truely an accomplishment. I remember what it was like during my
first long rides at that age. It is an awful feeling to know you are 
trying your hardest and still being slow. Makes you kind of mad to 
say the least. I wish there were more twelve year olds like your 
son who were willing to get out and do stuff like this.

JC

    There was a couple last year on Ragbrai that had 2 daughters, I'd say
    one was around 5 and the other 6 or 7.  The father had one of those
    little carts that he pulled behind his bike.  He built a small bike
    rack on the back of the cart.  When one of the girls got tired, they
    simply mounted the bike on the back of the cart and rode. I saw
    the girls taking turns throughout the entire week.  They never came in
    late, they were generally in the middle of the pack of riders.

    I too have the paper work, I ride with a group from Colorado Springs called
    the Hemmoriders.  We are beginning to organize now and should have our
    entries in, in a week or so.  Last year I was with a group called the
    Colorado Highway Patrol because the Hemmoriders were taking a year off
    from Ragbrai.  We make use of one of the charter groups - BICYCLE
    CHARTERS that way we get a bus ride back to the start after the ride is
    over.
    
    
    

    I'm trying to get a Chicago area group up for this one.  There's
    absolutely no interest among Digits here, so I'll try the local
    bike club.
    	Anyway, how do the charters work?  Once your number is drawn,
    do the charter outfits send you ads?  I coming from Chicago, I really
    don't want a ride back to the beginning of the route.  I'd rather
    leave the car at the end of the route and catch a charter to the
    beginning (the ride is west to east, isn't it?).  That way I only
    cross Iowa twice, not four times.
    
    Larry

    Yes, once your number is drawn you will be given additional
    information about the charters.  Let me suggest that you look back
    through this notes file at previous entries on RAGBRAI.  I wrote an
    extensive article a couple years ago.

    I would also suggest the charter that our group uses - BICYCLE
    CHARTERS.  The lady that runs this is GREAT!  She does take a group
    from the 'end' to the start and then you bicycle back to your car.
    Those of us who come from the west, will have a bus ride back to the
    start at the end of the ride.  Look in the previous notes, her
    address is there somewhere.  She had about 350 people last year and
    about half came from the east and half from the west.

    By the way, the route was suppose to have come out in the Des Moines
    Register this past Sunday (Feb 25), I'll post the route as soon as I
    get the info.
    
        michael

As promised:		495 total miles

Sunday	-	Sioux Center - Spencer		61 miles
Monday	-	Spencer	- Algona		72 miles
Tuesday	-	Algona - Hampton		74 miles
Wednesday -	Hampton - Oelwein		87 miles
Thursday - 	Oelwein - Cedar Rapids		70 miles
Friday -	Cedar Rapids - Washington	69 miles
Saturday	Washington - Burlington		62 miles

    
     I have my application ready to send in on the appropriate date and I
    have been wondering about the odds of being "chosen". Does anyone have
    any idea how many people apply or what the chances are ?
    
    Joe
    
    

    Yep, the Des Moines Register said that last year they had over 15,000
    applications! So about 50/50.  There are tricks to getting in:

    1. Join a Des Moines bicycle club - about $15-$20
    2. Have enough people in YOUR group to consistute a 'club' and enter your
       applications as such
    3. Go anyway and carry all your own stuff - however, in the past 2
       years people along the way have been looking for legal wrist bands.
       Generally not Des Moines, it's kinda becoming self-policed.
    4. ODIXIE??? - I believe there is a major group, club, or something
       that comes from Atlanta and they seem to get in every year.  I
       can't remember their 'team' name, but I think its one of the following:

       Team Hooters
       Team Gumby

       I'll check with one of my friends to see if they know.
    5. Go ahead and sign up with one of the charters and if you don't get
       in, they sometimes help you get 'legal' wristbands.  They have
       people who signup, get in and then can't come.

       

    RE. -1
    
     I'd would be very interested in any info you could provide about the
    club from Atlanta. I'm a member of the Bicycle club here so, I'll ask
    around and try to find out if this group are members also.    
    
     If you find any info you can send me mail
    
     Joe Penn @GGO
    
    How about a list of Des Moines clubs?
    
    thanks
    
    Joe

    Sorry Joe, I checked and no one in my group remembers which 'team' was
    from Atlanta.  There is another note somewhere in this conference about
    BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia), you might ask for bicycle clubs
    there as well.
    
    I don't know of any 'official' clubs from Des Moines.  There is a
    group called 'TEAM ME OFF' from Des Moines, I don't know if they are
    a real club or just a bunch of friends.  You might call information
    and see if  you can get the name of a bicycle shop and then call the
    bicycle shop.  If Des Moines is anything like here in Colorado Springs,
    each of the bicycle shops have their own cycling teams.  Granted, these
    aren't clubs but they're racing teams.

    Although there are at least 25 - 30 people who go each year from
    Colorado Springs, there is no interest in doing RAGBRAI from any of
    the cycling clubs.  They're into gut wrenching pass riding of the Ride the
    Rockies (300+ ride through the mountains of Colorado).
    
    michael

    RE .-1
    
    > I don't know of any 'official' clubs from Des Moines.  There is a
    > group called 'TEAM ME OFF' from Des Moines, I don't know if they are
    > a real club or just a bunch of friends.  You might call information
    
    There is MOST definitely a cycle club in Des Moines. I'll try to get
    their correct name & address in here... I THINK they're called the
    Des Moines cycle club, but I don't want to spurt incorrect data from
    my crusty keyboard. (At least not until I KNOW it's bogus data...)
    
    By the way, I've entered the "lottery" every year for six years
    running. You guessed it, I've NEVER received wristbands OR vehicle-
    passes to date. I guess my envelopes just weren't meant to be...
    
    Now, I'm marking my envelope "OPTIONAL", so I'll at least get two
    chances at being drawn for wristbands. I don't know what I'd do if
    I actually received vehicle passes! I guess I'd give them to my uncle
    in Des Moines, he's a member of that "ghost" cycle club there. And -
    yes, he's been my connection for attending the ride every year, even
    when (not if!) I don't get wristbands.
    
    By the way, if for some obscene reason I do receive vehicle passes,
    I'll post a reply here, before I send them to my uncle. If somebody
    wants them, I'll sell at cost... Of course, the odds are against me.
    
    Anyone from the eastern Mass./New England area attempting attendance?
    
    							Good luck,
    							   Face

    		The Des Moines Cycle Club
    		-------------------------
    		P.O. Box 2190
    		Des Moines, IA 50310
    
    		Send a SASE to the above address, requesting an
    		application for membership. The dues are reasonable.
    
    		Good luck...

     I sent in the application already. I'll just take my chances this 
    year.
    
     Thanks for the info
    
    Joe
    
    

    	As expected, I just received notice that my envelope was not
    	selected this year. I didn't really think it would be...
    
    	In fact, the letter stated that all in all, more than 8,000
    	entries had to be returned. With the original 7,500 baggage
    	passes, there is a good chance this year could see the most
    	riders yet.
    
    	I doubt that 15,500 bikers'll show for the entire ride, but
    	there could be a few  days during the week when there would
    	be more than 12,000 riders.
    
    	Oh well...

    re .-1
    
    	I got the same notice.  I was sure looking forward to my first
    RAGBRAI!  This time around, I'll do some research early on and get on
    an inside track via one of the bike clubs that parcel out tickets....

    Yep...Me too!!!!!  This is the second time in 5 years that I've seen
    the letter and it will be the 5 year that I WILL BE doing RAGBRAI
    legally.  I've mentioned in the other RAGBRAI notes HOW it can be
    done legally even if you get turned down.

    Our group is with a private charter.  This will be the 5th year
    with this charter so the organizer will take our $40 and buy out
    others who have decided to not come and had already paid her for
    the charter service.  She also works with some of the clubs to buy
    out their extra armbands.

    Many of you might not know that there is a 'WAITING LIST'!  Call
    the Register and see if you can get on it.  The only drawback to
    this is that you generally don't know if you are IN until the
    weekend before RAGBRAI starts.  This is how we got in 3 years ago.
    We had already planned to be renegades and have our own transportation
    but found out only 4 days before RAGBRAI that we were officially
    accepted.

    Don't give up!