[SUX VR40 Rider]

Originally Posted by lowracer1

for me, those are all the reasons not to ride ragbrai this year. I like a challenge and ragbrai this year is flat and short. If I pay out money to do a ride, I WANT to RIDE! I'll be looking at different rides this year.

That is fine for you nad I respect that. For others like myself it is the main reason I am doing RAGBRAI this year. Well that and my wife toldme I was going. I was actually looking at other bike events in other states myself, she changed my mind and said you're going and that's it. I could only say "yes dear". Want to know why just ask. You'll probably find it funny, and likely agree with her.

[BlazingPedals]

Originally Posted by Freemason Cyclist

... my wife told me I was going.

NEVER argue with The Wife. Especially when she tells you to go on a bicycling vacation.

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Ironically the original vacation plans were to go to Michigan to do a bike ride. In June I was supposed to do the ”BIG MAC” SHORELINE SPRING SCENIC TOUR. The first day has 4 route options 25, 50, 75 and 100 miles. The second is the ride across the strait via Big Mac.

Myself, my wife and her mom were supposed to go. After the rough year we had in 2009 where my wife lost her father to a very short battle with cancer we all need a break. Her mom has somehting planned with church that week end in June, my wife is shipping me off on RAGBRAI and she will likely be involved in one of the groups in our city.

Another reason she is sending me is by July I will need a break. I am the Worshipful Master, or leader of my Masonic Lodge this year. It is a very demanding job and takes a lot of my free time. I have some how figured out a way to work 40 hours a week, commit the time to my Lodge, spend time with my wife and ride my bike to train for RAGBRAI. All I can say is right now at this stage of my life I am glad I do not have kids because something would have to be sacrificed and it would not be children and could not be work.

We will probably push the trip to Michigan to September when the fall shoreline line tour is.

BP, I see you're from central Michigan. Is that the middle of the mitten? My wife was born in Grand Rapids.

[BlazingPedals]

Yeah, I'm from the middle of the palm. Lansing area, about halfway between GR and the Detroit mess. I've never done any of the Shoreline-branded tours. The Hundred Grand is on my list, though.

[camilo]

What's the oldest organized tour?

What's the longest?

This "oldest, longest" just doesn't make sense to me. Is 7 days the longest organized tour? Is it there no tours that are older?

Is this just another example of midwesterner's or Iowans grasping for something to brag about? [ducking and running for cover].

[BlazingPedals]

I'd have no argument with them saying it is the "oldest organized week-long tour." Unless, of course, someone else comes forward and points out that some other ride can claim that title, too. I agree, saying it's the "oldest, longest multi-day tour" is poorly-worded, ambiguous, and even a bit misleading.

[SUX VR40 Rider]

There are bike tours that are older but are not 7 days long. No this is not something Iowans are grasping to brag about. RAGBRAI is a registered trademark. The organizers and the Des Moines Register would not be stating this fact, the worlds oldest lognest multi day or week long tour, if were not true. If it were not true and they did state this about the ride it would be false advertisement. Something they could get in trouble for.

[SUX VR40 Rider]

The first time I did RAGBRAI, 1998, I was very excited. It was my frist time, I was a RAGBRAI virgin and had a great time popping my cherry. The second time, 2007, I was excited but as much as the first. I had also done 1 day in 2005 and 3 days in 2006. and since 2007 I did one day in 2008.

This year, though I am a RAGBRAI veteran, I am as excited as the first time. The reason is in 2008 I started a new hobby: Reasearching history and culture via my bicycle and posting about it on this blog: History and Culture by Bicycle I have walked and ridden hundreds of miles, taken hundreds of photo's, done countless hours of research to ensure I post accurate information about the historical site or cultural event. I do stipulate not all the sites or events have been visited by me on a bicycle. The point of the blog is to introduce people to the idea of doing so.

This years RAGBRAI will afford me the oppurtunity to continue visiting historical sites via my bicycle. Several of the overnight towns are rich with history. Starting with Sioux City where a majority ofmy research has been conducted and focused. One of the other towns has 15 buildings in their downtown on the National Register of Historic Sites, Charles City. Not bad for a town of less than 8,000 people. Dubuque is also rich with history.

I am going to try to do as much research as I can before the ride and take as many photo's as I can during the ride.

For anyone who has never visited a historical site or museum via their bike I highly recommend giving it a try. Ride through a historical district and jsut see how much better it is than going by car. It really does open your eyes to what you miss from the confines of a motor vehicle.

[camilo]

Originally Posted by Freemason Cyclist

There are bike tours that are older but are not 7 days long. No this is not something Iowans are grasping to brag about. RAGBRAI is a registered trademark. The organizers and the Des Moines Register would not be stating this fact, the worlds oldest lognest multi day or week long tour, if were not true. If it were not true and they did state this about the ride it would be false advertisement. Something they could get in trouble for.

I get it: it's a wonderful ride. An old ride, likely the oldest 7 day ride. An esteemed and popular grand-daddy of US multi-day tours. "Oldest, longest" still doesn't make any sense at all, and they don't have to resort to such a silly promotion, imho.

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Originally Posted by camilo

I get it: it's a wonderful ride. An old ride, likely the oldest 7 day ride. An esteemed and popular grand-daddy of US multi-day tours. "Oldest, longest" still doesn't make any sense at all, and they don't have to resort to such a silly promotion, imho.

You ever ridden RAGBRAI? Even one day of it?