2000+ miles July

The goal for July was to get into the top 5 on the Big Dog standings for the month.  I was number 5 last year for July.  With the miles from RAGBRAI and the ride out July is usually my biggest month.  With the 600K brevet in early July and RAGBRAI starting clear up in Sioux City I knew I had a chance to get to 2000 miles for the month.  The month ended at 2042 miles and was enough miles to earn me the top spot of the Big Dogs for the month for the first time ever.  Of course first place and fifth get the same prize but it did help build a good base for Labor Day’s 24 hour ride.

The Pee Wee’s Big Adventure

Bill Harper (he did not get the memo), Joe Mann, Mike Doyle (Doyley) and Bill Ford (Wiford)

2010 marked the 5th time I have ridden out to RAGBRAI.  Mike Doyle has also completed this journey 5 times with Bill Ford riding his fourth.  The reason the ride is called The Pee Wee’s big adventure is because unlike the original move title there is more then one PeeWee on this adventure.  Joining us this year was Bill Harper.  The route this year took us to over-nights in Little Amana, Boone and Ida Grove.  This is close to the 2006 route that saw RAGBRAI start in Sergeant Bluff just south of Sioux City. This year, unlike 2006, we opted for an extra half day to keep the daily miles a little lower.  2006 miles were 175, 130, 55 and 2010 was 70, 135, 100 and 55.  This picture sums up how the ride went. I was always changing my flat tires and Mike was always peeing.  We had a great time.  Thursday’s 130 miles day from Little Amana to Boone was very challenging with the heat, headwinds and rolling hills.  The lunch stop at Marshalltown for monster sub-sandwiches had at least one of us second guessing that decision with the heat and 60 miles of riding to go.  While the weather in Muscatine was very rainy we never got a drop.  Friday leaving Boone looked ominous but no rain materialized.  Saturday was very hilly and we were glad to finally make it to Sioux City.  Once in Sioux City Mike, Bill and Bill headed for home and left me with seven more days of riding.

RAGBRAI 2010

2010 marked the 19th year in a row that Connie and I have done RAGBRAI.  This year was one of the most enjoyable. (No, neither one of us were at the Cartersville party) Most of the camp-sights were good, the weather was better then expected for July in Iowa and the riding was pretty easy.  We started with a couple pretty hard days, a long day on Thursday, a little rain on Friday then the toughest climb RAGBRAI has ever taken us on, Potter’s Hill as part of Saturday’s ride into Dubuque.

All in all it was an un-eventful RAGBRAI year.  That is not a bad thing considering the years we have spent the night in the gyms, riding in the rain, sweating in the tents…..  I will take un-eventful any day.