RAGBRAI
By Gary Gilbert
Friday, September 03, 2004
I ride with a group and we call ourselves Blazing Saddles. Not because we are fast; not because we are associated with any commercial establishments of that name; not because we belong to any cycling organizations of that name; but rather only we thought we were being clever and well http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071230/
See if you can spot me in this short video. ragbrai.qtm The video can be played with Quicktime or Real Player. Hint: I'm the cyclist slightly in front of the tandem. The tandem bicycle is ridden by John and Paula and you can hear John shout out "California". Peggy's parents spent a whole day by the side of the road hoping to suprise her and Joe on Ragbrai. Somehow they missed her but managed to shoot several hours of video. After previewing the video, Joe extracted the 3 second shot of John, Paula, and Gary riding by.
The official web site of RAGBRAI is http://www.ragbrai.org
I've ridden on Ragbrai 6 times. The route each year is different.
1995 Onawa, Lake View, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Tama-Toledo, Signourney, Coralville, and Muscatine. Click here: 
1996 Sioux Center, Sibley, Estherville, Lake Mills, Charles City , Cresco, Fayette, and Guttenberg Click here:
1997 I had planned on riding but broke my ankle in February and didn't get back on the bicycle until September.
1998 Hawarden, Cherokee, Rockwell City, Boone, Eldora, Cedar Falls, Monticello, and Sabula Click here:
1999 Rock Rapids, Spence, Algona, Clear Lake, Waverly, Decorah, Manchester, and Bellevue. Click here:
2000 Council Bluffs, Harlan, Greenfield, Ankeny, Knoxville, Ottumwa, Washington, and Burlington Click here:
2001 I passed on Ragbrai this year as did most of Blazing Saddles.
2002 Sioux Center, Cherokee, Emmetsburg, Forest City, Charles CIty, Oelwein, Anamosa, and Bellevue
2003 I again passed on Ragbrai.
2004 I had planned on riding but broke my acetabular 2 weeks before Ragbrai and was unable to ride.
The weather is always variable. Typical days are hot and humid. Rain is common sometime during the week. As the saying goes, it is not always the same in Iowa, sometimes the corn is on the right and soybeans on the left and down the road you might find soybeans on the right and corn on the left.
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