Tour de Fat to do RAGBRAI 2009

My brother, Big Boner, who just had WLS 3 weeks ago, has laid down the guantlet and has set riding in RAGBRAI 2009 next July as his numero uno WLS fitness goal.  

Team Tour de Fat member Nick from Utah just completed the week-long bike ride across Iowa and said it was one of the funnest things he's ever done. RAGBRAI is an annual week long cycling party for over 10,000 cycling enthusiasts. I see a lot of RAGBRAI jerseys during my cycling endevours and always make a point to ask them what they thought about it. To a T, they've all agreed with Nick's assessment - AWESOME!

Big Boner and I have been mapping out the plans for such a ride and he's going to be responsible to get an official support vehicle (a salvaged school bus) and emblazen it with the Tour de Fat logo (see my profile), the rides we've completed (RAGBRAI2008, Triple Bypass, etc.) and the names of Team Tour de Fat members (e.g. SJ Bob, RockyTop, etc.), OH locker room url, etc. By the way, in the spirit of the locker room, I will need to update the logo with a more "manly" cycling image.... I would appreciate any ideas you guys may have.

Here's a couple of examples of RAGBRAI SAG wagons....



my personal favorite....



I will be responsible for getting Team Tour de Fat jerseys made up. So, if you're interested in joining us next July......get on them bikes and ride! By the way, don't think riding in RAGBRAI is too difficult of a fitness goal. It ain't easy but certainly do-able for every one of us.

Boner  

The RAGBRAI is one of this Iowa boy's goals! Count me in!

Sounds great, Clapton. Maybe the 2009 RAGBRAI route will go through or near Ankeny. I'm hoping it starts in SW Iowa near Clarinda. Anywho, the ride should be a hoot especially if we can get a bunch of guys, like you, from here in the locker room.  NIce new pic by the way.
Boner

Can you put up a link to their home page so we can read about and decide if it is doable?

Thanks

Lou 

Here ya go, Lou. There's a RAGBRAI FAQ page which has lots of info about the ride, etc.


http://www.ragbrai.org/ragbrai-basics.html

Boner

Back when I weighed 80 pounds less and lived in Southern California I rode about 4,000 miles a year.  Not quite up to Boner standards, but still pretty faithful.  I haven't been on my Cannondale in about 8 years.  So -- yeah, I'd like to do the RAGBRAI (I even knew what that stands for without having to look it up) if I can arrange work, vacation, transportation, etc.  It'll give me an excuse to get back on my bike.  The only scheduling conflict I may have is that I'm also committed to go on a week-long canoe trek in the Boundary Waters/Quetico area next summer and I might not have the time to do both.

Public goals are SO motivating...

Taking a week off from work and the family is certainly difficult as I found out this summer when I rode the Rockies. On the other hand, it's was a great way to celebrate my "new found life" after WLS. I hadn't ridden my UniVega rode bike for about 20 years but it performed flawlessly after I tuned it up. It carried my 400+ pound load all the way down to about 275 before I put it out to pasture.

Boner

My problem is that I sold off my easy bike when I bought my Cannondale SR500 back in 1990.  The Cannondale is a ton of fun to ride, but its geometry isn't quite the thing for my current shape.  I'm thinking about test-riding some touring bikes with longer wheelbases and more-relaxed geometry that are a better fit for my more-mature current mass.  I'll save the 'Dale for when I lose a chunk of weight.  My younger son is about my height, though, so he can use the Cannondale when he joins me for training (and humiliates me on hills).

Cool man.  I hear that's a great time.   One of my buddies in my tri club did it this year.   Check out his blog about it at http://tri-ingfatman.blogspot.com/

Chad

Many of you may find that a ride across Iowa is too much of a goal for next summer.  My brother said that there are many people who do ride the whole state, but there are also many who just ride the portion that goes through their county or for a day or two.  You may want to check with Boner and see if the Team Tour de Fat has room for men who can only ride for a day or 2 anywhere along the course.  I know that it is hard for a lot of people who have families to justify spending their summer vacation riding a bicycle.  Maybe you can map out a course for your family for part of the ride--perhaps where the Amish are--  or by the infamous "Field of Dreams", and have them do a mini-vacation while you get to ride part of the way.