by transitionsiyviyg |
July 29, 2011
.jpg)
We got a late start this morning, and the heat was already beginning to build as we pedaled away from camp. The route was primarily flat, except for rolling hills at the end as we entered Coralville. Today we rode 74 miles, and climbed 2,681 feet. Around mile 50, I started feeling weak, and I started to bonk. We pulled into Homestead, and had a smoothie and a pasta bowl, and it wasn’t long before I got some of my power back. Overall, today’s ride was grueling even though it was flat. The miles I have put in over the course of the week are starting to take their toll, but there is only one day left!
Today we saw the childhood home of John Wayne in Brooklyn, Iowa and took a photo with a cardboard cutout of “The Duke." The historical society was taking photos for a $1.00 donation. Today was college jersey day, and many riders rode in their college’s jersey. I was happy to see the Iowa Hawkeyes colors dominated in the peloton. We rode through the Amana Colonies, an Amish community in the central part of the state. The route didn’t take us very deep into Amish territory, and I was disappointed that we did not see any horse drawn carriages.
RAGBRAI participants ride every different type of bike imaginable. They range from something that could be purchased at Walmart to top of the line “dream” bikes worthy of the Tour de France. There are single speeds, tandems, trikes, recumbents, mountain bikes, road bikes, old time high wheel bikes…the list could go on forever. There is a man that I have now seen on all three of my RAGBRAI rides that opts for a unicycle with a 29-inch mountain bike wheel. I also saw a man riding a bike that works like elliptical exercise machines that are common in gyms. If it has wheels and rolls, somebody’s riding one at RAGBRAI.
