Fun ride ahead!
While discussing RAGBRAI with Gina yesterday, I noticed something very interesting about the Day 7 course…
Image from here
Do you see it?
How about now?!
Um, the course goes through a winery town? Whut, whut?!?!
This will make for an interesting end to the ride! Muah ha ha. I actually rode my bike once after having a drink (and burger and fries) and guess what? It was a horrible thing. But that was 30 miles on crushed limestone on a mountain bike (after already riding 30 miles). This will be 10.8 miles on roads on a road bike (after having ridden around 40 miles). Hmmm.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, did you notice I said “discussing RAGBRAI with Gina”? She signed up! YAY! Dad, Will, Julie, Gina and I are all signed up for Day 7!
During my bike ride with Efit on Sunday I was thinking about how much I enjoy RABGRAI, and I’m stoked Gina gets to experience it for the first time this year! It will be fun to plan out the details when it gets closer. It’s just over three months away! (<— how is summer just around the corner?! Eeek!)
Themocracy
It’s crazy how close Summer is! I love reading your recaps of this event every year, it sounds like a lot of fun 🙂 And this year seems like it may have some extra fun.
It is!!! Eek! And I know it’s gonna fly by. Like usual. But that’s okay 🙂
Aww, thanks! It will be extra fun!
I don’t bike, but if someone said I get to go through a winery while doing it…consideration would be made! I guess I would need a bike first though…that would be an issue. I probably would just go to the winery and have free tastings while everyone else worked their a** off 🙂
Ha ha ha!
We were talking about RAGBRAI a couple of weeks ago – it sounds fun and who knows, maybe my running renegades will take up biking one of these days! Oh, and when I was a kid, my parents and their sailing club friends (see? you start doing one sport and trade off!) did a biking tour among the wineries nearby (we lived in northern California). As kids we thought it was pretty damn funny as some of them ended up having to ride along in the van because they were too toasty to pedal!
That would be cool if you did! 🙂
HA! That is funny! See, you gotta be careful and pace yourself… they should know that from endurance events like sailing and biking. Ha.
On a bike tour of Munich, we made a beer stop at a the Englischer Garten, where I drank a liter of beer. Then the tour continued on riding through a park with naked sunbathers. I may or may not have ridden into a person in front of me at that point. Then we biked through city traffic which was scary. It was probably not the best idea, so hopefully there won’t be similar things going on for your race! 🙂
Oh geesh!!! Sounds like some fun memories, though.
A LOT of people drink and ride on this event. The towns open the bars really early… and if I recall, maybe there are some stands selling alcohol? I know I won’t drink and ride. I am not good, anytime, with alcohol in my system!
Yeah, it’s hard enough to stay safe biking a road when completely sober. Also, it makes me sleepy and if I had say another 30 miles to go, it would suck being sleepy. Better to just wait and drink after riding. 🙂
Eating and biking bothers you?
Man. that is why i love biking! I can eat and go right away and hubby and I have done a mid-day stop in town when on a longer ride. We fuel up on Italian food and go lol
No, I love eating and biking. That is why I love RAGBRAI. Biking and drinking alcohol bothers me 🙂
Biking under the influence – you can get ticketed for that here!
My friend and I are going to do a 25K Great Breweries Walk in June – just like you, I am a little bit concerned about the combination!
Awesome that Gina is going to join you in the bike event!
That is a LONG walk! Hopefully there isn’t lots of stumbling involved! 🙂
I am super excited she is!
This is definitely on my Iowa bucket list!!!
Awesome 🙂
I am a huge fan of a cold beer at the end of a ride, but I have a harder time with the drinking while on a ride. But there are plenty of people who don’t see a problem – go to California wine country, and there are tons of bike tours, with a SAG wagon to pick people up who’ve had a bit too much!
Oh right! I was thinking about all those types of rides in CA when I wrote this! There are some pro “drinking” rides. I wonder if they will come up with the biking equivalent of the running “Beer Mile”? HA!
So, my brother-in-law went on a Trek trip to Italy and had a great time. They were definitely drinking vino for lunch and finishing the ride at a much slower pace! It sounded amazing, though.
As for the “Beer Mile” – I do admire people who can do that. Maybe “admire” is too strong, but it would be a challenge for me!
Ahh, that’s super cool that Gina is going to do it this year!
I think it’s funny when races and endurance events bill having wine or alcohol available mid-course (like, Paris) because it doesn’t really sound all that experience-enhancing. I mean, I *am* the modern face of temperance, but still. I also kind of roll my eyes when people make a big deal out of the beer, as if you couldn’t get beer all the time. I guess it’s nice to have reading and waiting at the end though.
Anyway! In the first photo, I was looking for the “very interesting” thing and thought that “Pop.” said “poop” and giggled to myself.
Yes! I am so excited she is!!!
Yeah, it seems to really be a draw for some people, now! I even see people complaining online when the beer is all gone when they finish a race (which, to be fair, I would be mad if they were out of water!). Anyway, RAGBRAI has been about partying and drinking for a long time, and they aren’t advertising this winery much. There is actually a winery town stop the day before, too. This year’s route is more about going through town’s that the event never has before… which means a few wineries, it seems!
HA! If it did say that, it would have been the thing I was pointing out 😉