RAGBRAI XXXI Route Announced

[Dennis Pedrick]

The 2003 RAGBRAI route has been announced (www.ragbrai.org).

This year will take us through the "hilly" part of the state (i.e., the southern tier of
counties). For you who complain the MOM ride isn't hilly enough, this is the route for you >).
Fortunately, the days appear mostly short, and always, it will not rain, and the wind will be at
our backs all week...

Here's the overnights:

July 20: Glenwood > Shenandoah July 21: Shenandoah > Bedford July 22: Bedford > Osceola July 23:
Osceola > Oskaloosa July 24: Oskaloosa > Bloomfield July 25: Bloomfield > Mt. Pleasant July 26: Mt.
Pleasant > Ft. Madison

See ya'll in July!

Regards -- DP

 

[Tom Sherman]

Dennis Pedrick wrote:
>
> The 2003 RAGBRAI route has been announced (www.ragbrai.org).
>
> This year will take us through the "hilly" part of the state (i.e., the southern tier of
> counties). For you who complain the MOM ride isn't hilly enough, this is the route for you >).
> Fortunately, the days appear mostly short, and always, it will not rain, and the wind will be at
> our backs all week...
>
> Here's the overnights:
>
> July 20: Glenwood > Shenandoah July 21: Shenandoah > Bedford July 22: Bedford > Osceola July 23:
> Osceola > Oskaloosa July 24: Oskaloosa > Bloomfield July 25: Bloomfield > Mt. Pleasant July 26:
> Mt. Pleasant > Ft. Madison
>
> See ya'll in July!
>
> Regards -- DP

I was in Mt. Pleasant for a pre-construction meeting in July 2001. The air temperature was about 102
F (39 C) and the heat index was 120 F (49
C).

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
Dragonflyer

 

[John Riley]

Tentative mileage here:

http://DesMoinesRegister.com/extras/ragbrai/index.html

I expect it will go up some when they post mileage for the actual route, but still should be on the
short side, which is ok considering the hills.

John Riley

 

[Dennis Pedrick]

378 miles has got to be as the crow flies...The shortest route in history is 379 miles. Given the
route, one prays for a short route.

Regards -- DP

John Riley <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Tentative mileage here:
>
> http://DesMoinesRegister.com/extras/ragbrai/index.html
>
> I expect it will go up some when they post mileage for the actual route, but still should be on
> the short side, which is ok considering the hills.
>
> John Riley

 

[Tom Sherman]

Dennis Pedrick wrote:
>
> 378 miles has got to be as the crow flies...The shortest route in history is 379 miles. Given the
> route, one prays for a short route.

Maybe next year the organizers will get a wavier from IowaDOT to allow the ride to take place on the
shoulder of I-80 - that would be the shortest and flattest route across the state.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side) RANS "Wavewind" and Rocket, Earth Cycles Sunset and
Dragonflyer, Sidewalker Micro, Trek 6000

 

[John Riley]

Tom Sherman wrote:

> Maybe next year the organizers will get a wavier from IowaDOT to allow the ride to take place on
> the shoulder of I-80 - that would be the shortest and flattest route across the state.

Not necessarily the flattest. Certainly the most boring. Probably not the shortest either. And in
any case, silly. ;-)

John Riley

 

[Larry Varney]

Dennis Pedrick wrote:
> 378 miles has got to be as the crow flies...The shortest route in history is 379 miles. Given the
> route, one prays for a short route.
>
> Regards -- DP
>
> John Riley <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>>Tentative mileage here:
>>
>>http://DesMoinesRegister.com/extras/ragbrai/index.html
>>
>>I expect it will go up some when they post mileage for the actual route, but still should be on
>>the short side, which is ok considering the hills.
>>
>>John Riley
>>

It sounds similar to the one RAGBRAI that I rode, the 25th edition,in 1997. It was a southern
route, and there were plenty of hills. No god-awful steep climbs like you'll find in more
mountainous areas, but just rollers that were steep enough and long enough that it was almost
impossible to keep any momentum up. I may ride RAGBRAI again someday, but I really do prefer
smaller crowds and loop rides.

--
Larry Varney Cold Spring, KY http://home.fuse.net/larryvarney