Hi all! I've been scarce lately because I've been busy on my bike! I rode in an event called RAGBRAI (the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). It started 40-something years ago as a few newspapermen's jaunt and has turned into a huge deal -- by some counts, day one of this year's ride had 19,000 riders!

I had an incredible time. It was physically and mentally challenging at times, but the experience was more than worth it. I signed up as a solo rider, but on the evening before the ride, I met a group of people from my hometown and discovered we all had matching jerseys, so they invited me to ride with them. We all hit it off so well, I ended up spending a good deal of the week with them, although I met lots of other fun people too.

I did have my first crash. Early in the morning on day five, my tire got caught in a deep ridge in the centerline of the road, and I went down hard. I'm scraped and bruised all over my right side, and I bent my dérailleur in the process, but got back on and kept riding. The bike was adequately fixed at the next town; I'm still sore but feeling better today than yesterday!

I'm really quite proud that I mostly kept up with four very fit people who have done a lot more of this than I have. In 500 miles, I only abandoned and walked partway up one bad hill (headwinds were awful, and it was the second-to-last day, which was tough for everyone with storms and headwinds and then heat!). Later on I found out that my teammates, who were a bit ahead of me, did the same.

I'm on my way home now and still feel like I'm absorbing the experience. It was amazing. Camping every night, riding every day, so much eating!, and all the little towns rolling out the red carpet for us, so it was like a rolling street festival! So many wonderful people along the way too -- truly an American experience that is hard to put into words that do it justice.

1 Here I am with my adopted team (far left) at the ceremonial back tire dip on day one in the Missouri River.
2 Representing my hometown on day one
3 With one of my teammates on day two
4 Some riders had really creative team outfits!
5 Not everyday I park my bike on a Deere
6 Beer stops across the state (I saved my beer stops for the end of the day, AFTER riding!)
7 Great wall signs
8 Cheap Trick rocking in Coralville!
9 My team at the end of the ride, with the ceremonial front tire dip in the Mississippi (I'm second on right).