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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2006-07-26          132640


Well, it's RAGBRAI time in Iowa. For those that don't know what that is, it's a week long bicycle ride across the state of Iowa (west to east). Each day is about a 60-90 mile ride. People then camp in a different town each night. Tonight is Newton's turn.

Now, this is no tofu-eating, breeth clean, healthy group of liberal nut cases. This a week of riding bikes all day, party all night. Get up in the morning and do it again. Newton set up the beer garden. It's the entire town square. The whole square is blocked off and that's the beer garden. Apparently, they aren't messing around. I like it when you don't mess around with a beer garden!!

Now I should add some additional info. See Lance Armstrong will be riding into Newton with the tour and giving a speech. Then he's riding tomorrow's leg as well. So I've seen lots of people showing up in town well before the actual riders. They bring their bikes so they can ride with Lance tomorrow. So normally we'd have about 10,000 people participating in RAGBRAI. But because of Lance Armstrong, it could be 20,000 or more for the Newton portion. Hence, the massive beer garden.

It should be hard going for people on the ride. Last night we had lots of thunderstorms roll through the area almost all night long. I think I got about 2" of rain at my place. Some people's tents got flooded out by knee deep water. So the road crews that got in town already have clothing, blankets, etc all spread out to dry. Looks like a giant open air laundry.

That should make 80 miles of bike riding fun. Party till the wee hours, then no sleep while you ride out the thunderstorms in the local high school. Get to your tent, pick up your soggy mess, and then get on your bike and pedal away!

I like my tractor. But I'm damn proud of the size of that beer garden!!




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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2006-07-26          132641


What kind of beer will they have at the beer garden? A beer garden is only as good as the beer that is served :) ....


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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-07-26          132643


A bunch of spandex boys drinking beer? The beer part sounds mighty fun :) I've got to hit the local Oktoberfest this year. Lots of German beer in the biergarten and lots of folks who would look terrifying in spandex. I'd feel right at home. ....


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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2006-07-26          132645


I used to be an avid bicycle rider until my knee went out. Here in Michigan we have the DELMAC ride which starts just before Labor day leaving Lansing and goes to Mackinaw. The route cuts left at Gaylord and heads over to Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey and Harbor Springs, then goes through Cross Village. It is an awesome trip with lots of hills. The day before Labor day you ride across the Mackinac bridge.

I did it several times in the mid 70's and rode with a rear rack and soft shell cooler to hold 12 packs. Most of the other riders got mad at me and my friends since we would stay up til about 4am drinking beer then head out about 6am to do a 100 mile ride. The rest were pansies.

I used to have spandex riding shorts, Dieto Pietro riding shoes but that was about 80 lbs. ago and 5" in waist size. I still have my Masserati bicycle though.

Iowafun:
Ride hard, drink heavily. ....


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