Carly
I’m not ashamed to admit that I have no desire to ride in RAGBRAI. Not even a little bit. There are lots of soul-stretching body-testing things I’d like to try. I’ve always wanted to hike the treacherous pass that gold rushers climbed in Alaska in the 1800s. I would really like to run a distance race someday. I think it would be fun to take a long kayak trip through the Interior Passage of Alaska’s pan handle.
But, I do not want to ride RAGBRAI. Not this girl. Reason being, I hate riding bikes. HATE. I wish I didn’t. But, I do. It’s like pickles. Every time I think maybe my taste has changed, I try it (a spin on a bike or a bit of a pickle). And, I remember why I’ve always hated it. Bike riding and pickles. Two things I will never enjoy.
I like to joke that spinning class is my idea of my own personal hell. Really, though. I’m entirely serious. I cannot imagine anything more painful than riding a bike and getting nowhere. Ugh!
At least if you ride in RAGBRAI you get to see 470-plus miles of Iowa’s countryside. A lot of the people I spoke with Thursday in North Liberty, five days into the ride, said they pass the time and the miles by sight seeing. There’s a lot to take in, one rider told me. Others said they talked among their group or with other riders as they passed by.
One guy said he listens to music or talks to people. He also takes in the sights, and oh yeah, “there’s a lot more hills than you might think.” Not that I needed another reason. But, no thanks.
Those hills shouldn’t phase him though. The Maquoketa native who now lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., rode his bike all the way to Iowa from California. It took him 16 days to make the trek, via Oregon. He landed here two days before RAGBRAI and then joined the ride across the state, all for the sake of sustainable energy.
Now that, I suppose, is one thing that could get me back on the bike.
I like your spirit, but if you really don’t like riding a stationary bike your UN-AMERICAN. Not getting anywhere is better than getting older every moment or going broke. Hey if i could spend my life in this moment and never be less rich, less good looking and my kids would never grow old I would take that hand every time. Going no where is only bad if your broke, married to a ugly women and in jail. So get your bottom on a stationary bike saddle and take joy in going no where!
Sean
Carly,
It’s ironic that pickles are a staple of the Coe College RAGBRAI team. They help ward off cramps from all the biking. I don’t suppose this is a selling point, but we’d love to have you along some time.
Lonnie
if you dont like ragbrai. why talk about it. leave that to me i like ragbrai and ride it.