Welcome back fellow RAGBRAI riders!!  Even though the ground is still white with snow as I write this, I'm chuckling to myself because I know Ol' Man Winter has just about run its course.  The days of ice, snow and arctic winds will soon be giving way to warmer climes and we can saddle up for another season of two-wheel fun.  I don't know about you, but I can't wait to hit the roads and trails.  There's nothing like racking up some big miles on a hot day!  Besides, I need the summer months to repair all of the shovels and ice chippers I broke this winter.

The staff of RAGBRAI have cooked up what looks to be a great ride across central Iowa this year.  As you already know, we launch at Missouri Valley, overnight in Harlan, Jefferson, Ames, Tama, North Liberty, and Tipton, and greet the Mississippi at Le Claire!  All total, the route clocks in at about 460 miles and we'll be doing a little over 21000 feet of climb.  As far as the ride is concerned, it doesn't make any of the all-time ride top-ten lists.  Make no mistake though, we'll be doing about 8000 more feet of climb this year than we did last year and proper training will be important.  On a daily basis though, there are a couple of days that should get your attention.

Day 1 is from Missouri Valley to Harlan.  The route takes us through Beebeetown, Underwood, Neola, Minden, Shelby, and Tennant.  During the day, you'll spend about 20 miles crossing the Loess Hills.  For those of you new to RAGBRAI, these hills are along the western side of Iowa.  There will be plenty of hill hopping along the way and you should enjoy some great views of terraced farms.  From Underwood to Neola, we'll get to enjoy some fairly flat cruising as we head up the Mosquito Creek valley.  All total, the day clocks in around 55 miles will have a little over 3700 feet of climb. 

Day 2 is from Harlan to Jefferson.  The route takes us through Kimballton, Elk Horn, Exira, Larland, Coon Rapids, and Scranton.  This will be "the" day of the ride; it clocks in at about 82 miles and will dish out almost 5300 feet of climb.  As such, this day rates as the 8th most climb and the 7th hardest day.   Again, for those of you new to RAGBRAI, on this day you'll learn a new word that you'll either love or hate: "Rollers."  We'll do about 90% of this climb during the first 55 miles of the day after which things should settle down. Get going on those training mile!  Also, the Karras Loop is this day.  So for those of you gunning for a century, you'll be looking at about another 1000 feet of climb.  The best way to handle this kind of day is to strike up a great conversation with a fellow RAGBRAI rider, find a comfortable pace and click off the miles.  Elk Horn is a wonderful Danish community.  Coon Rapids offers up quite a bit of history with the Garst Seed Company.  After Scranton, the route flattens out and is a wonderful ride into Jefferson.

Day 3 is from Jefferson to Ames.  The route takes us through Grand Junction, Dana, Ogden, and Boone, and the words that you'll learn today are, "cream puff."  Our mileage will be around 56 miles and our climb will be a little over 1300 feet.  In short, this will nice day to recover.  A neat feature you'll experience on this day is traversing the Des Moines River valley between Ogden and Boone.  The views are great and the climb isn't that bad.  Take a little break on the bridge and check out the river turtles.  I've heard rumors that Ames might be offering up some great entertainment.  Speaking of Ames, its where I live and I'm interested in hosting some riders.  Please be advised that we do have cats so try and keep your team stickers at bay.

Day 4 is from Ames to Tama/Toledo.  The route takes us through Nevada, Colo, State Center, Albion, Green Mountain, Le Grand and Montour.  It's going be a 76 mile day and the climb picks back up.  We'll do a little over 2800 feet of climb.  The first 25 miles are along the old Lincoln Highway and are relatively flat.  Another favorite portion of this days ride is from Le Grand to Tama.  We'll be hopping watersheds which means some hills but the views are great.  Also, the last 5 miles into Tama cross the Iowa River valley and are flat miles.

Day 5 is from Tama to North Liberty.  The route takes us through Toledo, Vining, Chelsea, Belle Plain, Luzerne, Blairstown, West Amana, South Amana, and Homestead.  Even though the day comes in around 74 miles and ~3100 feet of climb, the ride should be a lot of fun.  Be sure and check out the historic gas station as we come into Belle Plain.  Also, the Amana Colony area should satisfy any food cravings you might have!

Day 6 is from North Liberty to Tipton.  We'll take a ~65 mile horse shoe shaped route through Solon, Lisbon, Mt. Vernon, Martelle, Morley, and Mechanicsville.  Todays climb will be almost 3100 feet.  Coming out of North Liberty, we'll encounter the Iowa River again.  The area is really beautiful and a fun ride.  Mt. Vernon is always a fun stop.

Day 7 is from Tipton to Le Claire.  The route takes us through Bennett, New Liberty, Maysville, and Eldridge.  At 54 miles, it's going to be a short day.  We'll have about 1800 feet of climb.  Keep in mind that the fraction of a mile is a nice drop into Le Claire.  This is Le Claire's first time hosting RAGBRAI - welcome to the family!  For those of you who haven't been to Le Claire - the view of the Mississippi seems to go forever.  Find a spot in the shade and watch the river drift by.

This is going to be a fun year to do RAGBRAI.  This years route offers up a lot of what makes Iowa a fun place to bike: hills, rollers, valleys, cyclist from around the world, fun host cities, plentiful pass-thru towns, gobs of sweet corn and tons of pie!  If I could figure out a way to chip my BBQ out of the ice and snow, I'd be out grilling a rack of mile high chops as we speak.

As usual, enjoy the GeoBike site and keep logging those training miles.   See everyone in the pancake lines!

Ketch