RAGBRAI comes to Wellman! I See Bike People...Everywhere!

The RAGBRAI  has invaded our small humble town in the "Middle of Nowhere", Iowa.   Quite a transformation.   Normal sleepy towns turn into hubs of vendors and community.   All from a yearly tradition of Cyclists riding across the state.   How cool is that?

Stop over in Wellman

After being here 8 years,  I finally considered doing the event this year.   I knew it would be a logistical and physical strain, but there was a fleeting moment of aspiration.  But,  as the future would have it, we had to work today.   Even if I had wanted to jump in for the last two days, earning money would end up taking priority.  That always seems to be the case.

Police Direct Traffic.

But Cheryl and I qualified early today, and were able to get out of jail, I mean working earlier than expected.  The final destination for the riders is Iowa City, so there was a possibility to catch a few riders as they passed through our sleepy town. 

Vendors and Parks people assist.

I heard that there were 50 vendors there in the down town area.  Pretty cool watching Wellman come alive.   This usually only happens on the 4th of July... or near the baseball fields. I headed downtown to feel  the energy.

Sheriff enjoys a Kalona Ice Cream Bar.

American Flag shows How Iowa Feels.

Most of the spark was gone, however, as the vendors were closing up shop around 3 P.M.  A few cyclists continued to pass through, and there were still a bunch there enjoying the treats and water.   I figured when the beer tent finally closed, there would be very little reason to stay.   The majority of the cyclists must have already pressed on towards Kalona by this time.

Water to help you cool off. 

Beer tent closing.   Booo.

There are always stranglers.... and  Vanguards.   On our way to Iowa City this morning, we already noticed several dozen cyclists within the city limits!   They must be a full day ahead of everyone else.  I guess being at the spear's tip is rewarding in its own way, but I think I would prefer the safety of the pack and the police escort that comes with it.  Riding on those open roads in Iowa with trucks and late commuters seems dangerous.

Still a lot of folks hanging out. 

Still,  seeing Iowa from the Saddle of a Bike sounds like fun.   And anyone can do the thing.... even if they only choose to join up for a couple of days.  We saw many cyclists traveling to Wellman to possibly join the group as they headed towards the Mississippi.   Probably because they had to work this week and were finally able to take Friday off.  There will be other opportunities to do it later.

As for now,  Cheryl and I are planning to jump ahead of the cyclists and run in Muscatine tomorrow.  I heard there are on their way there after they wake up from Iowa City.   Their final destination will be Davenport.  Good luck to them.   I'll continue to ride the 15 miles alongside Cheryl.   Riding 20+ miles a day  tends to wreck your backside.  I can only imagine riding twice that every day for an entire week!   Definitely something that requires some training.    Thanks for stopping in and Check out the Video.