The weather finally turned on us during the ride from Tama/Toledo to North Liberty. We'd dodged storms earlier in the week and enjoyed relatively pleasant temperatures, but our day of rain came shortly after we hit the road on Thursday morning. The light rain and cool temperatures were enough to bring out my light rain jacket, which I wore the entire day.
My first in-person view of the dangers of RAGBRAI came shortly after we left Toledo. During a moderate climb on a damp country road with no shoulder, an oncoming car crested the hill and caused a few riders to scramble to move into the right lane. One lady lost her momentum just as the car was nearly upon us and drifted left, straight into the car's path. She began to correct her line, but I was sure it would be too late to avoid crashing into the side of the car. The car sped by almost quickly enough to avoid the bicycle, but the woman's front tire clipped the car's rear quarter panel with a distinct "Whap!" Fortunately, she was unharmed, and her bicycle also seemed to be ok. But it reminded me of the risks of riding in a large group. We were a rolling accident waiting to happen. Every day we had to move over for ambulances.
The rain set in for the morning, light enough to annoy us but not enough to do any good. Most of Team Joyride met for breakfast burritos at a fire station somewhere in the first 25 miles, but Larry Baerveldt was so cold that he skipped the burrito and kept on riding. He never really did stop until North Liberty. Larry's physique is similar to mine, meaning he has little natural insulation. In fact, I'm not sure he has any body fat at all. He's in his 40's and is more physically fit than most men half his age. As best I understand it, Larry helps US Bank buy tax credits from third parties, many of which are historical tax credits used by real estate developers to finance the rehab of commercial buildings that have historical significance. The bank buys the tax credits to reduce what they pay the U.S. government for income taxes. Or something like that...it's too complicated for me. Outside of the tax credit gig, Larry runs marathons, competes in triathlons, skis most excellently, and dates an awesome gal named Peggy. And he shivers when cold and wet.
After Matt powered his way through the strongest headwind of the week, I was left by myself for the duration of the ride to North Liberty. Pace lines were forming everywhere in an attempt to beat the wind. I jumped into various lines that were either too fast or too slow, and eventually gave up and rode solo most of the way. Every so often I'd turn my head and see someone directly behind me, using my draft for a free ride. I didn't particularly care for that kind of freeloading. Had they simply asked, I would have gladly let them draft for awhile and take turns leading. But if I sensed freeloading, I sprinted until I couldn't see them anymore. That there's roadie etiquette, Stichnoth style.
The second half of Thursday's route included the historic Amana Colonies, where I planned to take a long break. At 50 miles into the ride, I was beat. When I arrived at the Colonies, they appeared mostly uninterested in RAGBRAI. West Amana had nothing of any significance to a RAGBRAI'er (i.e. no pie). South Amana had one food vendor at the U.S. 6 junction with a long line, so lunch became a Clif Bar and water from my Camelbak. Homestead had a full array of food and drink, but by that time I just wanted a hot shower. I settled for a fruit smoothie from two college girls who had been working a roadside stand the whole week, then found Matt Kavan on the road. Good thing, because I had no idea where to find our host family in North Liberty. Matt's iPhone was my ticket to that hot shower.
In North Liberty, we were treated to an elaborate pirate display at the official RAGBRAI entrance. The locals did a great job congratulating us for completing a tough day, and I really did appreciate that, but I just wanted a damn hot shower already. Matt was able to navigate us to a townhouse subdivision and a street address so new that it wasn't on most maps yet.
Our hosts for the night were Jason and Kristin Mueller, a young couple who are typical of what makes North Liberty one of the fastest growing communities in Iowa. Jason is a medical student at the University of Iowa, Kristin a teacher in Cedar Rapids. North Liberty's proximity to both cities makes it an ideal place for the Mueller's. They were the most accommodating hosts of the week. Offering floor space inside the house is one thing, but offering floor space in their bedroom was going above and beyond (we let them have their privacy). Darren Van't Hof was spot-on in his observation that their place in life - one year removed from college - probably had much to do with their ease in opening their entire home to a group of strangers. Darren's Iowa upbringing was, in my mind, at least partly responsible for a number of interesting observations throughout the week. In his youth he'd had his taste of power washing the crap (literally) out of hog houses, which apparently produced the sort of personal epiphany that causes kids to graduate from college. At some point Darren found his way to St. Louis and US Bank, but the Iowa in him never left.
We took the Mueller's to dinner at a local bar, slept like babies on their living room floor, and awoke to sunny skies on Friday.
