Bikrarian Arrives in Rock Rapids

My bike club from Marshalltown, Iowa arrived in Rock Rapids on Saturday. This seems like it is probably a quiet little town but when 10,000 bike riders and thousands of support people arrived it bacame a bit chaotic.

I didn't get to the library in Rock Rapids. I was busy setting up my tent and getting in the mindset for the big ride. I haven't been on RAGBRAI since 2001 so I worried that some of the things would be tough to adjust to. Putting up my tent was easy, though. I guess once you learn how, it comes back to you - just like riding a bicycle.

I did do the ceremonial tire dip on Saturday as well. Rock Rapids is not on the Missouri, so I settled for a dip in the Rock River. Our bike club also had a social gathering in the evening and I enjoyed recoginzing faces from the last time I rode.

One thing I noticed is that nearly all riders have cell phones. This makes it impossible to call out because the network is always busy. I'll have to try to call Grandma and my kids during the daytime instead of the evening while I ride the ride.

Check back throughout the week to more updates on my vacation