RAGBRAI in Exira
Some of you gentle readers out there in Internetland are wondering just how much hot water I got myself into and what exactly happened. Don't fret! An complete disclosure shall be forthcoming. It is just that I haven't gotten around to putting thoughts to bytes yet. When I do, you shall be the first to know!
In the meantime, please enjoy the photo gallery from Monday morning at The Des Moines Register, also known as the Newspaper Iowa Depends Upon, showing Monday's RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), which went through the heart of my old stomping grounds, traveling old F-58 from Harlan through Elk Horn and Exira, and then taking the ridge road, F-36, east of town, turning northward toward Coon Rapids. As someone who has just this summer rediscovered the bicycle after selling Joe Muhr my old Huffy Monoshock for 40 bucks way back when, RAGBRAI would be something to put on my list on things to do before I croak.
Joe Muhr has an interesting RAGBRAI connection. I remember a Register article about him when he participated in the ride at the ripe old age of 6 in what would have been 1974, I think. He even got his picture in the paper, which was quite something back then. He didn't ride the entire way across the state, but I think just part of it on the day that went on Highway 44, not far from the Muhr homestead northeast of Exira.
Incidentally, I wasn't there when Joe's older brother, Tom, took Joe's new ride to the top of their grain bin and, in a moment of brotherly spite, threw it down 30 feet to the ground. I heard about it, though, and was glad to have pocketed cash on the spot. The Huffy, despite the shock absorbtion technology, never recovered.
In the meantime, please enjoy the photo gallery from Monday morning at The Des Moines Register, also known as the Newspaper Iowa Depends Upon, showing Monday's RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), which went through the heart of my old stomping grounds, traveling old F-58 from Harlan through Elk Horn and Exira, and then taking the ridge road, F-36, east of town, turning northward toward Coon Rapids. As someone who has just this summer rediscovered the bicycle after selling Joe Muhr my old Huffy Monoshock for 40 bucks way back when, RAGBRAI would be something to put on my list on things to do before I croak.
Joe Muhr has an interesting RAGBRAI connection. I remember a Register article about him when he participated in the ride at the ripe old age of 6 in what would have been 1974, I think. He even got his picture in the paper, which was quite something back then. He didn't ride the entire way across the state, but I think just part of it on the day that went on Highway 44, not far from the Muhr homestead northeast of Exira.
Incidentally, I wasn't there when Joe's older brother, Tom, took Joe's new ride to the top of their grain bin and, in a moment of brotherly spite, threw it down 30 feet to the ground. I heard about it, though, and was glad to have pocketed cash on the spot. The Huffy, despite the shock absorbtion technology, never recovered.
Comments
Anyway, had you asked, I rode in RAGBRAI from ridge road to Guthrie Center and from Guthrie Center to the East Place the following day. It must have been like 82 or 83? Nothing memorable except Walker and Scott Landon came to Guthrie Center to cash in on the party!
-Lynn
In the words of Ted Solomon, "It's all relative."
CRM