Ready To Roll

Finally, time to relax after a hectic 10 days of finding a RAGBRAI registration for sale on the internet, actually buying it, getting it (yesterday) in the mail and getting all the rest of my riding equipment lined up. Well, I'm not going to use the Bob trailer ... opted for the pannier bags instead. Everything (just barely) fits and it makes for a more easily controlled bicycle ... I think that's important for me as a RAGBRAI rookie.

Before any water is added, the load on the bike is 52 lbs. Estimated 3 lbs. for water and it's 55 lbs. With me at 160, that still a respectably light 215 lb. load on a bike that weighs 30 lbs (including front and rear racks and aero bar. The main load (I heard that! I mean the main load apart from me! hehe) is split with about 3 lbs. more weight on the left than the right side and 29 of the 52 lbs on the rear wheel. I'll think a bit more about balancing that load and it may be as simple as swapping left and right panniers on the rear wheel (just need to make sure my heels don't hit the bags when they're swapped).

Wheels up for Rock Rapids at 7am tomorrow (July 21) and should arrive there between 12 and 12:30. I expect it may take awhile to get through the checkin line but I think that needs to happen before I can figure out where I'll be camping Saturday night. It'll be good to just have a little spot somewhere that I can call "home" for the night.

Well, I better get some sleep now as I've been dozing in my chair this evening. I'm pretty relaxed now that the preparation is complete ... and this is going to be quite an experience. I'll report on it after RAGBRAI is over since I'm not bringing a PC along. I should have at least some pictures to post also. Guess it'll be time to update my website again.

Later ...