Unrelenting Heat and Humidity is a Bane for All Cyclists
Response to the Reciprocal Nature prompt: Cool breeze
There is a famous cycling event across Iowa every July. It is called RAGBRAI, sponsored by the Des Moines Register. It attracts more than ten thousand riders. They come from every state in the US and even Europe. The route changes every year. It gives the towns it passes through a surge in tourist income. Farms and scout groups offer brownies, cookies, popcorn and high energy snacks. The event involves cycling 50 to 80 miles per day.
The week long ride has designated overnights on college campuses or state fairgrounds. Churches offer the best variety and price for hungry cyclists. The towns resemble refugee camps with hundreds of tents on site. Many visitors expect a flat countryside. They are quite surprised at the number and length of Iowa’s hills. One has to have a wise plan to confront our heat and humidity.
I’ve ridden RAGBRAI twice, each time with one of my children. My son, Bob, was sixteen when we rode together. Our strategy was to rise at 4:30 am, dismantle the tent, load our duffel into the QCBC truck. Then hurry to the auditorium…
