DUBUQUE – ONAWA, IOWA
RAGBRAI began in Onawa, Iowa, a small town (population 2821) about 80 miles from Omaha, Neb. Onawa was the overnight town where 20,000+ cyclists would roll out the next morning. Almost everyone on RAGBRAI sleeps in tents. The luckier ones travel with RVs. Some make arrangements for home stays. Most towns aren’t near hotels.
Check-in and bike drop was yesterday at McAleece Park on Chaplain Schmitt Island in Dubuque. There was tent camping available on the baseball fields, but the temperature was in the 90s, and the sun was beating down. Knowing sleep would be a precious commodity the next week, I opted for a night at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Dubuque. There would be time for sleeping in a tent, but this wasn’t it.
Brancel Bicycle Charters had 10 motor coaches plus two moving vans to transport 600 cyclists plus their gear and bicycles from Des Moines to Onawa. In addition to nearly 500 camping with them for the week, some riders with the main RAGBRAI group would use their charter bus and bike service to get to the start town of Onawa.
In the morning I parked in a field on East 16th St. ($125/week) and took the trolley shuttle back to McAleece Park. I got a number (7) for my bus and boarded around 7:30. We stopped in Webster City for about 45 minutes for lunch. Hyvee had set up a grill for hot dogs ($4) and hamburgers ($6). We arrived before 2:00 p.m., and I set up my tent, soaking my clothes with sweat in the process.
Once my tent was set up, I messaged my group to see if anyone wanted to ride to the Nebraska border. The tire dip in the Missouri River is symbolic of riding the entire way across Iowa. There would be no closed roads to ride on, and with construction on the road to Decatur, Nebraska, the bridge crossing, I opted to go south to the Huff-Warner Access Area.
It was a nine-mile ride, and I waved to some riders coming back as I made my way to the river. I added two and one-half miles (4 km) of gravel riding because I am stupid. Sigh. I dipped the tire and headed back. I explored the town and vendors and was looking for a cold Coke Zero. I tried a couple of vendors before finding a Pulled Pork sandwich. And bought two cans.
After dinner, I slipped into the tent hoping to get some sleep. Just as I was falling asleep, a train went by. Once I fell asleep a second time, there were fireworks to celebrate the start of RAGBRAI. And then another train. It was hot, and I was miserable.
MILEAGE: 24.8 miles
MILES WITH PWCC: 0
