One major aspect of RAGBRAI that we knew we would not be used to was riding in large groups. We quickly became familiar with the importance of signalling your intentions for stopping and pulling off to the side or getting back on the road in the stream of bikers. These are done by yelling "Biker Off!" and "Biker On!" respectively.
And sometimes, the group ahead of you is slowed or stopped for some reason and you need to be prepared to do likewise. Here is a picture of such a situation just outside the Farm Boys food stand, which I mentioned in an earlier post.
We made it through what we've heard was the hardest day of this year's ride. Lots of hills, especially long and steep ones, but we rode all and didn't walk a single one. We had some fun on the corresponding downhill slopes, reaching speeds around 35 MPH. It was a challenge, taking us most of 12 hours to go 68 miles, but there was a lot of stopping, resting, and eating involved as well.
Here's hoping for an easier Tuesday!
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