RAGBRAI for beginners

[Satori78]

I'm seeking out a little advice as a fairly new rider with a crazy bug to do RAGBRAI. I've lived in Iowa all my life and never done RAGBRAI, but have always known what is was, even before I got interested in riding. Now, I've got several fitness goals set for myself, including fairly substantial weight loss (100lb roughly) and being able to do a 25 mile ride, that I hope to accomplish over the next year (I've just turned 30 and decided to make some changes). I also have started thinking ahead to things I want to accomplish before I turn 40 and doing RAGBRAI at LEAST one time is on the list. So my question is, what kind of training advice can you give to someone new to the whole bike thing? What kind of training rides should I be looking at to truly be able to complete RAGBRAI and enjoy it at the same time? Thanks in advance, I know what ever advice I get it will be great!

[DebTX]

Looking forward to hearing the advice you get - I need it too.

A fellow newbie here who started riding last year at age 46. I trained for a 46 mile charity ride last year and then didn't ride all winter (big mistake!) so this year it felt like starting over (I also got a new bike). Last weekend I finished a 20 mile ride on both Sat and Sun but my cadence and speed are slow. It'll take the rest of August and Sept to build back up I guess. I did buy a trainer, so I can "ride indoors" next winter on my old bike. I too took a bunch of weight off last year, and I'm not a natural athlete - so this is a stretch for me.

But I love the challenge of the bike, and would love to do Ragbrai!

Hope we both make it

[amy]

I think I would just say ride and ride and ride right now. Absolutely keep the longterm goal, but ride because it's fun. After 50 or 75 miles is easy, think about how to actually train for the biggie.

[wolfak]

The official RAGBRAI website has some training tips on it.

[gingerale]

You know, I actually did 4 days of RAGBRAI this year for the first time. My parents did it the year before and talked me into going with them and doing it this year. I didn't even start riding (and I'm about 30 lbs overweight) until the end of April of this year. I'd never done more than 16 miles at one time, and no hills (mostly because where I live there aren't any readily available).

I completed 4 full days. But this year's route was very hilly which made it much more challenging for me. I plan on doing it again next year and here's how I'll train differently:

1. Longer rides. While I did complete one day totalling 77 miles, I thought my butt might actually fall off! UGH! The only thing that got me through that long day was pure d stubborness and determination. So for the few months leading up to RAGBRAI 2009 I will make sure I do some 30-40 mile rides each week.

2. Hills, hills, hills! While the terrain for the course the year before was generally flat (according to my parents), this year was not. But I will definitely be more prepared this next time. I found a place within about 30 miles of where I live now that has some decent hills. Nothing like what we did on the route this summer, but things I can work with. So some hill training is a must, in my opinion.

Other than that, riding RAGBRAI can be broken down into town to town rides. When you need a rest, stop at the next town, eat and drink up, rest, whatever you need to do. I think the most separation we had one day between towns was about 20 miles (I may be wrong on that but I'm thinking it's pretty close). Some rides between towns were as little as 6. So it is really nice to at least know you're never far from a good rest stop (not to mention all of the little places between towns selling food and drinks).

Good luck with it all. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Even though I wasn't completely prepared, I enjoyed myself immensely.

[Reesha]

I think RAGBRAI is on the short list for 2010 for me. I'll be coaching my high school cycling team both fall and spring and I'll have to buckle down and get a trainer during the winter. My problem is finding it in me to do long rides on the weekend after bike commuting to school and riding with the team all week long.

I also need someone to go with me!

has anyone ever done it alone? I figure it wouldn't really be alone, as you'd make friends all along the way... but still... seems like something you'd do with a friend, significant other, or family member!