Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa

Today is the start of RAGBRAI XXXVIII and I so wish I was there.  As I've written before, this tour was a huge part of my biking life in my 20's.  I did my first one in 13 years a couple of years ago as a celebration of getting back on my bike after inadvertently hanging up my wheels for a few years.  I simply could not make the logistics work this time around though.  Maybe next year! 

In celebration, I dug out some old RAGBRAI photo albums and picked out a few photos from various rides.  These are all from the late 80's and early 90's, when I was young, carefree and could party and ride all week long. 

My first RAGBARI.  I did it on a Specialized Rockhopper!  Oh how times have changed!

If you build it, they will come.  I convinced my downstairs neighbor and good friend to come along that year.  She had no idea what she'd gotten herself into....and loved it.

Is that Shoeless Joe?

After a couple years on that Rockhopper I found a used Bridgestone road bike. 

It totally changed riding for me!  It was a fantastic bike and unfortunately, I sold it years later not knowing what I had.  My brother still rides the old Trek he's on in this photo.

I wore that silly white bandana every year! Oi!

One year I did the ride on my own and hooked up these guys from Minnesota early in the week.  We rode together off and on throughout the week.  One of the things I love about the ride is meeting folks and teaming up, be it for a few hours or a few days. 

The end of the road....for a year, anyway.