RAGBRAI: America's Favorite Bicycle Ride

by Greg Borzo, John Karras (Foreword by)

Overview

Launched as a lark in 1973, RAGBRAI has developed into the world's largest, longest and oldest bicycle touring event. Thousands of cyclists from all fifty states and dozens of countries ride across Iowa for a weeklong festival. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of hospitable Iowans welcome, feed and shelter this rolling carnival, showcasing their communities. Greg Borzo has gathered hundreds of stories that reveal the essence of this unique event. He has also gathered a lavish collection of photographs and cartoons—vintage and contemporary, most never published before—that illustrate RAGBRAI's kaleidoscopic character.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609497002
Publisher:	History Press, The
Publication date:	06/18/2013
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Raised in Des Moines, Greg Borzo is the author of Chicago Cable Cars, Where to Bike Chicago, and The Chicago L."? He is a member of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition and the Des Moines Bicycle Collective, as well as the Active Transportation Alliance in Chicago and the Chicago Tour-Guide Professionals Association. John Karras was a bicycle enthusiast and copy editor at the Des Moines Resgister in 1973 when he co-founded RAGBRAI. Over the next four decades, he nurtured the ride, helping it develop into the world's largest, longest and oldest bicycle touring event. Still involved with RAGBRAI, Karras is the person most responsible for its incredible success."

Table of Contents

Foreword John Karras 7

Preface: It's Not Just About the Bike 9

Acknowledgements 13

Introduction: Why It Works 17

1 Karras and Kaul's Caper: The First Year 23

2 Still Crazy After Forty Years: RAGBRAI's Best Stories 33

3 What It's All About: An Overview 43

4 RAGBRAI Catches On, Grows: The Benson Years 65

5 Further Development: The Green Years 81

6 A Family Affair: The Juskiewicz Years 93

7 Teams: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly 99

8 Nuts and Bolts: How It Works 119

9 Shift Happens: When Things Go Wrong 136

10 RAGBRAI Inspires…Romance, Art, Other Rides, Etc. 143

11 Iowa and RAGBRAI: A Good Fit 153

Afterword: A Magic Wand 161

Index 163

About the Author 168