Cycle Widgets

With the new decade of 2010, Registry Widgets created a cycling team to promote healthy activities for its employees. The first year’s objective is ambitious:

Participate and COMPLETE a multi-day bike tour.

Never a company to do things by half-measures, its team, Cycle Widgets , chose one of the longest running and best known tours:

The Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI)

RAGBRAI Route: Sioux City, IA to Dubuque, IA

So On July 25, 2010, Cycle Widgets will begin a 7 day, 442 mile cycling journey by dipping their front tires in the Missouri River and riding east. The week will end by Cycle Widgets dipping their back tires in the Mississippi River.

RAGBRAI Daily Maps

Happenings at RAGBRAI:

Saturday : Pre-Ride:

Ed and Wendy infront of Livestrong Bus

We’re riding for Team Livestrong, having raised $2600.00 Thank you to all who contributed!

Ed and Wendy at their tent, resting!

Our Campsite. Lots of room between tents so far….didn’t stay this way!

Day 1 (July 25): Today we are riding for my Uncle Pete who died from multiple myeloma on July 13th. He gave it all
and then decided enough is enough and past gently into heaven 4 days later. With love to Angie and
Erik and their families.

Eating Options on Sunday’s Ride – The tiny town of Kingsley had 2 dozen or so food booths. People who know me will know where I want to eat!

This menu does not include all of the food stands on every hill along the route. Water at every stand, trail mix, beer, bagels, bananas, beer, pork chops, freeze pops, beer.

One rider had a full bar on the back of his bike. When we saw him he was biking in a straight line….wonder how he was riding into town at the end of the route?

Team Jelly Belly on the left

We found a nice gap in the 8000 riders.

Team Jelly Belly is off to the left. This is a real, US Pro-Tour team; these riders are fans of the team.

Town of Kingsley

My training in gap analysis comes in handy again! Found another gap in the riders as we rode into Kingsley.
(The riders are coming toward the camera.)

Cyclists entering Kingsley

Entering the friendly town of Kingsley.

We never found Rocky M’s food booth with their hamburger bar!

Wendy and Lance Armstrong

We did find a friend outside the gas station.

(And if this picture shows up in anybody’s powerpoint presentation, we’ll be having a nice long discussion…..)

Iowa with cyclists

Iowa is NOT flat….here’s a picture to prove it.

There were many, many hills like this. At the top of one of these hills there was a bagpipe player.
The rider shouted, “I thought you only played at funerals!”

It was on one like this that I crashed. Yes, I crashed going up hill.

My needs assessment (alternate transport mechanism to improve oxygenation) overrode my gap analysis (getting out of the way of other bikers) and down I went. (Minal – I could have used a horizontal bar! J)

Cyclists on Day 2

I talked with these guys for a while and asked them if I could attach bungie cords to their F-16 and get a lift up the hills.

Lots of encouragement, but no free ride….

Ed and Wendy and the U-Haul

Here’s our transportation home. We rented the only rentable vehicle in the town of Spencer – a 14 foot U-Haul.

Two bikes, one tent, two duffel bags and two disappointed but still-happy riders.

Thanks for sharing this experience with us. I’ll be choosing a new challenge for next summer.
If anyone cares to join us, you’re welcome to join CycleWidgets!

The Lead-Up to RAGBRAI:

November 2009: Joined Team Livestrong to participate in RAGBRAI.

December 2009: Indoor training

Temperature Report:

TEMPERATURE (F)

HIGHEST 47 12/0

LOWEST -5 12/15

AVG. MAXIMUM 23.2

AVG. MINIMUM 11.4

MEAN 17.3

DAYS MAX >= 90 0

DAYS MAX <= 32 27

DAYS MIN <= 32 31

DAYS MIN <= 0 5

http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=mpx

January 2010: Indoor training (Average temperature outside):

Temperature Report:

MINIMUM Days

<= 32 31

<= 0 11

<= -10 4

>= 50 0

February 2010: 35 mile bike ride in Phoenix, AZ

Indoor training –getting boring

Temperature: You get the idea.

March 2010: Indoor training –getting very boring

(40 inches snowfall for the season.)

April 2010:

Wendy with bike infront of her garage

Bike off the garage wall and ready to go!

May 2010: Set-back: Surgery with recovery time

Memorial Day Weekend: 2 day – 92 mile bike ride

Sakataw Singing Hills Trail

Cannon Valley Trail

June 2010: 60 – 70 miles each week on extensive Bike Trails near the Registry Widgets Office.

One day 60 mile organized Bike Tour: Jordan Valley Bike tour MN.

The entire bike riders was major hills up and longer
slight descents.

Mississippi River on the Lake Wobegon Trail
near Holdingford, MN Picture of Wendy infront of Mississippi River

Ed with his bike     Cycle Widgets Team Captain:
                Ed Scharber, Full-time employee with Registry
                Widgets, June, 2010.
                [On the Lake Wobegon Trail]

July 12 – 16: Work meeting in Oak Brook, IL: only 16 miles due to heat and humidity (heat index near 100 degrees)

July 17: Another setback: Fall with concussion; helmet prevents serious injury.

All ICD-O-3 codes, Multiple Primary Rules, and pathology resources still intact!

Fall caused by new clip-less pedals where biking shoes clip into pedals allowing rider to pull as well as push; more power and smoother rhythm.

July 23: (T-48 Hours) 8 mile bike ride and only small headache. I'm cleared for a weeks ride!

July 24: (T-24 hours) All packed....one huge bag, one medium bag, one tent, two bikes, and two excited and nervous
sub-50 year old bikers. 5 hour car ride to Sioux City ....Let the festivities begin!

Wendy with her car, all packed and ready to go!

Thought for the day:
My brother thinks I'm crazy..... He says I'm a "cycle-path".