Hello Taylor and Kari...Alex here the guy you met briefly on the first day riding the little green Mini Velo bike with the red shirt, sandals and orange helmet...sorry to hear the heat got you and took you out...that was a common theme of this ride. I tell you, I had a horrendous day going into Des Moines to the point that I got to the park and camp site about 3 p.m, and I had a horrendous stomach ache and had to lie down for about two hours before I got myself together and retrieve my bag ,set up my tent and went on to get some food. As per our brief chat...I have ridden a a few places in the world and some very hot ones like Death Valley, Ring of Fire in Utah, Atacama desert in Peru but I have to tell you, RAGBRAI kicked my butt several times over and it is no surprise that you both. and your mother were victims of those horrendous conditions...I think what was so hard and really sap the energy out of so many was sleeping in that heat...just ridiculous and you just can't get the appropriate rest. This ride for me was an act of contrition and I am done with it...I will not go back for the fact that it is very expensive cost versus the return...I was glad to have briefly met you both and it would had been ideal to buy you both a burger and a beer and two hot dogs for Kari under other settings but so many people and it was a challenge to get food under the hot sun and the lines were outrages, I think the organizers did a tremendous job mobilizing such a mass amount of rolling humanity, but at the end...it is not my coup of tea. I love touring where I can stop by a river , ocean or meadow and make lunch, take out my dairy and write and take a nap and not be confined to a time line and honestly for me...after about the third day, it is the same, get up, break down the camp, take the bag to the truck, get on the bike, get food, ride and make certain others do not cut you off, stop in front of you, walk, get food, get to the kibo , ride some more, find food, eat pie (not bad) wait over an hour and a half for the famous "Mr. Pork Shop" and the corn, ride some more , get more water, and bake in that unrelenting sun. I almost did not make it but when I do one of these types of events I actually give myself very lateral room for options such as getting a hotel room ( has to be a disastrous crisis) I am cheap that way...ask my ex....so I have gotten pretty good in knowing when it is a crisis that I can manage and one that I need help. Glad to have met you both, and I did make it all the way to the Mississippi and I am happy for that and I think this is an event that should be done by anyone who loves to ride and make friends and so I did that and that it good enough for me. Thank you for posting these videos and thank you for been approachable to those of us who recognize your hard work telling your story. It is a lot of work and I for one I am not much of a videographer but I like pictures and I love the verbal approach of telling my stories of experiencing the human spirit and the good in people. Cheers and be well and I hope I run into you both some day in the future and again, a beer and burger are to be had if indeed our paths cross.
The ride into Des Moines was truly where it all began to go sideways for us as well. That was just a hot and challenging day for being a shorter of the ride days. It truly was the sleeping. We were discussing that, and there was just no way to cool down. You would just wake up already sweating and dehydrated from the night even. I am very happy we had the opportunity to meet as well and hopefully in the future maybe we will meet again, maybe even on a bike trip. Who knows. Happy you were able to complete the ride despite all the challenges. Cheers to you, and thank you for all the kind words. Hope we run into you again in the future.
You’re welcome. It was definitely not the outcome we wanted. But a learning experience for us. Felt like something worth sharing and showing we all have those moments.
Definitely thought it was good info to share. Not how we expected it to go but we learned quickly we needed to have a back up plan. We were very fortunate how it turned out, could have been a lot worse and a lot more stressful. But, hopefully others will see this and know to have a back up plan, just in case.
Iowa is not flat!! I live in SoCal and am not used to the heat or humidity that can double team you. I’ve done RAGBRAI’s nine times and been in the hospital once for heat exhaustion (I quit sweating). Temps hit 107 degrees and all that humidity. There were dead and dried up corn fields everywhere. 2011 was very similar to 2023. Be glad you survived to fight again!!!
It definitely isn’t. So many hills. Oh wow that sounds pretty serious about the heat exhaustion. It really can get so hot and the humidity makes it that much worse. We were always to the point of taking to the hospital. Happy we will be able to try again.
We were all Fortunate to avoid the hospital, sorry you had to experience that! But you got it right, that heat and humidity can get to you quick and then when you add in the hills and long miles… it can get brutal!
Hey awesome. Have you done it before? As of right now it is on our list of things this summer. Very happy you enjoyed the videos. And we hadn’t thought much of it either, but glad everything worked out for us.
Never too early for Dr Pepper😂 So great to meet you guys. Awesome to see you at the finish. And we made it in the video! The tandem couple from Pork Belly and the Davenport dip.
Haha never too early! Great meeting you as well. Happy we got to see you finish and loved the bike. Also, idk if we told you, but we love the name tandemocity!
Oh wow. That’s a good number of rides. Despite the challenging moments, it remains some of our favorite memories as well. And thank you very much. We appreciate that. Happy you are enjoying them.
We ride bikes for fun! Ebikes give you the ability to ride twice as far meaning twice as much fun!!!! Enjoyed every one of you videos. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Exactly, people need to remember that! It’s all about getting out and having fun, no matter how that may look for each person. Thank you for the support, glad you enjoyed them!
I feel so bad you got sick and weren’t able to finish. There was just something about this year: the heat/humidity worse than normal; the hills a little worse (or at least seemed so); the wind a little worse; the storm in Coralville; and everything made just a bit more stressful bcuz of all the extra ppl here for the 50th anniversary. Bike traffic, long lines for food, big crowds in small towns. In a way, maybe it’s for the best, helping keep numbers lower for the next few years. Who knows. Congrats to your dad on finishing. Both mom and dad had great attitudes throughout. And you two, of course. I hope you come back for another RAGBRAI, if not next year then soon. I look forward to your videos, and would hate for your last memories of Iowa to be a moving van and a Marshalltown hotel room. 🤦🏻♂️🤢
😂 that last sentence made us laugh. Yes, we’d hate for those to be our last memories of Iowa. We are really hoping to make it back and redeem ourselves and hope to see you out there! We were thankful to be feeling well enough to cheer on Tyler’s dad and some of our new friends as they rode through the finish line 🏁 🚴 we appreciate the support and glad you enjoy the videos!!
Unfortunately we only have last year (our first) to compare it too and I’ll say 100% a harder ride for sure. For all the reasons you listed. Still worth it! And bummer we had the unfortunate circumstances we had. Thanks, my dad was determined to make it through and my mom was glad she got as far as she did. Haha oh we will be back! Redemption will be sweet! And of all hotels, the motel 6 was not ideal but slept like kings that night.
Thank you! Definitely not the outcome we wanted and it was a hard decision to make but think we made the right choice! Could have turned it to a lot worse had we tried to push it
You guys still did a great job! And it was sweet to see how much T.L.C. you both give one another. I, too, experienced the heat exhaustion during RAGBRAI and it’s no joke! May the Lord bless you and your family in your future endeavors.John ( Crossbike) and I enjoyed meeting each of you🚴✝️🚴
Thank you. That was one rough ending to an already hard ride. Happy we were able to help each other. It’s amazing how much the heat can take out of you. Thank you, and may he bless yours as well. We very much enjoyed meeting you.
You as well. It’s been an honor meeting the both of you and getting to chat at the last two RAGBRAI’s. We appreciate the support and hope to see the both of you on the road in the future!
So sorry it ended early for you guys! That day going to Tama-Toledo was ROUGH--I didn't think I'd make it while i was in New-ton, but it clouded over a bit then and we kept going. A bunch of people in my group went down about that time--and like you they began to suspect it was a bug. Great memories--so fun to see a lot of the same Iowans & stops that we stopped at!
Thank you. It was definitely not what we expected or planned. Oh my gosh, yeah it was. Such a hard day. Haha, New-Ton, the great debate. The clouds were a nice help on that day. Yeah, after seeing how it all played out, felt more like a stomach bug or something than just heat stroke. Excellent memories though either way.
I don’t think I will ever forget that day 🤢 hope everyone in your group is recovered and doing better now. But man, it came on quick! fortunate for me, once it was out of my system I was good but nothing like putting an end to your adventure! Glad you enjoyed the videos!
Another possibility for your issues is Norovirus. I’ve had it twice, and it feels like a combination of the flu and food poisoning for 48 hours. The nausea comes on very quickly without warning. The kybos, shared pools/tanks and crowds are how it spreads -it’s very contagious. The fact that Taylor got it after Kari sounds like it was passed on.
Well done video, loved your spirit and energy. I am from AZ and was able to train in the heat, but whew that humidity was tough. Went with 11 friends and only 8 of us finished. Lots of hills, lots of miles. What you didn’t ride on your bike you captured with your incredible story. Congratulations and consider getting that lighter bike you tried and even a lighter peddle assist for your wife. Psst, I am a 74 year old woman ❤😅 and will be looking for you both next year! (maybe - 😊)
Thank you, we appreciate that. We tried to stay positive through it, despite some good challenges. Yeah, we agree, that humidity was something else. That's pretty good 8 out of 11 finishing. Congratulations to you and your group as well. Was it your first? Or done it before? I think for next year, we will likely make some changes with the bikes to make it a more enjoyable experience. haha, at 74 sounds like you are crushing it! Stop us and say hi next year! Our goal is to be there again.
Bummer your group lost some riders as well but sounds like it happened to quite a few this year. We will be working in AZ for a short time, if you have any bike trail recommendations, please let us know! And RAGBRAI at 74? That is goals, you are crushing it! Hope to see you next year!
You both give it your all, as well as Tammy, thats all anybody can ask of you all. That's what counts anyways. As the other folks helped yall, I like to thank Tyler and Roy again, for helping me at the end dip site, i was done at 507 miles, but i felt i truly accomplished what i set out to do, all the training paid off. My pleasure in meeting Tyler and Roy on the bus over from Davenport to Sioux City, and meeting the rest of the team , Kari and Tammy, i had a blast all week off and on hanging out with yall. Franklin power finished it for you Kari, i know you didn't feel well, along side Tammy. Take care all 😊
Good for both of you for listening to your body. This was a brutal year. Hope to see you next year on a shorter, more northerly route. (Hey, we can dream, can't we?)
We didn't want to, but glad we did. Would not have made it riding that's for sure. We felt it was quite tough with the heat. We are already planning on going next year. Redemption! and yes, I will also dream that dream lol.
Thank you! That’s a big reason we love making them. We enjoy going back and watching them for the memories! Glad you enjoyed them. Hopefully we’ll get to meet at a future RAGBRAI
Man, sorry to hear you both didn’t feel well towards the end. Beth and I looked for y’all on the last day for a farewell high five. Looks like y’all had fun even with the issues. Great videos- love to follow along. ✌🏽 Ryan
It was definitely an unexpected ending and a bummer about not completing the ride. Unfortunate we weren't able to reconnect on the last day. Thanks for the support, we appreciate it. Hope upcoming rides of yours goes well. Maybe we will meet again in the future on RAGBRAI or another ride.
Thanks for the great videos and upbeat spirit! I guess I’m guilty of spreading a rumor, but a guy I talked to while I was riding along said next year‘s ride is going to be insanely hilly, perhaps the hilliest ever because the entire ride is in the hilliest portion of the state. So, you might consider 2026 instead of 2025 - anyway, be on guard!
You guys have the best Ragbrai videos by far. Love your enthusiasm and sad you guys got sick. Well done for being honest! Looking forward to next year’s edition! Inspiring me to try and get there….you make it seem such fun!!
Hey thank you. We very much appreciate that. Happy we could share our experience and make it enjoyable to watch. This Ragbrai made for quite the experience. We look forward to trying to complete it again. Hoping you get the opportunity to go. Maybe we will see you out there one day.
Thank you, we appreciate that, glad you enjoy them! Just trying to let people know , although it’s a lot of fun, things can change unexpectedly. Hope to see you next year 🚲!!
I choose not to ride day 5 and 6 because of the heat. Watching your video confirms to me that I made the right decision. Thanks for helping me relive my second Ragbrai also. Going to give it a break for a couple years and do Ragbrai again in 3 years.
That sounds like you made a good decision. Happy you enjoyed it. Hopefully it was an overall good year for you. Awesome! I think we will be returning to try this for a third time next year,
Sounds like you made a good choice. It was brutal for so many! We love going back and reliving it as well so glad you enjoyed it! Maybe we’ll see you at a future RAGBRAI!!
Nice work! Great video! The RAGBRAI website trainer-guy said you'd reach an 'exhaustion plateau'; for me that was Thursday, where I started out the ride exhausted, but fortunately it was overcast that day. Friday was BRUTAL! Don't feel bad about missing that. I think I did 70-something miles in about five hours, and then it took me another five hours to do the last 10 or so. Friday was awful; you did well to skip it. If I had seen the SAG, I would have flagged it down, but I didn't see it the whole day.
Thank you. We definitely hit exhaustion by Thursday. From what everyone told me, Friday was just a brutal day. Wow. That just sounds like a difficult and challenging day to ride. We ran into that same issue Thursday. Didn’t see the sag anywhere. Well, happy you made it through!
We heard a few people say they waited for the sag and it never showed, sounds like it had its work cut out for it. We’ve been seeing that many people had it rough this year. Hoping to recoup and recover and make it back next year. Glad you took your time and made it through!
What a crazy and unexpected ending. I didn’t go back and watch any of that footage, from the end, until a few days ago and we were so lucky those people happened to be at the lake with us and we were able to get the hotel and the van. I hate to think the chaos it would have been had those not been available. What a crazy ending to an already crazy adventure!
It was seriously the most unexpected thing ever! We were so lucky we found that couple to help (they found us) and the u haul. Happy it all worked out.
Loved your videos of The Ragbrai Ride. Sorry that you were almost to the end and had this distressed event. What happened to your Mom? Is she ok? Looking forward to your next adventure.😊😊
Thank you. It was not the ending we imagined when signing up, but still happy how it all turned out and looking back it is a good memory. So she was able to finish Thursday, but apparently Friday she started to feel ill as well and while she didn't have any nausea, she was sick for a few days post RAGBRAI. Possibly heat related, but not sure. She is good now. Took her a few days to recover, but back to normal. Thanks for asking. What a wild ride though. And, hope our next videos will be enjoyable.
I just remembered you would have some jet lag from the time zones as well. Getting up at 4.30 a.m. could feel like 2.30 a.m. cali. Not sure if you saw that Brentley from bbb adventures went home sick from covid.
Yeah I definitely think that adds to the difficulty the first few mornings. And I didn’t get to follow closely, but I knew he was sick. Sounds like everyone had a rough year.
So sorry for you guys getting sick. It was a tough one this year. Funny how it was so hot two years ago (western fires) cool last year and so hot again this year (Canadian fires). Perhaps it will be cooler next year or I’m starting at 4:30 each morning! Hope to see you guys there! PS - Ryan’s Love Cycle videos got me interested in RAGBRAI along with the BBB Adventures videos. Definitely easier riding RAGBRAI on a road bike.
Such a tough year. Considering last year was our first, it made for a good surprise lol. I think we need to start earlier too. We are planning to be there. Hopefully we will see you there. Those are both videos/people that inspired us too. And yeah, I need to look into a different bike specifically for Ragbrai.
Big huggs. Looking forward to trying to find you on next years Ragbrai. Great videos and don't feel bad about getting ill during Ragbrai. Many people got beat down by the heat, miles, hills, covid, saddle sores, ect. Reading peoples posts on the newbies site had lots of veterans of the ride tapping out throughout the week. Be well and keep adventuring.
👍 we will be there. Keep a lookout for us. Thank you. It was definitely a bummer. We even met a few people at the hotel we stayed out who were in the same boat as us. Just beat down. We will keep pushing on! Something to learn from on this ride.
Midwestern heat and humidity are sneaky and evil. While we appreciate the entertaining videos, take care folks, and finish the ride safely. Slip and slides and other fun games are good for clicks, but please save energy when needed for a safe ride. I’m talking to all who would share the fun on RUclips, not just you fine folks. Hopefully 2024 was better for you all, and thanks for posting.😊
They definitely are. And of course before that Ragbrai we spent a few months working in a place with cooler weather so not prepared. Definitely new strategy next ride. Unfortunately couldn’t make 2024 work, but planning to go back 2025!
Tyler and Kari, I'm sorry that your ride ended on such a sour (stomach) note. 😔 However, I'm glad that you were the recipients of some of that amazing Iowa nice! I enjoyed making your acquaintance at the Newbies meet-up at the expo. Hopefully we'll cross paths at a future RAGBRAI (or perhaps some other biking adventure!) when the cycling gods smile upon you a bit more! 😃
Likewise, Brian! You’re right, we truly experienced “Iowa nice” this RAGBRAI and could not be more thankful. We are looking in to some other state rides people have recommended so if not at RAGBRAI, hopefully another great cycling event!
Indeed MidWest weather's wise is a very challenging, Especially the time of year Heat & Humidity is #1 cause of Sun Strokes I stay way from to much Fat Foods (moderate) Besides all I take religiously Hydration tablets & Protein shakes with me on long Bike rides. You guys did excellent Job knowing your body calls = to Stop. Actually next time you will be much prepair to finish with a Big Smile :) Great Video!!
Yeah that was a tough year too because we had trained in a West Coast area mostly due to our jobs so basically 60 degrees and overcast for all our training rides. We will definitely be working on hydration next time for sure. Thanks for the support! We appreciate it very much. Very happy we stopped, wasn't worth it to keep trying to push ourselves. Can't wait for next time. Thanks again.
Yea it was rough this year! Was gonna ride the entire week but when I rolled into DSM Wednesday…I was like NOPE…and just rode home (only about 7 miles from camp to my house).
Nice job with the videos, but so bummed about your finish, though I think you pointed out an important consideration. It’s meant to be fun, and there is always next year. I’ll plan on seeing you in ‘24 for my first RAGBRAI.
Thank you! And we were bummed as well but thankful we recovered and we’re able to watch my father in law and all our new friends finish! Hoping to see you out there for RAGBRAI 2024!
That Thursday ride from Des Moines to Tama-Toledo was absolutely brutal in the afternoon. So sorry you both were sick. Your symptoms sound as much like food poisoning as heat exhaustion. Hopefully, y'all don't feel like you failed or anything like that. Heck, stuff happens. You were smart to regroup and get a hotel room! We were with Pork Belly too, and like you, we had our own tents, but really struggled to find a shaded flat spot to pitch them in T-T. Luckily, the hockey stadium next door to our camp site opened upon to allow folks without a reservation to sleep inside, which we did. I'm sure y'all heard about the tornado siren alert and then the thunderstorm. Crazy day!
We think mine (Kari) was more food/stomach related, so we think you’re right. Once it was out of my system I felt better. That’s great you were able to get in the hockey stadium, hopefully the air conditioning helped you recoup after such a hard day. And we also agree with the challenge of finding a shaded flat spot to sent up tents, it was much harder this year. Thank you for the kind words; We don’t feel like we failed but we are definitely bummed with how it ended. Hoping to make it back for another shot at it! Thank you for the comment, hope you enjoyed the video!
That was such a hard day. It was hard to figure out what caused it, but thinking food related now. It was a disappointment at first, but I think looking back it just motivates us to get out there again, as well as learning anything can happen. That is so fortunate you were able to get inside to sleep and get out of the heat. As for the storm, we did hear about that, what a crazy way to end the week. Maybe we will see you out there next year.
@@TylerandKari I hear ya about doing the ride again. I have those too and call them 'unfinished business'. :-) Thanks for posting all of your great videos, BTW. They were inspiration for my friends and I to ride RAGBRAI L.
I enjoy your videos immensely. Your experience in this year's Ragbrai can be summed up by the old expression, sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. It was scary hot.
Sorry about how it ended. Do what I do - bike everyday and your butt will get used to it (yes even during Winter months through snow, sleet, rain, cold, etc......) Winter riding is similar to gravel except it's alot colder and not as dusty hehe.
It was an unexpected end. I do like the suggestion though. I need to be on the bike more frequently, even if it isn't as long, because I just need to get used to sitting on that seat more. ha, the winter rides will be questionable, but maybe we will make a trial of it.
Thank you both for sharing a not so pleasant Ragbreai experience. After watching your stage 3 video, it looks like you both had heat exertion. You’ll know if you had heat exertion if from now on your ability to handle heat is reduced up to 50%. Be safe in the future dealing with heat, sincerely Kim Richardson
You’re welcome. Hopefully it was a good series to watch. So far seem to be doing ok in the heat, so hopefully ends up being fine overall. Won’t truly be tested until next Ragbrai probably. We appreciate that and definitely being safer in the future.
We thought it would be good for people to see some of the not so pleasant, unexpected, parts of RAGBRAI. We now know to have a back up plan and hopefully it may help others come up with one as well. Thank you!
Great videos! You’re dad is a beast! I’m really thinking about riding RAGBRAI next year. Thanks for the videos. I may have some questions in the future.
Thank you very much. He is pretty good, that’s for sure. Toughed it out. That’s awesome. It’s a fun experience, and challenging. Happy you enjoyed them. Please reach out with any questions. Happy to answer whatever we can.
Sorry to see your Ragbrai L ended like this. My 2 cents - as you all got sick, I suspect you all picked up a stomach bug from one of those (not so clean looking) slip 'n slides or dunk tanks. Hope it has not put you off doing Ragbrai next year. It should be not as busy (as not the L) and less miles and climbing and hopefully not as hot! Good luck you guys, it was great meeting you at the PBK camp and you inspire us so keep putting out great content! J & V!
That’s definitely a possibility. I question the cleanliness of that water lol. Try not to think about it during the ride though ha. If anything we are motivated to return and complete it! Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Great meeting you as well. And again, thank you 🙏 T&K
One of our friends we met at RAGRAI also said “stop petting all the farm animals” when he heard we got sick 😂 so, it could definitely be a number of things. But, no, it definitely did not put us off from doing any future RAGBRAIS. If anything, we now know to have some sort of back up plan!
Nice video. Really enjoyed them. Wise choice to take care of your health. I was all signed up for the ride and Porkbelly. 3 cracked vertebrae put all that on hold until next year. Question for Kari. Did you get many comments about you riding an e bike? Question 2. When will we be seeing some bikepacking adventures with the 600x? 😁🚴♂️
Oh man, ya good choice on your part as well and deciding to wait until next year. Let your body heal! As far as the comments on riding an e-bike, I got a few, but not too bad. I can remember 3 off the top of my head. In general, most people are just happy to be out there and see others out there enjoying the ride 🚴
Thank you very much. We appreciate that. Hope you heal well and can get back out there! Haha regarding the 600x, I was just testing it out on some good challenging 4x4 roads, but we are looking into doing our first official bike packing trip in October ish. Starting small with a 1-2 overnighter . But we have some more adventures coming out too before that!
Thank you. Charging the e-bike overnight or during the day between stops? Overnight the charter we used had outlets to plug in. Otherwise during the day Kari would ride without power for sections of the ride to conserve battery and it would last all day.
@@TylerandKari riding without power is tough since they are heavy. She’s tough n strong! I can see it working when riding with the wind or on a descent. Thanks for the reply and Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
Sorry to see you both go through those tough times. I made it a point to get on the road by 4:00 AM and 4:30 AM knowing days 5 and 6 were gonna be hard mainly because of the heat but the distance and hills were no joke either. I saw what time you were leaving in the morning and was thinking Oh Boy they will be doing a lot of riding in the extreme heat. So everyone knows what you were dealing with the Heat Index on day 5 was over 100 degrees. I hear road temp was like around 115. Day 6 heat index even higher so glad you did not push yourselves on Day 6 seeing what you dealt with the previous day. There was a group in my charter that quit after day 6. Just packed up and said no more. I think you should consider using PBV tent service to save you time in morining and also to not have to worry about putting up your tent in the heat when you get back. I too had to put up my tent in the heat. Thinking next time using PBV tent service. Recommendation to anyone is to get out early and use tent service(next time for sure). Thanks for the video and having such great positive attitudes. PS: You did have one silver lining. You did not have to deal with the storm and tornado warnings coming through on Day 6. Tents flying around etc. :)
You did it right by starting so early. I’m not even sure we were awake at that time. Actually, no we weren’t. Wow I didn’t know what the heat index was, but based on how we felt, that sounds about right. We agree, I think moving forward we will only do tent service if we can get it. Or have some type of sag friend with a trailer or something to make it quicker in evenings or mornings. We appreciate the comment and tried to stay positive as best we could. Lol and yeah, heard about the storm. Craziness!
You did it right. If we’re able to make it back next year we are really going to work on getting out earlier and look in to either tent service or some type of sag/team where we don’t have to worry about setting up and taking down tents. The heat was NO JOKE this year, thanks for sharing those numbers. We remember the storm warnings going off and seeing all the posts on FB and we were very thankful to be in a hotel that night! Thanks for your support, glad you enjoyed the videos!
Change the tires on your mountain bike. Get slick tires. You won't regret it. All of the noise from the tires rolling is just energy that you are wasting.
Definitely a must for next year. I should have done it this year, but a new bike and just not enough extra to then purchase tires too. Will be something addressed before next time though for sure. Talk about loud tires too.
Great videos!!! Question...how hard was it to charge the ebike? We have 2 Fat Tire ebikes and would need to charge 2x batteries each (4 total) every night. We are older and this is just not possible without the battery assist.
Thank you. Very much appreciated. So with our charter we used (pork belly) it was very easy. They ask at sign up if you have an e-bike and then make sure to have a spot for you to charge it nightly. I believe other charters offer similar services. If you don’t pay additionally for a charter, I’m not sure how easy it would be to charge a battery throughout Ragbrai.
And because of this ride being the 50th, and I realized just how many people would be riding. I decided to wait till next year. I should be in better shape by then. Any ways, yeah, way to many people on the ride for my taste.
Probably a good idea. I’m sure there will be fewer people next year. Plenty of time for training too. Hoping we are able to put in some good miles as well to be in better riding shape for next year.
The other thing I learned when I did RAGBRAI back in 2012, when temps got really bad. Your not sweating fresh water. I found that Gatorade, Lemonade and chocolate milk, oh and Fanta Orange, really hit the spot. Too much water can be a bad thing actually. I was drinking so much water, I got belly slosh. Oh, and I know this sounds bad. But steer clear of Beer :) Any ways, winter will soon be here, and I am not looking forward to it.
Thanks for sharing. Question for those of us who are riding in 2024. How many miles per week did you prepare before hand? If you tell me you rode 150 miles or more a week for the month or prior, I'm not doing it. lol
Thanks for watching. For 2022 we did a little better on our training and rode about 40 miles a week. Max of about 600miles total before Ragbrai. As for 2023, a little less and it showed in how tired we were. We were happy if we got 150 miles a month lol. I would suggest slightly more though.
@@davidparker8475 awesome. 156 miles in a week is definitely good. When we return (hopefully 2025) we will be putting in more miles. Good luck with training and enjoy the ride!
We chartered with pork belly and they offer charging for e-bikes. Kari doesn’t take the battery out of hers either, they have outlets so you can park and plug in to charge. There is a company that follows along the route of Ragbrai, can’t think of their name, but they are usually near Mr. pork chop each day and they offer a charging service. You can stop and have your lunch and charge while you eat. Otherwise we’re not sure how you’d charge your battery if not with a charter. You’d likely have to stop at a house or school gym etc to plug in (people are very welcoming at Ragbrai and would allow this most places along the route as well as at the over night towns). We know many of the other charters also offer a charging service
Every night, pork belly ventures (our charter) had a set up for her bike to charge. They have multiple areas for anyone with e bikes who use there services. It would last all day during the ride as long as she conserved her battery.
No, we were on the verge and we put a time limit on if Kari wasn’t feeling better/stop vomiting then we would go. She normalized and we decided not to.
Did not. As Tyler mentioned we put a time limit on it. If I wasn’t any better by a certain time we were going. Fortunately, after multiple trips to the bathroom and lots of throwing up, I felt better.
Hello Taylor and Kari...Alex here the guy you met briefly on the first day riding the little green Mini Velo bike with the red shirt, sandals and orange helmet...sorry to hear the heat got you and took you out...that was a common theme of this ride. I tell you, I had a horrendous day going into Des Moines to the point that I got to the park and camp site about 3 p.m, and I had a horrendous stomach ache and had to lie down for about two hours before I got myself together and retrieve my bag ,set up my tent and went on to get some food. As per our brief chat...I have ridden a a few places in the world and some very hot ones like Death Valley, Ring of Fire in Utah, Atacama desert in Peru but I have to tell you, RAGBRAI kicked my butt several times over and it is no surprise that you both. and your mother were victims of those horrendous conditions...I think what was so hard and really sap the energy out of so many was sleeping in that heat...just ridiculous and you just can't get the appropriate rest. This ride for me was an act of contrition and I am done with it...I will not go back for the fact that it is very expensive cost versus the return...I was glad to have briefly met you both and it would had been ideal to buy you both a burger and a beer and two hot dogs for Kari under other settings but so many people and it was a challenge to get food under the hot sun and the lines were outrages, I think the organizers did a tremendous job mobilizing such a mass amount of rolling humanity, but at the end...it is not my coup of tea. I love touring where I can stop by a river , ocean or meadow and make lunch, take out my dairy and write and take a nap and not be confined to a time line and honestly for me...after about the third day, it is the same, get up, break down the camp, take the bag to the truck, get on the bike, get food, ride and make certain others do not cut you off, stop in front of you, walk, get food, get to the kibo , ride some more, find food, eat pie (not bad) wait over an hour and a half for the famous "Mr. Pork Shop" and the corn, ride some more , get more water, and bake in that unrelenting sun. I almost did not make it but when I do one of these types of events I actually give myself very lateral room for options such as getting a hotel room ( has to be a disastrous crisis) I am cheap that way...ask my ex....so I have gotten pretty good in knowing when it is a crisis that I can manage and one that I need help. Glad to have met you both, and I did make it all the way to the Mississippi and I am happy for that and I think this is an event that should be done by anyone who loves to ride and make friends and so I did that and that it good enough for me. Thank you for posting these videos and thank you for been approachable to those of us who recognize your hard work telling your story. It is a lot of work and I for one I am not much of a videographer but I like pictures and I love the verbal approach of telling my stories of experiencing the human spirit and the good in people. Cheers and be well and I hope I run into you both some day in the future and again, a beer and burger are to be had if indeed our paths cross.
The ride into Des Moines was truly where it all began to go sideways for us as well. That was just a hot and challenging day for being a shorter of the ride days. It truly was the sleeping. We were discussing that, and there was just no way to cool down. You would just wake up already sweating and dehydrated from the night even. I am very happy we had the opportunity to meet as well and hopefully in the future maybe we will meet again, maybe even on a bike trip. Who knows. Happy you were able to complete the ride despite all the challenges. Cheers to you, and thank you for all the kind words. Hope we run into you again in the future.
Thank you so much for showing that things don't always work out even for folks who are well prepared. It's really important to see!
You’re welcome. It was definitely not the outcome we wanted. But a learning experience for us. Felt like something worth sharing and showing we all have those moments.
Definitely thought it was good info to share. Not how we expected it to go but we learned quickly we needed to have a back up plan. We were very fortunate how it turned out, could have been a lot worse and a lot more stressful. But, hopefully others will see this and know to have a back up plan, just in case.
Iowa is not flat!! I live in SoCal and am not used to the heat or humidity that can double team you. I’ve done RAGBRAI’s nine times and been in the hospital once for heat exhaustion (I quit sweating). Temps hit 107 degrees and all that humidity. There were dead and dried up corn fields everywhere. 2011 was very similar to 2023. Be glad you survived to fight again!!!
It definitely isn’t. So many hills. Oh wow that sounds pretty serious about the heat exhaustion. It really can get so hot and the humidity makes it that much worse. We were always to the point of taking to the hospital.
Happy we will be able to try again.
We were all Fortunate to avoid the hospital, sorry you had to experience that! But you got it right, that heat and humidity can get to you quick and then when you add in the hills and long miles… it can get brutal!
22:12 mom telling me happy birthday a day early haha
Haha it was hilarious. Especially when she read your text back.
My buddy and I are riding in 2024! Hope to see you there. Thanks for documenting your experience! I hadn't considered a need for a backup plan.
Hey awesome. Have you done it before? As of right now it is on our list of things this summer. Very happy you enjoyed the videos. And we hadn’t thought much of it either, but glad everything worked out for us.
Never too early for Dr Pepper😂 So great to meet you guys. Awesome to see you at the finish. And we made it in the video! The tandem couple from Pork Belly and the Davenport dip.
Haha never too early! Great meeting you as well. Happy we got to see you finish and loved the bike. Also, idk if we told you, but we love the name tandemocity!
I agree, and on those rides those Dr. Peppers taste so good!!
I rode RAGBRAI five times... 2006 - 2010. The best weeks EVER!!! I am reliving those wonderful days watching your videos. So.Good!!
Oh wow. That’s a good number of rides. Despite the challenging moments, it remains some of our favorite memories as well. And thank you very much. We appreciate that. Happy you are enjoying them.
Great Video !! thanks for sharing. Congratulations on RAGBRAI ,. maybe I'll see you next year.
Thank you very much. We appreciate it. And we plan to be there, maybe we will see you there.
We ride bikes for fun! Ebikes give you the ability to ride twice as far meaning twice as much fun!!!! Enjoyed every one of you videos. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Yes we do! That’s a great way to look at it. Could not agree more. Thank you so much. We appreciate all the support and happy they were enjoyable.
Exactly, people need to remember that! It’s all about getting out and having fun, no matter how that may look for each person. Thank you for the support, glad you enjoyed them!
Did you enjoy the High Trestle Bridge??? It's a pretty trail and the bridge lights up at night.
Oh, we loved the Trestle. It was beautiful and a nice scenery change throughout RAGBRAI. I bet at night it is great to look at with the lights.
That was a beautiful bridge. We’d love to see it all lit up at night!
Fantastic job you crazy bikers!
Hey thank you! Tried our best.
Thank you 🚴!
Loved your RAGBRAI videos, best of luck in 2024! Maybe we will see you out there…
Thank you! Looking forward to 2024. Maybe we will!
Thank you, hope to see you there!
Great drone shots early in the video! I wish you could have had a better Thursday and Friday but you sound ready to make up for it next year.
Thank you. And yes, will be coming to redeem ourselves next year!
I feel so bad you got sick and weren’t able to finish. There was just something about this year: the heat/humidity worse than normal; the hills a little worse (or at least seemed so); the wind a little worse; the storm in Coralville; and everything made just a bit more stressful bcuz of all the extra ppl here for the 50th anniversary. Bike traffic, long lines for food, big crowds in small towns. In a way, maybe it’s for the best, helping keep numbers lower for the next few years. Who knows. Congrats to your dad on finishing. Both mom and dad had great attitudes throughout. And you two, of course. I hope you come back for another RAGBRAI, if not next year then soon. I look forward to your videos, and would hate for your last memories of Iowa to be a moving van and a Marshalltown hotel room. 🤦🏻♂️🤢
😂 that last sentence made us laugh. Yes, we’d hate for those to be our last memories of Iowa. We are really hoping to make it back and redeem ourselves and hope to see you out there! We were thankful to be feeling well enough to cheer on Tyler’s dad and some of our new friends as they rode through the finish line 🏁 🚴 we appreciate the support and glad you enjoy the videos!!
Unfortunately we only have last year (our first) to compare it too and I’ll say 100% a harder ride for sure. For all the reasons you listed. Still worth it! And bummer we had the unfortunate circumstances we had. Thanks, my dad was determined to make it through and my mom was glad she got as far as she did. Haha oh we will be back! Redemption will be sweet! And of all hotels, the motel 6 was not ideal but slept like kings that night.
Way to go!! Tough ending but ya’ll are good about listening to what your bodies needed. Congrats to dad!
Thank you! It was tough having to stop, but fortunately made it all work out. And he appreciates it. 👍
Thank you! Definitely not the outcome we wanted and it was a hard decision to make but think we made the right choice! Could have turned it to a lot worse had we tried to push it
You guys still did a great job! And it was sweet to see how much T.L.C. you both give one another. I, too, experienced the heat exhaustion during RAGBRAI and it’s no joke! May the Lord bless you and your family in your future endeavors.John ( Crossbike) and I enjoyed meeting each of you🚴✝️🚴
Thank you. That was one rough ending to an already hard ride. Happy we were able to help each other. It’s amazing how much the heat can take out of you. Thank you, and may he bless yours as well.
We very much enjoyed meeting you.
You as well. It’s been an honor meeting the both of you and getting to chat at the last two RAGBRAI’s. We appreciate the support and hope to see the both of you on the road in the future!
Thank you Michelle, say hello to John for us…
great video
Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
So sorry it ended early for you guys! That day going to Tama-Toledo was ROUGH--I didn't think I'd make it while i was in New-ton, but it clouded over a bit then and we kept going. A bunch of people in my group went down about that time--and like you they began to suspect it was a bug. Great memories--so fun to see a lot of the same Iowans & stops that we stopped at!
Thank you. It was definitely not what we expected or planned. Oh my gosh, yeah it was. Such a hard day. Haha, New-Ton, the great debate. The clouds were a nice help on that day. Yeah, after seeing how it all played out, felt more like a stomach bug or something than just heat stroke. Excellent memories though either way.
I don’t think I will ever forget that day 🤢 hope everyone in your group is recovered and doing better now. But man, it came on quick! fortunate for me, once it was out of my system I was good but nothing like putting an end to your adventure! Glad you enjoyed the videos!
Another possibility for your issues is Norovirus. I’ve had it twice, and it feels like a combination of the flu and food poisoning for 48 hours. The nausea comes on very quickly without warning. The kybos, shared pools/tanks and crowds are how it spreads -it’s very contagious. The fact that Taylor got it after Kari sounds like it was passed on.
That’s definitely a possibility. We didn’t think of that one. Sounds similar to our experience too. Not fun.
Well done video, loved your spirit and energy. I am from AZ and was able to train in the heat, but whew that humidity was tough. Went with 11 friends and only 8 of us finished. Lots of hills, lots of miles. What you didn’t ride on your bike you captured with your incredible story. Congratulations and consider getting that lighter bike you tried and even a lighter peddle assist for your wife. Psst, I am a 74 year old woman ❤😅 and will be looking for you both next year! (maybe - 😊)
Thank you, we appreciate that. We tried to stay positive through it, despite some good challenges. Yeah, we agree, that humidity was something else. That's pretty good 8 out of 11 finishing. Congratulations to you and your group as well. Was it your first? Or done it before? I think for next year, we will likely make some changes with the bikes to make it a more enjoyable experience. haha, at 74 sounds like you are crushing it! Stop us and say hi next year! Our goal is to be there again.
Bummer your group lost some riders as well but sounds like it happened to quite a few this year. We will be working in AZ for a short time, if you have any bike trail recommendations, please let us know! And RAGBRAI at 74? That is goals, you are crushing it! Hope to see you next year!
You both give it your all, as well as Tammy, thats all anybody can ask of you all. That's what counts anyways. As the other folks helped yall, I like to thank Tyler and Roy again, for helping me at the end dip site, i was done at 507 miles, but i felt i truly accomplished what i set out to do, all the training paid off. My pleasure in meeting Tyler and Roy on the bus over from Davenport to Sioux City, and meeting the rest of the team , Kari and Tammy, i had a blast all week off and on hanging out with yall. Franklin power finished it for you Kari, i know you didn't feel well, along side Tammy. Take care all 😊
Thanks man! We appreciate that. Happy we could be helpful to you as well. Happy you got to make Ragbrai and met your goal. Take care! Keep pedaling!
Done got over 300 miles since Ragbrai 50, like you already said , I will just keep pedaling on
Wow, another 300?! That’s great
Thanks
2024 will be my first RAGBRAI at 61 years old. Born and raised in Iowa, left at 50 years old. Coming back to finally do this.
How cool! Thats going to be a fun way to get back to Iowa for the week. Hope training is going well! It’s going to be a fun year.
Bummed you guys had a spell, but well done making the best of it. Congrats to your dad and thanks for the videos.
It was a bummer, but still one of our best memories. Something we won’t forget. Thank you and he definitely had a blast.
Happy you enjoyed them.
Definitely one we won’t forget but happy we were able to cheer on my father in law and all the friends we met along the way!
Good for both of you for listening to your body. This was a brutal year. Hope to see you next year on a shorter, more northerly route. (Hey, we can dream, can't we?)
We didn't want to, but glad we did. Would not have made it riding that's for sure. We felt it was quite tough with the heat. We are already planning on going next year. Redemption! and yes, I will also dream that dream lol.
We will be dreaming right along with you!
Love watching your videos. It brings back so many memories of this years Ragbrai. Wish I could have met you both in PBV camp.
Thank you! That’s a big reason we love making them. We enjoy going back and watching them for the memories! Glad you enjoyed them. Hopefully we’ll get to meet at a future RAGBRAI
Thank you. We appreciate that. We enjoy re living it by watching back all our footage. Hopefully next year or at a future event!
Man, sorry to hear you both didn’t feel well towards the end. Beth and I looked for y’all on the last day for a farewell high five. Looks like y’all had fun even with the issues. Great videos- love to follow along. ✌🏽
Ryan
It was definitely an unexpected ending and a bummer about not completing the ride. Unfortunate we weren't able to reconnect on the last day. Thanks for the support, we appreciate it. Hope upcoming rides of yours goes well. Maybe we will meet again in the future on RAGBRAI or another ride.
Thanks for the great videos and upbeat spirit! I guess I’m guilty of spreading a rumor, but a guy I talked to while I was riding along said next year‘s ride is going to be insanely hilly, perhaps the hilliest ever because the entire ride is in the hilliest portion of the state. So, you might consider 2026 instead of 2025 - anyway, be on guard!
Thank you! We appreciate the support. Haha, we appreciate the heads up, but we will be there ready to go and take on what RAGBRAI has to throw at us.
Thanks for the heads up. We hear southern Iowa has some hills so if that’s where it’s at we can’t say we weren’t warned!
You guys have the best Ragbrai videos by far. Love your enthusiasm and sad you guys got sick. Well done for being honest! Looking forward to next year’s edition! Inspiring me to try and get there….you make it seem such fun!!
Hey thank you. We very much appreciate that. Happy we could share our experience and make it enjoyable to watch. This Ragbrai made for quite the experience.
We look forward to trying to complete it again. Hoping you get the opportunity to go. Maybe we will see you out there one day.
Thank you, we appreciate that, glad you enjoy them! Just trying to let people know , although it’s a lot of fun, things can change unexpectedly. Hope to see you next year 🚲!!
I choose not to ride day 5 and 6 because of the heat. Watching your video confirms to me that I made the right decision. Thanks for helping me relive my second Ragbrai also. Going to give it a break for a couple years and do Ragbrai again in 3 years.
That sounds like you made a good decision. Happy you enjoyed it. Hopefully it was an overall good year for you. Awesome! I think we will be returning to try this for a third time next year,
Sounds like you made a good choice. It was brutal for so many! We love going back and reliving it as well so glad you enjoyed it! Maybe we’ll see you at a future RAGBRAI!!
Nice work! Great video! The RAGBRAI website trainer-guy said you'd reach an 'exhaustion plateau'; for me that was Thursday, where I started out the ride exhausted, but fortunately it was overcast that day. Friday was BRUTAL! Don't feel bad about missing that. I think I did 70-something miles in about five hours, and then it took me another five hours to do the last 10 or so. Friday was awful; you did well to skip it. If I had seen the SAG, I would have flagged it down, but I didn't see it the whole day.
Thank you. We definitely hit exhaustion by Thursday. From what everyone told me, Friday was just a brutal day. Wow. That just sounds like a difficult and challenging day to ride. We ran into that same issue Thursday. Didn’t see the sag anywhere. Well, happy you made it through!
We heard a few people say they waited for the sag and it never showed, sounds like it had its work cut out for it. We’ve been seeing that many people had it rough this year. Hoping to recoup and recover and make it back next year. Glad you took your time and made it through!
What a crazy and unexpected ending. I didn’t go back and watch any of that footage, from the end, until a few days ago and we were so lucky those people happened to be at the lake with us and we were able to get the hotel and the van. I hate to think the chaos it would have been had those not been available. What a crazy ending to an already crazy adventure!
It was seriously the most unexpected thing ever! We were so lucky we found that couple to help (they found us) and the u haul. Happy it all worked out.
Loved your videos of The Ragbrai Ride. Sorry that you were almost to the end and had this distressed event. What happened to your Mom? Is she ok? Looking forward to your next adventure.😊😊
Thank you. It was not the ending we imagined when signing up, but still happy how it all turned out and looking back it is a good memory. So she was able to finish Thursday, but apparently Friday she started to feel ill as well and while she didn't have any nausea, she was sick for a few days post RAGBRAI. Possibly heat related, but not sure. She is good now. Took her a few days to recover, but back to normal. Thanks for asking. What a wild ride though. And, hope our next videos will be enjoyable.
So glad you Mom is back to normal and you all recovered. Looking forward to more of your adventures, so glad we found your channel.😊😊
Thank you. We appreciate it very much. Alright! Thanks for all the support!
I just remembered you would have some jet lag from the time zones as well. Getting up at 4.30 a.m. could feel like 2.30 a.m. cali. Not sure if you saw that Brentley from bbb adventures went home sick from covid.
Yeah I definitely think that adds to the difficulty the first few mornings. And I didn’t get to follow closely, but I knew he was sick. Sounds like everyone had a rough year.
So sorry for you guys getting sick. It was a tough one this year. Funny how it was so hot two years ago (western fires) cool last year and so hot again this year (Canadian fires). Perhaps it will be cooler next year or I’m starting at 4:30 each morning! Hope to see you guys there! PS - Ryan’s Love Cycle videos got me interested in RAGBRAI along with the BBB Adventures videos. Definitely easier riding RAGBRAI on a road bike.
Such a tough year. Considering last year was our first, it made for a good surprise lol. I think we need to start earlier too. We are planning to be there. Hopefully we will see you there. Those are both videos/people that inspired us too. And yeah, I need to look into a different bike specifically for Ragbrai.
Big huggs. Looking forward to trying to find you on next years Ragbrai. Great videos and don't feel bad about getting ill during Ragbrai. Many people got beat down by the heat, miles, hills, covid, saddle sores, ect. Reading peoples posts on the newbies site had lots of veterans of the ride tapping out throughout the week. Be well and keep adventuring.
👍 we will be there. Keep a lookout for us. Thank you. It was definitely a bummer. We even met a few people at the hotel we stayed out who were in the same boat as us. Just beat down. We will keep pushing on! Something to learn from on this ride.
Thank you! We appreciate that. Hope to see you at next years ride!
Midwestern heat and humidity are sneaky and evil.
While we appreciate the entertaining videos, take care folks, and finish the ride safely. Slip and slides and other fun games are good for clicks, but please save energy when needed for a safe ride. I’m talking to all who would share the fun on RUclips, not just you fine folks. Hopefully 2024 was better for you all, and thanks for posting.😊
They definitely are. And of course before that Ragbrai we spent a few months working in a place with cooler weather so not prepared. Definitely new strategy next ride.
Unfortunately couldn’t make 2024 work, but planning to go back 2025!
Tyler and Kari, I'm sorry that your ride ended on such a sour (stomach) note. 😔 However, I'm glad that you were the recipients of some of that amazing Iowa nice! I enjoyed making your acquaintance at the Newbies meet-up at the expo. Hopefully we'll cross paths at a future RAGBRAI (or perhaps some other biking adventure!) when the cycling gods smile upon you a bit more! 😃
Likewise, Brian! You’re right, we truly experienced “Iowa nice” this RAGBRAI and could not be more thankful. We are looking in to some other state rides people have recommended so if not at RAGBRAI, hopefully another great cycling event!
We experienced Iowa nice to its fullest. It was our pleasure meeting you. And congrats on the award! Looking forward to many rides to come.
Indeed MidWest weather's wise is a very challenging, Especially the time of year Heat & Humidity is #1 cause of Sun Strokes I stay way from to much Fat Foods (moderate) Besides all I take religiously Hydration tablets & Protein shakes with me on long Bike rides. You guys did excellent Job knowing your body calls = to Stop. Actually next time you will be much prepair to finish with a Big Smile :) Great Video!!
Yeah that was a tough year too because we had trained in a West Coast area mostly due to our jobs so basically 60 degrees and overcast for all our training rides. We will definitely be working on hydration next time for sure. Thanks for the support! We appreciate it very much. Very happy we stopped, wasn't worth it to keep trying to push ourselves. Can't wait for next time. Thanks again.
Love ❤️ the air video!
Thank you. That’s one of our favorites too. Crazy just how many riders fill up the roads.
Yea it was rough this year! Was gonna ride the entire week but when I rolled into DSM Wednesday…I was like NOPE…and just rode home (only about 7 miles from camp to my house).
Such a hard year. Ha we definitely felt like that Wednesday night. I bet that ac was amazing after a hot day.
Ha if we lived that close we would have done the same!!! It was a tough year!
Looks like burning man this year
Packed or super hot?
Nice job with the videos, but so bummed about your finish, though I think you pointed out an important consideration. It’s meant to be fun, and there is always next year. I’ll plan on seeing you in ‘24 for my first RAGBRAI.
Thank you! And we were bummed as well but thankful we recovered and we’re able to watch my father in law and all our new friends finish! Hoping to see you out there for RAGBRAI 2024!
Thank you. We were bummed as well. I think we will come prepared next year ready to take it on again. Looks like we will be seeing you there!
First timer 2024.. KY Grandpa giving it a try... See you there !
Alright! Thats exciting! Hope the training is going well!
That Thursday ride from Des Moines to Tama-Toledo was absolutely brutal in the afternoon. So sorry you both were sick. Your symptoms sound as much like food poisoning as heat exhaustion. Hopefully, y'all don't feel like you failed or anything like that. Heck, stuff happens. You were smart to regroup and get a hotel room! We were with Pork Belly too, and like you, we had our own tents, but really struggled to find a shaded flat spot to pitch them in T-T. Luckily, the hockey stadium next door to our camp site opened upon to allow folks without a reservation to sleep inside, which we did. I'm sure y'all heard about the tornado siren alert and then the thunderstorm. Crazy day!
We think mine (Kari) was more food/stomach related, so we think you’re right. Once it was out of my system I felt better. That’s great you were able to get in the hockey stadium, hopefully the air conditioning helped you recoup after such a hard day. And we also agree with the challenge of finding a shaded flat spot to sent up tents, it was much harder this year. Thank you for the kind words; We don’t feel like we failed but we are definitely bummed with how it ended. Hoping to make it back for another shot at it! Thank you for the comment, hope you enjoyed the video!
That was such a hard day. It was hard to figure out what caused it, but thinking food related now. It was a disappointment at first, but I think looking back it just motivates us to get out there again, as well as learning anything can happen. That is so fortunate you were able to get inside to sleep and get out of the heat. As for the storm, we did hear about that, what a crazy way to end the week. Maybe we will see you out there next year.
@@TylerandKari I hear ya about doing the ride again. I have those too and call them 'unfinished business'. :-) Thanks for posting all of your great videos, BTW. They were inspiration for my friends and I to ride RAGBRAI L.
That’s exactly right. Unfinished business. We really appreciate hearing that and hope you enjoy them. Happy to share and hopefully inspire others.
I enjoy your videos immensely. Your experience in this year's Ragbrai can be summed up by the old expression, sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. It was scary hot.
Thank you very much. We appreciate that. Haha that saying fits it exactly! It was so hot and an overall good, but tough experience.
Sorry about how it ended. Do what I do - bike everyday and your butt will get used to it (yes even during Winter months through snow, sleet, rain, cold, etc......) Winter riding is similar to gravel except it's alot colder and not as dusty hehe.
It was an unexpected end. I do like the suggestion though. I need to be on the bike more frequently, even if it isn't as long, because I just need to get used to sitting on that seat more. ha, the winter rides will be questionable, but maybe we will make a trial of it.
Hoping to get in more winter miles and work on earlier start times for riding this “off season”.
Thank you both for sharing a not so pleasant Ragbreai experience. After watching your stage 3 video, it looks like you both had heat exertion. You’ll know if you had heat exertion if from now on your ability to handle heat is reduced up to 50%. Be safe in the future dealing with heat, sincerely Kim Richardson
You’re welcome. Hopefully it was a good series to watch. So far seem to be doing ok in the heat, so hopefully ends up being fine overall. Won’t truly be tested until next Ragbrai probably. We appreciate that and definitely being safer in the future.
We thought it would be good for people to see some of the not so pleasant, unexpected, parts of RAGBRAI. We now know to have a back up plan and hopefully it may help others come up with one as well. Thank you!
Great videos! You’re dad is a beast! I’m really thinking about riding RAGBRAI next year. Thanks for the videos. I may have some questions in the future.
Thank you very much. He is pretty good, that’s for sure. Toughed it out. That’s awesome. It’s a fun experience, and challenging. Happy you enjoyed them. Please reach out with any questions. Happy to answer whatever we can.
See ya 2024, my first ride. Like your videos.
Alright 💪🏻 good luck with all your training. Thank you we appreciate it. See ya there.
I'll be there this year!!
We hope to make it back and maybe see you out there!
such a tough year! not as planned for me either but so glad I saw you guys as many times as I did and look forward to 2024 with you guys!
Brutal year. Just a struggle throughout. Glad we ran into each other so much. We need to do a big ride together and film. You going for sure?
@roadtrippingpt ill be there on my new 600x. Id love to figure out something to do before that. 🤔
@@ridewithdanusayou got a 600x now? Awesome! Want to do part of the divide? Or something?
@roadtrippingpt yeah, I just got it at beginning of the month. Lets chat about doing that.
@@ridewithdanusathat’s awesome. And ok will do.
Sorry to see your Ragbrai L ended like this. My 2 cents - as you all got sick, I suspect you all picked up a stomach bug from one of those (not so clean looking) slip 'n slides or dunk tanks. Hope it has not put you off doing Ragbrai next year. It should be not as busy (as not the L) and less miles and climbing and hopefully not as hot! Good luck you guys, it was great meeting you at the PBK camp and you inspire us so keep putting out great content! J & V!
That’s definitely a possibility. I question the cleanliness of that water lol. Try not to think about it during the ride though ha. If anything we are motivated to return and complete it! Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Great meeting you as well. And again, thank you 🙏
T&K
One of our friends we met at RAGRAI also said “stop petting all the farm animals” when he heard we got sick 😂 so, it could definitely be a number of things. But, no, it definitely did not put us off from doing any future RAGBRAIS. If anything, we now know to have some sort of back up plan!
That sucks yall got sick I sagged it early Friday morning and just went to the water park for the day so I could make it the last day
Yeah it was a bummer. That’s a great idea. Probably felt more recovered after that. It was just so hot.
@@TylerandKari it was definitely hot but I’m from Florida and I’m used to our kinda heat which is way worse than Iowa lol
You should consider BAK (Biking Across Kansas). Smaller ride, but fun.
Thank you for sharing that, We will have to look in to it. we are really wanting to check out rides in other states!
Thank you! We were just starting to look at other rides similar to Ragbrai. Had not heard of that one yet. We will have to look into it.
Nice video. Really enjoyed them. Wise choice to take care of your health.
I was all signed up for the ride and Porkbelly. 3 cracked vertebrae put all that on hold until next year.
Question for Kari. Did you get many comments about you riding an e bike?
Question 2. When will we be seeing some bikepacking adventures with the 600x? 😁🚴♂️
Oh man, ya good choice on your part as well and deciding to wait until next year. Let your body heal! As far as the comments on riding an e-bike, I got a few, but not too bad. I can remember 3 off the top of my head. In general, most people are just happy to be out there and see others out there enjoying the ride 🚴
Thank you very much. We appreciate that. Hope you heal well and can get back out there!
Haha regarding the 600x, I was just testing it out on some good challenging 4x4 roads, but we are looking into doing our first official bike packing trip in October ish. Starting small with a 1-2 overnighter . But we have some more adventures coming out too before that!
Fun video to watch. How did you manage charging the e-bike between stops?
Thank you. Charging the e-bike overnight or during the day between stops? Overnight the charter we used had outlets to plug in. Otherwise during the day Kari would ride without power for sections of the ride to conserve battery and it would last all day.
@@TylerandKari riding without power is tough since they are heavy. She’s tough n strong! I can see it working when riding with the wind or on a descent. Thanks for the reply and Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
Thank you! It is a heavy bike especially when the pedal assist isn’t on! Happy thanksgiving to you as well!
It definitely gets heavy. Something lighter may be in the future, but not sure yet. Happy thanksgiving.
Sorry to see you both go through those tough times. I made it a point to get on the road by 4:00 AM and 4:30 AM knowing days 5 and 6 were gonna be hard mainly because of the heat but the distance and hills were no joke either. I saw what time you were leaving in the morning and was thinking Oh Boy they will be doing a lot of riding in the extreme heat. So everyone knows what you were dealing with the Heat Index on day 5 was over 100 degrees. I hear road temp was like around 115. Day 6 heat index even higher so glad you did not push yourselves on Day 6 seeing what you dealt with the previous day. There was a group in my charter that quit after day 6. Just packed up and said no more. I think you should consider using PBV tent service to save you time in morining and also to not have to worry about putting up your tent in the heat when you get back. I too had to put up my tent in the heat. Thinking next time using PBV tent service. Recommendation to anyone is to get out early and use tent service(next time for sure). Thanks for the video and having such great positive attitudes. PS: You did have one silver lining. You did not have to deal with the storm and tornado warnings coming through on Day 6. Tents flying around etc. :)
You did it right by starting so early. I’m not even sure we were awake at that time. Actually, no we weren’t. Wow I didn’t know what the heat index was, but based on how we felt, that sounds about right. We agree, I think moving forward we will only do tent service if we can get it. Or have some type of sag friend with a trailer or something to make it quicker in evenings or mornings. We appreciate the comment and tried to stay positive as best we could. Lol and yeah, heard about the storm. Craziness!
You did it right. If we’re able to make it back next year we are really going to work on getting out earlier and look in to either tent service or some type of sag/team where we don’t have to worry about setting up and taking down tents. The heat was NO JOKE this year, thanks for sharing those numbers. We remember the storm warnings going off and seeing all the posts on FB and we were very thankful to be in a hotel that night! Thanks for your support, glad you enjoyed the videos!
Change the tires on your mountain bike. Get slick tires. You won't regret it. All of the noise from the tires rolling is just energy that you are wasting.
Definitely a must for next year. I should have done it this year, but a new bike and just not enough extra to then purchase tires too. Will be something addressed before next time though for sure. Talk about loud tires too.
Im thinking it may have been the communal water slides and little pools that got you guys sick.
That’s definitely a high possibility. Lots of stagnant dirty water.
I done 49 RAGBRAI it was a hard one
It definitely was a hard one. For sure!
Great videos!!! Question...how hard was it to charge the ebike? We have 2 Fat Tire ebikes and would need to charge 2x batteries each (4 total) every night. We are older and this is just not possible without the battery assist.
Thank you. Very much appreciated. So with our charter we used (pork belly) it was very easy. They ask at sign up if you have an e-bike and then make sure to have a spot for you to charge it nightly. I believe other charters offer similar services. If you don’t pay additionally for a charter, I’m not sure how easy it would be to charge a battery throughout Ragbrai.
What kind of bike was that you rode? Saw it was a specialized but didn't see which model.
Yes, it’s a specialized it’s the Turbo Vado 4.0. Great bike!
And because of this ride being the 50th, and I realized just how many people would be riding. I decided to wait till next year. I should be in better shape by then. Any ways, yeah, way to many people on the ride for my taste.
Probably a good idea. I’m sure there will be fewer people next year. Plenty of time for training too. Hoping we are able to put in some good miles as well to be in better riding shape for next year.
The other thing I learned when I did RAGBRAI back in 2012, when temps got really bad. Your not sweating fresh water. I found that Gatorade, Lemonade and chocolate milk, oh and Fanta Orange, really hit the spot. Too much water can be a bad thing actually. I was drinking so much water, I got belly slosh. Oh, and I know this sounds bad. But steer clear of Beer :) Any ways, winter will soon be here, and I am not looking forward to it.
We definitely tried to incorporate more electrolyte drinks but I did have belly slosh a few times from too much water. Definitely limited to no beer.
Thanks for sharing. Question for those of us who are riding in 2024. How many miles per week did you prepare before hand? If you tell me you rode 150 miles or more a week for the month or prior, I'm not doing it. lol
Thanks for watching. For 2022 we did a little better on our training and rode about 40 miles a week. Max of about 600miles total before Ragbrai. As for 2023, a little less and it showed in how tired we were. We were happy if we got 150 miles a month lol. I would suggest slightly more though.
Thanks for your input. I feel a better about my preparation. Did 156 miles last week and will try to put in 125 plus until Ragbrai in July. 🙂
@@davidparker8475 awesome. 156 miles in a week is definitely good. When we return (hopefully 2025) we will be putting in more miles. Good luck with training and enjoy the ride!
Consider getting into Ketosis for the ride if you're gluten free eating. Less bonking.
Definitely an option next ride. 👍 whatever will help make it.
The correct number of bicycles to own is n+1
We are slowly learning that. Now if I could just get another one!
how did you charge the bike. Cost for charging? I can't remove my battery on my specialized can I park and charge? thanks you guys are awlsome
We chartered with pork belly and they offer charging for e-bikes. Kari doesn’t take the battery out of hers either, they have outlets so you can park and plug in to charge. There is a company that follows along the route of Ragbrai, can’t think of their name, but they are usually near Mr. pork chop each day and they offer a charging service. You can stop and have your lunch and charge while you eat. Otherwise we’re not sure how you’d charge your battery if not with a charter. You’d likely have to stop at a house or school gym etc to plug in (people are very welcoming at Ragbrai and would allow this most places along the route as well as at the over night towns). We know many of the other charters also offer a charging service
Where did your wife charge her battery
Every night, pork belly ventures (our charter) had a set up for her bike to charge. They have multiple areas for anyone with e bikes who use there services. It would last all day during the ride as long as she conserved her battery.
I'm trading my mtb for either a gravel or road bike. Sorry for the unfortunate ending.
You’ll be moving quicker it sounds like then. Hope the new ride will be smooth! And thank you. Rough one, but still good memories.
I want to join you in 2024.
It’s an awesome ride!
When I saw her eating cherrios I had a feeling she was gonna get sick. Those things are full of GMO and and other crap.
Yeah, funny you say that, Kari was saying the same thing when we watched the footage back.
Yes, I did not have the best food choices that day. My dad said the same thing when I told him what I had to eat that day 🤢
Did you ever actually seek medical attention?
No, we were on the verge and we put a time limit on if Kari wasn’t feeling better/stop vomiting then we would go. She normalized and we decided not to.
Did not. As Tyler mentioned we put a time limit on it. If I wasn’t any better by a certain time we were going. Fortunately, after multiple trips to the bathroom and lots of throwing up, I felt better.
Fun fact: Newton is the birthplace of Maytag appliances. Too bad they got bought out by Whirlpool, and are now made in Mexico.
Really? that is a cool fact. That is also a bummer about the company.
That’s cool, we didn’t know that!