About Bob Bob serves as President and CEO of GuideStar and serves on the boards of Vision TV, Grameen Foundation USA, and the AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy. More...
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Posted By Bob Ottenhoff on August 6th, 2010, in these categories: GeneralThese posts conclude my daily diary of adventures with the 38th annual Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), organized by the Des Moines Register. Thank you for sharing in my journey, and I look forward to hearing your travel experiences across our great country.
Thursday, July 29
Last night we had a classic Midwestern thunderstorm, with lots of rain, thunder, and lightning. Our tent did a little rocking and rolling but held up well with no water inside. This morning was cool and sunny with low humidity. The road out of town was newly paved, and the first 40 miles were the fastest of the trip. Overall we rode 82 miles before we rolled into Waterloo.
Being selected as a host town has many obvious economic benefits, but it also comes with lots of responsibilities. I’m told towns put together committees of hundreds of volunteers and spend nearly a year organizing events, sprucing up their town, and making sure their few hours in the spotlight make a good impression. Finding enough open space for thousands of RVs and campers is often a challenge. And just think of all the port-a-potties and showers needed.But probably one of the most important responsibilities is helping to line up the musical entertainment. As we pulled into town there were generally several musical events available.  The best were the local groups performing from a small stage on Main Street or in a parking lot next to a VFW hall, doing everything from R&B to blues to classic rock and roll. Every night RAGBRAI ended with a big concert in the host town’s city park.
Riders had a surprising number of music players ranging from huge boom boxes on trailers to smaller devices that fit neatly on the back of a bike. We must have heard 20 different kinds of music: high-decibel screaming rock, old-time rock and roll, and everything in between. Sometimes I was glad to leave the music behind (or more often have them leave me behind); other times I lingered next to a rider with a particularly good music selection with just the right beat to keep me going.
Friday, July 30
Today was one of the roughest days. The distance wasn’t so bad, with only 62 miles from Waterloo to Manchester, but we were bedeviled by a cold driving rain for much of the day and a stiff headwind. I saw one young entrepreneur’s handmade sign altered to read "warm water" rather than the ice-cold water we normally craved. We were exhausted by the time we arrived in town.
Due to plane connections, it was sadly our last day. We were forced to miss the last 47-mile ride into Dubuque and the chance to dip our front wheels into the Mississippi.
All in all, it was an amazing week. It’s an experience my wife, Faith, and I will never forget. It was challenging and at times grueling, but the sense of accomplishment, the camaraderie, the opportunity to eat with abandon, and the beautiful scenery made it well worth the effort.
 This last one is courtesy of the RAGBRAI Web site
Posted By Bob Ottenhoff on August 5th, 2010, in these categories: GeneralOver the course of the week I will be sharing my daily diary of adventures with the 38th annual Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), organized by the Des Moines Register. Check back for new updates every day, and please share any insights you have into the wonderful world of bike riding across our beautiful country.
Tuesday, July 27
Today’s route was a relatively short 60 miles as we rode from Algona to Clear Lake, but it was extremely hot and steamy most of the day, with the temperature index over 100.
Twenty thousand riders need a lot of food. And they need it frequently and in large quantities. One of the great things about riding this many miles every day is that I could eat with abandon. No worries. Here are some of the things I ate:
 How the bicycling nonprofit CEO fuels up
- Pork chop on a stick
- Pork loin on a stick
- Breakfast in a bowl
- Breakfast bun on the run
- Breakfast burritos
- Turkey fillets
- Bratwurst (veal)
- Bratwurst with sauerkraut
- Smoothies
- Hamballs (with brown sugar and gravy)
- Pulled pork
- Corn (dumped in a tub of butter)
- Gyros (for breakfast)
- Spaghetti and garlic bread (in church basements)
- Pizza
- Peanut butter sandwiches (lots)
- Homemade pie
- Gluten-free cookies
- Bananas (several a day)
 Running out of food was never a concern  One source of sustenance for RAGBRAI riders
Wednesday, July 28
One of the shortest days on the tour—only 52 miles from Clear Lake to Charles City.
When people say why they enjoy RAGBRAI, their answers always include the opportunity to meet so many interesting people, and I couldn’t agree more. Every town provided a chance to meet friendly people eager to talk and swap stories. Twenty thousand riders came in all sizes and shapes. There were the teams of young riders racing along in peloton style pedaling to the beat of a big boom box. There were lots of tandems, and they seemed to come in two extremes: some powered by two young riders zooming along at breakneck speed and just as many slowly lumbering along with two overweight and inexperienced riders. There were a surprising number of recumbents, in a variety of styles: long to short wheelbases; large and small wheels; and overseat, underseat, and no-hands steering.
 Bob Ottenhoff, RAGBRAI veteran Julia, and Faith Ottenhoff My wife, Faith, and I rode with a group that included our Washington friends Tom and Donna and about 10 of Donna’s family members, ranging in age from 15 to 76. During the week, one of them, Julia, celebrated her 76th birthday along the trail and marked her 15th RAGBRAI anniversary. She was an inspiration for all of us. Her secret for success: attitude and determination. Here’s a picture of Julia:
I also had a chance to ride with Roxie Jerde, from GuideStar’s partners at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. Roxie and her husband, Mike, have ridden in about 15 RAGBRAIs and look forward every year to meeting friends and celebrating traditions.
The ride also gave us a chance to spend a night with an old friend, Doug, and his wife, Gail, and spend two days riding with regular bikemates Bill and Rita.
 Roxie Jerde and Bob Ottenhoff  Riding companion Tom, Bob Ottenhoff, riding companion Donna, and Faith Ottenhoff
Posted By Bob Ottenhoff on August 3rd, 2010, in these categories: GeneralOver the course of the week I will be sharing my daily diary of adventures with the 38th annual Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), organized by the Des Moines Register. Check back for new updates every day, and please share any insights you have into the wonderful world of bike riding across our beautiful country.
 Lions Club fundraiser Sunday, July 25
Today we rode about 70 miles from Sioux City to Storm Lake. It was a tough day with a total vertical climb of nearly 4,000 feet, crowded roads, and steep hills.
It has been a while since I read a full piece by Alexis de Tocqueville, but I remember him commenting on how impressed he was by the extraordinary number of civic organizations he observed on his American travels. Too bad he couldn’t have experienced RAGBRAI.
Iowans seem to be joiners. Every town we went through was loaded with hundreds of volunteers helping to coordinate logistics and raising money for one cause or another. Over the course of the week I bought food that helped send money to Haiti, helped one church rebuild a steeple and another install an elevator, helped pay for an artificial leg, and supported flood victims, to name just a few great causes that were being supported by RAGBRAI. Bicycle jerseys were the same way: promoting fundraisers to fight cancer or Multiple Sclerosis and other important causes were abundant.
All of this is part of the undocumented part of the charitable sector. For every dollar included in Giving USA’s annual charitable survey, my guess is there is another dollar or two that goes for local civic, social, and religious causes that never touch the GuideStar database, or the IRS for that matter.
 First Lutheran Church concession stand  Another church concession stand
 Iowa wind turbines Monday, July 26
Today’s route was flatter but longer as we rode from Storm Lake to Algona. I opted for the optional 100-mile route over the 80-mile regular route and did just fine.
What happens when 20,000 cell phone users show up in a small town at the same time? For the entire week of riding I was unable to get cell phone service or access a wireless network using my ATT I-phone. Spotty coverage and inadequate bandwidth would be my guess. My blackberry and cell phone worked only sporadically, and it was the same with Internet access. Keeping everything powered meant plugging in whenever you got a chance—fast food joints, libraries, gas stations, etc., with everyone desperately scouring the town looking for power.
 Wind turbines on the horizon For several days the unbroken sea of corn and soybeans was accented by fields of tall wind turbines. Iowa ranks second to Texas in wind-generated power in the United States. In return for use of their property, farmers earn an annual rental fee and a percentage of any profit; Wikipedia estimates $3,000-$5,000 per year in rental income from each turbine, an important source of steady income for some farmers. Plus the turbines help provide a small tax boost for local communities and channeled $17 billion into the national economy in 2008. Energy advocates might have more success promoting the economic benefits of wind energy rather than the abstract issue of global warming. Wind farms are controversial in some areas (e.g., Nantucket Sound) because opponents say they mar the “viewscape.” But out here in Iowa I think they looked graceful and majestic.
Solar power played a role on the tour, too. Many riders hooked up various CD and MP3 players to blast out their favorite music. The most ingenious were those pulling little trailers with huge boom boxes powered by little solar panels. Neat idea.
Posted By admin on August 2nd, 2010, in these categories: General Here I am on the far right with part of the team I rode with all last week Saturday, July 24, at about noon I entered the city of Sioux City, Iowa, in northwestern Iowa, population 85,000. Nestled up against Nebraska and South Dakota, Wikipedia says this general area is called "Siouxland." I have newfound curiosity for the surrounding geography, having just finished reading Nathaniel Philbrick’s best-seller on General Custer’s exploits and ultimate demise here on the plains and areas to the west.
For the next seven days I participated in the 38th annual Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), self-described as "the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world—and one of the state’s best excuses for a party. The cities and small towns along this year’s route are hosting big-name concerts (Smash Mouth, the Spin Doctors, the Nadas), dusting off old recipes (Mulligan stew, gargantuan ham balls) and sprucing up landmarks that visitors can see year-round, no matter how many wheels they ride to get there."
 Our accommodations
The ride always begins on the western border of Iowa and always ends on the eastern border. Organizers expected more than 10,000 riders from 50 states and 25 countries to make the full seven-day trip and another 10,000 or so (no one really knew) to join us for shorter periods. Over the years a tradition has developed for riders to dip their rear tires in the Missouri River at the beginning of the ride and dip their front tires in the Mississippi River seven days later when they complete the trip. I was honored to join that rich tradition.
The event is organized by the Des Moines Register. According to the promotional literature, the Register contributes to nonprofit organizations and causes within Iowa as well as to RAGBRAI towns. Please check back to this blog as I highlight interesting nonprofit organizations taking part in the ride and share some of our adventures.
Please check tomorrow to find out what happened on days 1 and 2 of my trip across Iowa.
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The best were the local groups performing from a small stage on Main Street or in a parking lot next to a VFW hall, doing everything from R&B to blues to classic rock and roll. Every night RAGBRAI ended with a big concert in the host town’s city park.
