Fly, Ride & Win!

Andrew Sherman

6 months ago

I’d like to share this FB post describing my last day on RAGBRAI as a way of thanking the members of the US Air Force Cycling Team for your help and encouragement during the week. I aimed high by registering for RAGBRAI and attempting the Karras Loop, but I wouldn’t have finished either one without you, and for that I will always be deeply grateful. Thank you Air Force!

RAGBRAI 2021, Day 7. Dewitt to Clinton.

An odyssey is a journey that’s marked by changes in a traveler’s fortune, and that’s a good description of this past week. About a month before the start of RAGBRAI I noticed that some of my gears were skipping when I rode. I contacted the mechanic who tuned up my bike in March and replaced the rear gear cassette to try to make an appointment to get it checked and got no response. 2 more tries, 2 more no responses. Ok, I guess you’re my former mechanic. I could work around the skipping gears, so I shipped my bike to Iowa about 2 weeks ahead of the start. When I got to LeMars I had a mechanic look at the rear wheel. He made some adjustments to tighten the rear axle assembly and I started the ride. As the week went on a wobble developed, and I had a different mechanic look at the rear axle on Thursday. He re-tightened the axle and it held up for a few hours, but the wheel started wobbling and rubbing again during the Karras Loop. Several members of the US Air Force cycling team came to my rescue and got me back on the road to finish the Century. Their fix held up on Friday’s ride from Anamosa to Dewitt - I actually saw the mechanic who worked on the bike on Thursday and told him that he owed the Air Force money. I only needed to ride 31.6 miles to finish, and thought I’d get that done and send the bike home to figure out what to do next. Not perfect, but I can nurse it along. Or so I thought.

When I set up camp last night in Dewitt I covered my bike with a plastic sheet to protect it from the morning dew. During the evening one of the vendors in camp ran over the handlebars on a gator and broke off one of the brake levers. He didn’t run away and I got his contacts to have him pay for repairs at home. Tis but a scratch - an annoying mistake but still rideable after a temporary repair. Or so I thought.

I started the last day of RAGBRAI at 7 am. I checked and tightened the rear wheel to the frame. I just need 31.6 more miles…let’s do this! Or so I thought. The back wheel was wobbling, to the point that other riders started warning me about it. After about 5 miles I stopped to check the wheel and retighten it, and that’s when the axle assembly failed. The bearings on one side of the axle were completely gone, and there was no going forward without a major repair. With no bike shop in sight, I knew I was in danger of not finishing RAGBRAI just short of the end.

Or so I thought. I had pulled over to check the wheel in Wayne Stuedemann’s driveway, and Wayne came out to investigate my situation. At about the same time that Wayne and his family reached me, several members of the US Air Force cycling team arrived…again! One of the members remembered me from Thursday, and he checked the axle and confirmed that it wasn’t rideable. With this news, Wayne stepped forward and offered to loan me his own bike - which he hadn’t ridden in several years - to finish the tour. Wow! Just wow! Offer accepted - I didn’t come this far to not finish! Wayne, the Air Force team members and I put our heads together and found a bike shop in Clinton where I could leave Wayne’s bike. Wayne will bring my broken bike there and pick his up the next time he’s in Clinton. Wayne brought his bike out of the garage and he and the Airmen helped get it ready to ride, including inflating the tires, oiling the chain and setting the seat height. Hands were shaken and thanks were given, and I rejoined the line of riders pedaling toward Clinton. Wayne’s bike was mechanically fine - it went fast downhill and let me climb hills the way I’m used to. I’m so thankful that Wayne reached out to help me - a complete stranger - finish RAGBRAI! I’m completely humbled by the gift of his generosity.

As I rode toward Clinton I took in the sights of the open countryside one last time. The bike I was on was different from the orange road bike I brought to Iowa, but I thought I could make it to the end…and this time I was right! I rode the final miles with a jumble of thoughts and fresh memories running through my mind as I waved to the townspeople who came out to watch us ride by. Today’s route ended at a boat ramp on the shore of the Mississippi River, and I was filled with a sense of accomplishment as I rolled Wayne’s bike into the muddy water to mark the end of our journey. I made it! RAGBRAI 2021 was done.

As soon as I finished I knew that I had to make arrangements to exchange the bikes. I had planned to ship my bike home through Pork Belly Ventures, and they had my shipping box waiting at their end site in Clinton Park. I rode there from the dip site and explained my situation to Tammy, the co-owner of PBV. She quickly found an employee - Nick - with a truck and time to drive me to the bike shop we had agreed on. I made arrangements at the shop to transfer the bikes and ship mine home with the UPS Ground label that I had paid for. I drove back to the PBV site with Nick and took one final shower before adding another donation to the employee tip jar. Thank you for a great week PBV!

Before I end this I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the members of the US Air Force cycling team who helped me this morning and on Thursday on the Karras Loop. I wouldn’t have finished the Century or RAGBRAI without your help, and I’m tremendously grateful to each of you for the help you provided all of us during the week, and for the work you do to protect our freedoms every day. You and your fellow service members are truly America’s best! Thank you!

I’m writing this from a charter bus that’s shuttling me to Chicago - I’m flying home from there tomorrow. It’s more than 106 miles from Clinton to Chicago, and I’m pretty sure that we left with a full tank of gas. Someone on board probably has a half pack of cigarettes. It’s not dark out yet but I’ve got my sunglasses. 😎 Illinois looks like a nice place for a bike ride.😉 Thank you all for your encouragement and good comments this week. America has its share of problems and disagreements, but my week in Iowa was a great reminder of the good people and kind acts that are all around us but aren’t publicized. As the billboard that I saw on the way to LeMars said, “We’re Americans, it’s going to be okay”. Now get on your bikes and ride! 🚴👍😊 #RAGBRAI2021 ... See MoreSee Less