Crude: (1) in a raw or natural condition; not refined; not prepared, as by heating or other processes. (2) immature; unripe; not mellowed; as, the harsh flavor of crude fruit. (3) unadorned; bare; as, crude reality. (4) not well formed,  arranged or prepared; rough; imperfect; as, a crude plan or theory; crude work. (5) lacking finish, grace, tact, taste, etc.; uncultured; as, a crude fellow.

As We Sail Off Into The Sunset

Yes, we're going again. Here's our group for this year and our departure date is July 23. That night we'll be staying with our good buddy Bob Knowler. Apparently he's a glutton for punishment as he insists we come back to see him every year.

Riders:
    Lee Griffin
    Pete Wilson
    Vickie Lynn Sanborn
    Tina Birch
    Michael Friedman
    Cindy Friedman
    Marisha Moore
    Cindy Evans
    Rhonda RIgney
    Phil Stickel
    Ray Allen

Driver:
    Jim Griffin

BS

Well, as always we managed to have a pretty good time. It's been a while so I'll try to remember some of the highlights. I know I'll miss a few, but here goes.

Friday morning we left early so we wouldn't be getting to the overnight late that day. We pulled out around 6:00am and as can be seen by some of the first pictures below a lot of people were trying to catch up on their sleep on the way up. Early Friday evening we got to our great friend Bob Knowler's house. We discovered Bob as a host in 2001 and he insists we come back every year. Well, last year we weren't able to do that as the starting point was 120 miles south. This year it was only 40 miles south and we didn't want to miss a chance to see him again. Dinner on Friday was on Bob but he said we'd have to find somebody to cook the steaks. Pete jumped in and did a great job and the dinner was fantastic.

During dinner the subject of our plans for Saturday came up and Bob asked us if we'd be interested in being in a parade in Early, Iowa. Never missing a chance to show off our bus we drove to Early and participated. Lee drove the bus while everyone else was on top throwing candy to the kids below. Returning to Bob's house we discovered a fuel pump leak and figured it would be a good idea to replace that and also decided to replace some wiring at the same time. Jim & Lee ran to various auto parts stores while Pete & Ray did most of the work on the bus. Of course, the girls had to sit around and drink beer, which is one thing we know they're good at.

Arriving Onawa later that day we managed to get into the RAGBRAI spirit by finding the beer garden almost immediately after setting up camp. The rest of the week was pretty much of a blur except for our hosts on Monday night in Ft. Dodge. Jeff & Jacquie Goodson and their great kids give Bob a run for his money. Dinner was pretty scarce by the time we decided to get something to eat that night and when we returned to their house we found ribs, chicken, corn & mash potatoes ready. AND, they insisted on fixing us pancakes, eggs, hash browns and who remembers what else for breakfast in the morning. Go to their family website here for some pictures of them, their family and Team Crude. You can bet that if we're going to or through Ft. Dodge in the future we'll be calling them.

Enjoy the pictures below.

RANT

Ok, it's time to rant a little bit. For those who have ridden RAGBRAI in the past you know there are sections of gravel along the route. Some of these are unavoidable and others aren't. Well, this year there were 3 different sections. My understanding is that the first was necessary because a bridge was out. You can't argue with that, especially if the bridge went out relatively close to the ride.

But the other 2, in my opinion (and plenty of others) were not necessary. The second stretch on the same day as above had an alternate route that quite a few riders took. Apparently they knew the area better than most of us. The paved road we left to ride on a couple of miles of gravel went east and then south intersecting with the route later on. WHY OH WHY didn't the route go that way to begin with? Somebody said it's in the interest of safety. Just how safe is it to be riding on loose gravel?

Finally the last stretch was about 3 miles long and came on a day where it was raining. Guess what you get when you mix gravel, sand and rain. Yes, MUD. Look at the picture of Lee's back and the dirty bike below and you'll get an idea of exactly what resulted. Once again, there was an alternate route available. Early in the day the state troopers were telling the riders they COULD NOT take that way. I'm not sure how they could enforce somebody wanting to ride their bike on public roads or what they'd do if somebody actually headed out that way. Later on, probably in the interest of safety, they were actually sending people around the mud path and telling them to take the pavement. Let me get this straight. Early on in the day it was not safe to ride this stretch of road, but later it was.

I guess I've learned a lesson this year. I will always carry an Iowa highway map with me every day on RAGBRAI in the future.

Ride Pictures

Last modified: February 20, 2005