Loading...Last month cyclists from all over the U.S. and many foreign countries gathered in Glenwood, Iowa, to ride 450 to 500 miles across that state, and three of our own were among them. The "narthXpress," a team consisting of the Rev. Pat Connell, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Owensboro, and two Trinity members, Schley Cox and Peter Lewis, joined more than 10,000 riders braving over 100-degree days to complete the seven-day trek.
To give you an idea of what they accomplished, Schley Cox, who often volunteers as a writer and photographer for the diocese, wrote about the annual event, his second, before he left for Iowa and shared photos taken during it upon his return to Kentucky. Read more
RAGBRAI, the “Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa,” started in 1973 when two writers for the Des Moines Daily Register decided to ride their bicycles across the state of Iowa. When a notice about the ride appeared in the paper about 300 readers said they wanted to go along. One of them was 83 year old Clarence Pickard of Indianapolis. Pickard rode the entire route, some of it in 100 degree weather, on a ladies Schwinn. He dressed in long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a silver pith helmet.
After that first ride and the many feature stories about the route and Pickard, a lot more people wanted to ride. A Second Annual Great Bicycle Ride, SAGBRAI, was held in August 1974. The ride has taken place each year since. And each year the ride gets a little bit bigger.
On July 24 over 10,000 cyclists from all over the US and many foreign countries will gather in Glenwood, Iowa on the Missouri River and ride east for seven days to the end of the ride in Davenport on the Mississippi. Additional thousands sign up to ride for just a day or two. Each year the route is about 450 to 500 miles long. This year Lance Armstrong, now retired from racing, is supposed to pedal with the group for two days.
Last year two members of Trinity Owensboro decided to try the ride across Iowa last year. Schley Cox and Peter Lewis 
were both serving on the Trinity Vestry at the time and made their travel plans after the winter vestry meetings. Neither had ever been on RAGBRAI before. To prepare, they both rode about 600 miles around Owensboro. They learned they should have ridden more. Both men made it across Iowa but neither had any idea about how grueling the trip would be.
Despite that both decided to return for the 39th RAGBRAI. Both have ridden more miles this year in preparation for the trip. Their pastor, Fr. Pat Connell from Trinity, decided to join them this year. Fr. Pat, a long time cyclist, hadn’t ridden his road bike for several years before this year, but during that time he rode programmable exercise bikes at the Owensboro YMCA.
His two teammates think he is in better shape than they are. They have named their little team “narthXpress." They are looking forward to the challenge of the ride and also the wonderful hospitality and food they will have along the way.
Each day the trio will leave their camp site by 6:30 a.m., which will allow the team to ride for several hours before the heat of the day. They will travel from Owensboro to St. Louis on July 23, where they will meet a shuttle service that will carry them and their gear (bicycle and one duffle bag) to the start in Glenwood. The same service will bring them back to St. Louis after the ride.
The numerous small towns along the route prepare food, beverages and provides comfortable rest stops. Each community tries to outdo the others in making cyclists feel welcome. Each rider spends approximately $30 a day on food and drink (mostly bottled water and Gatorade). Each evening, riders camp in schools, parks, churches and campgrounds. Do the math: 450 miles, over 10,000 riders, over 20,000 feet of climb in seven days, $300,000. However you figure it, RAGBRAI is a big, big deal.
