Traveling Applejax

As Mike and I work on our Bike Ride Around Iceland (BRAI), the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) is getting underway. I’ve ridden many RAGBRAIs, and Mike’s done a few, but my dad has our family record. I think he’s ridden at least part of 14 of the last 15 years. He’ll be hitting the Iowa hills again later this week for a few days.

In honor of RAGBRAI, here’s a little comparison between it and what I’ve now dubbed Traveling Applejax’s BRAI:

RAGBRAI — 7 days of biking
BRAI — 5 weeks(?) of biking

RAGBRAI — Across Iowa from west to east
BRAI — Around Iceland’s Ring Road (with several detours), moving counterclockwise

RAGBRAI — 405 miles this year
BRAI — We’ll tell you when we’re done, but at least 1000 miles

RAGBRAI — Average of 58 miles per day
BRAI — Estimated average of 45 miles per day

RAGBRAI — Views of farms with cows, pigs, corn, and soybeans
BRAI — Views of farms with horses, sheep, and hay bales + views of cliffs, glaciers, icebergs, waterfalls, fjords, and the ocean

RAGBRAI — small Iowa towns that double, triple, or quadruple in size when bikers show up
BRAI — small Icelandic towns that see a lot of tourist traffic

RAGBRAI — bikers in spandex and tank tops, wearing lots of sunscreen
BRAI — Mike and I in 2-4 layers (spandex on the bottom) with hats and gloves and rain gear

RAGBRAI — diet consisting of Mr. Pork Chop, apple pie, Tender Tom’s Turkey, cherry pie, Farm Boys’ breakfast burritos, peach pie, corn on the cob, strawberry pie, walking tacos, and rhubarb pie
BRAI — diet consisting of pasta, caramel-dipped ice cream cones, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Nizza (chocolate and crunchy caramel bars), hot dogs, gummi bears, soups, Chupa Chups, yogurt drinks, and muffins

RAGBRAI — bikers as far as the eye can see
BRAI — stretches of empty roads (especially after 8:00 pm)

RAGBRAI — sleeping at crowded campgrounds, host family homes, church pews, etc.
BRAI — mostly sleeping at campgrounds full of RVs and pop-ups

RAGBRAI — daily showers at schools, pools, car washes, etc.
BRAI — weekly showers at campsites that actually have the hot water they advertise (okay, it’s really more like every 5 days)

RAGBRAI — gear-less hoards with support vans, busses, and trucks (Mike and I have gone self-supported before, but less than 1% of RAGBRAIers do it this way. My dad is going to go self-supported later this week, though)
BRAI — bikes weighing 80-100 pounds each, carrying bike repair supplies, a tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, 2-3 changes of clothes (depending on how many are needed for layering), a camp stove, a water filter, food for several days, electronics, and a camera with 4 lenses

Well, my battery is about to die, so that’s all you’re getting for now!