Something more controversial than the recent caucuses - RAGBRAI or Iowa's Ride?

[Algernon Moncrieff]

This year, Iowa will have two cross-state bicycle rides. The marketing team behind RAGBRAI left to start a rival ride over the Des Moines Register's handling of the Carson King controversy. King, you'll remember, raised an unexpectedly huge sum of money with a request to gave people Venmo him funds for Bud Light on the ESPN Game Day show. He became a local celebrity when he donated the money to the Iowa Children's Hospital, but Bud Light ended their association with him after the Register published articles about Mr. King's social media history.

So both rides will cross northern Iowa, with RAGBRAI heading from LeMars to Clinton, and then Iowa's Ride heading from Dubuque to Rock Rapids in a north/central-ish fashion the following week.

So, Iowans

- Do you have any feelings on this?
- Do any of you plan to ride in either (or both)?

[rsdsharp]

1. When Donald Kaul and John Karras planned the first ride back in 1973,

There was a reason they road from West to East, and still do. Riding 400+ miles into the wind during the Iowa summer probably isn't a great idea. But we'll see.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

2. I agree, but there are two counter arguments

1) If you live in CoBluffs, Omaha, or Sioux City its easier to get a ride out, and then bike back. I'm looking at about $475 for a charter back to CoBluffs from Clinton. (It comes with other perks, but still....)

2) Some hard core cyclists like the thought of the round trip.