Let the registrations begin

I wanted to be sure to give anyone who is considering riding RAGBRAI this year the opportunity to join the Coe College team. The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa is scheduled for July 19-25, 2009. The formal registration process is now underway.

Fees have been set at $375 (a $25 increase over 2008). Of this, $200 is due to Coe by March 1, along with payment for any merchandise you order from RAGBRAI, your completed (online) entry form and signed waiver from the RAGBRAI Web site. The remaining $175 will be due July 1.

The fee includes the official $140 RAGBRAI entry fee (a $15 increase over 2008), a Team CoeBRAI jersey and license plate, bus transportation to and from Cedar Rapids and the starting/ending towns, and snacks and non-alcoholic beverages at each overnight stop.

Additionally, participants should plan to spend $20-$30 per day on food and beverages, bike repairs, showers, etc. Participants will also be able to hire our drivers to set up and/or tear down tents for an extra fee to be negotiated with individual riders who are interested in such a service.

RAGBRAI begins somewhere near Iowa's western border and ends along the eastern border at the Mississippi River. Overnight towns will be announced soon in the Des Moines Register. Again this year, we will seek hosts from among the Coe community at each of the overnight towns.

The first step is to fill out the interest form at the CoeBRAI Web site. Once you're ready to join, you may register online. After creating your profile (or logging in to your RAGBRAI account for veterans), you should choose to join the group CoeBRAI (#32344) before submitting your entry. Please do not send signed waivers or any payments to RAGBRAI. Instead, those should be sent to me, the group contact.

Although the online entry deadline is April 1, we encourage you to meet our March 1 deadline for the initial payment so that we can have a handle on the number of participants, which will be capped at 30. Registered riders who must cancel for any reason will receive refunds according to the following sliding scale: 75% on or before May 1, 50% on or before June 1 and 25% on or before July 1. While we understand that life happens, we must insist on a no-refund policy for cancellations after July 1.

I hope that's enough information to get you started. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact me. Information will also be communicated on our Web site and on this blog.

Ride on!

Lonnie Zingula
Team CoeBRAI captain

D'oh

So, tonight I complete my online registration for RAGBRAI (not due until March 1 for CoeBRAI participants) and discover the entry fee has increased $15 to $140. In September, we agreed not to raise our $350 team fee. The RAGBRAI portion of the increase was quietly announced in November, but I didn't catch it.

Meanwhile, much has changed. So, though I still must consult with my committee, I would anticipate a modest increase to no more than $400. It's still a bargain for a vacation of a lifetime, but we have to be realistic.

Various Coe departments have generously supported Team CoeBRAI in past years. Following the June flood and subsequent economic downturn, it seems foolhardy to expect the same level of institutional support.

The fee includes the official $140 RAGBRAI entry fee (a $15 increase over 2008), a custom 2009 Team CoeBRAI jersey and license plate, bus transportation to and from Cedar Rapids and the starting/ending towns, and snack and non-alcoholic beverages at each overnight stop. It also includes variable and negotiable accommodations with Coe alumni, parents and friends at yet-to-be announced overnight stops along the way. (Our record in this regard has been nothing short of spectacular and there's no reason to doubt the generosity of Kohawks!)

I do hope you'll join us for what, for me and Team CoeBRAI, will be the fifth annual effort. To date, 14 people have officially expressed interest. Among them, six are participants from 2008 and five from 2007. How about penciling in July 19-25 on your calendar?

Come one, come all

I vowed to do some RAGBRAI planning over Christmas break, so here goes.

Are you in?

Sure it’s 207 days away. But will you really have anything better to do, really? Over the past four years, I’ve come to see RAGBRAI as a less of a chore and more of a ritual. It’s also a pretty darn effective carrot for encouraging year-round physical fitness.

That’s why this is exactly the perfect time of year to plan for RAGBRAI 2009. With the repeated snow and ice storms accompanied by arctic temperatures, it warms my soul to think of reflective heat coming off the pavement in July. I’m not a pie guy, but I can’t imagine any served this holiday season can rival those found on RAGBRAI (which is why pie is incorporated in this year’s design). And, I’m sorry, but the stationary bike does not compare.

Besides, with the Packers out of the playoffs, what am I supposed to do? Watch the NBA? No thanks.

I sincerely hope you'll join us this year. Fees have been held at $350. Of this, $175 is due to Coe by March 1 along with a signed waiver from the RAGBRAI Web site. The remaining $175 will be due July 1.

The fee includes the official $125 RAGBRAI entry fee, a Team CoeBRAI jersey and license plate, bus transportation to and from Cedar Rapids and the starting/ending towns, and snacks and non-alcoholic beverages at each overnight stop. This does not include meals, unfortunately, though we hope to negotiate with our hosts at each overnight stop to make some accommodation for dinner and showers.

Additionally, participants should plan to spend $20-$30 per day on food and beverages, bike repairs, showers, etc.

RAGBRAI begins somewhere near Iowa’s western border and ends along the eastern border at the Mississippi River. Overnight towns will be announced soon in the Des Moines Register and at www.ragbrai.org. Again this year, we will seek hosts from among the Coe community at each of the overnight towns.

Students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends are all welcome to join Team CoeBRAI. If you are interested, please complete the interest form at http://cobrai.coe.edu. To date, a handful of folks have completed the interest form. I know of dozens more who are at least considering it. If you have half a mind to do RAGBRAI – and, really, that’s what it takes – fill out the form or shoot me an e-mail.

Ride on!