RAGBRAI Day One: Orange City To Spencer

Granville

(Primghar) — Day one of RAGBRAI produced nice weather for the thousands of bicyclists that left Orange City on their way to Spencer. A gentle breeze prevailed, along with cooler temperatures making for nearly ideal conditions to
ride a bike. Many of the riders say they have been on previous RAGBRAI rides including Pat Baldwin who hails from near Tulsa, Oklahoma. Baldwin says this year’s ride is his tenth ride across Iowa. He says he enjoys Iowa’s countryside,
its people, and meeting old and new friends.

Cindy Deitz is traveling with Baldwin, but this marks her first ever RAGBRAI ride. She says she got started riding a bike just over year ago. Deitz says it was Baldwin who convinced her to try RAGBRAI. She says besides meeting people, she is anxious about trying the various foods.

Deitz and Baldwin admit Iowa has more hills than they ever imagined, prior to riding a bicycle across the state.

Baldwin reflects on his first RAGBRAI ride, and how he was surprised by the hills of Iowa.

Deitz says besides all the different foods, she talks about what else she is looking forward to during her first visit to the Hawkeye state.

Dana Pottabaum of rural Granville decided the bicyclists would need a chance to cool down from their ride, so she constructed a modified swimming pool, capable of holding up to 2000 gallons of water and consisting of hay bales and a plastic
tarp. In addition, Pottabaum also provided a “slip and slide” and an obstacle course to offer the bikers some fun during their ride.

Pottabaum wasn’t certain as to how many bicyclists took advantage of the added recreational activities. She says it could number the hundreds. Pottabaum says it was a last minute decision to create the water recreation.

Martin Pauley was seen riding his bicycle carrying a German flag waving in the breeze. Pauley now lives in Iowa, but grew up in Germany. Like Pat Baldwin, this is Pauley’s tenth time to participate on RAGBRAI. He says he keeps coming back to ride on RAGBRAI because it is a week without any scheduled time
commitments, and its a week where he feels like he can relax. The native German says throughout the years, he has met several other international visitors participating on RAGBRAI.

According to authorities, there was one emergency incident that occurred during the first day of RAGBRAI. Vince Kurtz with the Iowa State Patrol says the incident occurred early in the morning, and early in the ride.

Kurtz classified the first day as being a “positive day.”

Paullina

Primghar