RAGBRAI XLIX Day 4 – (July 27th, 2022) Mason City (103.5 miles today. 284.3 miles total). I’ve done my share of centuries and this was probably one of the easiest! Natalie and I were on the road again at 5:00 AM ahead of the crowd and it was perfectly calm and cool.
I had a minor problem 6 miles in getting my shoe cleat stuck in my pedal. I couldn’t get it out without taking the entire pedal apart. We pulled over to the shoulder and I spent thirty minutes sitting on the road getting everything apart only to have the entire pedal assembly fall apart all over the gravel of the shoulder. It was pitch dark still and we tried our best to find the screws and hardware to piece it all back together, but after a while, I was able to find some replacement parts on my bike, and eventually, we were back on the road heading east with the most joyous tailwind pushing us along.
We met some great people and even dealt with a bridge out near the end of the route. We had to dismount and walk about .25 miles to get past the road closure.
Natalie excelled in the speed department and I found myself drafting behind her most of the route. We were able to meet up with a huge peloton for the final 15 miles and saw sustained speeds of 25 MPH. It was so much fun!!
One guy on our route had a seizure while on his bike and ended up crashing hard resulting in a medical helicopter landing on the road to evacuate him directly from the scene. Despite all the enjoyment, this many people on the road can create some very precarious situations. Luckily, we both are doing well and being as careful as we can.
Tonight we will be enjoying the music of former Eagles lead guitarist, Don Felder, and Sugar Ray!
