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Native Quad Citian, Gabe Lareau, will be journaling his way across the state of Iowa with fifty thousand of his new “closest friends” when he participates in RAGBRAI’s 50th ride. You can take the ride with Gabe and follow his adventure on Let’s Move Quad Cities.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The last time Gabe wrote a series of stories for Let’s Move QC, he was just heading into his junior year of college and writing about biking to his summer job at the Moline YMCA for our “Bike to Work Week” celebration. This summer, as Gabe prepares for his last year at the University of Illinois, he’s agreed to document the ride he’s taking later this month with his father and the thousands of other cyclists making their pilgrimage to Iowa to celebrate RAGBRAI’s 50th anniversary.
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by Gabe Lareau
Hello everyone!
Next week, I will be your guide as we ride along the fiftieth edition of Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) 2023, or in the QC, we call it “BIX/RAI” for that final tire dip in Davenport on Saturday, July 29.
This is my first trip, and I’m so excited to take you all with me as I, and tens of thousands of my closest friends, ride 500 hundred miles from Sioux City to right here on our stretch of the only river that matters.
Before we dip our tires, a few introductory matters of writing and riding: I’m Quad Cities born and raised; I’ve called Moline home for all 21 of my years. Currently, I am a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Go Illini!), where I will be starting my senior year studying English with a minor in Media.
Riding has always been a big part of Gabe’s life
As a kid, when I wasn’t reading, I was on my bicycle.
Before I could walk on two feet, I could ride on two wheels. Okay, maybe not, but family stories of four-year-old Gabe spending maybe two seconds on training wheels before he took to riding a bike properly or using newfound skills to ride shirtless in a blizzard on Christmas Eve persist at family dinners to this day.
My passion for bikes started early with family rides to Sacred Heart Church in Moline on Sundays during the summer. Among my fondest memories as a child are of riding to Schwiebert Park in Rock Island or to the Freight House farmer’s market in Davenport on dewy Saturday mornings.
As I got older, my love for cycling continued through middle and high school as I rode rain or shine to Moline Senior High, and has persisted to this day as I’ve now ridden in three different countries.
The road to RAGBRAI
In those two decades of constant riding, RAGBRAI has eluded me. Not this year, though.
The 50th anniversary of the world’s greatest bike ride stopping along some of my favorite places in Iowa and ending seven miles from my house in Moline was simply too hard to resist. How could I possibly pass up riding next to Des Moines’ gold-domed state capitol, through two of my favorite college towns, and the historic Amana colonies all in one week?
Also, the pie. Can’t forget the pie.
Despite having nearly 20 years of road biking experience, I still am not quite sure what I’m in for on this 500-mile trek.
My first training ride, a short forty-five-minute session on my dad’s stationary bike, was back in February. In March, I kept up with my training schedule. In April and May, the semester’s demands ripped my bike away.
In June, I fared a little better, but I must admit that I’m behind where I should be heading into this year’s ride. I’ve talked to many close friends and seasoned RAGBRAI veterans. They say my youth and spunk will carry me through.
What to expect while on the ride
They are also whom I will be cursing with fists raised to the unrelenting sun on the sixtieth mile of the fourth day in the middle of a blistering Iowan cornfield as my legs burn both inside and out.
Or, maybe, I might sail right through and hardly break a sweat. There’s only one way to find out. A good friend recently told me when I asked about RAGBRAI: “The real joy of the ride is in the discovery.”
On the ride, you’ll not only hear from me, but also from every good-cheered Quad Citizen I meet. I’ll keep you updated on anything and everything of note as I update you on my progress here on LMQC.
And, if you happen to be riding one or every day of RAGBRAI, stop and say hi! You may just get featured on a dispatch.
See you in Iowa!
________________________________________________
by Gabe Lareau Hello everyone! Next week, I will be your guide as we ride along the fiftieth edition of Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) 2023, or in the QC, we call it “BIX/RAI” for that final tire dip in Davenport on Saturday, July 29. This is my first trip, and I’m so excited to take you all with me as I, and tens of thousands of my closest friends, ride 500 hundred miles from Sioux City to right here on our stretch of the only river that matters.
Before we dip our tires, a few introductory matters of writing and riding: I’m Quad Cities born and raised; I’ve called Moline home for all 21 of my years. Currently, I am a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Go Illini!), where I will be starting my senior year studying English with a minor in Media.
Riding has always been a big part of Gabe’s life
As a kid, when I wasn’t reading, I was on my bicycle. Before I could walk on two feet, I could ride on two wheels. Okay, maybe not, but family stories of four-year-old Gabe spending maybe two seconds on training wheels before he took to riding a bike properly or using newfound skills to ride shirtless in a blizzard on Christmas Eve persist at family dinners to this day.My passion for bikes started early with family rides to Sacred Heart Church in Moline on Sundays during the summer. Among my fondest memories as a child are of riding to Schwiebert Park in Rock Island or to the Freight House farmer’s market in Davenport on dewy Saturday mornings.
As I got older, my love for cycling continued through middle and high school as I rode rain or shine to Moline Senior High, and has persisted to this day as I’ve now ridden in three different countries.
The road to RAGBRAI
In those two decades of constant riding, RAGBRAI has eluded me. Not this year, though. The 50th anniversary of the world’s greatest bike ride stopping along some of my favorite places in Iowa and ending seven miles from my house in Moline was simply too hard to resist. How could I possibly pass up riding next to Des Moines’ gold-domed state capitol, through two of my favorite college towns, and the historic Amana colonies all in one week? Also, the pie. Can’t forget the pie. Despite having nearly 20 years of road biking experience, I still am not quite sure what I’m in for on this 500-mile trek. My first training ride, a short forty-five-minute session on my dad’s stationary bike, was back in February. In March, I kept up with my training schedule. In April and May, the semester’s demands ripped my bike away. In June, I fared a little better, but I must admit that I’m behind where I should be heading into this year’s ride. I’ve talked to many close friends and seasoned RAGBRAI veterans. They say my youth and spunk will carry me through.What to expect while on the ride
They are also whom I will be cursing with fists raised to the unrelenting sun on the sixtieth mile of the fourth day in the middle of a blistering Iowan cornfield as my legs burn both inside and out. Or, maybe, I might sail right through and hardly break a sweat. There’s only one way to find out. A good friend recently told me when I asked about RAGBRAI: “The real joy of the ride is in the discovery.” On the ride, you’ll not only hear from me, but also from every good-cheered Quad Citizen I meet. I’ll keep you updated on anything and everything of note as I update you on my progress here on LMQC. And, if you happen to be riding one or every day of RAGBRAI, stop and say hi! You may just get featured on a dispatch. See you in Iowa!
Gabe Lareau
Bike Blogger
Moline, Il, native Gabe Lareau is an avid cyclist, a senior English major and saxophonist at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and an aspiring environmental writer.
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