Team riding around Indianola

I want to start some Team Simpson rides near Indianola. Best times for me to ride are early Saturday/Sunday mornings (7-12noon) or weekday mornings (8-12noon), but I could try to make other arrangements.
Good routes:
A. Meet at 165th and Kennedy Street (south of Marywood Farms) and ride south to Milo/Lacona/Chariton. This is a low traffic route, with rolling hills.
B. Meet at Imes Bridge in St. Charles and ride a loop out to Winterset/E. Peru/Truro. This is a low traffic route, with some bigger hills thrown in along the way. Extra mileage can be added with a trek through St. Mary's if needed.

Both of these routes work best with more than one rider, for safety.

Let me know if you want to join me. Come prepared: plenty of water/Gatorade, sunscreen, snacks, safety equipment, spare tubes/patch kit and a pump, etc. (I have been witness to too many flat tires in the past week!) There are no bike shops and few food stops nearby!

Ready, Set, Tent!

We have arranged overnight hosts in each of the overnight RAGBRAI towns for Team Simpson. Each host was asked to provide us with:

• A yard for our riders to pitch their tents from afternoon until the following morning.
• Showers for the riders on the day the group arrives, and access to the bathroom(s).
• A few electrical outlets for the group to plug in cell phones, I-pods and the likes.
• Access to water for water bottle fill-up prior to leaving in the morning.

In addition, Team Simpson’s gear truck will be traveling with:

• a quick set up canopy, for instant shade
• several power strips,
• several coolers full of beverages,
• post-ride snacks and pre-ride granola bars,
• first aid kit,
• several bicycle tire pumps,
• and an abundance of trash bags.

So BYOTT (which translates to bring your own tent and towel), along with your camping and sleeping gear. You may want to consider bringing along a collapsible chair, as we expect riders will come and go from our overnight hosts’ homes as they explore the town. Often, the group will sit outside and visit with each other into the evening. We will welcome our hosts to pull up a chair too, join the group, and continue their “Simpson Experience”.

The next Team Simpson blog post will include information on arrival and departure times of the gear truck, daily maps, and signage for our daily ride.

Until then- keep riding for the red and gold!

Meet Team Simpson!

Welcome to the Team Simpson blog! Here, we’ll count down the days until RAGBRAI XXXVII and get to know each other a bit before the ride. We’ll also use this blog to finalize our plans and answer questions.

The inaugural team will be made up of 51 cyclists and 2 drivers. We have 29 week long riders and 22 riders who will ride a portion of the week. The most popular segment of the ride appears to be Sunday through Tuesday for the much anticipated cruise into Indianola.
Forty-two teammates are traveling from Indianola to the start of the ride in Council Bluffs on Saturday, July 18 and 30 teammates are returning with the team from Burlington to Indianola on Saturday, July 25. We come from 15 different states and vary widely in our RAGBRAI experience. We have RAGBRAI veterans and riders who will be experiencing RAGBRAI for the first time.

Here is a list of team members’ first names and their home towns.

Chris – Indianola, IA
Denise – Boca Rotan, FL
Lu Ann – Urbandale, IA
Bob – Indianola, IA
Ben – Boseman, MT
Ryan – Indianola, IA
Kelley – West Des Moines, IA
Joshua – Treynor, IA
Nicole – Kansas City, MO
Jason – West Des Moines, IA
Judy – Indianola, IA
Angie – Ankeny, IA
Brian – Omaha, NB
Jennifer – Johnston, IA
Craig – Des Moines, IA
Jacki – Johnston, IA
Michael – Norwalk, IA
Kimberly – Des Moines, IA
Jason –Johnston, IA
Burton – Newburgh, IN
Kevin – Kilmarnock, VA
Patrick – Johnston, IA
Werner – Indianola, IA
Sheila – Kilmarnock, VA
John – Runnells, IA
Daniel – West Des Moines, IA
Carolyn – Kansas City, MO
Jacque – Johnston, IA
John – Edina, MN
Joseph – Westwood, KS
Jeff – Johnston, IA
Denise –Fort Cambell, KY
Shari – Westwood, KS
Martha – Indianola, IA
Dave – Pompano Beach, FL
Eric – Minneapolis, MN
Jackie – Indianola, IA
John – Sacramento, CA
Marv – Indianola, IA
John – Indianola, IA
Ron – Walnut Creek, CA
David – Saginaw, MI
Kevin – Johnston, IA
Scott –Bartlesville, OK
Paul – Indianola, IA
Ben – Altoona, IA
Brian – Iowa City, IA
Stacey – Indianola, IA
David – Evansville, IN
James – Sultan, WA
Alex – Fisher, IN
Jay – Indianola, IA
Kelli – Hot Springs, SD


We invite you to become a regular on the Team Simpson blog. Feel free to ask or answer questions and contribute as you choose. This is simply a way to have a free flowing conversation, allowing everyone to contribute as much or as little as they feel comfortable. In upcoming posts we will talk more about our overnight locations and hosts, packing lists, travel logistics, and other details.

July 18 marks the beginning of a new adventure linked together by two interests, Simpson College and a passion for cycling.

We can’t wait!