Justgobike

Wondering what is in store for the first day of RAGBRAI 2017? Listen up as each and every day this week we will be previewing the next day's route and highlighting some must stop locations along the road.

For two weeks in June Sarah Cooper, the top female finisher in the 2017 Race Across America (RAAM), rode her bike across the country with the help of dedicated crew members -- good friends and fellow bicyclists -- trailing her close behind in a van or SUV. We sit down for a round-table interview with two of those crew members and Sarah to reflect on their incredible, grueling RAAM experience and why its a bicycle race they will do only once.

May the fork be with you: National Public Radio's "No Pie Refused" regroups for another RAGBRAI after the political conventions of the 2016 presidential campaign interrupted the summer cycling plans for all but one of its journalists-bicyclists. We talk to two of the team members -- political reporters Scott Horsley and Danielle Kurtzleben -- to see what their training looks like for both The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa and the pie-eating contest that they've dubbed "The Rhubarb Rumble." ... Also, Kerri Sorrell of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation joins Mark Wyatt for an update on the Trout Run Trail in northeast Iowa and other trail news. And Andrea Parrott is back with another "Parrott Talk," answering a listener's question about how to keep your bike safe and sound during large group rides.

Larry Gallo, executive director of the Air Force Cycling Team, talks about what has changed since he and his fellow bicyclists began riding RAGBRAI in 2005, and how slowing down helped them find their real mission for seven days at the end of July. Plus we delve into July's bike calendar with Scott Sumpter of Bike Iowa!

Bicycles arguably belong in science fiction every bit as much as spaceships, phasers and Wookies. Just ask Jeremy Withers, an assistant professor at Iowa State University in Ames who teaches sci-fi, British literature and the history of the English language. He's also author of the new book "War of the Wheels: H.G. Wells and the Bicycle." Withers embarks on a far-ranging discussion with Kyle Munson on two-wheeled machines, fictional aliens and Wells' earthly reputation as a philanderer. (Who were the first people to encounter Martians in Well's landmark sci-fi novel, "The War of the Worlds"? Bicyclists!) And of course this week also brings another great installment of Andrea Parrott's "Parrott Talk," where she answers your urgent questions about bicycling.

Steve Fuller, one of 10 crew members supporting Sarah Cooper of Urbandale, Ia., in her attempt to finish the Race Across America by June 26, phones in Friday, June 23 from a Ford Expedition as it rolls on toward the finish line in Annapolis, Md. He updates Just Go Bike on how "Super Cooper" has fought sleep deprivation, consumed boxes of Popsicles, been met by an increasing number of fans and found herself singing along to "Singin' in the Rain" in Ohio.

The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) is a month away, and four JustGoBike podcasters pedaled the route. So the team gathers around our square table in the studio to give you an inside look at how the week of the world's oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring ride will play out -- especially where to stop and what to eat. Also, this week's "Parrott Talk" delves into the dirty laundry to explain how to get chain grease out of your kit.

The Bacoon ride, a 71 mile ride on the Racoon River Valley Trail west of Des Moines, pairs bacon with one of the area's most well traveled bike trails. What kind of bacon treats could one expect to find on such a ride? Brook Reynolds, Executive Director of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival and one of the directors of the Bacoon ride gives us the low down on who made what and where.

Seven years ago, Massachusetts native Ernest Gagnon weighed 570 pounds when he found that cycling matched his love for the outdoors. Ever since he has been on a quest to improve his health and find new friends with whom he can share a road or trail. Just Go Bike co-host Mark Wyatt chats with Gagnon for an update. This episode also features a trail update with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. And we get tips on fighting headwinds from Andrea Parrott's "Parrott Talk."

Finally, we get tailwinds on the ride. But bike repair doesn't stop. Craig Cooper talks about bike repair and flat tires on this pre-ride edition of the JustGoBike podcast.

Gwen Garner joins the Just Go Bike Podcast and talks about the ride from Clear Lake to Charles City. We talk about what hurts and how to fix it. Also, take a float down the Cedar River in Charles City.

Vern & Vicky talk about breakfast on RAGBRAI. Burritos, pancakes, and more about 20 miles into the ride. Also, a recap of the ride from Algona to Clear Lake.

We are joined by the Olsen Twins to talk about wind and packing for RAGBRAI.

RAGBRAI Route Inspection Day 1.

A certain New York rock band has added bicycles to its arsenal of makeup, fake blood and platform heels. Milan Skrecek and Sciacallo Bikes teamed up with KISS to design a triathlon bike for the music-loving masses. Meanwhile, this week's Parrott Talk talks about what to do when bad weather strikes while riding.

When chef, musician and cyclist Sam Auen found himself out of breath putting on his cycling shoes he knew something was wrong. With the batteries out of his scale, Auen was "eating like there was no consequences," and it put his love of cycling in jeopardy. He has embraced a vegan diet, lost a bike's worth of weight and has returned to having fun by not having fun (pushing through one mile after another on two wheels).

Rev. Dr. Kevin Emge wanted to do something different for his 10th Ironman medal. So in April he left his time-trial bike at home in Grinnell, Iowa, and brought his fat bike to Ironman Texas. The 112-mile bike segment in the Lone Star State took Emge and his balloon tires more than seven hours, averaging 15.49 miles per hour. He considers it to be one of his best Ironman experiences, so the outcome might surprise you. And in the latest Parrott Talk, Andrea pours forth wisdom on bicycling's ultimate "recovery drink."

The Dream Team is a program that gives kids the chance to train for and ride RAGBRAI. Brian Horsfall and DeAndre Parson met six years ago when DeAndre first joined the team. Now DeAndre works in a kitchen with plans to open his own food truck. He credits Brian and the Dream Team with teaching him how to set goals and achieve them. Also in this week's show is the Bike Calendar with Scott Sumpter and a spam-filled version of Parrot Talk.

Don't believe the hype: Mountain biking really can thrive on the pancake topography of the American Heartland. We talk to Chris Van Roekel with the nonprofit Whiterock Conservancy near Coon Rapids, Iowa. He tends 38 miles of mountain bike trails nestled into central Iowa, on historic farmland that played a crucial role in U.S.-Soviet relations at the height of the Cold War. ... Andrea Parrott on this week's "Parrott Talk" welcomes a guest to chat about the national trend of women's bike rides, including the Pigtails Ride (pigtailsride.com) May 20 in central Iowa. ... We also hear from our dear listeners and fellow bicyclists who joined us for our inaugural Just Go Bike Meetup Ride!

This week we talk with Mark Stevenson, better know as Guitar Ted. He's the co-founder and race director behind the 300+ mile gravel race known as Trans Iowa. The epic contest has spawned countless other gravel races but never strayed far from its roots as a brutal, self-supported, self-navigated gauntlet that pushes riders beyond what they thought they could wring from their weary bodies. Andrea Parrott wraps up the show with savvy advice for a smart question about cycling while pregnant.