Listen Now

2015 marked the first RAGBRAI to include an option gravel loop and this year, RAGBRAI upped the ante is offering the option of a full gravel day. Hear from Director Dieter Drake and gravel enthusiast Cole Ledbetter on how the day came to be, what riders can expect if they chose the gravel option and where Dieter and Cole see gravel riding heading in the future.

This week meet Brian O'Leary, executive director of the Dream Team which is a five month program that partners youth with adult mentors to provide a unique opportunity to build relationships, achieve personal growth, and learn life skills. They train and prepare as a team to ride every mile of RAGBRAI. Their mission is to use the power of a bicycle to assist youth in developing a positive approach to life’s challenges. Brian is going to give us more info on the The Dream Team, including how you can help this Central Iowa nonprofit group. www.dreamteamdesmoines.org www.ragbrai.com www.murphologypodcast.com

ParrotTalk continues her throwback series, this time with an article by John Karras on The Joy of Negative Thinking, written after SAGBRAI. You'll also get the latest on RAGBRAI Registration, the RAGBRAI Route Announcement, Iowa Bike Summit, and the Iowa Bike Expo! Links: RAGBRAI Registration: RAGBRAI.com/registration Route Announcement Tickets: https://ragbrai.com/events/RAP/ Iowa Bike Summit: https://iowabicyclesummit.com/ Iowa Bike Expo: https://iowabikeexpo.com/ To send John Karras a note: RAGBRAI c/o John Karras 400 Locust St, Suite 500 Des Moines, IA 50309

Bicyclist Kevin Nicholson checked the weather before he left home, but Alexa apparently had no clue. The Iowan's routine bike ride in central Iowa on this fateful morning in August left him in the middle of an historic storm--a derecho, or inland hurricane, with winds of more than 100 miles per hour that flattened corn fields, peeled roofs off houses and toppled trees. Co-host Kyle Munson talks with Nicholson about how he survived the storm on his bike, what he witnessed, and what he thinks about experiencing one of the legendary bike rides of 2020.

This week Murphology chats with Dixon Novy from the Quad Cities Bicycle Club, QCBC. This club has been around since the 60’s and their charter has been part of RAGBRAI for as long as the ride has existed. Dixon himself has biked a dozen RAGBRAIs and has been part of several overnight town committees who do all the planning and prepping for thousands of cyclists to camp. Dixon shares his take on what it is like to be part of the QCBC club and charter. www.qcbc.org www.murphologypodcast.com

RAGBRAI XLVIII registration just opened - are you ready to RAGBRAI? ParrotTalk fills you in on RAGBRAI's COVID-19 preparation plans, the new registration system, and more! Is it July yet?

We all got together (virtually) this week to talk Thanksgiving - possibly the best holiday due to its many pie-based traditions. What's your most thankful moment on a bicycle? Stop by and let us know on our social media - @JustGoBike on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ParrotTalk is back this week with a couple of Donald Kaul's Over the Coffee columns, celebrating Clarence Pickard, and proper training for your backside. Note: if you would like to learn more about the inimitable Clarence Pickard, stop by the RAGBRAI exhibit at the State Historical Museum of Iowa in Des Moines. Got a question for ParrotTalk? Message us here or email justgobikepodcast@gmail.com.