GamJams Survey: Among the Masses

Here's how it goes at GamJams Survey headquarters: "Oh, you race bikes? Do you do RAGBRAI?"

And ... sigh.

(RAGBRAI, for the record, is the weeklong, Iowa-spanning ride that has been in existence since long before Lance Armstrong invented carbon fiber. And, despite its description — a weeklong bike ride across Iowa — it's actually fairly entertaining.)

But no, actually, we don't "do RAGBRAI." We may slip in for a day now and then, but that's not the season's objective. Nor do we aim for the other mass-start rides that pop up around the area. But we'll ride them now and then — the routes are solid, traffic is managed. Heck, maybe you'll see something new.

So here's the question: Are we alone? Do you jump in with the untamed peloton or stay far, far away?

Comments

[Jim]

Off the front? IMAO, trying to "win" a charity ride may be the lamest thing a racing cyclist can do, though I suppose if your training regularly includes "racing" commuters on the multi-use trails, you should probably just treat the "Beat Dropsy Century" as your "A" race and be proud of it. Gran Fondos and Sportivos, the Goon Rides of charity events, being the exceptions, of course.

[Bryan Redemske]

Some slight clarification: Around these parts (near GJ Survey Headquarters), off the front in a mass-start ride means just fast enough to stay the hell away from the sketchy-sketchy "can cause serious damage" portion of the crowd. There's always some tri-type who is in the bars within 50 meters of the start and stays that way throughout for the win. You can always count on a tri-guy for that.