Big crowd for RAGBRAI Day 1 has extra share of 'saggers'

STORM LAKE ― As the RAGBRAI crowd concluded Day 1 in Storm Lake, RAGBRAI acknowledged there had been a lot of sagging ― the ride's term for those who, deciding they can't or don't want to complete the route, instead flag down a support-and-gear van (SAG wagon), load their bike on its trailer and catch a ride to the next stop.

It wasn't an unusually hot day, though the Sunday start of the 50th anniversary ride, like all Register's Annual Great Bicycle Rides Across Iowa, had a steep climb out of the Missouri River valley. Plus there were a large number of first-time riders, and as always there were unregistered tag-alongs ― more than usual were expected because of the historic nature of the ride.

A so-called "super SAG" ― a RAGBRAI baggage trailer dispatched to load up saggers' bikes ― was parked outside pass-through town Quimby. And Joe Kelly, spokesperson for the Storm Lake RAGBRAI organizing committee, said shuttles were dispatched to pick up at least 40 stragglers who couldn't make it.

More: 'Massive humanity' as RAGBRAI launches 50th anniversary ride

"From what I understand, the SAG wagons are having a hard time keeping up," Kelly said.

Anne Lawrie, director of the cycling division for Ventures Endurance, the subsidiary of Gannett, owner of the Des Moines Register, that manages RAGBRAI, said sagging was above normal on Sunday.

"Yes, we saw a high volume of saggers today so we deployed our super sag to move riders from the route to Storm Lake," Lawrie said, adding that there are always contingency plans for the use of the semi, if needed.

More: Resident who recalls first ride wonders: Is RAGBRAI too big for its original towns?

She said ride organizers are concerned about Monday's ride to Carroll, "but we have a plan in place to move riders safely across the route from Storm Lake to Carroll."

Early Monday, RAGBRAI got some good news as the National Weather Service revised its forecast for the Day 2 route. While still calling for a high in the low 90s, it significantly lowered the predicted speed of a headwind, saying it would be 5 to 10 mph instead of gusting to more than 20 mph ― conditions that would have been challenging even for veteran riders.

Also a busy day for RAGBRAI ambulance

Bob Libby, whose Care Ambulance provides emergency transport for the ride, said he had a "super busy day."

"We had probably our highest number of transports that we've ever had during the week," he said, but added, "for the amount of people, it would be normal."

He said at least 18 riders had to be taken to receive medical care, but that he would not characterize any of the injuries as life threatening.

More: For one rider, RAGBRAI's 50th anniversary a ride with even deeper meaning

Several riders interviewed in Storm Lake said that if there was an unusual amount of sagging, they hadn't noticed.

Andy Dare of Mississippi said going into the week he heard Sunday would be the hardest day. But after finishing it, he didn’t think it was that tough.

“I think Thursday is going to be the hardest day because it’s going to be over 100 degrees and it’s going to be longer,” Dare said of the route to Tama-Toledo from Des Moines, the longest of the ride and with the most elevation gain.

Brothers Steve Humphrys of Atlanta and Jim Humphrys of Pennsylvania said they did not think Sunday was that tough either ― though their brother, who they did not want to name in order to protect his privacy, fell and broke his collarbone on Outer Drive in Sioux City when another rider swerved to avoid hitting a cone in the middle of the road.

“I rode up on one of those cones and you can’t see them because there’s so many people there,” Steve Humphrys said.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 'Sagging' up among RAGBRAI Day 1's big crowd of riders