The thirtieth annual RAGBRAI going on through tomorrow isn’t the easiest bike ride across Iowa, but it’s far from the worst. Jon Cook has been on almost every one. He started at number-four and this is his 27th, and Cook says despite a light headwind it’s been a mostly easy ride. Weather’s been milder than the previous blistering week, though the veteran RAGBRAI pedaler has seen the whole range. Too cold? Yup, he’s seen the days when riders start out with a hat, cycling tights and coat, but not this year. What will he do when this ride wraps up on Saturday?He says this kind of vacation gets in your blood, and people who’ve never done it ask what you’re up to while riders say they can’t wait till the next one. And with a moving community of ten to fifteen thousand people, you’re bound to make a few friends. He met a woman fifteen years ago and sees her every year even though he still doesn’t know her name. Cook says the first few years there was a feeling of sadness as the ride ended and people prepared to part with their newfound friends, but now they just begin their plans for the next year’s ride.
