Extended vacation tours, 2009

RAGBRAI 2009

July 18 through July 25, 2009

RAGBRAI is the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, a seven-day bicycle ride across the state that is in its 37th year. It is the longest, largest and oldest bicycle tour in the world. It is a tremendously fun event, where over 8,000 riders take over the back roads and small towns of Iowa for a week. The route is different each year (and towns compete fiercely to be included in the route). Admission to the ride is limited, allocated by lottery, and fills up every year. It is an experience every bike tourist should have at least once in their life.

Once again The Touring Cyclist is taking a group to RAGBRAI in 2009. We provide transportation to and from St. Louis to the ride, plus many other extras during the week to make your time at RAGBRAI even more enjoyable.

Transportation via air conditioned coach from St. Louis to the start of RAGBRAI, and from the end back to St. Louis. We also transport your bicycle and luggage to and from the ride. No more worries about parking your car at RAGBRAI’s start and finding transportation back there when the ride is done.
Luggage transport each day during the tour. We provide our own luggage vehicles to take your gear to the next camp site each day, and we set it out for you. This way you avoid searching through the massive piles of luggage at the ride-provided luggage vans that most RAGBRAI riders have to use.
Custom camp site selection. Early each morning one of our staff members will drive on to the next town to secure the best possible camping area for our group. Then he will put up signs to clearly mark the path from the ride’s entry into town to our group’s camp site.
Showers at the camp site. You bring your own solar shower water heater. We fill the water heaters up each morning and set them out in the sun, and we provide the shower enclosures (4 stalls, up from 2 in previous years). A free, warm shower at the end of each day’s ride is a beautiful thing.
Drinks and snacks each morning, to help you get going as you head out for breakfast.
Mechanical assistance each evening at the camp site. We will be available to make minor adjustments or repairs to your bike during the ride at no charge. We will have a supply of common items with us (tires, tubes, cables, saddles, gloves, etc.). But remember, as with any tour it is important to have your bike in top condition before the start, so bring it to one of our stores for a look before the tour if you have any doubts.
Four full time staff members will accompany the tour: tour leader (Patrick Clarence), luggage truck driver (Ron Bishop), bicycle mechanic (Robert Metz), and an additional helper.

Just as RAGBRAI fills up each year, so does our group. We are limited by the number of seats on the motor coach (57 people) and by the amount of luggage and bicycles we can haul in our support vehicles. Our group always fill up quickly, so contact us right away if you want to sign up.

The tour costs $500. This price includes the fee that goes to RAGBRAI for a rider tag, plus all the services listed above (transportation to and from the event, deluxe luggage handling, etc.). To sign up we require a $200 deposit to hold your place. The balance will be due in March.

Sign up now

If you went with our group in 2008, sign up like this:

Register at the RAGBRAI web site page for returning users: http://entries.ragbrai.com. You should have received instructions from us already with the login information. Call us if you need help with this step.
Print out a copy of the first page of the entry form from that web site. Also print out and sign the waiver.
Mail the printed out entry form, the signed waiver, and the $200 initial deposit to us. Do not send the application or any money directly to RAGBRAI. It has to go to us. Waivers or payments sent directly to RAGBRAI from riders participating in a group will get thrown away by RAGBRAI. You can pay by check, or call us by phone and pay by credit card.
Include the following information in you mailing to us: your email address, you t-shirt size, and any medical issues we should be aware of.
Call (314-739-4648) or email ([tctours AT touringcyclist.com]) us right away to say you have mailed the application, so we know to hold a spot for you in the group.

If you did not go with our group in 2008, you have two ways to sign up—by paper form, or by on-line form at RAGBRAI’s web site.

To sign up by paper form:

Print out this form from the RAGBRAI web site: http://www.ragbrai.org/pdf/application2009.pdf. Fill it out and mail it to us. Be sure to sign the waiver and send us the original waiver with your signature. Faxed or photocopied waivers are not accepted by RAGBRAI.
Mail the printed out entry form, the signed waiver, and the $200 initial deposit to us. Do not send the application or any money directly to RAGBRAI. It has to go to us. Waivers or payments sent directly to RAGBRAI from riders participating in a group will get thrown away by RAGBRAI. You can pay by check, or call us by phone and pay by credit card.
Include the following information in you mailing to us: your email address, your t-shirt size, and any medical issues we should be aware of.
Call (314-739-4648) or email ([tctours AT touringcyclist.com]) us right away to say you have mailed the application, so we know to hold a spot for you in the group.

To sign up on-line at RAGBRAI’s web site:

Go to this page on RAGBRAI’s site: http://entries.ragbrai.org/. Follow the instructions to create a new profile. Once you have made an account and logged in, you will be asked to register as an individual or as part of a group. Select the “find a group to join” button. Our group number is 31651 and the group name is “Touring Cyclist”. Find that group and click to join it.
Continue the registration process. Fill out and submit the entry form. Print out a copy of the entry form information showing what extra items you ordered (jersey, souvenir packages, etc.). Download, print and sign the waiver.
Mail the signed waiver and a copy of the entry form to us, along with your $200 initial deposit payment. Be sure to sign the waiver and send us the original, not a copy. Faxed or photocopied waivers are not accepted by RAGBRAI. Do not send the waiver or any money directly to RAGBRAI. It has to go to us. Waivers or payments sent directly to RAGBRAI from riders participating in a group will get thrown away by RAGBRAI. You can pay by check, or call us by phone and pay by credit card.
Include the following information in you mailing to us: your email address, your t-shirt size, and any medical issues we should be aware of.
Call (314-739-4648) or email ([tctours AT touringcyclist.com]) us right away to say you have mailed the application, so we know to hold a spot for you in the group. Very important: registering on line does not guarantee your spot in our group. You must call or email us directly to tell us you want to be included in our group, then follow up promptly with the mailed waiver and deposit payment.

Any questions? You can contact us by phone Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (CST), and Saturdays 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM (CST), at 314-739-4648. You can email us any time at [tctours AT touringcyclist.com]. Here is our mailing address:

The Touring Cyclist
11816 St. Charles Rock Road
Bridgeton, MO 63044

We hope you join us on this fun tour!

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